Hot Picks
|
|
|
Space 1999 - Seed of Destruction
episode 2.11
UK 1976
produced by Gerry Anderson, Fred Freiberger for ITC
directed by Kevin Connor
starring Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Catherine Schell, Tony Anholt, Nick Tate, Zienia Merton, Jeffery Kissoon, Martha Nairn, Jack Klaff, James Leith, Albin Pahernik
screenplay by John Goldsmith, created by Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson, music by Derek Wadsworth, special effects by Brian Johnson
TV-series Space 1999
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
|
|
|
Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
|
|
|
|
|
Earth's runaway moon passes a weird asteroid that emits weird energy
readings, and when moonbase Alpha's commander Koenig (Martin Landau) goes
up to investigate, he finds himself in a cave full of mirrors - where his
reflection comes to life, knocks Koenig out and travels back to Alpha to
assume Koenig's place - and his first action is to order for all of
Alpha's energy to be beamed to the asteroid (to awake his race from
eternal hibernation, but of course he doesn't tell that to the Alphans).
Science officer and shapeshifter Maya (Catherine Schell) questions this
order and is confined to her quarters for it. Now nobody dares to oppose
Koenig, but chief of security Tony (Tony Anholt) knows Maya's on to
something, and together the two manage to convince Dr Helena Russell
(Barbara Bain) to help them in a rouse to get their hands on a shuttle to
fly down to the asteroid to see what's happening. When Koenig wants to
shoot down the shuttle, it's the first time his authority is questioned,
and from now on the situation is tense on Alpha - while system upon system
is failing due to energy loss. On the asteroid, Maya and Tony find the
real Koenig and get him back to Alpha, where he takes care of his double
via ultrasonic sounds (apparently the alien's achilles heel). And thus,
the energy beam to the asteroid is cut off, the alien race though pretty
much destroyed ... Average episode of Space 1999
that puts more emphasis on suspense than anything else, but not always to
the best of results - in part because the story to create suspense is
rather ridiculous, and in part because Martin Landau's performance as his
evil self is rather unsubtle. But that said, it's still an ok episode,
rather low on camp and silliness that made both the best and the worst
episodes of the series, but also low on miniature effects that were always
a highlight of Space 1999.
|