tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post1949476223430056360..comments2024-03-27T10:27:59.266-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: Ark II: "The Slaves" (September 18, 1976)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-75513262810627081142012-06-02T18:04:03.900-04:002012-06-02T18:04:03.900-04:00John great review. As a boy, I remember this episo...John great review. As a boy, I remember this episode form 1976 because it aired on my birthday. Agree, we only got a glimpse in the opening credits of scientists walking around to hint of an organization. John you are right, this series needed an episode to show the base camp of operations of Ark II and to a better point state if there are a fleet of Arks roaming the Earth. Jonah recorded logs like a old Earth sailing ship explorer of 15th-19th century or Kirk on the Enterprise both to report back to their point of origin. As we saw the hint of multiple Subshuttles going out under the Earth’s surface on missions from PAX(former NASA Facility) Carlsbad Caverns NM, they returned to base. I think you are right that Ark II needed to define the organization and extent of it’s influence on future Earth. ARK II would be brilliant to remake now as we even have the other extreme of a future post-apocalyptic Earth in the new George Miller’s Mad Max:Thunder Road to be filmed this year.<br /><br />SGBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-70636239056812597562012-06-02T16:49:43.877-04:002012-06-02T16:49:43.877-04:00Some of the questions you raise about the backgrou...Some of the questions you raise about the background of the Ark II characters might have been answered if the show had a second season. 'Space Academy' might not have been put into production if 'Ark II' had been greenlighted for a second season, so I can't be too upset.<br /><br /> Again, as with all your reviews you try to put in perpective what the writers were trying to convey. All too often, critics dismiss 70's sci-fi as 'cheesy' as if it wasn't worth looking into. I'm currently enjoying the primetime 70's post-apocalyptic series 'Logan's Run', so it's interesting to look into how the theme was handled on Saturday morning tv. 'Logan's Run' is also dismissed as 'cheesy'. On the contrary, I don't find either 'Ark II' or 'Logan's Run' to be cheesy. The sets, costumes, and effects for both series were made with care. The 'laser-beams' and other effects are still effective today as compared to some of the video (laser and forecfield) effects in the Krofft shows of the seventies.<br /><br />I find 'Ark II's serious approach more satisfying than the 'Flash Gordon/Star Wars' approach of 'Jason of Star Command'. Again, one has to make allowances for this being a children's show. The regulations against violence on Saturday morning shows led to some creative solutions. In your review of the last ep of 'Ark II' you discussed the use of a light weapon (which caused no injury) to disable a foe. 'Land of the Lost' and 'Jason of Star Command' also used non-violent light to disable a threat ('Big Alice' in Land of the Lost's "The Test" and an insectoid creature in 'Jason').Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com