Customer Reviews

Space 1999, Set 4

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

Disk 1: vol 4

: THE TROUBLED SPIRIT

: SPACE BRAIN

: THE INFERNAL MACHINE

 Disk 2: vol 4

: MISSION OF THE DARIANS

: DRAGON'S DOMAIN

: TESTAMENT OF ARKADI

This DVD completes the 24 episodes which made up the first season of "Space 1999", the much-underrated sci-fi classic which was produced in England and which aired on American television in the mid-seventies. If you're already a fan of "Space 1999" you don't need to be "sold" on this show, but if you're a sci-fi fan who's never seen this series, but who has grown tired of the bland fare that's being offered on most sci-fi shows these days, then you'll find "Space 1999" to be a delightfully different and creative show. This DVD set contains three rather mediocre episodes, two superior episodes, and one episode which ranks as one of the best (and most memorable) episodes shown on any sci-fi series. The two superior episodes are "The Troubled Spirit", a truly frightening story in which one of Moonbase Alpha's scientists conducts an experiment that goes horribly wrong. In effect, the scientist creates a ghastly-looking "ghost" of himself which goes around murdering other crewmen. Eventually the scientist must track down his own "ghost" and destroy it. Like many of "Space 1999's" episodes, "The Troubled Spirit" draws as much from the horror genre as sci-fi, and the episode uses vivid lighting and colors to create a creepy, moody feel that's not unlike the "X-Files". In the "Infernal Machine" a huge spaceship lands near Moonbase Alpha. When Commander Koenig and Dr. Helena Russell go out to investigate, they find that the ship is actually a powerful, psychotic computer which is desperate for human companionship - and is willing to destroy Moonbase Alpha unless it's demands are met. The interior set of the spaceship is impressively done (as is typical on "Space 1999" - a fortune was spent on large, elaborate sets), and the computer is both sinister and sympathetic at the same time - not unlike the "HAL 9000" computer on "2001: A Space Odyssey". The best episode, however, is "Dragon's Domain", and for many people my age it caused some serious nightmares when we saw this episode as kids. One of Commander Koenig's best friends - a former astronaut on deep-space missions - is behaving strangely. He keeps having nightmares of a disastrous deep-space mission he led years earlier. He was the mission's only survivor, and no one except Koenig believed his story of what happened. To wit: he claimed that his ship found a "space graveyard" of seemingly empty alien spaceships. When he docked with one of these ships and boarded it, his entire crew was eaten alive by a horrific space monster which was immune to fire from his laser pistol. He barely escaped with his life. Now he's convinced that Moonbase Alpha is coming close to the graveyard of dead alien ships, and when the "graveyard" does in fact appear, he steals an Eagle spacecraft and returns to his ship, determined to kill the "monster" which has been giving him nightmares since his crew was lost. The actor who portrays the stricken astronaut does a superb job, and although the monster costume may look fake today, it was enough to scare the wits out of many younger sci-fi fans and make this episode one of the most memorable in sci-fi history. All in all, this fourth DVD set is not the best (I believe the first and third DVD sets contain more "superior" episodes), but for any fan of classic sci-fi this is still one DVD set that you don't need to be without. As with the other "Space 1999" DVD sets, these episodes (and especially "Dragon's Domain") will bring back many fond childhood memories of a series that remains unique - a cross between Star Trek, The X-Files, and The Twilight Zone.

This DVD will contain one of my all-time favorite episodes of Space: 1999, "Dragon's Domain", whose hideous octopod space monster frightened the wits out of me and several of my friends who also beheld this episode here in Canada in 1977. Other reasons why this episode was so striking were the relationship between Koenig and Russell, more outwardly affectionate and a precursor to the fully blossomed romance between them in Year 2, and the wearing of anoraks as seen frequently in the second season. I hope that the success of these DVDs will guarantee a FULL release of Year 2 as well, as that was the season that pulled me and my friends into the fantastic future of Space: 1999, bonded us to the characters of Koenig and Russell, and impressed upon us the boundlessness of space and its potential life forms.

Bring on "Dragon's Domain" and ALL of Year 2 and the mantra that should be tagged to these:

"If we think we know everything that goes on out there, we're making a terrible mistake." -John Koenig, "Dragon's Domain"

This review is going to assume that you are already a fan of the series and are pretty much familiar with the premise.

I'm going to comment more on the DVD production quality of this latest set, which has been recently released in conjuction with Set 4.

After being pleasantly surprised with Set 1, I was anticipating more of the same with this set 3, specifically the sharp, clear images of the episodes. Unfortunately, this latest set seems to have a slight layer of opaqueness to it. Mind you, the image is not blurry but it's not as crystal clear as the episodes mastered on set 1.

Also, there is dust and particles on the images, which is common to 35 mm prints but that makes me wonder: are these the best prints that they could acquire for transfer or the only ones?

The special features section which showed some behind the scenes stills in set 1 have been replaced by straight screen captures from the episodes in set 3 (with more dust and particles). These aren't all too exciting and the image quality leaves a lot to be desired (poor resolution). Some are even inverted (notice the by-the-neck zipper or some other aspect of the Moonbase Alpha clothing is on the wrong side). Did nobody do a last minute check to see that the stills were inverted?

Overall, the set delivered my desire to see more episodes of Space: 1999, but from a DVD production aspect, it had an overall generally sloppy feel to it, especially compared to set 1.

So if you're looking to see more episodes of this show, go for set 3 (and set 4, which suffer from the same things I describe above). It's just that you may find the viewing to be of lacklustre quality after getting used to seeing what the DVD format is capable of.

I can hardly wait--they are releasing the documentary that most of us never saw, plus the best episode from season one, DRAGON'S DOMAIN. I had nightmares about that episode for months after seeing it as a kid. It was exceptionally well done. I hope very, very much they release the second season, as that was my favorite! To anyone hesitant about the dvd collections, let me point out they offer better quality, more episodes and extras, and are safer over the long term than mere video tape. We've waited this long--we deserve the best. I even bought a dvd player just to watch these collections.

That screaming OCTOPOD monster that is just so fake looking is worth the price alone. SPACE 1999 seemed to have an absolute fascination with one-eyed monsters. Several of the shows episodes that feature scary aliens featured scary one-eyed aliens that were truly horrific. This show is so gloomy and horrifying in so many episodes that it is really unique.

It's sure great to get the complete first season on DVD, but even though A and E never said anything about the Season One Documentary, all these other DVD ordering places are. I don't know were they are getting their info, but there is no Documentary on the last season one DVD. I sincerely hope to see the Fanderson Documentary (or whatever) shows up on the future Year 2 DVD sets. The trailers are pretty cool, though. All 24 of them. All four of these box sets are a must have....

thank god this series is being released on dvd. only on dvd can you appreciate the incredible effects. even after 26 years they are incredible.great cast great plots star trek does not come close. say what you will about space it is truly a classic.i can only hope that all of gerry anderson's series are relased on dvd

all I have to say is wow!!! Dragons Domain is the best of the best!!! I love this show! I never purchased the videos! so when I watched the first 2 dvd's I was in heaven! I am 31 and I used to watch this show when I was about 6 or 7 and I remembered alot of the series!!!!!! Like I said, Dragons Domain ,the best of the first season,I used to have the lunch box with the one eyed creature! [...] thumbs up to space 1999!!!