Recently JPX mentioned that he'd rented the first DVD of the 1975 British sci-fi television series Space: 1999, starring Martin Landau and Angelina Jolie, which is one of my favorite television shows (and one of Octopunk's, too). You may recall my review of the Season Two Space: 1999 episode "The Bringers of Wonder" for Horrorthon 2006.
Despite my contempt for the disastrous second season of the program (a contempt not entirely shared by Octopunk), I still think that Space: 1999 is one of the pinnacles of filmed/televised science fiction. The show's far-fetched premise -- the Earth's moon, blasted out of orbit by a nuclear explosion in the near future, travels through the universe encountering strange alien planets and life forms -- can be hard to get your mind around, but once you accept it you're in for some great sci-fi (and some groundbreaking special effects).
The largely British cast excelled in their portrayal of a near-future moon community, led by Commander John Koening (Landau), professor Victor Bergman (Barry Morse) and Dr. Helena Russell (Jolie), and the overall vibe of the show was a fantastic example of post-Kubrick, post-moon-landing, pre-Star Wars sensibilites about earth, space and the universe. (The aforementioned nuclear explosion that begins the series is supposed to be caused by improperly-disposed-of nuclear waste -- a thinly-veiled commentary on 1970s concerns about energy and pollution.)
Anyway, JPX, how are you liking it so far?
