Reviews (7)

The Man, The Machine...Streethawk
Jesse Mach is an ex-motorcycle cop injured in the line of duty. He has been recruited by a secret government operation to ride Streethawk, an all-terrain, attack motorcycle; capable of incredible speeds, and immense firepower. Only one man knows Jesse Mach's true indentity, special agent Norman Tuttle. It was great to see this again, but it was a little disconcerting that all of Streethawk's amazing devices were monitored with the help of the telephone company. I would have assumed the a secret government operation would have a more secure phone line.

STREET HAWK
Yeah this is the series, folks- I have always been a fan of S/H, since 1985, and after 15 years (I've just got the entire series on video, along with my original PAL and NTSC versions of the pilot), I can honestly say that my allegiance to Michael Knight seems to be wavering... Okay, so the guy's name is Jesse, but aside from that, this is the series that should NEVER have been canned. If you've only seen the pal version of this vid, (British and Canadian versions had different effects in the pilot to the US version), you'll be over the moon with the US NTSC version. Cleaner effects, notably the particle weapon beam, and the hyperthrust, and also has the opening credits from the series, that the pal does not have. What else can I say? COOL music by Tangerine Dream, reasonably undated action, yep, buy it NOW If you don't, and it gets deleted, well you've only yourself to blame! Love, Stu. (RankinAce@aol.com)

StreetHawk is the KnightRider of motor cycles
Im 20 now but the last time i saw this film it was 1985....along side knight rider this was my favourite TV show... this is a great film for bringing back those childhood memories or even for your kids to watch...if u can get hold of the series as well, ull be impressed....great film

street.hawk
I have brought street hawk and I want to buy the rest of the collection. There was more than one series made. Rex Smith made 12 series and I have got the frist video I want to see the rest of them if anyone has any for sale please E Mail me at Martinmoulds@freeserve.co.uk

Hyperthrust, 5 4 3 2 1......
When you say the word "1980's" to me, two things come to mind. Duran Duran and Streethawk. Im not too sure what the appeal of this series was to me, but somehow im hooked. All you need to say to me is the word Hyperthrust and my pulse will indeed race. If you liked Night Rider you'll love this. I mean what can I say....Night Rider would drive at the bad guys, Streethawk would blow the s**t out of them. No contest, quality stuff. Buy this video! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Another H. P. Lovecraft adaptation debacle (despite Karloff)
H. P. Lovecraft's novella "The Colour Out of Space" is transplanted to England in this 1965 American International film directed by Daniel Haller. Nick Adams, saved temporarily from his monster movie career in Japan, plays Stephen Reinhart, who goes to Arkham, England to visit his honey, Susan Whitely (Suzan Farmer). Her family lives in an obviously haunted mansion where they are feared and hated by their neighbors. Although Susan is something of a ditz, her parents are genuinely spooky. Boris Karloff plays Nahum Whitley, a scientist bound to a wheelchair, while his wife Letitia (Freda Jackson) never leaves her curtained bed. Nahum has padlocked the greenhouse and the dungeon, uh, cellar, while Letitia begs for Stephen to take Susan and go far, far away before something horrible happens. Of course, it is too late. Nahum's family has been worshipping demons for ages and they have a glowing meteorite that is making plants and animals (including Letitia) mutate.

For one of the create horror writers of all-time, Lovecraft's stories sure make for a lousy set of films. A couple of episodes of "Night Gallery" game close and "The Dunwich Horror" is actually mediocre, but you know this one is in trouble as soon as you see the title. Karloff had almost died from pneumonia, but even confined to a wheel chair he out acts everybody else in the film. But the entire Cuthulu Mythos background of Lovecraft's stories is reduced to a few bizarre statutes and weird books in the Whitley library. Maybe if you never read Lovecraft you can tack on another star for this one, but not even Karloff's presence can elevate this one to a level of acceptability.

Ok AIP Horror
"Die, Monster, Die" is passable stuff for horror fans, with good atmosphere, photography, and art direction, and of course the presence of Karloff; but plotwise it's a bit of a tangle, a hackneyed adaptation of Lovecraft's 'The Color Out of Space' that loses the flavor of the story in trying to adapt it to the conventions of the Price/Corman/Poe films. Unique source material is, unfortunately, boiled down to a series of cliches. But for dedicated horror fans, they're good cliches.

Lurking With Lovecraft
Veteran screenwriter Jerry Sohl and scene designer/fledgling director Daniel Haller expand Lovecraft's "colorful" short story into a typical feature-length AIP shocker, with mostly good results.

Nick Adams visits his fiance Susan Farmer's ancestral estate in the country, where he is not welcomed with open arms. Farmer's father, Boris Karloff, has a feared and hated name in the region, for reasons no one will disclose. Karloff himself tries to send Adams away upon his arrival, but Farmer won't hear of it - nor will her mother, the sickly and sequestered Frieda Jackson, who sent for Adams in the first place.

Standoffish Karloff is hiding something, and even Jackson isn't fully sure what it is. It has something to do with a meteorite that permanently blasted the nearby heath some years ago, and is somehow killing Karloff's household. Jackson wants Adams to take Farmer away from the unhealthy environment.

But Adams discovers from town doctor Patrick Magee that Karloff's family has always been twisted with a bizarre space-cult religion, which in some way has something to do not only with their penchant for undiagnosable wasting illness, but also seems to have created an unknown poison that is sucking the vital life force out of the entire area and gives birth to mutations.

It isn't long before Adams discovers the hidden source of Karloff's family's - and the town's - woes: Karloff has been keeping the meteorite in his diseased progenitors' religious shrine, where its unearthly cosmic force continues to ravage anything in the vicinity. Before the story is out, most of his household will succumb to it - in colorfully hideous fashion, by way of disintegrating facial makeups and sundry other mutations - and Adams will have a nasty time delivering poor Susan Farmer (and himself) to safety.

The movie is uneven, and takes a while to get going. There are a lot of stalking-through-the-mansion shots. But director Haller's experience as an artistic scene designer shows, and the film is indeed extremely colorful and atmospheric. There are some clever puppet effects used to show mutated plant-creatures and lesser changed animals. Jackson's disintegration is a great moment, very creepy and unsettling. And Karloff undergoes a final unlikely mutation himself, transforming from a wheelchair-ridden irascible old man into a silvery-greenish, bald, athletically powerful alien attacker - which makes no logical sense whatsoever, but is great fun to watch.

A typical movie of the studio and the time, but elevated by a good cast, decent script, and terrific production design and cinematography.

Typical 60s AIP Brit-Horror
Whether or not you like the style of the films AIP made in the UK in the mid-sixties will determine what you think of this. Nick Adams arrives in the cosy little English village of Arkham and discovers peculiar goings-on up at a big old house where Boris Karloff is creating strange mutated things in his greenhouse with the aid of a glowing green meteorite. Boris's wife is starting to mutate as well and she manages to go on the rampage and get her face melted before the whole thing ends predictably in flames. Daniel Haller's exercise in adapting Lovecraft was presumably filmed around Bray studios as the house used for the exterior shots is none other than Oakley Court, the location used for many a classic British horror film including The Reptile, Vampyres and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
As a piece of filmic Lovecraft the picture doesn't really work. If, however, you want a well-preserved widescreen slice of mid-sixties Brit horror then look no further. MGM's print has a few scratches but the colour photography in the opening scenes of the railway station and the village must look as good as (if not better than) when the film was first released. The special effects are what you would expect from this time period - psychedelic colour filters and rubber puppets twisted into funny shapes to simulate the greenhouse mutations. Good value for money, even if the only extras are a trailer and chapter selections.

