Customer Reviews

UFO, Set 1

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an early adolecent I loved UFO, or "you-foe" as the Brits called it. Aliens, futuristic cars, spaceships that didn't have visible strings, women in purple wigs... the whole works. But there were two things working aginst me: 1) I only had a black &white TV and; 2) once I got a color TV the reruns were coming from copies of copies of copies of tapes that looked pretty tired. GOOD NEWS! This is an amazing set of DVDs (I own the UK PAL-format version which is suppose to be the same source as the US NTSC set). The colors are rich, the prints are practically pristine, the sound is amazing, there are a fair amount of extras, and the purple wigs are so vivid and clear that you can see individual hairs. Even the menus are great! The story lines are pure Gerry Anderson ("father" of Stingray, Captain Scarlet, Fireball XL-5, and even Space 1999) meaning that these are complete, well written stories but sometimes you just want to cringe at the dialog. But this is about the best television SciFi ever produced in Great Britain. It isn't campy, the special effects (even though you can catch them reusing certain explosions, etc.) are well produced, the sets are solid, the acting is good, and the production values are very high. The model work is very good - great for its time - but younger audiences may not compare it well to the CGI effects of today. From a purely historical point of view, this is perfect. I really can't see how they could have improved on the quality of the DVD, and so good that you might not believe that the source materials are more than 30 years old. I suggest that you go to www.amazon.co.uk and look up "UFO - Series 1" to read more about the set. I want to hit one point again and that is the stunning visual quality. The four DVDs in set one contain the best quality images I have ever seen from a television-based source. And, this is just the first of two sets with 13 episodes each. I've already got Series 2 on order.

The video & audio quality on this release is excellent, as the whole series was recently digitally remastered from the original elements. There is another comment here about poor sound quality and varying sound levels, but I have noticed no such thing -- instead, I blown away by the clarity of the sound, as the series has never sounded this good before!

Unfortunately, the extras come up a little short when compared to the UK release, which had HUNDREDS of behind-the-scenes photos and script excerpts from deleted scenes, none of which appear here. (the advertised "production photos" is actually false advertising, as they've really just used episode frame captures). However, A&E has included what I think are the most important extras from the UK set -- the Gerry Anderson commentary and the expanded/deleted scenes from IDENTIFIED and EXPOSED. And it even includes an extra not found on the UK set -- studio session recordings for SID's voice!

There is also a negative comment here about the episode order. The DVD episode order is actually quite close to the production order, and is MUCH better than the original broadcast order, which was downright confusing (and probably help lead to the show's cancellation).

I thought the packaging was a bit too cheap as well, with a poorly designed plastic case and minimal printed materials.

However, in spite of the above flaws, this set succeeds where it counts the most, presenting the original episodes uncut and with stunning video and audio quality!

A&E states that UFO Set 2 is coming out "sometime in 2003".

Gerry Anderson's commentary is amiable, if a tad dated in it's retro sexism. "Alec Freeman has an eye for the ladies, and looking at that Shado operative, PWHOAR! Who can blame him?" and "I couldn't stop telling everyone how much I fancied Gay Ellis. Well, I didn't tell my wife!" Then he goes off at a tangent about how he can't dance at parties. Top man, Gerry Anderson.
Fans of beefcake Colonel Foster are well served here. Women want him. Men want to be him. They especially want to be him while simultaneously blowing up UFO's. After watching him sweating away in a sauna in 'Ordeal', I rather wanted to kiss him myself.
This is a great if inevitably uneven series like all television productions with tight shooting schedules. Corners are cut with recycled footage, some unwisely chosen. Anyone else notice the interceptors had no missiles despite being ordered back to base before firing in 'The Square Triangle'?
Some of the science is equally sloppy. Isn't it impossible to go the speed of light let alone faster than it? Spaceships that are strong enough to withstand interstellar travel but disintegrate when exposed to fresh air? Granted they are forced to decelerate but do they need to be sitting ducks for missiles? No guidance systems with said missiles? A space probe tracking the spaceships back to their home planet to take pictures going about 30 m.p.h.? You do notice these things even when you're five.
DVD quality is exemplary. Taken from master and colour re-graded. Absolutely boss, trust me. Packaging a little less user friendly, if neat-o. (Actually, anyone who says 'neat-o' deserves to be abducted by aliens forthwith.)

