Slip Case

SPACE: 1999 Set 1
A&E HOME VIDEO - 70148


Insert


STATS
Standard (1.33:1), Color, MONO, Languages: English, Chapters: 6 Per episode, Running Time Total Approx.: 312 mins., Not Rated, Price: $34.98


Amaray Cover, Vol 1


VISUAL

VOLUME 1

BREAKAWAY

With only a few emulsion blemishes at the very beginning of the episode the rest is clean and clear. Color balance is good and relatively constant.

MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

Extremely sharp and clean. No blemishes or scratches. Color and tone constant. Scenes on the planet have incredible color range that doesn’t affect skin tones.

BLACK SUN

Quality is equal to the previous episode.

In all, each have incredible quality. The sharpness of the image is enhanced by the dynamic range of the contrast values. The blacks are truly rich, as are the whites. The moonbase and Alphan khakis are pure and uncorrupted. Now this is not to say there aren’t color tone differences between episodes - there are, though not as drastic as any previous home video releases. You may find yourself increasing color saturation slightly, but many viewers may not even notice any differences. I do question the color of a force field seen in BLACK HOLE, previous having seen it appear blue, now it is green. Special effects composite scenes do age differently and only a major digital restoration could fix problems like this.

Volume 2

RING AROUND THE MOON

This episode is strangely darker than the others. Although clear, with good color, the contrast is too intense. Raising monitor contrast will result in cloudy blacks. Not terrible, but not up to the standard of the other episodes. The saving grace is the incredible sharpness.

EARTHBOUND

Not quite as sharp as the others, yet still very good. Color saturation isn’t as intense as in other episodes, but can be increased to satisfaction without distortion. Viewer can improve on contrast too, bringing it up to a comparable standard of the others.

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE

Episode starts out incredible but there is a slight color shifts about half way. A slight green tint corrupts the grays - it will be more apparent if your monitor is set cooler. Color saturation is also affected from the same point, but improves. There are not blemishes however, the clarity is excellent throughout. These episodes have never looked better - a vast improvement over the originally air 16mm broadcast versions, and over the past laser disc releases.


Amaray Cover VOl 2


AUDIO
BREAKAWAY: Fine, an improvement over the Laser Disc release with a stronger mid-bass response.

MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: No problems. Clean and with out distortions.

THE BLACK SUN: Very strong bass response that really bolsters the music with gusto.

RING AROUND THE MOON: There is some distortion in certain parts perhaps akin to a transfer recorded at too high a volume. The problem may also emanate from a disintegrating magnetic track. This problem also was in the previous laserdisc release.

EARTHBOUND: There’s a terrible warbling sound at the begining of each scene that fades back from a commerical. This most noticable in the music which has a “sour” tone to it.

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE: Fine, no problems.



EXTRAS
PHOTO GALLERY - covering a publicity and production still. Viewer advanced, without music.


Disc

PRESENTATION
Two Amarays, each with a different cover art come packaged in a matching slip case, with yet a third cover art. The Main menu screen is both animated and with sound. My complaint - Chapters are not printed on insert. Most Chapters have been placed in between commercial breaks - MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, EARTHBOUND, RING ABOUND THE MOON and ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE (3 misplaced Stops) have missed placed first Chapter stops well after a commercial break and into a given scene.

SIGHTS AND INSIGHTS
SPACE: 1999 has a arduous time in home video. In the early 80’s in first appeared in a release from FOX VIDEO in a re-edited feature comprised of two second episodes (THE BRINGERS OF WONDER parts I & II), entitled DESTINATION MOONBASE ALPHA. It quickly was pulled from the shelves after I reported it to I.T.C. when I discovered it contained the synopsis for another feature ALIEN ATTACK, also comprised from episodes from the first season (BREAKAWAY & WARGAMES). FOX quickly dropped the product by retained the rights for those episodes. Next it appeared, again in the re-edited feature format from USA HOME VIDEO. But what ALIEN ATTACK and JOURNEY THROUGH THE BLACK SUN gain in liner notes they lacked in taste. The company introduced each feature with a hostess (Cybil Danning) using dialog as revealing as her clothing. Once again I contacted I.T.C. questioning the handling of the product as well as the artwork used to promote it. It seems that USA had developed their own cover artwork comprising astronaut gear “borrowed” from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. It wasn’t long that stars Martin Landau & Barbara Bain spoke out and the product was again pulled. It later resurfaced through IMAGE ENT. where I acted as a consultant, in hopes to avoid what twice before. Although I was able to convince the powers that be to release the individual episodes, from 35mm elements, the said elements were not allowed out of England. Prepared masters were offered leaving IMAGE without a say in quality. Part of the deal was to have the discs pressed in England as well. The two part episode from the second season, THE BRINGERS OF WONDER was still unavailable still belonging to FOX an their ill faded attempt. Although IMAGE made an offer, FOX refused to relinquish their rights to the episode. The laserdisc release offered may a chance to see the series more or less uncut (RING AROUND THE MOON was missing a scene) and became much sought after as years passed. In the years that followed the I.T.C catalog became enveloped by POLYGRAM who, internally, played with the notion of releasing the series but eventually allowed a mail order only club to do a limited, out of series order release. Now as part of the CARLTON company SPACE: 1999 comes to DVD in the U.S. from A&E, distributed by NEW VIDEO.


See Also:

Click the Moonbase Icon to read my original unedited liner notes for episodes in Sets 1 and 2.


For More Info on SPACE: 1999


REVIEW by Scott Michael Bosco©

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