The Invaders - Page 15

Re: The Invaders

Looking foreward to this set and I can forgive the delay. Thanks for the extended pilot and all the other neat extra's.

Doug

Re: The Invaders

Cool! I'm glad we will be getting an interview with Mr. Thinnes and the extended cut of Beachhead. I'm very excited about this set. I also really like the back cover, especially that pic of the disintegrating alien.

Re: The Invaders

On my list they are number one with every other major studio tied for last.

Re: The Invaders

Can't see if it says anything about subtitles on that back cover, Paramount sometimes leave that info out, even when they're included.

Re: The Invaders

The authoring error on the UK set was noted in various reviews, so I'm sure Paramount know about it.

If this had been Warner, I suspect we'd have seen new discs made available here in an exchange program. As is it, however...

Re: The Invaders

it exists!

There are no subtitles on the episodes - merely the closed captioning.

"the Invaders In Color" is at the head of episodes.

They have both the aired version and the 60 minute version of Beachhead.

Re: The Invaders

The captioning is what they meant about subtitles on the British sets, if I recall correctly. Still, as this should (hopefully) be sourced from different masters than the UK sets anyway, I'm pretty optimistic about this glitch not making it on the US set.



[monty burns] Excellent![/monty burns]

Re: The Invaders

The review set came in on Friday. However, I'm in the midst of JAG, Season 6 right now and won't be able to get to it until likely next weekend.

Re: The Invaders

Matt,

Thanks for the heads-up on this one. I'll be looking for your comments here in a few days. I know I'm not alone for this one

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!!

I am not doubting you but how do know this? What is your source of information?

Anyhow just 2 weeks left! I can't believe that it is finally happening! I don't think that I can make it!

This is (at least for me) truly a triumph but overall the continued release of other (so-called) vintage tv series in quality produced collections doesn't seem very promising at all.

And I am not talking about the stuff that is always aired ad nausem on most specialty television services nowadays but long unseen (true) rarities like SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE, MEN INTO SPACE, BORIS KARLOFF'S THRILLER, ONE STEP BEYOND, SEA HUNT, DESILU PLAYHOUSE (especially "The Time Element" segment), THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR, ROALD DAHL'S WAY OUT!, ZORRO, DENNIS THE MENACE that sort of thing.

At this point-in-time we don't even know with any certainty whether in 2008 ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS season four (1958-59) and ROD SERLING'S NIGHT GALLERY season two (1971-72) will definitely be out later in the year.

THE INVADERS may well prove to be one of the last great tv series DVD sets!

Jeff T.

Re: THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!!

My source is the review copy that showed up on my doorstep.

Re: THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Yeah, but to be fair, at this time a year ago, I don't think we knew with any certainty that ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: SEASON 3 would definitely be out later in 2007.

NIGHT GALLERY: SEASON 2 is still a rumor/question mark, but consider that Universal has already burned through most of its classic horror and sci-fi films previously MIA on R1 DVD (notwithstanding ISLAND OF LOST SOULS and a handful of other major/semi-major titles from the 1930s-1960s), and will probably want fresh catalog material (either theatrical or made-for-tv) for pre-Halloween release this year. And Universal has resumed DVD release of some series long thought abandoned. Universal also now has ideal media platforms like The CHILLER Channel (and its website) and Hulu.com to promote such things on DVD, if they choose to.

For these reasons, I wouldn't be surprised if we see NIGHT GALLERY 2 and a further ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS season set announced for release in September/October, and hold out hope for both THRILLER and THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR in the undetermined future.

And, while it's certainly a long shot, I wonder if potential strong sales of THE INVADERS (and MANNIX) may be impetus for CBS/Paramount to tackle some good, short-form ("one season and they're done") late-1960s color series like CORONET BLUE and THE IMMORTAL (the Christopher George version), which have already undergone film-to-tape transfers for airing on TV LAND and SCI-FI CHANNEL in the not-too-distant past.

Re: The Invaders

Joe, if you've had a chance to view some of the episodes, what's your take on the transfer quality? Would you rate the xfrs on par with, say, the Mission:Impossible or Wild Wild West sets? Or for a B/W comparison, the Fugitive transfer quality?

Re: The Invaders

The Transfers are up to quality Paramount has done on MI and WWW.

The early episodes look like they weren't color balanced properly at the time they were made. The fleshtones shift a little so there's an orange in some scenes, but not others. i'm not sure if that was done deliberately to make people look like Invaders. But after the first few episodes, they are pretty solid on the colors. There's specks of dust so it's not pristine, but nothing too ugly.

I never got to see the show before and I'm enjoying what I've seen so far. Do hope they don't split up season 2.

Re: The Invaders

I'm on disc 3 of my review copy so far. The only episode that has the most source problems is the fourth one on disc 1. I've seen the extras on disc 5. Roy Thinnes sure has a good memory of the series from 40 years ago. solid storytelling except one plot hole in The Mutation (where did the alien gun go to after the weapon became seperated as the alien was shot).

