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Summary: V on DVD: The mother of all invasions!
Review: For anyone who is a fan of 'alien invasion' movies, sci-fi in general, or just good-old storytelling, the original 'V' mini-series is an absolute classic. The story begins with the arrival of 50 gigantic spacecraft over 50 major cities around the world; a civilization of human-like beings have come to ask for our aid in saving their dying planet. Over the film's 3+ hours, our 'visitors' go from friend to foe, and humanity faces the prospect of enslavement by a facist regime, not unlike in World War II, this time on a world-wide scale. V was (and still is) unique in its ability to weave together action and drama, along with some sci-fi elements, to create a 'morality tale' of sorts. I must admit, there were a couple of scenes that still leave me choked up. The mini-series debuted on NBC in the Spring of 1983 and was followed by an excellent sequel, 'The Final Battle,' a year later. Considering the date of release, it must be mentioned that the special effects are not up to current CGI standards - don't come here expecting 'Independence Day', but there are some scenes that are still impressive, even by current standards. This was done back in the day when you had to build all your effects from scratch and there were no computers to fall back on! On to the DVD release of 'V'...I must say this right now: if you're like me and you've seen V a hundred times already, you're in for a shock when you get a look at this version. The colors are brilliant and everything is so sharply in focus...it makes my old VHS version seem like watching t.v. with plastic-wrap over the screen. It looks that good! The audio track has been completely remastered and the majority of the effects have been enhanced. Every laser blast, every explosion, the whoosh of a passing fighter...it's all there, loud and clear, and in Dolby Stereo. A 25 minute 'behind the scenes' documentary is included, and while it won't tell you anything new or shocking about V, it is intriguing and adds to the value of the disc. Last, but definitely not least, is the commentary track by writer/director Kenneth Johnson. This WILL tell you 'new and shocking' things and is definitely a major treat for those of us who are long-time fans. I was about 9 years old in the Spring of '83 when the original V mini-series debuted on t.v. Needless to say, V left a major impact on me, as much as the original 'Star Wars' movie did, if not more. If you are a fan of V, you MUST purchase a copy of this - it's like seeing the show again for the first time. On the other hand, if you've never seen V before, if you can deal with its early-80's origins, it will no doubt move you like the rest of us. As for myself, I have one thing to say: bring on 'The Final Battle' DVD, I'm ready! P.S. Oh, and one more thing...why did Jane Badler's name never become a household word? Aside from her being devastatingly gorgeous, not to mention her chilling portrayal of the evil alien leader 'Diana', one would have expected to see more of this talented actress later on in her career. There is no justice in this world!
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Summary: 5 Star Movie... BUT....
Review: I'll start out by saying that this is one of the best made for TV shows ever and is up there in rank along with Shogun and The Thorn Birds... BUT... There is a problem with this DVD.. It's NOT the full miniseries. That's right, you heard it. This DVD only goes so far and then stops. I was in shock after it came to an end, wondering where the rest of the adventure was, where the child that Robin is carrying was, and the fact that they end this DVD at "Just the beginning" in itself flipped my lid. So my question is, where and how can I get the rest of the series in DVD format. Will it be out soon? I sure hope so. Why they decided to release like this instead of as the VHS did with the full miniseries is beyond me. I will however stress the fact that even though this is just part of what V is all about, it is by far great. I just wish they would have released it in full.. One can only hope that they do indeed release the rest of the series, else all that is V is lost.
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Summary: A classic...but this is about the DVD itself
Review: Anyone looking here knows all about "V" and how awesome it was back in '83 - jeez, i was in sixth grade - and how, oh, i don't know - Independence Day *stole* the motherships. :) this is about the amazing transfer that Warner did. I couldn't wait to finally see this in 1.85 vs. damn NTSC 1.33...the transfer is so crystal clear. i'm very impressed - maybe it's because i have the actual, now 18 year old VHS tapes from when it aired back on May 1 & 2, 1983. the one thing that i keep seeing in all the notes: a gag reel. unfortunately, i cannot find it on the DVD - maybe it's an easter egg -- if anyone know...post here. if you're a fan of "V", buy this disc.
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Summary: The Precurser to ID4
Review: If you ever wanted to know what influenced Independance Day watch this flick. I remember seeing this when it first aired and I enjoyed the mini-series, and the DVD version still hasn't lost it's steam. It's also great hearing the Director's Commentary throughout the entire film. Looking forward to the release of V: The Final Battle on DVD.
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Summary: V....A MOVIE OF SCIFI GREATNESS...
Review: The movie the V...was the greatest scifi movies ever made for television and if it was in the movies it would have made the most money ever.kenneth Johnson a fantastic director.For that era of the early 80s the effects and concept were beyond its time.ID4 tried to have the same concepts of V...but they for some reason couldnot just live up to it.Dont get me wrong ID4 was a very good movie but at least when the movie V...came out it not only showed the spaceships entering earths atmospere,the aliens mingled with humans and more.I love the movie V...and enjoyed part two and the television series.This movie and story is about an alien civilization which comes to earth with 50 motherships in a claim for peace and help and willing to givehuman being cures for diseases in exchange for help of there ownetc.rebels find out who they really are and what there really up to,well watch the movie i dont want to spoil it for u.I will by the DVD and treasure this movie.A GREAT MOVIE IN MY BOOK.
