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Space 1999, Set 3

Space 1999, Set 3

List Price: $39.95
Your Price: $35.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great series, but the shilling going on in these 'reviews'..
Review: ...geez...anyway,

Space 1999 is wonderful, beautiful, you do need it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: this is what is on each disk!
Review:

Disk 1: vol 3
: COLLISION COURSE
: DEATH'S OTHER DOMINIION
: THE FULL CIRCLE

Disk 2: vol 3
: END OF ETERNITY
: WAR GAMES
: THE LAST ENEMY

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Illustrates how the series continued to improve
Review: Although the series' skeletal crew of writers never completely kicked their annoying deus ex machina habit, as the season progressed they were eventually at least able to tell an interesting story in advance of some supernatural event. This set provides several good examples of that evolution in progress, kicking off with the spectacular-looking "Collision Course", which from a story standpoint isn't that different from set 2's "Guardian Of Piri". Once again, only Koenig knows what's right for Alpha, and everybody else is wrong. Of course we know Koenig has to be right, or else it means the end of the series, so there's precious little suspense. A fairly juvenile meditation on faith, the dialog is simply awful, although guest star Margaret Leighton is so convincing in her delivery she almost makes it sound plausible.

"Death's Other Dominion" is certainly a candidate for the best episode of the series, as the Alphans run across the survivors of a lost Earth space expedition that crashed on a distant frozen world they've dubbed Ultima Thule. The blizzard scenes drag (and feature more wretched dialog), but the guest performances are once again top notch. Brian Blessed happily chews up whatever scenery John Shrapnel hasn't already devoured, meaning the regulars don't stand a chance - especially when Helena and Victor are forced by the writers to behave completely out of character. Wonderful Shakespearean references abound, particularly Shapnel's character's foolery, and combined with the sterling production and disturbing plot they make for probably the most adult adventure of the series. The only "far out" moment is the episode's killer ending, which is probably the best "out of left field" plot twist the series produced (it even made some sense, in hindsight). 1999 develops a real fixation on the evils of immortality during the second half of the season, with this episode being the first of 4 dealing with the issue.

A silly runaround episode that plays more like a bad Doctor Who script, "Full Circle" is a complete disaster, reverting back to the program's worst habits as several principles are inexplicably (and pointlessly) transformed into cavemen while reconnoitering an alien world. Composer Barry Gray delivers the last score he would ever record for producer Gerry Anderson, a wonderful percussive work that's wasted on these dull, silly proceedings. Of course, it's not all bad - Sandra runs around half naked for 20 minutes while Bain's screaming freakout as the tribal healer provides the most unintentionally hysterical moment of the series.

Another dud, "End Of Eternity" features Peter Bowles as an immortal psychopath who is accidentally released from his asteroid prison by the Alphans, and proceeds to (unconvincingly) toss the hapless Moonbase crew around. Check out the wires in one shot! On the plus side, the ending is clever, plausible (no moronic metaphysics - they were learning) and was virtually photocopied for the film Alien (1999 was more influential than most people think). Still, "Force Of Life" from the second set, released earlier this year, was similar and superior in most respects.

Sporting the best effects since the series' debut "Breakaway", "War Games" is one of those annoying "it was all just a dream" episodes, but it's spectacularly well done. The opening attack sequence, as aliens blast the Moonbase (and many, many Eagles) to smithereens was widely panned by critics ("...") but adored by viewers ("..."). Not only does Brian Johnson's team do an incredible job ripping Eagles and sections of Alpha to shreds in miniature, the set people get in on the act by tearing Alpha apart inside, too. Fires break out all over the place, support beams fall from the ceiling, dust rains down, the lights go out and, in perhaps the series' most dramatic moment, Dr. Mathias is sucked out into space when one of Medical Center's plate glass windows shatters. For pre-Star Wars effects, this episode is as good as it ever got. In many respects, it looks better than all but the most recent televised science fiction.

The episode's highlight isn't pyrotechnic though; it's the wonderful soliloquy Barry Morse delivers as he's shutting down Moonbase Alpha. Unfortunately, Landau and Bain do not deliver equally compelling performances, but then their dialog is horribly awkward (and if Anthony Valentine's alien said the word "brain" one more time, I think my head would have exploded).

