As a new way to promote their high profile DVDs, Warner and Paramount are both turning to the cinemas. Blade Runner: The Final Cut and the Star Trek episode The Menagerie are coming to theatres.

In honor of its 25th anniversary, Ridley Scott’s science fiction masterpiece, “Blade Runner,” starring Harrison Ford, is making a long-awaited return to the big screen with a completely re-mastered director’s cut, “Blade Runner: The Final Cut.” The film has not only been completely restored with new and improved special effects, but also includes never-before-seen added and extended scenes that Ridley Scott created specifically for the new edition.

The limited theatrical engagement of “Blade Runner: The Final Cut” began its run on October 5 in New York and Los Angeles. It will continue to roll out in select cities from now through January 2008.

And if you want to go a little more retro-sci-fi, the only two part episode from the original Star Trek is going to the big screen with the newly created visuals created for broadcast and HD-DVD in 2007. “The Menagerie” features footage from the original “Star Trek” pilot episode titled “The Cage.” Leonard Nimoy as Spock is the only character that made it from the pilot to the “Star Trek” series – as well as Jeffrey Hunter in the role of the original commander of the starship Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike.
And this theatrical showing will contain… special features. An in-theatre exclusive greeting from creator Gene Roddenberry’s son, Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry is included, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how the episodes were digitally re-mastered from the original negatives – including the reinvention of the old TV show special effects using new CGI animation, and the orchestral re-recording of the show’s theme music.

The screenings will take place on November 13th and 15th.

This is an interesting take on DVD advertisement. We’ll just have to see how it pans out.