Up to now, I had not had the pleasure of seeing more than a few bits of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's "UFO". Now at long last I have been able to screen the first 13 episodes of the series in this new set.

A bizzare mixture of forward-thinking and backwards-thinking, character and caricature, the futuristic and the dated, sci-fi cool and outright dopeiness, "UFO" (pronounced in a very British-sounding way as "You-FOE"), is one of the strangest and most unique offerings in modern sci-fi.

While the women slink around in sexy catsuits in this 1970 effort, the men sport shaggy hair and wear decidedly 60's neru jackets and turtleneck sweaters. Not much seems to have progressed very far in the time that our story takes place (1980), with crewmen smoking on duty (even on the Moonbase!), and enjoying a drink to help ease the pressure (very late 60's, early 70's thinking).

Strange ideas abound in other areas as well. Launching a fighter plane from a sub underwater may look cool, but is not in any way imaginable a practical method to get a plane in the air (let alone the question of how to get it docked back on the sub). And having only three ships to defend the Earth and Moonbase is kinda dumb, especially when you consider that each ship only carries one missle!

On the other hand, the futuristic cars (all two of them) are used effectively to appear like a fleet of automobiles. The effects are excellent. The production design is first-rate. And best of all, there are some real human moments hiding in amongst all of the fruge dancing, groovy 60's moog music, and oppressing danger from UFOs.

Even Ed Bishop's usual portrayal of the impolite, uptight, and anal-retentive Commander Ed Straker is allowed to be laced with humanity. Both "A Matter of Priorities" and "Confetti Check, A-OK" allow Bishop to showcase not only his talent, but to show his character as a real, human person.

Fans of the next live-action Anderson work "Space: 1999" will see the prototypes for Alpha and the Eagle spacecraft, and hear some familliar incidental music throughout "UFO". Fans of other Anderson delights such as "Captain Scarlet" and "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" will also be able to pick out some similar music and props. Shane Rimmer (the voice of Thunderbird pilot Scott Tracy), appears once or twice, and Ed Bishop, of course, voiced Captain Blue in "Captain Scarlet".

The transfer is very good, nice and sharp, and the colors just blaze off the screen. Anderson gives a good commentary on the first episode, and overall I think the set is a keeper (if for nothing else, then for the two episodes mentioned above).

The extras on the DVDs range from alternate edits to tests of S.I.D.'s voice pattern, and even some interesting Anderson commentary on the first episode that gives insights on the SHADO cars, set design, etc. All in all, a nicely packaged set for a show that is frankly rather bizzare. However, "UFO" is also quite entertaining, dramatic, and human.

And did I mention the catsuits?

The rating is for the show; I'm excited about the raves this set is getting for visual quality, since I've been watching it on ancient Betamax tapes for years now! This is the best of the Gerry Anderson productions in my opinion, although if you don't like other Anderson shows you will probably not care for this either (I even liked Space Precinct!). It contains several themes that were ahead of its time (for television anyway): A secret planetary defense organization, mysterious alien invaders with unclear motives, X-file type paranoia, and Ed Straker's wig! The art direction and costuming are excellent, a classic 60's vision of a shiny future- reminds me of the Donald Fagan song I.G.Y.: "Just machines that make big decisions, programmed by fellas with compassion and vision", along with plenty of "Top Gun" characters and situations for that action we crave. Hey, if the only accurate depiction of the future here is the moon babes in purple wigs and silver mini-dresses, I'm there!

Bravo! A job well done, and should not be missed by any serious
fans of the "UFO" series, or fans of the sci-fi genre in general.
The picture quality, as you would expect with DVD, is exceptional, ditto for the sound. The series, in particular, the
special effects, seems very dated now, but still a lot of fun to
watch. It seems unavoidable that comparisons between "Space:1999"
and "UFO" will crop up, since Gerry and Sylvia Anderson were the
driving force behind both shows. There are those who place "UFO"
far ahead of "Space:1999" in quality and content, but I do not
agree. "Space:1999" was, in hardware and special effects, vastly
superior to "UFO". Both series have their strengths and weak
spots. But it's obvious from having watched them both, that "UFO"
was the foundation on which "Space:1999" was built. My thanks
to A&E for bringing this series back to life. I hope they will
release "UFO", SET 2 very soon.

