Super Space Theatre

by **shaqui** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:42 pm

Probably universally despised, 'Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars' and 'Captain Scarlet vs the Mysterons' were the first chance I had to see the series for years, just prior to the 1980s UK repeats. These were American compilations editing four episodes together to make a kind of movie.

How do other fans view these now?

by **Kinggodzillak** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 5:23 pm

I liked these at the time, and I still like them now. In particular I love the extra music - especially in scenes where nothing at all is happening, and yet chase music is playing. Also, when Green is trying to contact Rhapsody just after she gets killed, they added this sound effect which sounds...well, empty. It really added to the scene.

The lasers...didn't see the point, but they weren't too distracting.

Title sequences - cheap and cheesy, but great at the same time.

A few good cuts - much of Seek and Destroy, the bizarre 'Scarlet and White nearly snog' scene, and White ordering Scarlet and co to go to Lunarville 7..."on the Moon!"

The threat sequences were often played against generic spaceshots, although the sound effects would still be there, so you would still hear Colonel White's desk turn, and that owl hooting out in deep space...

Good choice of episodes...although personally, I'd swap Shadow of Fear and Attack on Cloudbase to the other film.

Attack on Cloudbase's ending...hmm. Part of me likes it, part of me says it's better than 'It was all a dream'...but it still isn't very satisfying...

by **Mary** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 2:28 am

Remember that those of us on this side of the Pond ONLY had these compilation videos to sustain us for years! We didn't have access to the actual episodes until long after they were produced in PAL; NTSC videos were only obtainable through (usually horrible) multi-generational copies bought at conventions, legality of same notwithstanding... :wink:

(nudge nudge)

And don't forget that most of us over here never even heard of annuals, let alone knew of the other merchandising tie-ins. Speaking for myself, I only found out about the UK following for this and the other productions after seeing an ad in a scale modeling magazine that specifically mentioned CS models! :shock:

My favorite "differing" moment in these videos is in the first one, when Scarlet reports back to Cloudbase after the crash...

WHITE: "You're a very lucky man, Captain Scarlet..."
(OMINOUS MUSICAL CHORD as camera focuses on Scarlet)

That was just SO appropriate!

by **Kinggodzillak** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 7:20 pm

If anyone's interested, I've uploaded the opening and closing sequences from these 'films' to Youtube...

Revenge:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePZPRJsF3Eg&mode=user&search=[[/url]

Vs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RlhUSJf ... ed&search=

by **Kambei** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:23 pm

I still have both these tapes on PAL VHS somewhere. Not watched them for years, though. vs The Mysterons at least uses a variation on the end theme tune.

I had forgotten how awful Revenge was. But nowhere near as cheesy or supremely crap as the Japanese opening credits.

I still believe that the opening music/credits to UFO is the best that was ever produced for an Anderson show

by **hazel** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:04 pm

I used to have Versus, but have never seen the horror that is the opening sequence of Revenge. It reminded me a bit of the opening titles from 'Lost in Space' (the series, not the film).

Kambei - hey, don't diss the Japanese titles! They are a masterpiece, a superb example of... OK, only joking. The first time I saw these, at the Danger Zone convention I think, everyone in the room laughed themselves sick. Scenes of death, destruction and mayhem, accompanied by a jolly litle song. Brilliant...

Kinggodzillak - you don't happen to have the Japanese Joe90 titles hidden about your person anywhere, do you? They're not as in-yer-face hilarious as the Scarlet titles, but there's a lovely subtlety to them that will please the connoiseur.

by **Kinggodzillak** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:03 pm

Ah - Joe Kuju. Yes, he's on Youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmJrnU3wm74

by **DartBrat701** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:28 am

Kambei wrote:
I had forgotten how awful Revenge was. But nowhere near as cheesy or supremely crap as the Japanese opening credits.

Funny you should say that, I used to be on the premise that the Japanese opening titles of Thunderbirds, CS & Joe 90 were the same as the English versions (with the exception of Japanese subtitles).

But, after seeing their opening credits, that absolutely shot my theory out of the water!! :roll:

Thanks Kinggodzillak, for setting me straight with the Japanese versions. :wink:

I'm absotively captivated by your videos!

Keep up the good work!!!! :grin:

by **Shade** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:18 pm

For what it's worth I like the Super Space Theatre compilation movies. At the time they came out on video they were the only way to see the series on video, and for ages were the only way to see the episodes therein. They aren't perfect, I will admit, but I have them in my collection for completists' sake.

IIRC, they were made into compilation movies for syndication because TV stations seemed reluctant to buy the original series, and with SF movies like Star Wars being successful, it was felt that movie-lenght compilations would be easy to sell. So in a way they were a way of keeping Gerry Anderson's productions on the screen, and as such, better than nothing.