Twenty Years Countdown: The Classics Return!

 By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; October 1, 2023)

    Can you believe that we only have three months left until the start of Twenty Years Young!?! To start winding down towards the beginning of the celebration, here's a look at something that is going to be big news for the celebration: re-releases of classic Mustache Maniacs Film Co. movies!

Re-releases will Fill the Time in Between New Film Releases!

    Several months ago, we covered the re-release of Com 50-3: Raid on Central Island and how we're using artificial intelligence to bring a new Godzilla to life with text-to-video technology. While that film is seeing multiple changes, that's not the only film that we're re-releasing next year! Just about every narrative film from before 2008 is going to be seeing an online release, as well as some that have been released since then. While not an exhaustive list, the trailer that was released today (CLICK HERE TO WATCH) contains the most notable projects that are being re-released as a part of the celebration, including a just-announced surprise re-release!

What's Being Changed This Time Around?

    To be fair, since many of these films have been released online in the past, then taken down, most of the changes happening to these films will basically be identical to their versions from 2012-2014. With that said, one major change that came to all of the re-releases was slimming down on excess content. Many of these films were criticized in the past for having unnecessary filler with actors standing around and trying to remember their lines. This has been addressed in full by looking over each film and determining what has to stay and what needed to go. In addition to this, one big change that occurred was the amplification of the ambiance of each film with new sounds and special effects! From adding new background audio to all-new motion graphics sequences, each film is being brought to life in brand-new ways!

Kilroy Was Here!: A Tale of a Re-release Going Online for the First Time!

    One of those films being re-released is a little play-to-film titled Kilroy Was Here!, the last play-to-film to receive a re-release online. Essentially, a bulk of this film's re-editing work happened back in 2015 as a part of the DVD Archival Project, but this version did see a few additional changes made, including the removal of all references to the intermission. And while the footage used is that of the dress rehearsal, this re-release does make the whole set-up more formal. While we could have used artificial intelligence to recreate the final set in the film, we chose not to, mainly to leave the artificial intelligence testing to Com 50-3: Raid on Central Island.

    Actually, plans to re-release this film date all the way back to 2012, when From The Vaults first started re-releasing older films! Several of the concerns regarding the film at the time was the fact that it was VERY obviously the dress rehearsal, with the original cut even going as far as to apologize for this. Debates went back and forth until 2015, when this film was re-edited for archiving purposes, but never with the intent of releasing it online. Now that this re-release is here, it is worth mentioning that this re-release uses newer technology and better editing to "fix" a lot of these issues, as well as add new sounds and graphics to make the time and place more obvious. Now, nineteen years to-the-day after this play first debuted, this re-edit will finally make its online debut on May 20, 2024!

More Than Movies: The Return of The Lost Ruby: An Interactive Adventure and Shady Acres Super Sleuth!

    But, if you saw the trailer, you might have noticed that not all of the projects listed are films. In addition to reviving our older films, we're also going to be releasing some of our older books online for the first time ever! But the titles that may have caught your attention are The Lost Ruby: An Interactive Adventure and Shady Acres Super Sleuth. Years ago, these games ran on YouTube with the use of annotations. However, these annotations have been discontinued, rendering the games unplayable. Next year, we're going to overhaul the two games so that they will once again run like they're supposed to! And, who knows. With the changes that we've already announced coming to the films, these games might have some new surprises waiting for you to discover! Until then, we do have a surprise waiting for you to discover below!

Behold: Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo will Be Re-released on August 23!

    That's right: the news that you were all hoping to hear is coming true! Just like the rest of our re-releases, Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo is officially returning on August 23, the to-the-day anniversary of the original film's release! This fan-favorite animated film is what launched us onto the internet back in 2008, so it seems only appropriate to overhaul and revive this film for a whole new generation! We're going to be making some changes to the film, such as appropriately removing anything deemed inappropriate or contradictory to the established cinematic universe, updating the map sequences, replacing the copyright-struck music with a brand-new soundtrack (removed by using artificial intelligence), overhauling the film's sound effects, adding new special effects, and so much more!

    Now, you may be wondering what this means for Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo: The Adventure Retold, the upcoming remake of this landmark film. Make no mistake, we are still planning on making this remake, but due to that project's schedule continuing to slip, we are re-releasing the original film partially as a stop-gap measure until production on the new film can properly begin. As for fans who are still nostalgic for the original film, it along with the original cut of Johnny Thunder and the Gift of the Nile will remain online through December 31, 2024.

Get Ready for Twenty Years Young!

    But these returning films aren't all that we have planned! Stay tuned for more sneak peeks!