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Subject: space1999-digest V1 #401
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space1999-digest Friday, January 16 1998 Volume 01 : Number 401
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Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 21:51:48 -0800
From: "EDWARD SEIFERT" <echo1@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Space1999: test test
Just a Test mail.
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Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 00:50:03 EST
From: djlerda@juno.com
Subject: Space1999: Missing Link
Here's my $1.999 cents worth:
1. Goofs / Nits: The most obvious - Koenig's name is spelled wrong on
the medical center monitor. Or did they do it that way on purpose to
show Raan is fallible?
Kano's desk appears out of nowhere. I don't recall seeing it in any of
the earlier episodes up to this point. I checked and it wasn't in
"Another Time, Another Place" or "Ring Around the Moon."
Dr. Mathias gets bonk... er, beat up again, two episodes in a row!
Security really needs to get their people in shape when one pilot who
crashes every Eagle they've got can kick the crap out of three security
men.
Was all the music for this episode composed by Barry Gray?
2. Plot holes: I know we discussed this before but it appears they
don't have a command hierarchy on Alpha. This doesn't make sense to me.
Every organization has a structure so that if the top dog is disabled or
leaves the organization doesn't collapse. Yet, for the third time in
seven episodes we are shown that this doesn't exist for Alpha. In
"Matter of Life and Death" and "Another Time, Another Place" John puts
Victor in charge. Now, I like Victor as much as the next guy but he has
no official capacity on Alpha. He's a visitor as indicated by his lack
of a sleeve color. This is a clear bypassing of proper chain of command.
John could put Victor in overall charge of a project but he shouldn't
put every facet of the base under his care. This is something I don't
think they really thought about that they should have. Just picking
nits.
3. Artwork / Visuals: The scene of the Zennite city on the Main Mission
big screen is beautiful. The other shots were less effective due to the
blobby orange light around them. Does anyone know if a good *.JPG file
exists of the Zennite city?
The cinematography and direction in the opening sequence were great.
They gave a very ethereal, dreamlike quality to the proceedings. I
disagree that Koenig's walk through Alpha was too long. The shot in the
travel tube was dark and scary. The look on Martin Landau's face when he
saw Koenig's name on the monitor with the flat life sign reading was
great. I could just hear Koenig thinking to himself, "Am I dead? And if
I am, where am I?"
The first encounter scene between Raan and Koenig was also good. One
minute their on the other side of the room, the next shot they are right
next to each other as Raan says, "I hope you enjoy your stay here on
Zenno, Commander Koenig." Just the WAY Cushing delivers that line is
priceless.
The whole episode had a kind of dreamlike quality about it that I liked.
4. Model work: Good Eagle crash and animation of Zenno. The Cargo
Eagle makes its first appearance since "Breakaway." The cardboard cutout
command module nearly ruins the sequence, however.
5. Dialog Triumphs: "Tanya, you have the most beautiful voice in the
world!"
"The mind is master of all
things."
"How does it feel to play God
every day?!"
"Love is the bridge between all
worlds."
6. Dialog Disasters: "I still feel it is more important to feel than to
think."
I hated every word of this as a kid. But now I can't make up my mind
what Koenig is trying to say. Is it, "We got so high and mighty and full
of ourselves with our technology and put out feelings on the back burner
and where did it get us? Blasted out of orbit of our home world and
wondering all over the place in a universe we never made. Let's go back
and have some emotions. Maybe it's what makes us human." Comments
anyone?
10. The bottom line: B-. Cinematography and direction are good.
Acting from Landau, Cushing and Morse is excellent. Barbara Bain, on the
other hand, leaves something to be desired. Her weepy dronings are
almost laughable. She is totally unbelievable as the doctor who has to
pull the plug on the man she loves. She must have been having a bad day
or hadn't quite figured out where Helena and John were in their
relationship because she just doesn't do her usual good job. The show
also got a little draggy in spots.
