Screening Fans

We report back on the downunder launch of Red Dwarf I on DVD.

20 December, 2002

Costumed and uncostumed (though thankfully still fully clothed), armies of Red Dwarf fans descended on cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne to celebrate the Region 4 release of Red Dwarf I on DVD. (Pictures are from the Sydney event.)

While Melbourne won hands down at the dressing up, both events - on December 2nd and 3rd respectively - saw Dwarfers in fine spirits, snapping up merchandise and settling down to watch The End and Future Echoes on the big screen. But first there was a welcome from Doug Naylor... by email. Well, seriously - it's a very long way to fly...

"I want to say a huge thank-you to everyone for showing up today - but also say how glad I am that I'm thousands of miles away and can't see what you've dressed up as. I've attended many a convention, and believe me it can be the cause of many a sleepless night when you meet a guy dressed as the evil Rimmer in stockings, suspenders and a holo-whip.

"Australia - or Region 4, as we now call it since we bought our English-To-DVD dictionary - has always been a strong supporter of Red Dwarf, and everyone here has helped to make the show a hit. International appreciation like this is what's made it possible for us to make the Red Dwarf movie. Which we're filming in March of next year. No really, we are.

"To everyone downunder who dragged themselves indoors from the sunshine of the southern hemisphere - and I know there are plenty of you because you're the loudest ones in our website's chatroom - have a fantastic night, enjoy the DVD and smeg on!"

"The special message from Doug was great to have and really well received" Wendy Stahel of BBC Worldwide Sydney told reddwarf.co.uk. "Fans had a chance to see some merchandise prototypes being released here next year, and generally a good time was had by all - even if we know the scenes well, we still had a good laugh at them all over again on the big screen."

And as for the costumes... "Fans in Melbourne are obviously more extrovert than Sydneysiders, with five brilliantly togged-up fans vying for the best-dressed prize. Sydney costumes were fairly... shall we say 'discrete' - the winner was a mimic of Kochanski in a blaze of red, [and] the runner-up admitted to have only applied the "H" on his forehead, using girlfriend's lipstick, once inside the theatre!"

You can snap up the Red Dwarf DVD from ABC stores in Australia - find the link in Links.