By MICHAEL GINGOLD
A longtime genre journalist has created a process to convert classic genre fare for a new viewing experience.
Dan Persons, who has served as a writer and editor for Cinefantastique magazine, IFC.com, Reelz.com and currently at Tor.com, recently came up with the SpaceBrains3D system to turn public-domain science fiction, horror and fantasy features into newly dimensional experiences. This combination of AI and manual processes was first applied by Persons to GAMMERA THE INVINCIBLE, the 1966 U.S. edition of the original Japanese classic about the enormous, fire-breathing, flying turtle. This GAMMERA 3D edition is the “Goodman Cut,” running 63 minutes, which “removes all the talk-talk-talk of the American-shot footage, so you can get to the monster carnage you crave sooner!” Next up for release this month is a 3D edition of Herk Harvey’s cult favorite CARNIVAL OF SOULS (uncut, and pictured above); the movies are sold on DVD at the SpaceBrains3D Etsy page, and no special equipment is required, just the viewing glasses included with each disc.
“This is by no means a fly-by-night, cash-in type of operation,” Persons says. “I come to it from a lifelong passion for how tech can be used to create more experiential forms of art, three years of experimentation born of a dissatisfaction over how mainstream studios were utilizing stereoscopic presentation as a cynical way to apply a premium upsell to the same-ol’ same-ol’, and a 30-year background in film journalism and criticism. This is a very personal and intensely creative project for me–so much so that I sign and number every DVD I send out, and include with each order a copy of my Rethink 3D Manifesto,” which you can see below. Keep an eye on the Etsy page for future titles!