Nice DVD edition of uneven Karloff occult thriller
Roger Corman's long-time art director, Daniel Haller, who later helmed a handful of cult films (Wild Racers, Devil's Angels) and innumerable TV series, got his first directorial shot with this entertaining if ultimately somewhat disappointing mixture of gothic mystery, occult, and science fiction elements. The screenplay by Jerry Sohl unsurprisingly bears only slight resemblance to H. P. Lovecraft's original story, although it's still pretty outre for 1965. (Sohl also penned a few Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Star Trek, and Invaders scripts, not to mention Frankenstein Conquers the World and Curse of the Crimson Altar, the latter also starring Karloff and loosely based on Lovecraft.) The "frightened townfolk" beginning is laughably heavy-handed, although the middle section where we're slowly fed details about the bizarre goings-on at the Witley mansion is actually fairly absorbing. Unfortunately any suspense and air of mystery that's been generated is completely dissipated by the obvious, schlocky "monster on the loose" climax (did anyone really think audiences would be fooled into thinking that stuntman in the plastic mask was Boris?). Twerpy Nick Adams (who apparently fancied himself leading man material and took his inevitable career slide harder than most) exudes little charisma as the hero, although Suzan Farmer (Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Rasputin the Mad Monk) is appealing as Karloff/Witley's daughter Susan. There are a number of other positives: Paul Beeson's cinematography and the Witley mansion sets look great, of course; Freda Jackson (Great Expectations, Brides of Dracula), Karloff, and Patrick Magee (Dementia 13, Clockwork Orange, Asylum, etc.) lend some class to the proceedings; the cosmic stones and eerie mutant plants are effectively realized; there are a few credible shocks; and the brief gore FX are surprisingly over-the-top for a mainstream film of the era. But as much as I would like to love this movie, it really needs a better finish. (Apparently a crowd-pleaser though, Die Monster Die played the drive-in circuit for years, often filling out dusk-till-dawn shock-o-rama bills.) Definitely worth a look for Karloff completists and AIP junkies (like myself) who will watch and usually enjoy virtually anything with their logo on it. Lovecraft cultists and mainstream movie fans expecting an intelligent denouement are bound to be disappointed. Haller adapted Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror for AIP five years later with similarly variable results.
MGM Home Video presents the movie in an unspectacular but quite serviceable package. The trailer is letterboxed to 2.35:1 with overall excellent image quality marred only by some light speckling. Sixteen chapter stops and French and Spanish subtitles are the only other extras. The source print used for the feature is not exactly stunning but still quite a bit above average. The brightness, contrast, detail, and color saturation of the anamorphic widesceen (2.35:1) transfer are excellent throughout. The image is not razor-sharp, but still acceptably crisp (the slight softness of some shots seems to be resident in the source print). Physical damage is limited to some sporadic very light speckling. Overall quite satisfying for the very reasonable price. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Lisa Eilbacher rules
The Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew, for people of my generation (25-30), is a sad nostalgia trip - sad because we were almost too young to remember the whole series in 1977-1979, and it ended so soon. It was well done - not necessarily the (dated) music permeating almost every episode, but the whole ambience of late '70's life. While Parker Stevenson fits the role of Frank Hardy well, and his acting is decent, I find Shaun Cassidy's less impressive (I realize many people buy these videos for Cassidy - if so, enjoy, he's here in abundance in every episode). The real unsung draw of several 1977 episodes, and especially this one, is Lisa Eilbacher as Callie Shaw - in my humble opinion the greatest of American actresses. This is early Eilbacher, and she easily out-acts everyone else. For a follow-up pairing Stevenson and Eilbacher, try to catch 1981's This House Possessed - almost a Hardy Boys movie, minus Cassidy.

One of the best Hardy Boys episodes I've ever seen!
A good storyline which features alot of the characters from the storybook such as Chet Morton and Callie Shaw. Non-stop good action fun in this episode as they try to solve an unsolved mystery of creatures, screaming people and missing clues. Well acted for that era in the late 70's, but the new baby boomers will find it a drag since there's other shows now like the X-Files and so on. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Must See for any SciFi Fan
For the present-day SciFi fan who is used to huge explosions, amazing visual effects, and all those modern conveniences, this movie may be a little slow. But for a fan like me, who grew up on the old films of yester-year, it will be an amazing tale, and well worth your time and money.

Anyone who had the extreme pleasure of watching the old TV series will enjoy seeing their favorite actors and villains when they were first introduced. Buck, played by Gil Gerard, is the hunky astronaut from 1987 who is mysteriously frozen, and awakens in the 25th Century. Erin Gray is the gorgeous Wilma, who we may all remember running around in high heels and midrif outfits, while carrying a blazing laser gun. Here, we see Buck's attempts to deal with the loss of everything he knew, and being introduced into the future, where he is still the best pilot around. We get an interesting view into what Earth looks like outside the sanitized buildings of New Chicago. It's truly a good introduction into the struggles Earth is dealing with in future episodes.

I will make one concession. The visual effects are just terrible. Watching this film with my youngest sister, we just began to laugh at the tractor beams, close-up shots of ships, and explosions. Definitely not made today. But for the time this was made it's pretty good. And perhaps simply because of the enjoyment it brought so many of us, you can definitely overlook some of the lesser qualities of the film.

Boy, did I oversleep this time!
Universal Studios updated the popular matinee movie serial sci-fi hero from the thirties to the seventies in this film which was the pilot for the TV series. Gil Gerard takes on the role which was first played by Olympic athlete turned actor Buster Crabbe. A twentieth century astronaut is frozen in suspended animation and is revived in the late twenty-fifth century where his new surroundings are totally different and unfamiliar. Somehow, he quickly and nonchalantly accepts his new surroundings and quickly adapts to help the earth inhabitants defend themselves from the Draconians, an extraterrestrial race bent on conquering the earth. From watching this film, I got the idea Universal Studios was trying to salvage some of the props and sets from their expensive and somewhat unsuccessful show "Battlestar Galactica". Apparently, they must have recovered some of their losses with "Buck Rogers" because the TV show lasted for several seasons. This is the only place you'll be able to hear the lyrics to the TV theme song and also be able to see the TV-censored way Buck overcame and defeated the Tiger Man. Overall, it's entertaining and worth watching to the average science fiction junkie.

This show was nothing special
Well, this series I vaguely recall from 1979. It was only on two seasons in two very revamped versions that never worked. The visual effects were sub-par phooney, often using stock footage from Battlestar Galactica to save costs and neither gerad nor Erin Grey ever worked on TV again afterward. Nothing large anyway. About 35 shows were made in all. Not a great sci-fi Tv show at all. Better off watching something better like the Twilight Zone.

