Customer Reviews

V - The Original TV Miniseries [VHS]

5 star:		(139)
4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

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!

Like many, I was a BIG fan of both the "V" mini-series as a kid. Though even as a kid I found the dumbed-down weekly series to be sub-par, which is ironic considering I was the target demographic NBC was looking for. In rewatching the mini-series' as an adult it's apparent that "V: The Final Battle," while good, was also inferior to Ken Johnson's original. It's a shame he wasn't allowed to guide the further installments, "V" would probably still be on the air today in some form.

I wanted to clear up some of the confusion I'm seeing in these postings. First of all there is no missing footage, the mini-series is not cut in half. This DVD is exactly what it is billed as, "V - The Original Mini-Series." The original "V" was two parts which ran over two nights in 1983. It didn't have an ending, it wasn't really suppose to in order to tell its allegorical tale. The second mini-series, "V : The Final Battle" was three parts and aired over a year later. Both mini-series' were syndicated to UHF stations in the late eighties. Those stations usually ran all five parts over a week, though heavily edited. That might be what's confusing some. Considering this DVD has sold about four times better than Warner Bros. was expecting, I'd say it's a sure bet "The Final Battle" will be released on DVD before too long.

As to the Gag Reel, sadly it's not on the disc. It was supposed to be but unfortunately, Warner Bros. was unable to clear it for release. Too many of the actors wanted to be paid an additional fee for its inclusion on the disc. ... just never updated the information. Hope that helps!

'V'

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 - homage my ass, ID4 is simply an inferior rip-off).

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 Nazism (genocide) are drawn sharply and early on.

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.

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: This review is written before full details of the DVD release were available. I sincerely hope that Warners include some extras on this disc; I know that original footage of Dominique Dunne still exists for the scenes she shot as Robin Maxwell before she was murdered (4 Nov 1982).

For those people who think that the eighties television shows focusing on science fiction consisted of wooden sets, and dodgy make-up, take a copy of V home for some serious viewing. Set in 1983 (present day!), this startling look at invasion is more of a political movie than a science fiction blazer. The frank and startling idea of aliens occupying our world, taking our resources and virtually wiping us out seems evil enough; but the conspiracies and sympathisers provide the show with a contemporary feel. Politicians creep around, the aristocracy buy respect and poor people are stolen from their homes. Consider the idea of X-files, mix it with Independence Day, add mother ships, lizards and a poor rodent's untimely demise and you have a cocktail ensured to entertain. A start of something that could have been great, V paved the way for a generation of stories on a theme, scaring the pants of its viewers and providing a firm belief that we are, in every case, not alone. Laced with special effects that were unmatched at its time, this invasion gives us a look at the way that humans deal with alien arrival. There is a sickening feeling throughout as the various characters adapt to their own way of dealing with the coming, however the reflective look at comparisons with facism make it realistic. Diana (when she keeps her skin on), leader of the aliens, is enough to make any man sweat, and was probably an eighties television queen. All in all, V provides us with a nostalgic trip down our television sets, to a time when we were truly scared by turning on after nine at night. Looking at it now; with both humour and years of special effects awareness, we can chuckle and have a good time. Not for animal activists who have pet hamsters! Definitely for those who, like me, adored the idea of owning a shuttle-craft or mother ship and would give their right arm to have guest-starred. A must for experimental viewing!

The 1 Star rating is for the dreadful DVD presentation, not for the very worthwhile miniseries. This was a TV SHOW, not a movie, and should NOT be presented in letterboxed format. I compared the picture with my old VHS copy taped from TV, and sure enough they simply cropped off the top and bottom of the image in order to give us this INCOMPLETE picture. I don't know who they think they're trying to fool by letterboxing it, but don't think that they are giving you more of the picture than was seen on the TV screen--you are getting LESS! The same thing applies to the second miniseries released on DVD. Thank God they didn't do this to the recently released Complete Series as well!

For those of you who are into "original aspect ratio", I reget to announce that this DVD (and the one for "The FInal Battle") have had a "fake" widescreen effect applied to the picture.

The two mini-series were shot (and, importantly, broadcast) in fullscreen 4:3 mode. Warner Bros, apparently with Kenneth Johnson's blessing, have "matted" (i.e. covered up part of the top and bottom of the picture) to make this fit widescreen TVs.

Johnson claims he shot the first mini-series with a theatrical aspect ratio in mind (which doesn't explain why "The Final Battle" was also matted), but that's not the point: it was shot primarily for TV and therefore, should've been presented in its original 4:3 ratio.

For those of you that are V fans,take heart.I hear those people who own the original series on DVD asking for the follow up.Well,your requests are about to be answered.Official sources have recently announced that V:The Final Battle will be out on DVD by the fall.So prepare.

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.

This DVD of V: THE MINISERIES is incredible! It is incredibly well restored, making the old VHS videos look horrible. The sound track is Dolby Digital 5.1, and sounds amazing! Especially in the helicopter and skyfigther battles, as well as the resistance ground skirmishes. Now in 1.85:1 letterbox, revealing some unseen footage that's never been seen before. You do lose a tad off the top and bottom but do get noticeably more info on the sides. It's a major improvement. One reviewer said that black bars have just been added over the original picture, but having compared AND listend to Johnson's commentary I found him to be wrong. It was filmed in widescreen for eventual release in UK theaters, which never happened.

Also included is a full length commentary by Kenneth Johnson, which is really nice and provides a look inside the making of the film. The documentary is kind of low-quality, a bunch of clips filmed on the set sewed together and semi pixeled picture quality. The French audio track is mono and no improvement over the old VHS copies.

Now why is everyone so upset that there was no FINAL BATTLE included? It says right on the box "ORIGINAL MINISERIES". That's the FIRST miniseries. It also says 197 MINUTES. That's the running time of only the FIRST MINISERIES. I say -- don't blame false advertising; take time to read the case, and check IMDb before buying. THE FINAL BATTLE will be out August 6 2002.

I've been a Fan of "V" since it aired on Australian TV in early 1984 followed by it's more action-packed sequel "The Final Battle" and subsequent 19 episode series.
I was hooked by Kenneth Johnston's creation from the start and loved the premise of facist vistor's invading earth and it's parrell's to WWII within a science-fiction framework.
The character's were well written and acted notably Faye Grant, Marc Singer, Jane Badler & Robert Englund and production values well-executed.
I bought-up the video-releases in '94 but unfortunately most have been destroyed by then faulty VCR, however since buying a DVD player I hoped for a release of "V" and got it.

Am very pleased with the result's a newly 5.1 sound-mix, very clean picture in Widescreen format and rich color saturation with extra's to boot with Johnston's commentary also breif Making of....

A Welcome return of Diana, Donovan, Julie & the other's into my entertainment living room in superior format glory.

Antiscipate the eventual DVD release of "The Final Battle" and series to follow.