Space 1999, Set 3

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Set 3 of Space: 1999 contains six more first-season episodes from Thunderbirds creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 1975 British series. The castaways on Moonbase Alpha, led by Commander John Koenig (Martin Landau), continue their drift through the universe, where they encounter fantastic planets, oddball races, and cataclysmic perils. In "Collision Course," Koenig must rely on "a thing called faith" when the moon seems headed for a too-close encounter with a massive planet. Unfortunately, the faith of his crew, including Chief Medical Officer Dr. Helena Russell (Landau's Mission: Impossible costar and then wife Barbara Bain) and Professor Victor Bergman (Barry Morse, who relentlessly pursued David Janssen on The Fugitive) is lacking, and they mutiny. In "Death's Other Dominion," the Alphans arrive at an ice-encrusted "lost paradise" planet, on which survivors of "the Uranus expedition of 1986" seek the secret of eternal life, and dissidents rise up to stop them. "The Full Circle" explores the nature of man when the Alphans encounter a race of cave dwellers. In "End of Eternity," the Alphans learn not to "interfere with other people's justice" when they unwittingly free an evil and quite unstoppable alien (Peter Bowles, much more civilized as Penelope Keith's friendly nemesis in the popular Britcom To the Manor Born. The cautionary "War Games" might better be called "Mind Games," as Commander Koenig considers whether to launch an attack against alien spaceships. One of Landau's favorite episodes, "The Last Enemy," is a Middle East allegory that finds the Alphans literally caught between two perpetually warring planets. Space: 1999's then state-of-the-art special effects hold up well, less so the deliberate pacing. But these fan-favorite episodes are a must for all earthbound Alpha devotees. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Academy Award winner Martin Landau and Emmy winner Barbara Bain star in one of science fiction's lost masterpieces. Premiering after Star Trek and before Star Wars - Space: 1999 offered TV audiences cinema styled special affects, grand expansive set design, and sleek ultra-modern costumes. Combining storylines both adventurous and cerebral, Space: 1999 has claimed a worldwide following - finding life beyond its titled date and securing its place in the 21st century and beyond.

Customer Reviews:

more fun with Moon Base Alpha.......2006-02-03

Space 1999 was a diverse series that had it all and then some. It was fun like Doctor Who, as abstract as the Prisoner, as explorational as Star Trek, as light as Lost In Space, as philosophical as 2001, as dark and claustophobic as the most entertaining horror movies and disaster films, as funny as Plan 9, and it even featured pre-Star Wars space battles that were truly a blast. On it's own merit it was also quite a unique series. It was never locked down into just one pattern so it never got sterile. There are episodes for every mood and mindset. One can enjoy the serious episodes or the just plain fun escapism. The setting of 1999 only adds to the fun and the out of control moon idea was certainly original. Many episodes allow the viewer to come to one's own conclusions and there's little clear continuity after the first episode which also allows creativity on the part of the veiwer. It's a very expansive and wonderous universe that's explored in different ways. The diversity of styles and ideas are it's greatest strength. It's always a wild ride.

A good solid continuation of the first season.......2005-06-26

The breakdown: due to storing too much volatile nuclear material on the moon, and a freak increase of magnetic activity (to the point where beams of lightning get shot across the moonscape) the nuclear waste is ignited and the subsequent massive explosion shoots the moon out of orbit and on an uncharted journey through the far reaches of space. If you can get past this "scientifically impossible" (as Asimov called it) premise, then Space: 1999 is the show for you. In Set 3 the six-episode run begins with "Collision Course", a vague episode about a new life or evolution that is supposed to happen when the moon kisses (ever so lightly collides with) another planet. "Death's Other Dominion" is suitably unsettling-any title with death in it should be a dead give away that some kind of creepiness will ensue. Brian Blessed, of course, is a treat to watch here. "The Full Circle" is the cavemen episode that is supposed to explore the darker more primitive sides of the human condition. It does anticipate "Quest For Fire" by quite a few years, however. "End of Eternity" is the standard alien pays a visit vein. What is catching is the way parts of the episode are filmed, like the silent fight between Baltar and the moonbase security, or the way the pictures are referenced in parts of the episode. The last two episodes are disaster episodes with Moonbase Alpha under attack from a hostile alien force. In "War Games" the enemy is unseen and supposed. In "The Last Enemy", it is a gorgeous starship captain who lands her ship on the moonbase to launch a preemptive attack on the enemy planet her race has been at war with since time remembered.

The weakest DVD set of the first season.......2002-07-27

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.

Eagle One Come in!.......2002-06-12

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!

Pure Enjoyment! Space 1999.......2001-12-08

With every episode of Space 1999 you become swept away with the storyline and plot. Now that it has arrived on DVD! it is even better than I remember, especially with the added footage and color enhancement. It's like watching it for the first time all over again. I recommend this DVD along with all the other sets to fully appreciate the incredible imagination and creativity of Space 1999. A marvel of its time!

Space 1999 Set 3 - 30th Anniversary Edition - Authentic Region 1 [DVD]

Average customer rating:

Space 1999 Set 3 - 30th Anniversary Edition - Authentic Region 1 [DVD]
Director: Bob Brooks (III) , Kevin Connor , Robert Lynn (II) , and Val Guest
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

Average customer rating:

Space: 1999 Volume 6

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

This is Volume 6 of the Season 1 series and is part of Set #3 (a 2-volume set). Contains three episodes: END OF ETERNITY - Commander Koenig rescues an immortal alien doomed to spend an eternity inside a barren asteroid. The liberated one repays his kindness by wreaking destruction among the Alphans. Koenig must risk his own life in order to destroy a psychopathic alien. WAR GAMES - A planet attack on Moonbase Alpha leaves the Alphans no alternative but to relocate on the planet to plead for mercy on the survivors. But the aliens who inhabit it warn them that humans would be destructive to their civilisation -- and they will protect themselves at any cost. THE LAST ENEMY - Two warring planets, positioned so that they cannot shoot at each other directly, seize Alpha as a gun platform when it wanders into their range. Commander Koenig must negotiate a ceasefire between the opponents when the battling threatens to destroy the Moonbase.

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