11. Misc: Barry Morse's portrayal of the "evil" Victor is superb. We
had seen him as an "alternate" Victor before in "Another Time, Another
Place" but he was playing essentially the same character in the parallel
universe: Victor Bergman, scientist-philosopher speculating about man's
presence in a universe he doesn't fully understand. This Victor was
played perfectly. Just the right level of nastiness and evil without
going over the top and degenerating into self-parody.
In the novel, the evil Victor told John that a spaceship had been found
that could take a small number back to Earth. Kind of blended parts of
"Earthbound" with "Missing Link."
The nightmare sequence scared the hell out of me when I was a kid. And
when Martin Landau wound up covered in cobwebs it was very creepy. He
also did a great job in that sequence as Koenig hysterically pleaded for
Victor's help. We never saw James T. Kirk so weak and vulnerable and
this scene made Koenig come alive for me in later episodes. He wasn't a
cardboard hero who solved all the problems and could catch bullets in his
teeth, but a real flesh and blood human capable of being pushed to the
brink of madness.
Thankfully, 1999 did not rely on the lead characters falling in love
every other week as seemed to happen on the third season of the original
Star Trek. "Matter of Life and Death" was Helena's "lost love" story and
"Missing Link" was John's. And that was it.
I wish they had kept Vanna's line from the novel about reading an ancient
book and experiencing the feeling they once called love. It would have
helped emphasize the point that the Zennites had lost their emotions as
their intellects evolved. It would have also given a motivation to Raan
rather than just the old cliche of Earthmen used as guinea pigs by aliens
that has been done in every TV SF show since Captain Video.
I like Peter Cushing's hat. Puts those "Cat in the Hat" hats that are
popular with the young kids around here in the summer to shame.
Who was the other Zennite that appeared? His character name was
uncredited and the actor was not listed in the ending credits. Anyone
know who he is and why he wasn't given credit?
Whew! Sorry to be so long. :-P
Now time to take a break and prepare for "Guardian of Piri."
David J Lerda, djlerda@juno.com
"Just because we haven't experienced something
doesn't mean it doesn't exist" - John Koenig
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Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 21:59:20 -0800
From: "EDWARD SEIFERT" <echo1@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Space1999: Fw: Space: 1999 laserdisks for sale
- ----------
> From: EDWARD SEIFERT <echo1@worldnet.att.net>
> To: space1999 <space1999@buffnet4.buffnet.net>
> Subject: Space: 1999 laserdisks for sale
> Date: Thursday, January 15, 1998 9:47 PM
>
> Hey Gang, Coming out of lurk mode.
>
> I have almost the entire set of laserdisks for sale, except for disks
that
> contain the 4 episodes that were on video.-- A Matter of Life and Death,
> The Guardian of Piri, Voyagers Return and Earthbound. Note that Dragons
> Domain, and Force of Life are on a special collector edition disk.
>
> These disks are 1 owner disks, they are still in mylar wrapping. I wil
> sell as a set or individually thet first offer I get that is reasonable.
> NTSC format. Buyer will pay for shipping separately, Not included in
> price. Asking 800.00 for the set.
>
> Please E-mail me at echo1@worldnet.att.net
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Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 22:02:57 -0800
From: "EDWARD SEIFERT" <echo1@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Space1999: test
test
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Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 22:06:35 -0800
From: "EDWARD SEIFERT" <echo1@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Space1999: Fw: Space: 1999 laserdisks for sale
- ----------
> From: EDWARD SEIFERT <echo1@worldnet.att.net>
> To: space1999 <space1999@buffnet4.buffnet.net>
> Subject: Fw: Space: 1999 laserdisks for sale
> Date: Thursday, January 15, 1998 9:59 PM
>
>
>
> ----------
> > From: EDWARD SEIFERT <echo1@worldnet.att.net>
> > To: space1999 <space1999@buffnet4.buffnet.net>
> > Subject: Space: 1999 laserdisks for sale
> > Date: Thursday, January 15, 1998 9:47 PM
> >
> > Hey Gang, Coming out of lurk mode.
