The Invaders

Re: The Invaders

Is there ANY firm info on any extras for Season 1 yet or will it be barebones like the UK set?

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I suspect the fact that there is no information on any extras speaks volumes (still, I hope I'm wrong!)

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Good point!

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They do seem to be hunting for the 75 minute pilot - over at the Classic Film Board they had this posted:

My name is Angelo Dante and I work for CBS home entertainment I was forwarded your email and wanted to thank you for sharing your ideas and concerns regarding this DVD release. I was wondering if you have ties or connections to any of the collectors with the "extended" version of "Beachhead" - the Invaders pilot. Any help you could offer in locating such material would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Angelo Dante

you can go over there to check out his contact info.
Paramount/CBS seeking THE INVADERS unaired 75 minute pilot - Classic Horror on DVD - Classic Horror in Other Media - Classic Horror Film Board - Message Board - Yuku

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Didn't someone write something on this forum a while back about having seen a screening of it at MOMA or the Museum of the Moving Image? That would be the place I would start looking. I recall reading that. I've never seen it but I know that Gary Gerani, the author of Fantastic Television, at one time owned a copy but sold it. But that was probably at least 30 years ago.

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So we're going to be stuck with the UK-style picture, huh?

That's what's being reported at TV Shows on DVD:

The Invaders DVD news: Package Art Change for The Invaders - The 1st Season | TVShowsOnDVD.com

As for making the "sombrero" comment, I'll not take credit (or blame) for that. If you read through this thread, you'll see that I posted the two cover art pictures together, and Michael_KS then made the amusing "sombrero" comment (which I still get a chuckle out of!).

Personally, I thought the proposed cover was an improvement over the UK one, showing at least some semblance of a spacecraft, rather than having Mr. Thinnes looking like he was auditioning for a job as Indiana Jones. Yeah, the spaceship was proportioned all wrong, but at least it *was* a spaceship.

Harry
...accused, but not guilty...

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Hi- my first post here. I have been following this saga about the unaired pilot. I have a copy of the 55 minute version recorded from Canadian television channel CHCH in Hamilton Ontario. It's a poor quality multigenerational dub but watchable. There are a few noticable differences...the UFO landing efx are totally different from the aired version (and incredibly better IMO), there are a couple of dialogue additions cut from the aired US version (in the police station and Roy speaking to Diane Baker), the scenes of Vincent exploring the deserted town when he arrives in "Kinney" are longer and more surreal, and the end credits roll over Vincent's car driving away as the camera pulls back for an aerial tracking shot following his car.
I took it on myself to call Alan Armer (producer) and John Elizalde (sound/music editor) this week to see if they might know where a copy of the 75(or 90 or whatever it is) minute version could be. Both were very cordial and interested in helping but had no clue where to look. Alan Armer said his original cut of BEACH HEAD was close to 2 hours!! He said what was cut were all the subtle dramatic nuances which would flesh out the "reality" of the situation. Neither could recall specific scenes that were cut. Alan said he thought it was the best pilot he'd ever seen and was bummed when they trimmed it down to "all action". John Elizalde said last he knew Cox Broadcasting had all the master reels of the show in storage, but I assume Paramount/CBS had to acquire them for the DVDs.
James Finch, who is a friend of Roy Thinnes and is working on making a feature film version of THE INVADERS with Roy & Dominic Frontiere to return, wrote me overnight and said he will ask Larry Cohen about the whereabouts of the long BEACH HEAD when he sees him next week, He already asked Dominic Frontiere about where the recordings for his episode scores might be, and Dominic doesn't have them or have a clue where they are (if even still in existence)
I wrote the Museum Of Modern Art and they wrote back referring me to the Paley Museum Of Radio & TV who hold tons of archived tv series in their collection. I wrote to them and haven't heard anything yet. The MOMA rep said she never heard about THE INVADERS being screened at the museum in 1969 so maybe it wasn't in New York?

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Dominic Frontiere's scores are at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming, as detailed in this thread on THE OUTER LIMITS:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ml#post3324349

Harry

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Hi Harry that mentions his sheet music, not the actual reel recordings. He was asked about the actual tapes and didn't know.
The OUTER LIMITS stuff "may" be released at some point on La La Land who did NAME FOR EVIL/THE UNKNOWN CD. The score for THE UNKNOWN actually has a lot of INVADERS cues in it (including the main title which is pretty much the same)
GNP's OUTER LIMITS CD mentioned that there were to be 2 more volumes of OL music coming (which never happened). I have heard rumors La La Land is working on it.