Please, Please, Please! Give us Buck on DVD!
One of the best shows from childhood, I love the rare times I come accross an episode on the SciFi channel! Having Buck Rogers released on DVD would make a lot of us 30-some-things so happy! Buck and Twekie(sp?) are the best! Please release this!

I can't wait!!
I'll make a separate review for video/sound quality when the discs appear, but I've been watching the sci-fi channel's reruns of Buck Rogers.

The series itself is underrated, and despite borrowing/warping from "Star Trek" and "Battlestar Galactica" to justify Buck now being on a space ship to find lost Earth colonies for the second season, the new style of season 2 is mostly a joy to watch, with its more serious tone. It's a shame they cancelled it as early as they did. (there were a couple of clunkers, but the good eps more than make up for it.)

While some episodes are campy, with many featuring bad science (this is sci-fi, there is no such thing as ACCURATE science, star trek not excepted...), others (particularly in season 2) contain a morality that's absent from modern day television, or in some cases (especially as seen in 'Testimony of a Traitor' and 'The Dorian Secret') people's actions.

Episodes which prove the producers were on the right track include:

From season 1 (of those I'd seen, I'd missed 10 of them, so this list could be longer...):
Planet of the Slave Girls
Escape from Wedded Bliss
Cosmic Whiz Kid (obviously a sweeps week episode but it's campy fun!)
Space Vampire (the best of season 1, this one's a true classic, and Erin Grey puts in a tour-de-force performance that should NOT be missed)
Ardala Returns
Twiki is Missing

From season 2:
The Guardians
Mark of the Saurian
The Satyr
Testimony of a Traitor (overlook the naivity of a VHS tape surviving 500 years (LOL!), this one's plot otherwise holds up reasonably well)
The Dorian Secret (there's an eerie twist at the end of the story, and it has nothing to do with aging, so don't let the name "Dorian" throw you off...)

All in all, late 1970s sci-fi is a mixed bag. Buck Rogers shows us the best - and at times the worst - of the trend. Fans of the show will want to buy this release immediately, and it's got a charm that'll grow on everybody else. The innocent family/kiddie-show is refreshingly kitschy as well, I grew up on this stuff...

And, if nothing else, Erin Grey and Gil Gerard provide some yummy eye candy for those who want to look. :-) Gil looks better in season 2, IMHO... ... Read more

Reviews (6)

and as for the queen/princess?
Hey, I have a question - how come none of these videos feature the Draconians, and that Draconian princess/queen, who was so spoiled and bratty and wore little more than dental floss, and whose ultimate goal I suspect was not to perpetrate evil but just to find some way to get Buck's attention focused on her? I mean, wow, why don't any of the videos feature one of the epsiodes where she was a focus? And remember her bodyguards, Tiger-man and later Panther-man? I think that was it. As I recall, one of them messed up or helped the good guys once and so was replaced by the other posthumously. My whole point is I couldn't figure out, even in my pre-teen youth, why Buck would even think about straight-arrow Wilma Deering when he had the princess fawning all over him at every chance! I mean, she was so bad it was GOOD, and Buck always seemed to handle her with maturity and wisdom(and not libido, amazingly. Now that's stamina!). What a spoiled brat, I personally just thought she was incredibly sexy, even before I knew what the term meant. Would anyone else agree? Hooray for the sexy Draconian queen! Wilma was always like the Mary-anne of the show, too girl-next-door for my tastes. The princess was definitely more of a Ginger than a Mary-anne. Buck should have wised-up when he had the chance. Such a tryst couldn't possibly have lasted, but it certainly would have made for an interesting couple of episodes.....
What do you think, is it possible that the studios did not want to release a video with her featured in it because of her racy wardrobe? Or is my memory simply dulled by time, so that I can only remember her evil thin smile and not how bad of an actress she may have been. Another thing, I thought the Draconian ships looked pretty cool, they were the design antithesis to Buck's white, clean spaceships. Wouldn't those in charge of reissuing these shows want to show off their special effects work like that? That goes double for Hawk and his ship, which were a significant part of the later series, but only appeared in 1 video so far,I think. AND WHEN DO I GET A DVD? I mean, we finally got Space 1999 in its entirety, and now the Hulk; I think there's room for Buck Rogers on the shelf and I know I would sure buy some of them. And what about Brisco County, Jr, from the 90's, with Bruce Campbell? Those were good, too!

It's About Time for this Video!
Buck is entrusted with a box,but he does not know who-or where=to take it.The box holds time,and it enables several crew members of the Searcher to see into the future or past.The ending will touch your heart.It is interestin to get background info on sone characters,especially Hawk.I love seeing Wilma Deering looking more feminine than she does in any other episode.If You're a Buck Rogers fan,this video is worth YOUR time!

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what is the show about?
All of Buck Rogers shows are the best science fiction shows. I just want to be able to look on the internet and be able to read what each show is all about. then give say what ever you want about the show. The show has alot of special effects, excitment, action, and adventure. Anybody who likes science fiction will love this show. Go for it, watch it. Tonya Lantz

We miss you Buck!
If you are looking for just a couple of Buck Rogers videos for your collection, this is certainly one to consider. It was one of the best. I also highly recommend the Buck Rogers In The 25th Century pilot movie. Gil Gerard was absolutely awesome - and clever, witty, handsome, fun and charismatic as Buck Rogers. Buck Rogers was overlooked as a television show and Gil Gerard was overlooked as an actor in later years. The man was incredible. His co-stars were also admirable. And, for fans of the daytime drama, "One Life to Live," you will recognize the character of Buck Roger's Hawk, portrayed by Thom Christopher, as One Life to Live's Carlo Hesser. If you were a Buck Rogers fan, this is one of the videos to get. If you are a true Gil Gerard fan and loved Buck Rogers, get all of the videos while you can. Gil Gerard is missed; and so are shows like Buck Rogers. You can't try to take shows like this too seriously. They were meant to be fun and entertaining and Gil Gerard and cast give us exactly that - entertainment!

THE MOVIE WAS A GREAT BLAST FROM THE PAST
I REALY ENJOYED SEEING THIS SHOW AGAIN. i HAD BEEN SERCHING FOR IT FOR YEARS. I ALSO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHO THE COSTUME DEIGNER IS. IF ANY ONE HAS ANY LEADS ON THOM CHRISTOPHER'S COSTUME,PLEASE LET ME IN. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

WHICH ONE WAS IT?
I WAS A CHILD WHEN THIS TV SERIES WAS ON THE AIR ALSO. HOWEVER I RECALL AT LEAST TWO EPISODES WHICH HAD BOTH NANCY DREW AND THE HARDY BOYS BOTH IN THE PLOT AT THE SAME TIME?..CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH THE TITLES AND ARE THEY FOR SALE?

A good solid performance in it's time!
A nicely done show with Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson playing the trio of Joe and Frank Hardy searching for their kidnapped father in Mexico. Former "Dynasty" actress Kimberly Beck does fairly good in her guest starring role(She also dated Shaun Cassidy in real life). A great show for it's second season!A true mystery.