> >
> > I have almost the entire set of laserdisks for sale, except for disks
> that
> > contain the 4 episodes that were on video.-- A Matter of Life and
Death,
> > The Guardian of Piri, Voyagers Return and Earthbound. Note that
Dragons
> > Domain, and Force of Life are on a special collector edition disk.
> >
> > These disks are 1 owner disks, they are still in mylar wrapping. I
wil
> > sell as a set or individually thet first offer I get that is
reasonable.
> > NTSC format. Buyer will pay for shipping separately, Not included in
> > price. Asking 800.00 for the set.
> >
> > Please E-mail me at echo1@worldnet.att.net
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Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 10:56:17 +0100
From: Roberto Baldassari <baldas@tin.it>
Subject: Re: Space1999: A question: Barry Morse
Riccardo Iommi wrote:
>Some years ago a long bearded Barry Morse appeared in a small cameo in an
>Italian
>movie: which is the title? Who the director? And which Mr. Morse's role?
I can easely remember the movie but I don't remember his character's name.
The movie is Carlo Verdone's "Al Lupo, al Lupo!" (Wolf, Wolf!). In the
movie Barry is Verdone's father and he only appears in the final touching
scene.
Cheers,
Roberto.
PS: Riccardo did you joint the Italian Polygram Video Campaign yet?
```
Roberto Baldassari - baldas@tin.it - Mantova - Italy (o o)
- -----------------------------------------------------oOO--(_)--OOo---
It's not the thing you fling, it's the fling itself!
(Chris-in-the-morning, Cicely, Alaska)
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Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 09:58:22 +0000
From: "Petter Ogland" <petter.ogland@dnmi.no>
Subject: Re: Space1999: Missing Link
- --PART-BOUNDARY=.19801160958.ZM355.oslo.dnmi.no
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Hi all,
David Lerda wrote:
> The cinematography and direction in the opening sequence were great.
> They gave a very ethereal, dreamlike quality to the proceedings. I
> disagree that Koenig's walk through Alpha was too long. The shot in th=
e
> travel tube was dark and scary. The look on Martin Landau's face when =
he
> saw Koenig's name on the monitor with the flat life sign reading was
> great. I could just hear Koenig thinking to himself, "Am I dead? And i=
f
> I am, where am I?"
Magnificent. This is also how my mind goes when watching these early
scenes. It is interesting how Koenig doesn't seem the least bit scared,
yet quite perplex. To me it doesn't seem like he does very much
thinking, it seems more like "What is this? Where are everybody?
Why isn't Paul answering? Why is this place empty?"
Janet wrote some quite wonderful lines about these scenes the other day,
I remember. For her the tricks with mirrors reminded her of "Alice in
Wonderland". She wrote:
> When I recently got an uncut version of Missing Link it was really grea=
t
> seeing parts that were originally cut to add commercials. In the beginn=
ing
> scenes where John is walking through the Medical Center he passes a mir=
ror
and
> turns to see himself in that mirror. I've never saw this part before -=
it
> reminds me of "Alice in Wonderland" - which would relate truly to the s=
tory.
> Its amazing how important each scene is, and if taken out how much the =
viewer
> is misses out!
For me the scene with the mirror reminded me of the similar scene with
Lee Russel in MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. Lee seems to be looking into
the mirror to see what he looks like. Does he look like Helena's Lee?
Is he in fact Helena's Lee?
Perhaps John is thinking along similar lines in MISSING LINK. As everybo=
dy
seem to have vanished, is he sure that he is still there? Perhaps he
checks in the mirror to see if it will show his normal reflection.
Regarding the eerie scenes in the beginning, perhaps Austin found some
inspiration in Nicholas Roeg's DON'T LOOK NOW (1973). In
Roeg's famous horror film there is a little red dressed character
running around in Venice, filmed in a very similar manner to how Austin
lets Vanna run around.
It's also a bit similar to the little rabbit in Lewis Carroll's "Alice in=
Wonderland" (1865). In Tim Heald's book on SPACE: 1999 director
Charles Crichton explains Lewis Carroll to be one of his main sources of
inspiration for handling SPACE: 1999.
