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'Dragon's Lair' hits Kickstarter in search of a feature-length movie
That Dragon's Lair debuted as a LaserDisc format game/interactive movie but was never a proper film was always a little weird, but that could change. Original creators Don Bluth (An American Tale and The Land Before Time -- not Arrested Development) and Gary Goldman are taking their cinematic aspirations to Kickstarter in the hopes that you'd want to see protagonist Dirk the Daring once more. Dragon's Lair: The Movie will be a prequel this time 'round and fill in the bumbling knight's backstory. The idea here is that if the $550,000 goal's met, the team at Don Bluth Films, Inc. can make a fleshed out teaser presentation to show investors that a feature-length flick is worth pursuing to the tune of the proposed $70 million budget.
Bluth and Co. treat fans as Dragon's Lair turns 25
It's hard to believe that a quarter-century has passed since the first LaserDisc-based arcade game from former Disney animator Don Bluth hit arcades. Dragon's Lair's use of hand-drawn animation set it apart from anything else at the time, and despite its simple trial-and-error gameplay, the game was a hit.Digital Leisure, which has worked with Bluth to deliver countless home versions of Dragon's Lair, is offering a treat to fans of the classic for one week only. Anyone who purchases the DVD, PC, or Blu-ray Disc version from its online shop can have their copy signed by Bluth, designer Rick Dyer, and animators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy. We highly recommend the BD version, which plays exactly like the original coin-op and runs in full 1080p. The company is also offering signed Dragon's Lair "lobby posters" for $80 a pop. Lead on, brave adventurers – your memorabilia awaits!
Dragon's Lair coming to DS
Released on Blu-ray just a few weeks ago, a DS incarnation of the classic arcade/Laserdisc adventure Dragon's Lair has been announced by Digital Leisure. At first we thought the two would go together as well as peanuts and bubblegum, but after reading what developer Wizardry Engineering is doing to make the game fit the system, we might have to reconsider.Dragon's Lair DS will be playable on one screen or split across two, holding the DS like a book. Touch screen control will be implemented, and there's even talk of voice recognition (blue ... BLUE!!!) and rumble pak support. Hey, if it worked on Game Boy Color, it should go over fine on the DS.[Via DS Fanboy
Don Bluth trying to make Dragon's Lair movie
Lately it seems like Dragon's Lair has been all over the place. In addition to the recently released (and problematic) Blu-ray version, Cinematical reports that Don Bluth has been shopping around a new Dragon's Lair project recently, complete with a finished script and concept artwork. Bluth had worked on a feature film version that never saw the light of day back in 1983 ( you can check out some storyboards from that here).It'll be a prequel that details Dirk the Daring's adventures outside the lair ... so wouldn't calling it Dragon's Lair be a bit misleading? Kind of like a Star Wars movie that all takes place on one planet. Still, Bluth was quite the animation director back in the day, so here's hoping that this one gets off the ground and makes it to theaters. It'll have to be better than the Saturday morning cartoon version.Also, let's hope they give Dirk more to say than "Uh oh." Plus they should talk to this guy about the costuming.
Dragon's Lair may foil your Blu-ray player
Earlier this week, Dean Takahashi of The Mercury News asked in his blog, "Can anyone figure out what's going on here?" The question was brought about by the recent Blu-ray release of the arcade's animated reflex-a-thon, Dragon's Lair, as well as the unfortunate observation that it didn't seem to work at all on Dean's Philips player. He also experienced audio issues when placing the disc in his PlayStation 3.We contacted publisher Digital Leisure, hoping to ascertain whether or not this was a widespread issue. While they were unable to replicate the PS3 audio problem, they did note that certain stand-alone drives may be prone to playback issues. If you're at all interested in partaking in Bluth-ray antics, this is the part you'll want to pay attention to.During restoration and development , Dragon's Lair was tested on the following players: Samsung BD-P1000, Panasonic DMP-BD10, PowerDVD (PC), Sony BDP-S1 and the PlayStation 3. The use of BD-Java in Dragon's Lair is likely the source of problems in other players, as the Blu-ray Association's deadline for mandatory hardware BD-Java support (enabling fancy picture-in-picture features) was only recently set for October 31, 2007. "Due to the lack of Java standardization many players just aren't able to handle proper playback," says the Canadian publisher.Be sure to consult your manufacturer's website and support forums before you purchase the game -- "There is no way to tell whether a disc will or will not work without trying it out on a player." Excellent. Future firmware updates for your player may improve your chances, but for now, getting it to work is a game of chance. And even if you win, you still get Dragon's Lair.
Dragon's Lair bound for Blu-ray
Nostalgia can warp a mind in strange and terrible ways. Indeed, the fond memories swimming about in your brain may have lead you to believe that Dragon's Lair was, back in the day, a rather swell game. And look at that -- you've even been coerced into thinking it was a game. You've got a nasty surprise in store for you, or rather, a shockingly vivid, high-definition nightmare, should you decide to pick up the newly announced Blu-ray (and thus PS3) version of Don Bluth's "classic."The postcard we received (depicted above) prompted this warning of sorts, but perhaps we're being too harsh. The April 9th Blu-ray version does come equipped with 5.1 surround sound, remastered 1080p video, creator commentary and several new interviews. The official website also points to upcoming Blu-ray versions of Dragon's Lair II and Space Ace, two of the most revered entries in the die-over-and-over-again genre established by Dirk's original dragon-slaying adventure. If you're going to be skewered repeatedly in a joyless animation showcase, it may as well be in true HD.