Solid episode. It can still hold it's own
I enjoyed watching this episode on tape. I watched it a few times,in fact. For me it doesn't seem completely outdated, unlike other tv series that suddenly become outdated as soon as 5 years later. When I can I want to order more Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Frank and Joe on Safari
Frank and Joe did a lot of traveling during the second season of The Hardy Boys, and this episode finds them in Kenya. Someone is poaching, and a local official (a member of the Masai tribe and one of the many old friends of Fenton Hardy who the boys run into during the series) is convinced the culprit is Trevor Masters, an old-style "white hunter" who now leads camera safaris. Frank and Joe join the safari and stay at Masters' house, where Frank romances Sarah Masters, played by Anne Lockhart. The clues accumulate slowly, and the boys are handicapped in their search by the long-held animosities and alliances among the local community. Not everyone is as they seem, and Frank and Joe must bring some personal mysteries to light before they can figure out who is slaughtering animals.

Shaun doesn't sing in this episode, but there is an interesting scene of him doing a drum dance with the male star of a group of native performers.

Good, but not the best
This is not a bad episode, but as I said, not one of the more outstanding ones either. If falls sort of to the right of middle-of-the-road. It relies more on personal conflict and tension rather than fast-paced action for interest, so those of you hoping for gleaming knives and ruthless killers, this is not your best choice. Some of its more outstanding qualities are witty dialogue, and of course the inevitable romantic interest, which was better done in this one than in some others I've seen. And yes, there is a scene in which the boys get shot at. Overall, this show lacks a little spice, but if you're the kind who likes it mild go for it! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Welcome To The Night Gallery
Those opening words by writer, host and all round creative genius Rod Serling paved the way for viewers to enjoy many intriguing stories of mystery, mayhem and the supernatural during the three year run of the classic series "Night Gallery". A brain child of Serling who had earlier been responsible for the creation of one of televisions most innovative and best remembered series in the classic "The Twilight Zone","Night Gallery was a regular anthology series on NBC that told stories of macabre happenings with surreal characters in often out of this world situations. This particular TV movie was the original pilot for the series and aired in 1969. It contains three individual stories and was adapted by Rod Serling from his own short story collection titled "The Season to be Wary". While varying in quality with the third story by far the weakest, all are rich in suspense and detail with stories one and two boasting top flight guest stars in engrossing teleplays.

All three episodes are linked by the presence in each story of a painting that literally guides the course of events, hence the title "Night Gallery". Rod Serling introduces each of the segments by the unveiling of each painting in turn and the viewer is then drawn into the story it has to tell.

Episode One which is the real gem of the trio is titled "The Cemetary", and stars a superb Roddy McDowall as a devilish young man called Jeremy Evans who has latched on to his previously unknown wealthy uncle. To hasten the time when he will recieve the old man's inheritance Jeremy deliberatly exposes him to cold winds upon which the old man dies of pheumonia. However Jeremy finds that life is not all plain sailing now as a mysterious painting on the staircase keeps changing and shows his uncle slowly rising from the dead in the nearby family graveyard. Slowly driven to insanity by the thought of his uncle coming after him from the grave Jeremy falls down the stairs in terror and breaks his neck upon which the real twist in the story reveals itself. But is that really the end of the story?

Episode Two is the justly famous episode "Eyes",that stars none other than veteran Hollywood actress Joan Crawford in what was without doubt her most memorable television apearance. Here she was directed by a rookie director at the time, the now famous Steven Speilberg in his first directing opportunity. Joan plays Claudia Menlo an extremely wealthy Park Avenue Socialite who has been blind since birth. Hearing of an innovative approach to eye surgery whereby with a willing donor vision can be returned for roughly twelve hours, Claudia sets out to secure this opportunity for herself no matter what the cost. Totally ruthless in her dealings with others Claudia blackmails with incriminating evidence Surgeon Frank Hetherton to perform the surgery when a donor Sidney Resnick (Tom Bosley) is found. Resnick has gambling debts and is willing to sacrifice his eyes to get mob members off his back. The surgery is performed but just as Claudia removes her bandages New York experiences a total blackout leaving her as much in the dark as before. As ordinary daylight begins to break and Claudia sees not only the painting of herself she had commissioned but also her first sunrise she finds however that she has paid a very big price for little return resulting in tragedy.

Episode Three, "Escape", is the weakest of the stories and tells of a former Nazi Officer Herme Arndt (Richard Kiley) now going by the name of Josef Strobe who has fled to South America to avoid detection for his war crimes. While visting a museum he becomes intrigued by a painting of a fisherman and the tranquil setting in the painting makes him keep coming back to the painting each day secretly wishing he was that fisherman. He encounters a former Concentration Camp survivor in the museum who is aware of his former identity. Repeatedly seeking to become that fisherman in the painting however his wish is unfortunately granted but not in the way he expected when he becomes a part of a much more sinister painting moved to where the earlier painting used to hang. In this new painting Strobe will more than pay for his war crimes for all eternity.

Superbly linked together by an appropriately eerie narration by Rod Serling much like he did in his "Twilight Zone", series, "Night Gallery", makes wonderful viewing for those that grew up with the great anthology series of the 50's, and 60's decades. "Night Gallery", the TV movie was really Serling's last significant work for television and it was responsible for giving the green light to the successful series that followed over the next three seasons. Episodes One and Two are the really great stories here, thanks to the tense writing by Serling and the top notch performances by Roddy McDowall and Joan Crawford. The musical score employed throughout the segments also is highly evocative and adds tremendously to the eerie atmosphere employed here. I highly recommend "Night Gallery", for its great storytelling and as the last chapter in the career of one of television's most innovative pioneers, the legendary Rod Serling.

Flashforward: 1969-1972
Midnight never ends in a private showing dedicated to you, the viewer.

Rod Serling, with his perfect stage voice and brilliant mind has been missed since his death years ago.

These pilot episodes are very good, very unusual, and very, what's the word...nostalgic. You'll see. :)

The first offering is one where a black sheep nephew with an itch plots to do away with his uncle so as to reap his inheritance early. In this he was successful, until he begins notice odd little changes on a painting of the family graveyard which rests just outside the walls of the familiy mansion...

I won't touch the other two, they are great in their own right, but the first is the best of the three.

This strange gallery may show you the Flip-Side of Satan.

Classic Serling with Mod Roddy and Mommy Dearest Joan.
Here's some classic 1960s TV; the movie debut of Rod Serling's "Night Gallery". Though the series lapsed quickly into B-TV oblivion, this film stands out as fresh, original, and even profound on some level. Serling introduces his 3 original stories as 3 art gallery paintings and we start off with Roddy McDowell, all Modded up and with a Southern accent. He kills his uncle for the inheritance, but the painting by the stairs is scaring the daylights out of him. Ozzie Davis does a convincing (Mr.) Portifoy who's after some inheritance of his own.