"The Last Enemy" continues the effects showcase, but is letdown by cheezy production design - the interior of Dione's space ship the Satezius as well as her crew's costumes look like something from Doctor Who's rubbish heap. There is a plot here though - a war of the sexes on an interplanetary scale, with a dash of the superpower struggle thrown in for good measure (Alpha plays the role of Europe) - but it's woefully muddled (Barbara Bain had a hand in writing this episode, for better and worse apparently). As dueling leaders spar on Alpha's viewscreen, yet another outstanding guest cast graces Space: 1999, only not in person. Caroline Mortimer meanwhile is merely acceptable as the flesh and blood Dione, while her shipmates aboard the Satezius are downright laughable. This could have been an outstanding episode, maybe the best. As it stands, it's annoyingly half-baked, although for once 1999 gets the ending just about perfect.

From a technical standpoint, these discs are a mess. There are motion artifacts, whites are too bright, colors shift and are washed out, and the audio warbles in spots. They still look much better than the VHS releases that have popped up over the years, and somewhat better than the laserdiscs, but certainly aren't utilizing the DVD format to its fullest. Still, it's interesting to see the series finally land on its feet after so many early missteps, setting the stage for the 4th - and best - set of Space: 1999 episodes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Eagle One Come in!
Review: As you can see from the other reviews here these stories are great. In the third edition they even include some rare behind the scnes looks at the production in the stills section.

The production value is high and Martin Landau and Barabara Bain (then husband and wife) have a unique chemistry together.

The models and ships are quite small, but very detailed. Techinically (except for sound in space) the show is accurate to real science.

If you bought the first two..you've got to have this one!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Love Space 1999!
Review: I am very glad to see this series available on dvd.. while the video xfer is very good i am kinda dissapointed at the mono sound track. a&e needs to take a look at the work done to the original star trek series remastered in 5.1dd and the original show was in mono so if they can do it for that series why did you fall down on the audio portion of this series? still just glad to have them...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great!
Review: I am very glad to see this series available on dvd.. while the video xfer is very good i am kinda dissapointed at the mono sound track. a&e needs to take a look at the work done to the original star trek series remastered in 5.1dd and the original show was in mono so if they can do it for that series why did you fall down on the audio portion of this series? still just glad to have them...

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The weakest DVD set of the first season
Review: I would not recommend this DVD set of Space: 1999, because it has some of the silliest episodes of the first season. Most notably is the episode, The Full Circle, which I thought was similar to watching an episode of Gilligan's Island. The crew of Moonbase Alpha go down to yet another planet, walk though the mist, and become cave people. The last bad episode worth mentioning is The Last Enemy. On the one side of the battle that Moonbase Alpha gets caught up in are military women who look like they've just come from the hairdresser, or are backup singers for the Swedish group ABBA, and the other faction consists of an old man with his eyes closed. This was a bad episode, I mean REALLY bad, like Mystery Science Theater 3000 bad.

One halfway decent episode, which is why I give this DVD set a rating of two stars, instead of one, is War Games, which has the greatest number of explosions and destruction since the first episode, Breakaway.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Listen up, foo!
Review: Mr. T loves Space:1999. Dat's right sucka! This here is the show that inspired T to get into show bidness in the first place. After seein how strange some of them aliens looked, I figured nobody would think twice about my mohawk and gold chains. These episodes here on box set #3 - some of the best sci-fi ever on television! You betta go get dis DVD right now, foo, or T gonna crush you so flat, you gonna think an Eagle landed on topa you!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE COOLEST GEN-X SCI-FI SHOW OF ALL TIME!
Review: Six more mind -blowing episodes of Gerry and Sylvia Andersons' ultimate space adventure! The complete episodes of year 1 are here! Collision Course is a thought-provoking story with its theme of science vs faith.THIS EPISODE features a great performance by Martin Landau, he adds depth to commander Koenig by revealing an open-minded and sensitve side to his hot-tempered character. He is willing to put his life in the hands of Queen Arra even though the facts tell him to do otherwise. The more scientific-thinking Alphans lead a mutiny that could destroy Alpha. End of Eternity has the creepiest villian in sci-fi with the exception of Darth Vader.THIS EPISODE has camera angles and editing that adds to an atmosphere of dread.Even after seeing it 11 times the unforgettable ending keeps me at the edge of my seat. War Games,THIS EPISODE has incredible special effects and production values that make the Sci-Fi Channel turn green with envy.The explosions,sets,minatures and alien makeup are remarkable. However it is Barbara Bain's performance that truly steal the show!Space 1999 set the standerd for all later sci-fi,espicially Star Wars,but I like the show for its intelluctual stories that make you "think and feel" as commander Koenig says. Cross your fingers that year 2 will come out soon,and with more bonuses. And make sure you grab the really hip Space 1999 t-shirt!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Love Space 1999!
Review: Space 1999 is just such a guilty pleasure. It is like a hospital floating in outer space with that giant white set. Can't wait until the Maya episodes!


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