I remember loving UFO in all its cheeky, kitsch glory when it first came out. Lightyears beyond FIREBALL XL-5 and THUNDERBIRDS yet keeping their sense of gosh-wow Popular Science adventure. And you can still enjoy them today.

Not to say there aren't troubling things afoot. Oh, I can dig the swinging London soundtrack. I can dig the torpedo bras and the furry pink minis. I can even dig the sideburns and ridiculous combovers. (Not yet sure why the Moon Babes have to wear purple wigs and heavy blue eye makeup while on duty, though... or what purpose the unisex peek-a-boo fishnet shirts serve...) But what's to make of the commander of an ultra-secret planetary defense system enjoying a computerized whisky bar right in his office? What about the brilliant strategy of shooting at an alien while your commanding office sneaks up behind him -- and right into your firing path? What about a service which can build an orbiting supercomputer capable of watching over the solar system but leaves officers to solve advanced mathematical problems with a slide rule? For that matter, what makes Straker think he can speak English while interrogating an alien who comes from billions of lightyears away? Why does all the technology seem so pre-Cold War, consisting mainly of radar screens in ground control and gunners who must rely on hand-eye coordination to shoot, and often miss, targets? There are some mighty strange lapses of imagination on hand here...

Most dated -- and troubling -- of all are the sexual politics of the series: absolutely every (paunchy, middle-aged) man is a blatant pig, and absolutely every woman eagerly enjoys their leering advances. Some might put this down to the times, but I put it down to the pyschosexual dynamics of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson. Uh-oh.

And yet, UFO manages to maintain a true, serious and heartfelt love of the genre -- it's made by real sci-fi fans. Look at the lovingly detailed miniature work. Look at the attempts to add a real sense of mystery and awe by the almost silent closing credits (something they made awesome use of in the opening of CONTACT). The sheer thrill of it all is contagious, and that's what makes UFO so much fun, because of and in spite of its flaws. I love it, purple wigs and all.

Previously available in the UK and Europe, this remastered edition of UFO contains a few niceties to complement the episodes. Purchasers of this set are probably already fans of the show which has re-emerged occasionally in the 30+ years since the original run. The bulk of the episodic content is well known for its speculation of future life in a '60's vein.
The biggest plus for this set is the clean video and the inclusion of scenes which have been "chopped" by broadcasters.
The outtakes are reasonable but lack an explanation of why they are important. The "Exposed" scenes could have benefited greatly by written explanations of the differences versus the final episode.
The physical product is packaged oddly. Little is provided in text form(No booklet), relying primarily on the sleeve for such info.
Excepting minor details, this DVD offering is an excellent revisit of the SHADO world. Definately worth the price.

I saw my first episodes of UFO when I went home from college one summer to find my parents glued to the set. I couldn't believe I hadn't heard a word about such a great series- the best I'd seen since Classic Trek!
Unlike most (all BBC) British series, this Gerry Anderson production had fantastic special effects and sets that still hold up very well today, although some are dated. It is a very believable alternate universe. As always, the strength of the series is in its character development. The pressure cooker-like stress on Cmdr Straker is enough to hook you- you keep expecting him to melt down or explode!
Unfortunately, my favorite episode ("Kill Straker!") was not on this set, so I am eagerly awaiting Set Two.
The four discs had beautiful portraits of the major characters, although the plastic package might have been better designed,
and a booklet would have been nice. The vivid color and picture quality was fantastic!
I'll never understand why this series was shelved to make "Space:1999" - one of the all-time turkeys of SF. (You can't tell me THAT commander wouldn't have been spaced out the airlock the 2nd time- if not the 1st time- he got someone killed for no reason). Straker got some people killed, but he always had a good reason, and he put himself on the line too (you REALLY have to see "Kill Straker!")
Highly recommended!

