Customer Reviews

Space 1999, Set 2

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is interesting to see that Space 1999 elicits strong emotions from both its fans and detractors. Unlike one reviewer who claims that he used to love the show when he was 10 year old and has since grown to dislike it, I have had an exact opposite experience. When I first caught it when I was a kid, I thought the show was dour and weird, devoid of a sense of humor, especially in comparison with Star Trek. Now that I have had a chance to review the series on DVD two decades later, I find the show much more thoughtful and dramatically interesting than (at least for me) Star Trek. Yes, the basic premise of Moon hurtling into outer space at (or even beyond?) the speed of light is unscientific, to say the least. Yes, some of the designs and special effects are pretty dated, although I don't find CGI effects used in an average Sci-Fi channel movie any more sophisticated than meticulous model works used in Space 1999. But for the same reason that you do not stop reading classical science fiction novels because they are based on outdated scientific premises, I do not find the lack of scientific accuracy a great hindrance in allowing me to enjoy the series. At this juncture of my life, I actually appreciate thoughtful, somber approaches to almost-metaphysical problems that Space 1999 employed. Thank God there is no horsing around with a hammy space captain spewing one liners! Obviously some episodes deal with their themes better than others (Among those included in Set 2, for instance, "Missing Link" is embarassing in its hackeneyed view of human evolution, while "Voyager's Return" is an excellent exploration of the potential human costs of technological progress), but as a whole the show works for me. I am looking forward to purchasing and reviewing more episodes on DVD.

The first season of "Space: 1999" still ranks, in my opinion, as one of the best and most unique sci-fi shows ever made. Unlike more run-of-the-mill sci-fi shows such as the various Star Trek series, where episodes invariably ended with a perfect solution to any problem, and where the politically-correct, "perfect" Star Trek universe left the characters with no real "human" problems to deal with, "Space: 1999" is a refreshing, if often surreal, breath of fresh air. Basically "Space: 1999" combines the best of the sci-fi, horror, and fantasy genres into a funky, 1970's combination - The Twilight Zone meets Star Trek meets the X-Files. With the possible exception of the X-Files, no other sci-fi show has ever made such dramatic use of color and lighting to affect the show's mood and atmosphere. Planets on "Space 1999" are often colored in vivid blues, pinks and greens and cast an eerie light over the Moon as it passes by - creating a wonderfully creepy, moody effect that few other sci-fi shows have even approached. The set designs are also elaborate and unique - watch the "Guardian of Piri" episode in this DVD set and you'll literally see what I mean. The acting is sometimes wooden (especially Martin Landau as Commander Koenig and Barbara Bain as Dr. Helena Russell), but other cast members more than make up for this defect, as do the show's unique, almost surreal storylines. And if you're tired of the usual sci-fi fare (as I have grown tired of "Star Trek: Voyager" repetitive episodes that are basically retreads of earlier Star Trek series) then the six episodes on this DVD will come as a pleasant surprise. In "Missing Link" Koenig is kidnapped by an alien anthropoligist who wants to keep and study him as if he were a lab rat. In "Guardian of Piri" everyone but Koenig has their minds taken over by an advanced computer that convinces everyone to leave the Moonbase and travel to its homeworld, where the crew just lies around in a druggy, trance-like state of "perfect" happiness. In "Force of Life" a strange blue light takes over the body of a crewman at the base's nuclear power plant, and then begins killing Alphans for their body heat. One nice thing about most of these episodes is that not every question is neatly solved by the end of the episode (what WAS that blue light?), nor does every (or even most) of the episodes necessarily have a "happy" ending. And the special effects are still quite good even by today's standards (although some of the monster costumes and some alien ships are pretty bad). The musical score is also outstanding - in no other show will you hear the opening credits feature an electric guitar, violins, and trumpets (and it sounds great too!). To be sure, "Space: 1999" isn't for everybody, and if you're a fan of conventional sci-fi such as Star Trek or even Babylon 5, then this show may just be a bit too "odd" for you. But if you're craving something different - a series that comes closer to living up to the name of "Science FICTION", with a strong dash of horror and fantasy thrown in, then "Space: 1999" may be just what you've been waiting for. And I'll guarantee you of this - when you watch this show you'll never forget it's look and feel, even if you don't like it. A true landmark in sci-fi.

The costumes, the special effects, the models, the music, and the actors all brought together to form a unique series that touched many a fan. The episodes of Space:1999 were thought provoking, and yes not every little thing was explained, but the series made you THINK!...instead of having every episode resolved, ala Trek, some of the episodes like "Black Sun" left you wondering "how did they survive that?" But that was the beauty of 1999, it was a show all it's own, and it stood up for itself. I was thrilled beyond belief when I heard they were releasing the entire series on DVD, unlike the last chance I had to watch the show on SciFi whom butchered the episodes to squeeze in more commercial time, releasing 1999 on DVD is a dream come true for all fans of the show. Watching the episodes on DVD brought back so many memories of getting a good seat in the living room just before the next episode was shown on TV. 1999 touched me like no other show has or probably ever will. I am surprised though that with today's computer technology in sfx used in movies....that no one has ever made a REAL Space:1999 movie. Wouldn't it be great to have a two hour movie based on the very first episode of "Breakaway"?

As I stated in my review of the first box set ( which actually contained comments on this box set...oops ), I am a big devotee of this show, and have particularly fond memories of it from my childhood.