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It if was me, I would contact Cox and see if they still had stuff. Who knows if everything went to Paramount. That's the problem with things getting bought and re-bought over and over. Hard to find a trail. I wonder if Worldvision ever even had it. Then there's the issue of everyone trashing their 16mm libraries. Would anyone have even known not to chuck out the unaired pilot when they were tossing thousands of prints? I doubt it. I'm sure there is a 16 out there somewhere in a collector's hands but what happened to the 35mm neg? That has to be somewhere.

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BTW- if anyone here posts from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and has a copy of that 55 minute BEACH HEAD as a first generation VHS (or any format) recording, I would love to get a copy. The version that I and most collectors have is a very washed out, smeary pic 3rd or 4th gen dub.
I don't know when CHCH ran the series but it had to be back in the 80s perhaps. I still can't figure out why the copy they ran was different than the standard US (or European) version. It had to be derived from the work print of the long version before it was made ready for ABC...or else they did a different cut for Canadian TV (which seems unlikely) this is a real mystery...

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That new art is a big step backwards, at least the UFO on the previous art was more fitting with the series than that huge planet thing. I'm glad they are trying to find the original Beachhead episode but if they can't get it, I'll still be happy to be able to see the series again. This is a definite buy

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Stuff like that happens all the time. Canada also ran the 54 minute black and white Solo pilot as well as the unsyndicated Twilight Zone episode The Encounter. Who knows, maybe the rare Hawaii Five-O episode will show up there.

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One thing we should all remember: the 75 minute version (i.e. 90 minutes with commercials) was never broadcast anywhere, as far as it is known: the version originally shown in the USA (and syndication, before editing) was around 50-52 minutes. This is the version that was previously released on VHS.

The "movie length" version is, like the original 75 minute version of Star Trek's "The Cage", an unseen cut, that was prepared for a 90 minute slot or for a hoped-for (perhaps foreign) theatrical distribution.

As such, it is entirely possible that the studio never kept the original-length cut. According to posts above, a print (or prints) did manage to get out, but it's anyone's guess as to whether the original elements still exist.

Perhaps the best we can hope for is uncut, unsped as-broacast versions of all the episodes. [b]Another note of concern to the studio:[/i] please, please do not cut out the opening "and now, "The Invaders...in color" bumper. To me (and many others) it's a part of the show. Please also don't replace any vintage "end boards" or the "Act I, Act II, etc." plates/bumpers. If you want to put modern endboards on, please just tack them on after the full, original version.

Additional thoughts for extras
Thinnes commentary (of course)
Perhaps a commentary track with the producers who are still with us
"Next Week" preview trailers (if they exist)
Any ABC promos/commercials that might exist

If Paramount/CBS can't find the movie-length alternate version of Beach Head, perhaps they can find that slightly-longer 55 minute one (where the end credits play over Vincent driving away from the town).

As for box art: is there some reason why they seem to insist on not using the art of the original UFO from the TV show? It can't look any more "dated" than the fake UFO they originally had on the cover art...

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I don't care about what the box looks like as I toss them out anyway. Don't you people find it inconvenient to have to store the pre-recorded DVDs separately from all of the DVDRs? Isn't it much easier to store everything in jewel cases?

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I suppose it's personal preference. My wife and I built our home with a library (with adjustable shelving) in it in order to house our thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, LPs, VHS tapes, and other materials. What I would find inconvenient is if the size of DVD boxes were so irregular (esp. with regard to height) so as to be difficult to store in the library. Thus far it hasn't occurred to the extent that it is a problem. For most of the DVDs we own, I appreciate the aesthetic component as well.

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personally I put DVDrs of films and tv shows in normal size DVD cases and have fun making my own inserts. I have a few things in CD size jewel cases and a notebook style case with the poly sleeves on a ring but I prefer normal DVD boxes in a nice display case. How can you just toss the inserts and artwork?

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I keep all of the original packaging and even the paper that is glued onto the back of the boxes, I just stick them inside the cases. I store my DVDs on shelves, with TV series and movie box sets on one case and individual movies on another but I am quickly running out of space. Some DVD packaging is really well done (Battlestar Galactica OS with Cylon head, Secrets of Isis). I like how they look on my shelves and I appreciate the work that went into making them

IT WILL SERVE ITS PURPOSE!!!!!

A classic example of the time-honoured adage "The more things change the more they stay the same."

I may well be the minority opinion on this but in comparison to the other packaging design depicting that offensive bogus flying saucer this initial artwork looks like pure gold to the eyes! It is far more mature in its sophistcated vague subtleness of impending doom hovering over the Earth with our hero David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) typically seen in flight. Why wasn't "starring Roy Thinnes" also featured on the packaging design?

