THEZEPHEROUS ARCHIVE

On This Day Film & TV

Stargate. Building a gateway.

Ancient Egyptian dialogue, a water-tank vortex and the path from a 1994 film to later television collectibles.

The original feature 35 seconds. The story is also available in the slides and text below.

The Feature Film

Stargate. Building a gateway.

32 years since the gate opened.

Stargate arrived in US theaters on October 28, 1994, with Kurt Russell and James Spader leading an expedition through an ancient gateway.

The Photo Essay

5 slides from the feature.

The story behind the images.

Behind the scenes, Egyptologist Stuart Tyson Smith reconstructed spoken ancient Egyptian for the film. The opening vortex also began with a practical element: air fired into a water tank, with the resulting footage transformed digitally.

Seeking for the Archive: a Stargate replica. Pictured is Master Replicas' Alpha Gate from SG-1, the later television series. Manufacturer reference shown.

Wanted for the Archive

A Stargate on the shelf.

A Stargate replica. The feature’s Master Replicas Alpha Gate is an SG-1 television reference, rather than the original film prop.

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