Space 1999: Devil's Planet

'The Devil's Planet' is a cheap and fairly pointless episode from the second series of 'Space 1999', originally broadcast on 1st September, 1977.

Commander Koenig is out looking for places to invade, sorry, colonise, when he crash lands on a prison planet run by a gang of foxy ladies in all in one red jumpsuits and high heel boots. Their evil commander knows that their home planet has been afflicted by a mysterious eyeball bursting virus which has wiped everybody out, but keeps this a secret in order to retain control over the dozen or so prisoners she is in charge of.

Unbelievably, she is very attracted to Koening and decides to keep him 'until she grows tired of him', even convincing a Moonbase search party that the commander was killed accidentally when he wandered into an electric security fence and fried (the evidence she presents is a pile of slightly smouldering clothes. Wouldn't they have burned more completely than a human body?). Koening has to a. ward off her fruity advances b.gently break the news to everyone that their home planet is a graveyard and everyone they love is dead and c. get the hell out.

A bit of a waste of time this, the only redeeming factor being the whip wielding guards with the borderline bondage outfits and acrylic pony tails. Even this starts to grow wearisome the third or fourth time they wrap their golden lariats around some poor bloke's neck and he pulls a 'Gawkurrgh, I'm choking' face, and, of course, the idea of Martin Landau as a sexual plaything is simply too awful to contemplate.

Radiophonic of the Day

John Baker: Accentric

Waves

Waves, eh? Great, aren't they? Mike Barron of Cambridge University thinks so, definitely: waves are Mike's thing. More third hand, fifth generation images from 'Science Topics'.

Free Fall

F**** Me, It's Freddie

FMIF as Jeremiah Unsworth in the opening episode of the long running ITV sitcom 'In Loving Memory' (1979-1986). He dies in a hearse crash.

Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow

In strict contrast to Hammer's exciting and sensational approach to the Dr. Syn stories, Disney's version is, as you might expect, a bit milder and more anodyne. So mild and adonyne, in fact, that the screenshots presented here kind of sum up the production - a load of heads - no action, no death, no flaming skeletons, no blood crazed tongueless mulattos - just good old, dull old family entertainment - and the film was edited down from a three part television series (this is the production that, no doubt quite aggressively given Walt's track record, forced Hammer into the name change from 'Dr. Syn' to 'Captain Clegg').

On the plus side, good cast of great British actors, imperiously led by Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan dons a number of costumes and a number of voices, although his Dr. Syn is not particularly believable - McGoohan is far too steely eyed and firm of jaw to play a mild mannered country Parson - his Syn always looks about thirty seconds away from punching somebody in the face.

It's high time somebody made a new Dr. Syn film, all the elements are there to make a first class franchise. Possible casting? Well, Freddie Jones would have to be in it, of course, but I'm thinking of Gary Oldman for the title role. Yes, you're right, there is something slightly wrong with me.

Night Creatures

Captain Clegg and his phosphorescent gang take a little ride.

Milton!

Milton Reid has a hell of a time in perhaps one of his best known roles, as 'The Mulatto' in Hammer's 'Captain Clegg' (1962).

Captain Clegg

It's hard to think of Peter Cushing as an action hero but, given the chance, he could buckle a swash as well as the next man. Examples? Well, what about his athletic Van Helsing running and leaping at curtains in 'The Horror Of Dracula' and, of course, his starring part in 'Captain Clegg'?   

'Captain Clegg' is based on the series of books by Russell Thorndyke about 'Doctor Syn' a scholar, swordsman, sailor, pirate, smuggler and general Robin Hood type gadabout kicking against the (unfair) system  in 18th century Kent. By day he masquerades as a timid parson, but by night he and his men don hideous, luminous skeleton suits and distribute cheap booze amongst the grateful people of the county, always one step ahead of the bumbling forces of law and order.  

The Hammer film, forced to change its name because of a rival production (see this blog tomorrow for more details) is a real pleasure, full of adventure and action and the ever brilliant Peter Cushing switching effortlessly between the bookish, distracted, gentle man of God and ruthless, firm jawed anti-hero. There's also plum parts for Michael Ripper, Oliver Reed and Yvonne Romain and, perhaps best of all, the mighty Milton Reid gets an (almost) starring role. Classic Saturday afternoon entertainment - recommended!

The Many Moods Of Jason King

22/30

Strange...

Rexl: "You dare to fly in the face of God?"

Jean-Paul Desmond: "On this island, from this moment forward, I AM God".

Strange Paradise