I am perfectly content to accept this finalized graphic...unless another with one of the bona fide INVADERS UFOs can be drafted before the release date deadline that is!

It's really amazing just how swiftly AMAZON.COM and AMAZON.CA changed the displayed sampling packaging design. Some behind-the-scenes consultation must have been done before the official announcement was made known of this latest substitution.

Now my concerns are about the actual quality of the video masters that will be used for the disc pressings and any possible bonus extras.

Well, not too much longer to wait now!

Jeff T.

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re: "It's really amazing just how swiftly AMAZON.COM and AMAZON.CA changed the displayed sampling packaging design. Some behind-the-scenes consultation must have been done before the official announcement was made known of this latest substitution."


Amazon has given almost all studios, the ones they regularly deal with anyway, the ability to load and change their own covers once a title has been added. So no advance consulting needed to be done; Paramount made the change in the Amazon listing at the same time they released the revised art to the press.

I think that there are other abilities that the studios have as well in terms of fine-tuning those Amazon listings, but I'm not sure about what they might be. Loading the art is only the most obvious one.

In fact, folks at some of the smaller and more personable studios (NOT Paramount) have been open in telling me "here, I'm sending you the artwork today; we're uploading it to Amazon tomorrow" (or similar words to that affect).

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For me it comes down to numbers: a few hundred store bought DVDs in large cases vs thousands and thousands of DVDRs transfered from the innumerable tapes accumulated over almost 30 years of collecting. For every pre-recorded DVD there are ten DVDRs.

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Just a heads up, I read on the TV Shows On DVD website this morning that THE INVADERS Season 1 DVD set release date has been postponed to May 27th.

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Yep. Speculation is that they needed the extra time to deal with the extended pilot. Perhaps they found it!

Harry

ROY THINNES INTERVIEW SCHEDULED!!!!!

Two significant developments have occurred which should ultimately be officially confirmed by Paramount Pictures-CBS Television Home Entertainment representatives in time.

01) There will be an oncamera interview conducted with Roy Thinnes (successfully achieved through negotiations with his agent) this coming Thursday, April 03rd and Friday, April 04th, 2008 pertaining to THE INVADERS tv series which will (presumably) be included in the upcoming THE INVADERS - THE FIRST SEASON 5-disc set now due on May 27th, 2008.

02) Some one has come forward with a 16mm print of the unaired pilot "Beachhead" (10/01/1967) which they are prepared to provide for certain "compensation" on the part of Paramount. Just what is currently developing on this front is uncertain. I personally recall this individual in question once said that they had a 55 minute length edition of the unaired pilot albeit others have reported that he has claimed to have the substantially longer 75 minute version.

As I said the latter information pertaining to an available copy of the unaired pilot is still inconclusive and unresolved but hopefully things will satisfactorily work on this as well.

Jeff T.

Re: ROY THINNES INTERVIEW SCHEDULED!!!!!

"compensation" - I just wonder how much "compensation" They are willing to shell out for this.

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From what I am hearing it is the 55 minute version.

LET'S HOPE FOR THE BEST!!!!

If Paramount can secure the 35mm print negative of the 55 minute length unaired THE INVADERS "Beachhead" pilot that will be sufficient. We don't really know whether a coherent finalized 75 minute version still exists...or ever really did!

Considering that THE INVADERS was always intended as an hour length drama it is unlikely that an expanded 75 minute version would have been presented for a preview screening to the ABC Television Network programming executives.

Surely the source elements must be securely stored away someplace in the television library vaults.

It will be interesting to hear just how the interview session with Roy Thinnes held last week went and what has since developed on the acquisition of the 55 minute pilot.

So far everyone is maintaining a profound silence on the subject.

Whether Paramount does pay for the use of the private collector's 16mm film copy of the unaired pilot will primarily depend upon its actual condition in addition to the monetary fee demanded.

Jeff T.

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Happy belated birthday, to Mr. Roy Thinnes! (He turned 70 on Sunday).

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are the extra minutes in the pilot scenes that were cut or is it a whole different edit of the episode?

Re: LET'S HOPE FOR THE BEST!!!!

This guy holding the print "ransom" better watch himself, or he'll just price himself out of the market.

Pity some so-called "fans" seem to be consumed by greed whilst others (like those of us who donated footage to BCI's Filmation live-action releases) were content with a complimentary DVD set and a text credit on the documentary!

Unless the "compensation" he wants is simply credit and/or a complimentary copy (and his print returned unharmed). That, of course, would be totally reasonable.

If this is the 55-minute print, I can't see Paramount paying out very much for what amounts to only 3 minutes of additional footage. I could see them shelling out some dough for the elusive "movie-length" one.