When I first saw this film in 1971 on KING-TV in Seattle as a kid, I had no idea it had won an Emmy for best special effects or that the screenplay had been written by Star Trek producer John Meredyth Lucas.
All I knew was that it was a wonderfully clean and futuristic looking film, with lots of action and exciting situations. For fans of Irwin Allen's previous TV shows, it's a treasure house of familiar faces and reused props. James Darren, Robert Colbert and Whit Bissell are here from "Time Tunnel," as is Richard Basehart and Robert Dowdell from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." The glowing red planetoid, which still looks fantastic as it approaches the Earth, had previously been a glowing GREEN planetoid used for "Land of the Giants". Even the main title music for this film is background music from "Land of the Giants". The opening shots of the flying sub (stock footage from Voyage) is straight from the negative, and looks incredible. The film also boosts many new effects as well and impressive sets. It would have been a great TV series, something more ambitious for the early 1970s than "Invisible Man" or "Six Million Dollar Man". A fun ride.
All I knew was that it was a wonderfully clean and futuristic looking film, with lots of action and exciting situations. For fans of Irwin Allen's previous TV shows, it's a treasure house of familiar faces and reused props. James Darren, Robert Colbert and Whit Bissell are here from "Time Tunnel," as is Richard Basehart and Robert Dowdell from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." The glowing red planetoid, which still looks fantastic as it approaches the Earth, had previously been a glowing GREEN planetoid used for "Land of the Giants". Even the main title music for this film is background music from "Land of the Giants". The opening shots of the flying sub (stock footage from Voyage) is straight from the negative, and looks incredible. The film also boosts many new effects as well and impressive sets. It would have been a great TV series, something more ambitious for the early 1970s than "Invisible Man" or "Six Million Dollar Man". A fun ride.