> My over all take on the show was not the obvious concentrating on the
> comparing of the feeling vs. thinking issue, but how one handles the pa=
ins of
> separation. A good example of this is when Vanna says that the Zennite=
s do
> not fear death because they believe in the continuing flow of life. Ho=
wever,
> when John is about to leave her, she is confused. Separation like this=
is
> also a lot like death. How does one handle a loved one now gone? Even=
> Koenig's own people were having a lot of trouble dealing with the loss =
of
> their commander. They would have rather had him hooked up to a machine=
> between life and death then to loose him. To give some handle on all t=
his
> Koenig sums it up nicely when he says "... cross the bridge between you=
r
world
> and mine... as long as you think of me, feel for me, I'll be with you."=
Very nice put, Janet. David compared MISSING LINK to MATTER OF LIFE AND
DEATH in the way it handles the loss of a loved one. I also think
RING AROUND THE MOON touches upon this quite nicely, the scenes where
John realiess that Helena has been abducted. Quite wonderful in all
three cases, I think.
> I know there are many who don=92t like this episode (uh hmmm, Hi Barry =
White
> sleeve #143 !) but for me this was the best! I guess it helps if you =
like
> Martin Landau which I do! I happen to love the great nightmare sequenc=
e.
All
> the crazed aliens pulling at John and when John's covered with cobwebs
> pleading for Victor to help him great! Wow, the way he lifts his hands=
to
> clear his face, the weight of those cobwebs (fear) looks tremendous. H=
is eye
> reveal to us that he's teetering on the edge of insanity. Its wonderfu=
l!
> What more can I say Martin Landau is the best!
I've felt a bit like Pat here, that the effects where becoming a bit too
noisy, but as you point out, Martin Landau uses the opportunity to
express extreme fear in a rather convincing manner. It is almost as if
all the latent anxity from the empty Alpha sequences, the loneliness and
the insanity of it all, are suddenly released upon Koenig. Landau's
acting is excellent.
David wrote:
> 5. Dialog Triumphs: "Tanya, you have the most beautiful voice in the
> world!"
> "The mind is master of all
> things."
> "How does it feel to play God
> every day?!"
> "Love is the bridge between all
> worlds."
>
> 6. Dialog Disasters: "I still feel it is more important to feel than =
to
> think."
>
> I hated every word of this as a kid. But now I can't make up my mind
> what Koenig is trying to say. Is it, "We got so high and mighty and fu=
ll
> of ourselves with our technology and put out feelings on the back burne=
r
> and where did it get us? Blasted out of orbit of our home world and
> wondering all over the place in a universe we never made. Let's go bac=
k
> and have some emotions. Maybe it's what makes us human." Comments
> anyone?
I felt it a bit distracting that they needed a moral at the end of the st=
ory,
but, just like in RING AROUND THE MOON, the stated moral puts the
development of the story so far into a new light, at least it did for me.=
In the case of RING AROUND THE MOON, the moral was about the reason we
are searching knowledge. In MISSING LINK it is the conflict between
thoughts and feelings it seems.
My impression is that the moral of MISSING LINK is very similar to THE
GUARDIAN OF PIRI and partly the premise of THE END OF ETERNITY. On their=
path of evolution the Zennites seem to have developed enormous intellectu=
al
capacity, but emotions have been somewhat lost during the way. Raan is
therefore using Koenig in order to try to understand the function of emot=
ions,
Koenig being a primitive driven mostly by his feelings instead of followi=
ng his
intellect.
In this particular episode, the problem of escaping Zenno is solved
emotionally, as it turns out. Koenig lets all rationale go and falls in =
love
with Vanna. He acts by pure instinct, and perhaps without knowing it,
saves his own soul from an eternal life under the microscope.
Petter
- --PART-BOUNDARY=.19801160958.ZM355.oslo.dnmi.no--
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End of space1999-digest V1 #401
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