Next we are on New York's 5th Ave. where Joan Crawford is blind and rich. She blackmails a doctor to do an operation allowing her 12 hours of sight...the catch is Tom Bosley has to donate his eyes for her. The moment she takes off her bandage for her 1st glimpse of sight a citywide blackout occurs. This is classic Serling (Beware of consequences) and even more profound and trippy than many Twilight Zone episodes. Not to mention this was Steven Spielberg's directorial debut. The final scene with Crawford getting a first and last glimpse of the sun has some profundity to it. Really the second the blackout hits we enter a surreal dimension, and we hear her thoughts "I want the sun", the window breaks, and we come back to Serling's gallery.

These first 2 stories I remember vividly from seeing them on early '70s TV as a kid. So it's really got the nostalgia factor going on. The 3rd story is a bit of a throwaway about a Nazi war criminal in South America.

Get this for the 1st 2.

Spookier than most made-for-TV films
This pilot film for Rod Serling's final TV endeavor NIGHT GALLERY is a three-part omnibus that is far spookier than most made-for-television projects. Serling's own morality tracts are here bought together in a delicious mix of suspense, terror, and melodrama.

The first story concerns a greedy nephew (Roddy McDowall) who deliberately leaves his uncle exposed (George Macready) open to the cold, so that his death will result in McDowall grabbing onto the family fortune. But there is a painting in his uncle's vast collection that, bit by little bit, proceeds to drive McDowall to utter madness because of what it depicts--Macready coming back from the grave!

Story #2 concerns a blind woman (Joan Crawford, in one of her last roles) who blackmails her doctor (Barry Sullivan) in giving her an occular transplant so that she may see, even if it is only for twelve hours. The operation is in actuality a success, but when her 5th Avenue penthouse is thrown into darkness because of the great 1965 New York blackout, she's led to believe it was a disaster.

Story #3 focuses on a Nazi fugitive (Richard Kiley) eking out an existence in Buenos Aires who becomes entranced by a painting of a fisherman in an art gallery, and who longs for Escape. But his past is about to catch up to him; and the twist ending is not quite what he had in mind.

Superbly scripted by Serling, from his collection of short stories entitled "The Season To Be Wary", NIGHT GALLERY is superior suspense entertainment. Boris Sagal and Barry Shear do effective jobs in the direction of the first and third stories, but it is the Crawford segment that gets the most attention--and for good reason. This marked the maiden directorial effort of a young man from Phoenix, Arizona named Steven Spielberg.

Billy Goldenberg's eerie, Herrmann-influenced score puts the capper on this one-of-a-kind TV movie. With Halloween fast approaching, NIGHT GALLERY is well worth searching for.

A must have for true Rod Serling fans
They just don't make 'em like this anymore!

To this day The Twilight Zone is one of my all-time favorite shows. It wasn't until recently that I re-discovered Night Gallery and learned that Rod Serling was behind this colorful, modernized series as well. Like TZ, Night Gallery's stories veer off the path of reality and venture into worlds of wild imagination never known before. Rod Serling was a master of mystery, macabre and leaving the viewer with incredible imprints from his mind.

The story I like best from this particular tape is the first one. Roddy McDowell and Ossie Davis give chilling performances and the storyline is truly eerie. I remember seeing this as a child and it really scared me. Watching it again bought back the same experience. "Eyes" with Joan Crawford also has an unforgettable twist for its conclusion.

Track this one down and add it to your collection and for those who want to see all the NG episodes, Columbia House has the series included in its extensive library, as well as The Twilight Zone. There are also Night Gallery and T.Z. Companions available here on Amazon that chronicle every episode of both series. Both are excellent resources for true Serling fans.

CLB. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Defending a true masterpiece of Gothic Horror!
This film has received more bad reviews than any other horror movie I have ever read about, and after seeing it I can't even begin to understand why! Based on the H.P. Lovecraft short story of the same title, THE DUNWICH HORROR follows warlock Wilbur Whatley's desperate quest to restore his fiendish family to their rightful position as rulers of the universe. However, there are two crucial factors needed in carrying out this mad plan. Firstly and foremost, Whatley must locate a copy of the Necronomicon, an ancient book of evil spells, and the sacrifice of a pure, but still sexually attractive female(that's where beautiful college co-ed Sandra Dee figures into the story). As the wild-eyed Whatley, Dean Stockwell is clearly having a ball, and was obviously warming up for his hammy role in David Lynch's sci-fi opus DUNE. Ed Begley, in his final film role, also seems to be enjoying himself as Stockwell's chief Nemesis, Dr. Armitadge. However, the best and most convincing performance by far is given by lovely young Sandra Dee(of GIDGET fame) who makes an effective SCREAM QUEEN debut. This film has received many negative notices, but it's not bad at all, even by today's standards. The film was made on a noticeably low-budget, but manages to produce some genuine scares and has a menacing air of creepy, Gothic atmosphere throughout. Furthermore, this movie is one of the better attempts to capture literary mastermind H.P. Lovecraft on celluloid. If the film seems rather long(it's 90 minutes), remember that Lovecraft's original story was only about 35-40 pages long. For the most part, the screenwriters have added some genuinely effective touches to flesh out the story. In my opinion, the film is fairly successful at sustaining the viewer's interest for most of its 90 minutes, and most importantly, director Daniel Haller has successfully captured the mood and flavor of Lovecraft's original story. Also, fans of the old DARK SHADOWS/NIGHT GALLERY series will be delighted by this little flick which is similar in tone and style to those early '70's TV horror classics.

A Superb "Lovecraftian" screen adaptation
This ranks with "The Resurrected" as one of the most excellent and lovingly produced Lovecraftian movie treatments I have come across. There is peerless handling of dramatic tension, with that artful, classically Lovecraftian juxtaposition of "normalcy" and the trans-physical (I would not use supernatural in the context of Lovecraft works) which goes to show that the director has a sincere and heartfelt appreciation of the genre known as Cthlhu Mythos. A product of love by a director who knows his stuff. Everything a Lovecraft fan expects is here:- the innocent visitor (Sandra Dee), the creepy but apparently normal village weirdo (played with great restraint and deadly effectiveness by Dean Stockwell), your well-meaning smalltown doctor, overtones of in-breeding, incest, horrific genetic mixture with outer-dimensional monsters, ancient books of unspeakable mysteries (I would not use the word 'evils' in a Lovecraftian context) written by long-lost wizards, the secret library, the mysterious big mansion, strange stone menhirs and open-air sacrificial temples from aeons-past. Its ALL here!! Even if you are not a Lovecraftian fan you would enjoy this. Well worth it, go for it!!

Reminiscent of Hammer Studios
This one H.P. Lovecraft adaption reminded me of Hammer studios. It's about a guy with a Necronomicon who is trying to seduce an innocent girl into the occult. Talia Shire famous from Rocky as Adrian also appears here. Better than most Lovecraft adaptions because of its maturity. This is an old school style film before they started to jazz it up with gore and nudity. Still enjoyable to this day, its maturity rises it above a mediocre horror film of any sub genre.

