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[JohnIan101]

Past Tense - Cold Blooded Dangers And Scales Part I


[An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on January 17th, 2013 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum.]

Been awhile - a month long theme, so now we get steelbooks! Time for more interstellar wickedness, this outing - friggin' space lizards in the reboot television series, "V"...



"V: The Complete First Season" was released on home video on November 2nd, 2010.

It streeted against "The Goonies: 25th Anniversary Collectors Edition", "Not Of This Earth: Roger Corman's Cult Classics" (1988, Traci Lords version), "Toy Story 3" and "Winnebago Man".

The regular edition originally came with a cardboard slipcover which mirrored the case's wraparound. And a three page folding booklet - episode guide/special features list.

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There was a single exclusive in America...



Best Buy offered an exclusive steelbook case for the three disc set. The steelbook cover is different from the regular edition. This sold for $27.99 (it was also available for Blu-Ray, $34.99).

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Rant.

Look, I'll be honest, this PT post is just an excuse for me to bitch. So much so, I'm breaking this Past Tense into two parts. *nods*

The reboot was decent, I was entertained, true. But it failed to get the overall sense of escalation that the original 1983 mini-series had. And their overall purpose was muted. We got answers, but it felt hollow; more like - just because.

It was nice to see Jane Badler (as Diana) and Marc Singer (as Lars Tremont) on the show (second season, both), the two were main characters from the original iteration. I do appreciate the effort.

As I wrote, it was entertained, I'm glad the ABC series got a second season (also out on DVD). But I'm not sadden that it got canceled from there. Even Kenneth Johnson wasn't thrilled, the creator of the concept (effectively Nazis in space). He wanted his name removed from the 2009 series; it was listed as "created by". He felt (rightly so), that the reboot was so far removed from the name sake that he didn't want to be associated.

Johnson went to the Writers Guild Of America in August of '09 trying to get his name taken off. His effort failed, the reboot still bares the credit.

Lets begin.



In the original NBC presentation. The Visitors came to Earth in 50 motherships, each measuring three miles long. These were you're classical UFOs and they were awe-inspiring. For the 2009 series the ship was re-imagined, which is okay. A nice bit of foreshadowing, their motherships' looks like a serpent's head. This time only 29 space crafts have come to Earth.

I don't have an issue with the use of CGI, it's a tool, like any other. My problem is that SOOO much of the series was crutched by it. Sets looks fake, the ships and Visitors themselves. The make-up - wasn't, it was CGI as well. This I'm sadden by.

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Here we have two shots of corridors from each mothership. Bottom is the reboot - the corridor looks empty (minus Marcus [Christopher Shyer] and Dr. Joshua [Mark Hildreth]), it lacks detail - even furniture. Have something there, maybe some kind of equipment. The other image is from the original, the difference is striking - it looks reality based.

Available space would be a commodity, you would need to utilize all the available area for storage, accommodations, equipment/machinery, medical and so forth. This looks functional, not like the lobby of some hotel. And it was built for real, not a CGI creation.

Yes, that was a cheap shot.

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This is my biggest grip with the reboot, the Visitor's clothing. Above we see Marcus and High Commander, Anna (Morena Baccarin) in their native outfits. Notice it?

They look like quasi-future business suits! What the hell?

I can understand that they wanted to save money by making their clothes look terrestrial, but c'mon. This is crap.



This is how it was done, a clear demarcation of who they are and us. Their clothing did the job effectively. They may say 'we want to be friends', but their uniform says different (with black jackboots).

Pictured above is (left to right) Diana, Martin (Frank Ashmore) and Mike Donovan (Singer).

I was hoping for something similar for the reboot, we got businessmen (and women) in space. *shakes head*

Now some of you might say, 'Hey! That's the clothing for command, the rest wore a different outfit'.



Yes, you are correct. Above is their basic uniform (as modeled by Anna's daughter Lisa [Laura Vandervoort]). This didn't impress me either; a blue jacket with matching pants. Man, you could do better, much better. This could almost be club-ware or even contemporary pajamas



Other big issue I had - their shuttle crafts. Like they ran out of ideas and slaps something together, good enough. The front looks like the space shuttle with a body that kinda reassemble a snake, sort of.

Quite disappointed, that transport looks so mundane, from the portfolio of a first year art student. Where was the grandeur?

Not joking.

More bellyaching below, scroll away - AND another store exclusive!