tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post3734346737652350699..comments2024-03-28T14:49:36.133-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: Cult-TV Blogging: The Starlost: "Gallery of Fear" (November 17, 1973)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-43148490341578412102012-12-26T19:06:49.659-05:002012-12-26T19:06:49.659-05:00I finally got the dvd set for "The Starlost&q...I finally got the dvd set for "The Starlost" last month , so it's interesting to see your take on the series. I generally agree with your observations on each ep, though I seem to be enjoying the show more. <br /><br />I thought "The Children of Methuselah" was the worst ep so far (annoying child actors, unusually shoddy looking sets and lighting, and a house fly buzzing around in one scene to add to the air of tackiness). I rather liked "The Pisces". I liked "And Only Man is Vile" too. It seemed to be the sort of story that "The Outer Limits" used to do (rather better). "The Circuit of Death " was goofy but fun.<br /><br />Technically, the show improved a bit as the episodes progressed. More cuts, and even some limited panning shots for some of the chroma key efx scenes (such as the initial shot of the gallery in this ep). The zapping of the wine glass was one of the few effects in the series I could say were nicely done. In "Gallery of Fear", it came as a bit of a disappointment that 'Magnus' was visualised with a shoddy looking green video effect that looked like something out of a 'Dr Shrinker" ep. The outer space shots in each ep always seem to be random stock shots of the ark.<br /><br />The characters are a different matter . As you noted, Devin is almost Spock-like in possessing scientific and technical knowlege. Where did that come from? Certainly not Cypress Corners. He's also a bit of a righteous bore. Rachel is adorable though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-90807443391356546982012-12-23T18:45:18.546-05:002012-12-23T18:45:18.546-05:00It is almost like the writers assumed the viewer w...It is almost like the writers assumed the viewer would like Devon (Keir Dullea) tangle with another troubled computer as Keir did with Hal9000 in 2001(1968).<br /><br />SGBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-43771877939647977132012-12-23T17:11:42.061-05:002012-12-23T17:11:42.061-05:00Those pictures just scream "early 1970's&...Those pictures just scream "early 1970's"...love it!!! Happy Holidays Kenindianhoophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13690324288830538825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-9925131629208981282012-12-23T11:28:38.896-05:002012-12-23T11:28:38.896-05:00Hi John,
"... of this cheap Canadian sci-fi ...Hi John,<br /><br />"... of this cheap Canadian sci-fi series."<br /><br />First of all, this was not a Canadian series; it was a co-production with Fox Television and NBC. Also, "cheap" doesn't mean "bad"... even though <b>The Starlost</b> is most definitely a miss-fire.<br /><br />The series is watchable, I think, because there was an attempt to do an intelligent SF TV series. And, it does not matter what Harlan Ellison says (and he is a star to me), <b>The Starlost</b> is not at all bad. (He uses more colourful language, of course.) Good lord, don't get me going on 'bad SF TV shows'...<br /><br />Anyway, keep up the analyses.Barry Smighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02464450751543573690noreply@blogger.com