Loosely Based on Lovecraft's Work!
I think before seeing this film I recommend that you read H.P Lovecraft's the Dunwich Horror first just to see all the inconsistencies of the film. This film had a few style points except the psychodelic vision prospectives. Definitely a sixties film. The acting was terrible and unintentionally funny. It's a wonder why MST3K missed this film. There are some obvious points where you can royally rip this film a new one. As it stands it's okay. But there are instances where this film could've been geniunely creepy, yeah perhaps if Lynch directed it. Rent and for goodness sakes read the actual story.

I can't believe I liked this film
Especially because of the negative reviews this film received. Admittedly I'm not familiar with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, but I do enjoy low-budget films that often avoid the Hollywood cliches that are often found in those overbudgeted blockbusters (such as Spielberg or Lucas). The acting is downright hilarious here! Especially Dean Stockwell, playing Wibur Whately, with his dated hairstyle and mustache. I really love his obsessive, emotionless behavior, as he so desparately wants this book called the Necronomicon, which was kept locked behind glass at an imaginary university. Wilbur desperately wanted that book to open up the gates from another dimension. Sandra Dee (once married to singer Bobby Darin), who was previous known for playing innocent teens in films like A Summer Place or Gidget, plays Nancy Wagner who gets seduced by Wilbur, by drugging her tea, in order that she be used as a sacrificial victim. Throughout the film, you hear strange sounds, psychedelic effects, and silly music played on Moog synthesizer, harpsichord, and Theramin. There really isn't getting around the fact this film is from 1970. Also of note was it was made by American International, which had not only made low-budget horror flicks, but Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello beach flicks (Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party, Beach Blanket Bingo). Somewhere you'll find the sister of director Francis Ford Coppola (Talia Coppola, also known as Talia Shire) playing Nurse Cora, assistant to Dr. Cory. Many people have complained that the film goes at a slow pace, I hadn't really noticed that myself, in fact I had little problem watching the whole movie in one go. Still, despite the actors and the acting, I find it actually quite a good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I spell fun H-A-R-D-Y B-O-Y-S
I am giving this review four stars because my only caveat is that you never get to hear a full Shaun Cassidy song. You hear enough to tease you into buying whatever album of his was hot in the seventies, but not the whole thing. This show is as much fun as Scooby Doo (and that's a compliment). Both Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy displayed a laid back, easy pairing that transcended the not-so-challenging scripts. They are just fun to watch, and when you get to hear some of that great bubble gum pop Shaun sang so well, you have a show that shines as bright as that lava lamp collecting dust in your attic. Do I like this show? I da doo run run.

A Trip Down Memory Lane!
I enjoyed being able to see Shaun Cassidy sing again. It brought back precious memories. The Hardy Boys was my favorite show as a child. It's sometimes hard to believe that over 20 years have passed since that time. If you like Shaun's singing, this is the video for you! It has different songs, including Da Doo Ron Ron, That's Rock 'N Roll, and Holiday (which I had forgotten about and hadn't heard since I was a child). It's a great video for Cassidy fans everywhere!

A must for Shaun Cassidy fans!
If you've seen the 70's series, you know that they all look pretty cheesy in the light of a 90's day. But if you love cheese, and you love Shaun Cassidy, this one is a must-have, because it's one of the handful of episodes in which Shaun sings! This one features "Da Doo Ron Ron", "That's Rock and Roll", as well as chunks of "Holiday" and "Wanna Be With You". I take off one star just because of the over-all cheese factor. Otherwise, it's a keeper! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

On my October 31st list of videos to watch
Buck Rogers has always been about lasers and high tech up to this point, and then everything changed(for the better). Yeah the lasers and high tech are still there(that's mandantory Buck) but the mystical becomes a part of these later series(80-81 I am guessing). Much like Dr. Who at this time period, Buck Rogers, an otherwise lighthearted show of a wise cracking Space Cowboy, becomes a hybrid of funny and downright grave. This takes place on into the Hawk series(which is not availibe except for the Guardian) This Vampire sci-fi thriller is the best of Buck, I think. It shows you can make a scary set with modern settings as a darkened spaceship corridor. The soundtrack and camera angles(even in computer rooms) was downright creepy. Wilma's(Erin Grey) personality was quite a bit different from her usual matter-of-fact self.(nice outfit)
I grew up with this show and the hybrid sci-fi/fantasy time period of other serials. And that is why I think both are important in one story. You won't find that now(or if you do it's not as well plotted or believable). The comic relief was a relief from the spookiness and seriousness of this story.(and women dressed better heh!)

The Best (?) Vampire Flick Ever!!
Alright, maybe not. But like one of the other commentators, I was scared stiff the first time I watched it, curled up beside my dad on the couch. Until I purchased this tape last year, the only memory I had was of Wilma (Erin Gray) tilting her head back as the Vorvon (vampire) drained her essence. Throughout my childhood, teenage years, college and even now, when I think of a scary vampire, I imagine some guy with long fingernails sticking them against my neck.

So the sets are ridiculously fake. The vampire's evil laugh is actually rather laughable. And Buck's saving the day is somewhat overdone. But this has what it takes! Wilma's a sizzling vampiress, and steals the show. [But then, didn't her bare midriff always steal the show when we were growing up, much like Daisy Duke?]

It probably won't scare you today. But it's definitely a great episode to take you back in time. Enjoy!!

Space Vampire - Why Not?
I remember the day with startling clarity - January 3, 1980...the day I became a man.Okay, a little history for you sci-fi afficionados:Before there was Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, or Star Trek: Fill-in-the-Blank...there was Buck Rogers.'Buck Rogers', and it's sister show - the superior 'Battlestar Galactica' - were the only thing going for science fiction on television in 1979 and 1980. I was just a boy, a wee lad, still in my jammies, and I loved science fiction with a vengeance. Even at 11 years of age, I knew that 'Buck Rogers' was sub-par sci-fi...but it had one thing going for it that no other science fiction series of it's time had...It had Erin Gray.The three things that best defined 'Buck Rogers' as a series - and of my oncoming momentum into puberty - were:1) Erin Gray2) Spandex3) Erin GrayFrankly, the rest of the show - the Starfighters, the laser blasts, the re-used spaceship models from 'Galactica', Gary Coleman...you could have shoved them all into a nuclear reaction and STILL the only thing that would have mattered would have been Erin Gray.Yep, I was hooked.Which brings us to January 3, 1980 - the day 'Space Vampire' premiered.Okay, it was not that good - but Erin Gray gets turned into a Vorvon (i.e. Vampire) and goes all sultry...and my little life was changed forever.Trust me. Rent it, buy it, or tape it. You'll understand.

Entertaining by default
I found this one of the weaker episodes. This one still featured the goodies you come to expect from"Buck",Wilma Deering and her jump suit, Gil Gerard creakily completing martial arts moves,thatlittle robot guy and the contrasting of 25th century Earth with 20th Century Earth. But there was no atomosphere. Vampire stories demand a certain amount of gloom and creepiness, thats one thing that makes them fun and its also the one thing this episode lacks. At least the set lights could have been dimmed. Any Buck is good Buck, but this one disappointed me a little because I expected better.