Re: The Invaders

For those lucky enough to have review copies of the first season, can you comment or list some of the running times for the episodes? I just want to make sure they are the original length episodes (not cut for syndication) and not time compressed or PAL sped-up.

Thanks in advance!

Re: The Invaders

49:02
5040
5110
5139

5138
5140
5139
5140

5138
5140
5139

5139
5140
5140
5142

5130
5040

1:00:10 beachhead extended

Re: The Invaders

that's the only one I express concern about. Of course, the first episode had a shorter opening sequence, but that doesn't account for 1-2 minutes. I'd have to dig out my old ABC/Goodtimes VHS tape to confirm the length, but that doesn't sound right for a 1960s series (that runtime would be more consistent with a late '70s one). Most '60s dramas clocked in around 51 minutes.

Re: The Invaders

Chiller runs excellent reruns of the Alfred Hitchcock Hour and they all clock in at just about 50:10 or so.

Re: The Invaders

the episode seemed complete. I'm wondering if they ran a long "coming this season" promo for the original broadcast. Plus they throw in the hour long version of the pilot.

Re: The Invaders

As I said, maybe it's got to do with it being the first show (as you said, the ABC promo might've played during commercial break).

If I can think to look up my Goodtimes tape of Beach Head, I'll try to time it and report back (unless someone else does it first).

As for those episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Hour on Chiller, I'd be very surprised if they weren't either edited or time-compressed.

Re: The Invaders

I checked the running time on the Goodtimes taped version that I transferred to DVD. It times out at 50:40. It includes the opening "IN COLOR" bumper and nothing else. It's not time compressed, and it comes out to 50:40 - so something's amiss with this DVD version.

Obviously, I can't compare them until I get the DVD set, so it'll have to remain in the hands of other "detectives" here to find out where the missing minute and 38 seconds have gone.

(Personally, I suspect an alien conspiracy!)

Harry

Re: The Invaders

I just knew that running time didn't sound right! Thanks, Harry, for doing the detective work! I guess the best we can hope for is time compression, as the only other explanations would be either edits or a transfer from a PAL tape master (both of which are far worse, IMO).

Re: The Invaders

I'm not going to panic over this since it's the first episode of which there's a longer version included. But it's seems a shame that what looks to be an otherwise stellar release would have this one nagging flaw (so far, that we know of, if it IS a flaw!)

Harry

Re: The Invaders

Slightly off topic, Season 2 is already slated for release (in R4 Australia) this August as a 7-disc set (nope, no cover art spotted yet).

Re: The Invaders

Here's another possible twist on the "Beach Head" episode. Republic Pictures issued a VHS tape of the episode (the only "Invaders" episode they issued) nearly 11 years ago. Amazon.com is showing a running time of 49 minutes for the episode. CBS Paramount Television owns the Republic Pictures television catalog and I suspect that this is the version that is being used for the DVD release. Amazon link:

Amazon.com: Invaders (Pilot): Don Medford: Video

Re: The Invaders

The Republic Pictures masters could be the case since each episode has a (c)2008 Spelling Entertainment on the end credits.

Only two episodes and an audio commentary to go, then I can finish my review of the set.

Re: The Invaders

So, sounds like time compression, eh?

Also, you say the copyright "on the end credits." Are you talking about a separate "vanity card" after the credits have ended (I hope), or have they monkeyed around with the original end credits or superiposed garbage on them?

Re: The Invaders

The extraordinary usage of colour on THE INVADERS profoundly distinguishes it from its other SF contemporaries produced at the time. What THE FUGITIVE did with black-and-white THE INVADERS capably matched in its innovatively avant-garde handling so effectively evinced in the sumptuously stunning colour photography.

Another aspect not mentioned is Dominic Frontiere's dynamic original scoring giving this (then) fledgling SF tv series its own distinctively unique identity and ambiance profoundly apart from the other Quinn Martin produced shows.

It is unfortunate about the apparent time-compression which makes me wonder why it wasn't specifically addressed with either the previously released Region 2 or Region 4 editions.

Alas such imprecisions tend to be inherent with the (now) older tv properties in securing just the right source elements to process!

Jeff T.

Re: The Invaders

That's what the Republic tape's running time is, rounding it up. I checked mine tonight, and it was 48:36.

I'm thankful for every uncut episode of any series that turns up on DVD, and I plan to add The Invaders to my growing stack of CBS/Paramount sets. But the issue with the shorter "Beach Head" makes me wonder if companies that produce DVD sets actually make a list of run times, as Joe did above. Obviously they do, to come up with a set's total run time. Given that: if most episodes in a set run 51:40 or so, and one is more than 2 1/2 minutes shorter, how does this not raise a red flag? I'm thinking of the Barney Miller S1 set, among others from various companies. With "Beach Head," we know that a version running at least 50:40 is out there. Or should I say, it is here. It has taken VHS form.


Can't be by much, if they are. I timed the classic "Lonely Place" from the final season, which aired the other day, and it was 50:13. It included Hitch doing the mid-episode outro to the station ID.