Onto specifics: This box set contains one of the best gothic horror/SF shows ever filmed - "Force Of Life". Ian McShane ( later to star in the charming British mystery series "Lovejoy" ) plays a worker in one of Moonbase Alpha's Nuclear power plants, who becomes host to a mysterious glowing 'life form' that craves heat to survive. There is genuine warmth ( no pun intended ) in the scenes with his wife, and we feel a touch of pathos when he is eventually taken over completely by the life force.

There is abundant creepiness, stylish direction, good performances, and best of all... no falsely happy ending, or complete resolution to the mystery of the energy force's visit. Oh, there's a bit of conjecture by the professor as to the origin and motives of the being, but no concrete and unshakable explanation of the events - to paraphrase a certain pop-diva, " Life is a mystery.."

Although the show was often critcized for it's open-ended and metaphysical stories, I've always found it a refreshing contrast to other shows which seem to feel that, 98% percent of the time, everything has to be explained away in great detail. Space 1999 often left events open to the viewer's own interpretation. Was it partly due to sloppy storytelling? On occasion yes. But still, I admire the series for what it tried to accomplish back in those dry days for SF between Star Trek and Star Wars.

Before the X-files-before Alien-before Star Trek The Next Generation, there was Space 1999! Martin Laundau and Barbara Bain are the greatest!Gothic horror,sci-fi,and edge of your seat suspense, space had it all! More than 20 years later I cant forget the horrrrrific conclusion to The End of Eternity,the terror of Dragons Domain,the mind-bending, gut-wrenching finale of War Games or the gruesome secret of The Mission Of The Darians! Commander Koenig is no Captain Kirk! You do not mess with him. Space 1999 is superior to any thing that the powers that-be call "science fiction". No more sci-fi network for me ,just more episodes please.I cant wait to see the psychopath in the Lambda Factor again .As the Dorcons say in season 2- RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

Well, there's no doubt I'm a scifi lover. But kids, this series is the good stuff. IT's pretty rare they make a series that delivers the real deal. Story, good acting. This is one of those critical series that really gave my imagination a jump start when I was young. Share it with your kids. Enjoy it. There arent many series like this one.

Oh, what a relief!! "Space: 1999" on DVD!! Six episodes for $30.00!! No more buying the laserdiscs on eBay!! What more do I need to say, except maybe "hurry up with the Maya episodes!!""

I have a theory: millions of people are buying films and television shows on DVD that they never would have on VHS, and not necessarily just the films and shows that go into creating the ultimate collection, but often, just stuff you might be mildly interested in. I bear out this theory myself in that I purchased perhaps ten VHS films throughout the history of it's existence, but have purchased about fifty DVDs in just the past 9 months.

Space: 1999 was a very unusual show. Soft on the science, heavy on the fiction, with jaw-droppingly good models, sets and costumes (with the exception of the occasional stinker) and generally well-written, well acted stories. However, the series (I own both sets of the first season) has a coldness and a distance to it that prevents me from attaching myself to this world as I have done with Star Trek and Star Wars.

When we are with the Alpha crew in Main Mission, even during a scene of tense crisis, there is a lack of rapport, closeness and comradery that makes me feel as isolated from the show as the Alphans are from Earth. There is a lack of realistic human connection that one would expect of a situation as desperate as theirs allgedly is. Perhaps this was the intent of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, to impart the show an unspoken sense of melancholy and enuii. If that's the case, I may credit their vision, but unfortunately the translation to compelling television ultimately fails.

I give this show a generous four stars, though 3.5 would be more appropriate- because of it's scale, it's grandeur, it's good writing and reasonably good acting. It was ambitious, bold, beautiful, but well shy of a home run. Nevertheless- for any fan of the genre, there is goodness and decent value here. Don't buy it for the sparse extras, but for about $25 you get six nearly one hour episodes of a pretty good sci-fi show: and that's not too shabby.

As a fan of 1970s era Sci Fi (Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Logan's Run and Space: 1999), I have been really looking forward to finally seeing this show on DVD. After putting these two disks in my ever hungry DVD player, here are my impressions: The show has never looked better! Over the years, viewers have been subjected to sub-standard copies, hacked up to make room for more commercials and then thrown into syndication. A&E has done a fantastic job transfering the show from the original elements to ensure a near reference quality edition of the show. (Once in a while, there are the odd speck of dust.) I am also impressed that A&E went to the effort to release the show in the proper order. In addition, a selection of production stills are provided as an extra. This is very welcomed as it includes rare behind the scenes material that I believe have never been released before. There are also animated menus that capture the flavor of the show. All this attention to detail really shows that A&E cares about the quality of this release and the viewing satisfaction of the fans. (Are you listening Paramount Home Video?) I look forward to future releases in this series and hope to collect them all.

Sure the characters are occasionally stiff, the science without basis, and the story lines loopy, but in many more ways Space 1999 is a winner. Unlike Star Trek the Alphans don't just figure everything out instantly. There is fear, puzzlement, and mistakes. The Commander doesn't always surrender and he doesn't always try to get himself killed to save the crew. He doesn't even fall in love with every guest start female. The rest of the Alpha team actually argues, flirts, and occasionally dies. It took the Star Trek mythos 20+ years to really allow things like that without blaming it on mirror universes, drugs, or alien takeovers. Up until DS9 it was either super-Camp or super-Whimp. Try out Space 1999, if only to give yourself a break from Star Trek.