Buck Roger's space vampire
Space vampire was one of the better "Buck" episodes, along with "vegas in space" ect. as alway's Erin Grey made the episode work of course. when the vamp was "speaking thru Her" it was chilling Of course back then I was 15-16 yr's old. The Buck Roger's episodes brought in many special effect's to broadcast t.v.. of course disco was the flavor of the day then also. alway's a sci-fi fan since 8-9 I enjoyed buck roger's along with my library of perhaps 2000 paper-back book's (sci-fi) I had read by that time Space Vampire is a very good Buck roger's episode to keep and enjoy again and again.... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

hardy boys in egypt
although shaun does not sing in this video, it is still pretty good. you find yourself saying to yourself don't do that guys! it really draws you in.

King Tut's Tomb - Frank and Joe in Egypt
When Frank succeeds in recapturing a purse snatched in an Egyptian bazaar, he is mystified when the owner, a lovely American girl, refuses to take it back. Instead, she pushes the key to her hotel room into his hands and asks him to meet her there later. When he and Joe open the purse they find what appears to be a priceless artifact, which has almost certainly been stolen. That evening at the hotel, they don't find the purse's owner, they find the street urchin who'd stolen the purse (who escapes again), and then the police - who confiscate their passports.

This is a great mystery, and contains some highly unusual moments for the Hardy Boys. Frank and Joe don't usually deliberately intimidate pretty girls in their hotel rooms. Would Frank *really* bash all Helene's teeth out? Is Joe's inspired rant about how much he hates Texas just an act? And Parker sings!

This is also the episode in which the boys compare themselves to Redford and Newman in "The Sting" - which is an amusing sequence.

The Hardy Boys in Egypt...What could be better?
As a "Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" fan, I found this video to be a real treat! It features the Hardy Boys in an exotic, mystery filled location and throws in some 1970's disco to boot! I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the original intro to the program followed by the announcement "Tonight on the Hardy Boys.." This video is great for those who love 1970's nostalgia. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must for Rick Nelson Fans! Great concert footage!
This video is rated 5 stars not just for the show itself, which isn't bad, but for the fact that Rick Nelson sings about 8 songs in it. Real concert footage of Rick before a real crowd is used. Unlike his contemporary Elvis Presley, it is hard to find concert footage of Rick Nelson. In this show Rick plays rocker Tony Eagle. The Hardy Boys foil a plot against his life. Ironically the villan tries to cause Tony Eagle's plane to crash. The Hardy Boys prevent Tony's plane from taking off. Would that someone could have done the same in real life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Birthdays Should Never be this Exciting!
For those of you who are not acquainted with the Buck Rogers series, here's a short rundown. In 1987, NASA launched the last deep space probe, captained by William "Buck" Rogers (Gil Gerard). In a "freak mishap," the ship is blown off its trajectory into an orbit that freezes the life support systems, and returns him to Earth 500 years later. The series takes Buck, along with the gorgeous Col. Wilma Deering (Erin Gray) and friends on many interesting adventures throughout space. Younger sci-fi fans may be disappointed with the special effects and simple story lines. However, for those of us who grew up in the 80s, they can still be as exciting and fun as they were when we were kids.

In this episode, Buck's been feeling a little depressed as his 534th birthday approaches. Everything's perfect, nothing ever changes in the future, and he really misses his past life. To get him out of his funk, Wilma and Dr. Huer (Tim O'Connor) decide to throw Buck a surprise party. The surprise is almost on them, however, when the psycho Col. Traeger arrives and attempts to kill Dr. Huer out of a warped sense of revenge.

A Great Episode
This is a really great episode.I really like the interplay between Buck And Wilma. Not to mention what a delight Mel Blanc is as the voice of Twiki. Buy this you'll will really enjoy it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries belong on DVD!
Here is another intelligent show that brings back a ton of fond memories! This episode, "Wipe Out", and ALL the other episodes of the "Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" starring Shaun Cassidy, Parker Stevenson, and Pamela Sue Martin/Janet Johnson, belong on DVD! Shaun and Parker as Joe and Frank Hardy brought humor and warmth to their brotherly roles; and the intrepid Nancy Drew was fiercely independent and a perfect role model for young women. Of course this version of the "Hardy Boys" was enhanced by Shaun's singing - and "Wipe Out" featured him singing not his own tunes but the music of "The Beach Boys". This series also featured a memorable ensemble of guest stars including the late Rick Nelson ("The Flickering Torch Mystery" with great concert footage), Lorne Green, Patrick MacNee, Melanie Griffith, Paul Williams, Ray Milland, Valerie Bertinelli, Maren Jensen, Anne Lockhart, and a host of others. And let's not forget Edmund Gilbert who, in my mind, will always be "Fenton Hardy". Today's young tv viewers (and the rest of us, too!) need to get re-acquainted with Nancy, Frank, and Joe! Let's see this complete series on DVD SOON!

This Show Should Have Complete Season DVD Boxsets!
The Hardy Boys was one of my favorite TV shows in the 70's and as a young girl ages 12 to 14 I had a big crush on Shaun Cassidy, I had his record albums, posters a T-shirt, etc. The Hardy Boys TV show is based on the young readers Mystery books by Franklin W. Dixon and stars Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson as brothers Joe and Frank Hardy who solve mysteries and crimes and was a very entertaining show. I would like to see this episode and all of the rest on DVD in complete season DVD boxsets!

Hardy Boys in WIPE OUT
I was one of those girls who just LOVED Shaun Cassidy, I even had a Hardy Boys t-shirt in grade 3. Now after years of waiting to see these shows again, I was suprised that besides having cute guys, the show did have a good story line. And yes Shaun does sing, although I thought he sounded better when I was 7. Anyway this is a good one, It will bring back some of those childhood warm fuzzy feelings.

Dreamboat Shaun Cassidy shines in beach caper!
This is one of the coolest Hardy Boys episodes because Shaun SINGS! He performs "Surfin' U.S.A." on the beach for Frank & their Hawaii pals on location. A must-have for any Shaun Cassidy fan. No love scenes, though - darn! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Jamie's Kinda Cute in Orange!
For those of you who are not acquainted with the Buck Rogers series, here's a short rundown. In 1987, NASA launched the last deep space probe, captained by William "Buck" Rogers (Gil Gerard). In a "freak mishap," the ship is blown off its trajectory into an orbit that freezes the life support systems, and returns him to Earth 500 years later. The series takes Buck, along with the gorgeous Col. Wilma Deering (Erin Gray) and friends on many interesting adventures throughout space. Younger sci-fi fans may be disappointed with the special effects and simple story lines. However, for those of us who grew up in the 80s, they can still be as exciting and fun as they were when we were kids.

In this episode, Buck goes undercover as a convict in order to find wrongly convicted prisoner Jen (Jamie Lee Curtis). They need to get ahold of her to get information that will help them stop her boyfriend from breaking the law. Buck needs to break out of prison with Jen, meet up with Wilma, and stop the boyfriend, while being chased by a prison guard android who just keeps on coming.