The time is 1980, a scant ten years from the show's inception. But technology has leapfrogged. There is now a base on the moon. It's unclear whose base it is, since the commander of all the SHADO forces is American, yet all the personnel are British. Maybe it's a joint effort. Space travel is relatively effortless--people trek to the moon the same way they go out to the store for groceries, or at least the military types do. The head of SHADO is a crusty chain-smoking military type named Ed Straker, though we are not sure exactly which government he works for. Maybe he's an Independent Contractor. Anyway, Eddie has never smiled in his life. He has so many personality disorders that it's amazing he's trusted with billions of dollars of equipment that can destroy planets. I mean, don't high-ranking military types have to pass some sort of psychological test before they let them play with H-bombs? One thing's for sure: Eddie sure has a lot of toys at his disposal: there's Skydiver, which is a submarine fitted with a fighter jet that blasts off. Considering Newton's Second Law, I don't know how the rocket doesn't blow the submarine backwards into the continental shelf, but somehow it doesn't. I also don't know how the heck it links back up again later--they never show you that part. But back to Ed's toys: he has three interceptors in outer space that hunt for UFOs on the moon. Each interceptor is equipped with exactly *one* missile. I know the Carter Administration cut back the military in the 70s, but *one* missile?! Fortunately the aliens are always considerate, and rarely send more than three ships at a time, so as not to overwhelm the human defenses. They wouldn't be unsporting and send, maybe, 100 UFOs and wipe us out. Finally in the artillary collection there are the "mobiles," which are giant trucks with radar and lots of flashing lights. All the action is monitored by SID, a forerunner of HAL, a giant orbiting observatory that apparently has Sir Ian McKellen locked inside. ("Eeeuu-eff-oh heading for earth at four-decimal-threee...") You expect SID to launch into a soliloquy from Richard III, but he never does.

Now, the world at large doesn't know earth is being attacked by aliens, who want to, alternately, steal our organs, cohabitate with us, or make us breathe green liquid. The world thinks Ed Straker is a movie producer (!!) who goes to work in a studio in London every morning in his cool aerodynamic car. Actually he does, and then he locks himself in his office, announces his name, and *the whole office* lowers itself underground, to his secret SHADO base. Once he forgot his lunch, and his secretary had to throw it down the hole to him, but it's still not clear if she knows he's leading a double life. His ex-wife certainly didn't know. She thought he was spending too much time at the office and divorced him. In reality he may have been spending too much time with the silver-suited chicks with purple hair. Eddie is always finding excuses to visit these moon-babes, because, as I said, this is about as easy as running to the store for a quart of milk. No explanation for the purple wigs is given. There's been speculation over the years--was it a code for lesbianism? Just some oh-so-mod 60s fashion thing? Producer Gerry Anderson and his fashion-designer wife Sylvia insist there's no hidding meaning, but that hasn't stopped suspicion, even though the women don't have colored handkerchiefs sticking out of their back pockets. At any rate, the sole purpose of the four chicks on the moon seems to be to walk about in go-go boots and micro-minis while the camera lingers at thigh-level, a purpose about which I am not complaining. Honestly, I'm surprised they don't dance in cages. Judging from the costumes all the women wear and the fact that all female personnel are young and babe-like (and wear more mascara than a hooker at the Nevada Hilton), one would conclude the attitude around SHADO was extremely sexist, and would not be tolerated in these more enlightened times of skin-tight jeans and cropped baby-tees.

The tone of the show is pretty heavy. By that I mean everyone stands around looking at each other grimly saying things like, "The aliens are evading our defenses." "Yes. That must mean they're getting through." "Yes." "And if they're getting through, they must want to come here pretty badly." "Yes." "But why? What do they want?" "I don't know." "Well, d---it! You're supposed to know! Go lock yourself in your office with a miniskirted go-go girl and don't come out until you have an answer for me, Colonel!!" Robert Towne it isn't.

Some have said the special effects are cheesy. I think they are actually quite respectable considering the budget, and the fact that this was only a few years after Star Trek (talk about cheesy effects). What's perhaps most effective about the whole show, that I've never seen commented on, is that there are often long sequences where no words are spoken, where the viewer has to put things together or divine the aliens' intentions. I wonder how much of a Kubrick 2001 influence there was when it comes to this, but some of the most memorable bits are when there is no dialogue at all, and it usually involves something the aliens are up to, something ambiguous. (Are they really trying to destroy us or do they want to live peacefully with us?) We never do conclusively find out what they want. Maybe they're being driven to conquer earth by a crusty chain-smoking commander on their planet who says, "Why are they wearing go-go boots on the MOON? I want answers, d---it!"

God this show is fun. Who wants Star Trek---guys zipping around the universe in children's pajamas---when you can have this?!? The music's better too.