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Summary: 'V': The thinking person's Independence Day...
Review: 'V'
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Kenneth Johnson's superb 1983 mini-series might have dated visually, but this is easily overshadowed by the power of his writing and direction. 'V' is perhaps as fine an example of an alien invasion/conspiracy theory you will ever see, never equalled by The X-Files or the risible Independence Day (please compare the opening arrival sequences of these two films - this is no homage, ID4 is simply an inferior rip-off).
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Populated by dozens of characters - the film has in excess of 90 speaking parts - this story centres, initially, around a young medical student called Julie Parrish (Faye Grant). It is through her that other characters come together to ally against the invading 'Visitors'. These characters cross all colour, class and religious lines to unite against the fascist, genocidal alien regime. The analogies to McCarthyism (with the witch-hunts for the Conspiracy of Scientists) and facism/Nazism are drawn sharply and early on.
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Despite the immense scale of the project, 'V' has its strongest moments when the visual effects are absent, when the aliens are not on screen. Of course, the excitement rests in the suspense and secrecy that pervade the Resistance's fight with the aliens, sequences embellished with visual and make-up FX, but the true heart of this film resides firmly within its characters. It is through their losses and their triumphs that Johnson shows us that, at some point in our lives, we won't get by without the help of others, without sticking together, everyone included. The key scene in the film, which Johnson also wrote, is when the Bernstein's fight over allowing the Maxwell's to take refuge in their home. The re-telling of an old concentration camp story and, later, the reading of a letter reminds us that what is taking place here has gone before, and perhaps if we remember that then we might prevent it from happening again.
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Let down occasionally by some poor FX (but also displaying some very impressive FX sequences), 'V' retains its original impact, perhaps more so now when compared with the juvenilised Hollywood movies which fail to achieve the standards of allegorical storytelling seen here. A truly wonderful film, let down by the space opera 'V - The Final Battle' the following year (which Johnson removed himself from early on), and the ludicrous TV series that ran from 1985-6. Forget them. You don't need 'The Final Battle', because if you pay attention, you'll know where this one is going. --
NOTE: Warners have not included the original footage of Dominique Dunne in the scenes she shot as Robin Maxwell before she was murdered (4 Nov 1982). This is sad, as I have viewed one of these scenes myself - the scene in the mountain camp after Kathleen is killed - and thought other viewers would appreciate both seeing Dominique Dunne's final scenes and being able to compare them with the reshot scenes with Blair Tefkin (they're remarkably similar given the problems invloved in reshoots etc). However, I do recommend that viewers watch the film with the commentary by Kenneth Johnson. It's fantastic; not the most entertaining but by far the most informative commentary I've heard on a DVD yet. Johnson obviously went back to his notes and wrote an outline for this, so detailed are his anecotes. Excellent.
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Summary: Thank you, Warner Brothers
Review: I waited 10 years for the VHS version to be released since my original recordings from NBC were wearing out, and I pre-ordered the DVD copy on April 10, three months in advance of the release date. If you've read this far, you know the plot already. Kenneth Johnson teaches us about our history by making it interesting: aliens instead of ..., and how easily it can happen. The plot, the acting, the special effects (for their time) and let's not forget William Hartnell's MUSIC! I haven't even seen the DVD version yet, but even if it had NOTHING more than I've already seen, I would still get it.
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Summary: A Major Television Event
Review: When NBC first showed "V," no one knew what to expect. It turned out to be a science fiction allegory of Nazi Germany as portrayed by alien visitors. The Jewish people were replaced with scientists being villified by our new "friends." The saucers, which will remind you of those from "Independence Day," look awesome hovering over the world's cities. More diabolical in tone and execution than "ID4," "V" made a profound statement about the freedoms that we take for granted. On DVD, Warner Bros. has gone back and pulled out the widescreen films. Yes, it was shot in widescreen format and is presented that way here for the first time in the USA. The second miniseries wasn't nearly as effective as this. And the weekly series that followed was iffy. But the original is an amazing piece of television history.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: One of the great pieces of sci-fi work for television. Remember this was early 80's tv, this was state of the art special effects. The clothes are a little dated, but the story is timeless.
Rating:
Summary: V - The Original TV Miniseries
Review: The sci-fi epic from the 80's was quite well written. How could the Holocaust ever happen again? And this tale set in the near future shows you just how - if we forget our past. The effects run from terrific to mediocore compared to today's standards but the story corrects for all this. This first part (before the "Final Battle" set comes later on DVD) is the better of the 2. You will root for us a a human race and set our individual differences aside. Independence Day borrowed heavily from this miniseries. This is one of the best sci fi series to hit TV - still worth it today.
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