Co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis!!!!
This is a high point in the Canon! It co-stars a very young Jamie Lee Curtis as a convict who can put the finger on the nefarious space pirate, Pantera! Here is what I learned from this episode;
1. In the future prison guards will wear leather dresses.
2. Androids always take out their frustration on hapless scenery.
3. "Tied to a chair" is a great look for Erin Gray.
4. Squids roam the deserts of the future.
5. Finally, while styles of clothing and cars may change, hairstyles will always remain the same, relevant to the time of the episode's filming.
In closing, this one has plenty of good Buck. He has to rescue Wilma, fight an indestructible android,capture a space pirate and outwit a diabolical Space Diplomat. And don't forget the Sand Squid.

The goddess Erin Gray
Erin Gray, in her tight spandex outfits, is the reason to watch the late 70s Buck Rogers. Kudos to her costume designers! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Oldies but Gookies
Two Gun-runners named Corliss and Trent recover a freighter carrying 20th century nerve gas.The two have long seought revenge on Colonel Deerin.They plan to destroy earth with the bombs.Earht turns to Noah Cooper(played by Peter Graves!),leader of earth's last space marine bomber squadron,for help.Can Noah and hIis spuadron save earth?To find out buy the video!I like this video because it shown being old or handicapped can't stop you from doing great things!

Silly shenanigans in a 20th century wasteland
Like popular music, television just gets worse and worse as time goes on and viewers crave more and more immediate gratification, as political correctness becomes more entrenched, and as the medium strives to conform to the tastes of youthful viewers, in particular, who become cruder and cruder with each new generation.

The TV show, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", based on the old movie serial, has the saving grace of being over 20 years old, which means that, by definition, it can't be as bad as the pap that the networks circulate today. It's as dumb and as formulaic as any other show, but at least, it's clean and fairly harmless.

And it has one other redeeming feature, which is the only reason why I bought this video. And that, of course, would be Erin Grey (as Colonel Wilma Deering) exhibiting her cute blondness in tight space outfits. And even THAT redeeming feature was diminished during the second season when she unaccountably became a brunette.

"Return of the Fighting 69th" is a first season episode, however, and interestingly enough, the scene which requires Erin to disguise herself in a unisex patrol outfit, with helmet, doesn't defuse her sensuality nearly as much as dark hair would later. She provides considerably more thrills than the story does.

As for the "plot" and the actors/characters in this episode, they have been adequately described by others and there's no need for me to dwell on them. No 12 year old devotee of Saturday morning cartoons could fail to appreciate them, and Gil Gerard, in the title role, has all the dramatic presence of Venusian cloud cover, sort of a space-wrecked Robert Urich. Actually, that's unfair to Urich. Compared to Gerard, Urich appears to have as much flair and color as Cesar Romero playing the Joker.

The bad guys, played by Robert Quarry and Elizabeth Allen, are a lot more passionate, a lot more real, and a lot more genuinely motivated than the good guys, and if you're actually paying attention to the plot, you should be rooting for them - for all the good it will do.

Peter Graves plays the head of the "Fighting 69th" who comes out of retirement to do battle with the bad guys, and he, Gerard, Grey, and the other supporting cast members naturally assume that flat pompous virtue that the heroes in these productions always have - the self-conscious virtue that always finds a way to say, "Aren't we good?"

The most noxious example of this is the hero's welcome that Gerard receives from his conspirators in virtue after he returns from the arduous task of - locating the deaf girl's parents by searching some futuristic Hall of Records for them. Good old Buck Rogers - not only can he save the universe through expert navigation, crack-shooting, and rapid-fire fist-fighting, but he can brave carpal tunnel syndrome and download a file with the best of any $6.50/hour (or whatever the prevailing 25th century wage is) file clerk. Bleah!

After fast-forwarding to all of the enticing Erin Grey poses, put this cassette away and read a book.

Buck Involved In More Than One Crossfire
Return Of The Fighting 69th is one of the best episodes of the Buck Rogers series, combining some impressive SFX action sequences with some of the strongest character interplay of the series, giving a greater emotional punch than normal.

A Directorate container ship has been hijacked and is flying toward Necrosis, an asteroid belt of unusual (and admittedly unrealistic) density. Wilma and Buck, on a training run with two cadets, are hastily sent to stop the container ship, but when four oblong-shaped Scorpian fighters (this is the only episode which identifies these bizarre-shaped fightercraft) attack, two are shot down, but the two Directorate cadets plunge into the Necrosis belt and are pulverized.

Buck furiously demands to know why the stolen ship was worth the lives of the two cadets, and Dr. Huer provides video inventory as explanation - a stash of nerve gas bombs dug out of a bunker near the old Washington DC. And since the ship was flown to the Necrosis belt, the thieves are clearly Corliss and Roxanne Trent, two gunrunners who have vowed revenge on Wilma because of severe injuries (Corliss' face is seriously scarred, Roxanne Trent sports metallic hands after hers were burned to a shrivel) incurred in a space pursuit years earlier.

The only pilots who can possibly navigate the treacherous belt are the surviving members of the Space Marine 69th Squadron - led by Noah Cooper (Peter Graves), who has known Wilma since she was knee-high and earned the nickname Dizzy Deering aka Dizzy D. But all five members of the Fighting 69th were forced into retirement a year earlier, despite still-sharp combat skills. Wilma wants no part of having them return to duty, espeically when they propose using decades-old cargo-sled bombers to launch even older surface-penetrating incendiary explosives into Corliss and Roxanne's asteroid base. When Wilma angrilly protests after an unimpressive live-fire exercise, Buck caustically calls her on the fact she is simply worried sick for Noah, rather than using rational analysis.

When the three sled bombers penetrate the belt, they are jumped by a squadron of Scorpians - three are shot down but Buck and Wilma are captured, and meet Corliss and Roxanne up close. Buck also meets Roxanne's youthful slave servant, Alicia, who is deaf and can only speak via sign language - a fact Buck can use to get himself, Wilma, and Alicia to freedom when Noah leads the attack on the asteroid.

Elizabeth Allen plays Roxanne Trent and imbues the character with such effective monstrosity that the audience can feel genuine hatred welling up as she smashes a memory globe belonging to Alicia.

This episode grows on you; it's still worth watching.
Previously I wrote a 2(or less) star review for this episode. When I first saw it--after sooo many years I was in a time-flux shock! I couldn't believe the difference in producing a sci-fi adventure 20 years ago and 20 years later.--The fight scenes, etc.. Since then I have seen this show repeatedly and it's grown on me. My shock has worn off. I enjoy watching this episode. I still especially enjoy watching the scenes with "Alicia", who is deaf and kidnapped 5 years previously. Her only mode of communication is manually through American Sign Language. I was taken by surprise to hear "Wilma" refer to it as HAND TALK. But today when I see that scene in reference I see the past,present and future rolled into one because she mentions a corrective operation children can have to regain their hearing. Today we would especially know one corrective procedure: COCHLEAR IMPLANT. SCIENCE FICTION becomes Science Fact. WHAT A DIFFENCE 20 YEARS MAKES!!!

EEHH BEETY-BEETY-BEET. COULD BE BETTER
AS A CHILD WHEN i SAW THIS EPISODE I LOVED IT BECAUSE OF THE