Review of UFO Volume 1

Introduction

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend half-an-hour talking to Gerry Anderson about the DVD release of UFO several weeks ago, which made the prospect of watching the classic sci-fi series on DVD even more exciting. After reading this review, you might like to check out the interviews section of this website to read Gerry Anderson`s memories of the series.

Having made his name with puppets, Gerry Anderson turned his hand to live-action sci-fi with UFO. The series contains many elements that will be familiar to fans of the animated programs - the futuristic sets are still there, although now much larger, and there is still plenty of use made of models and special effects.

The series sees the S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation) fighting off an alien race who are intent on harvesting human organs for their own survival and this disc contains the first four episodes of the series.

Video

Gerry Anderson says that the beauty of DVD is that the format allows older series to be watched with a far higher quality picture than was originally aired, because of both modern televisions and the extensive restoration process that the original film is put through. Having seen other Anderson series on DVD, I expected an excellent picture, and wasn`t let down - the image belies its age with vivid colours and a sharp, grain free image.

The visuals combine live action with Anderson`s legendary set design and models and provide an appropriately futuristic setting for the series. Another striking aspect of the series are the uniforms and outfits, which in true TV sci-fi fashion kit out the rather attractive female cast in exceptionally tight attire, and of course makes use of various camera angles to show off the resulting curves. The male cast members don`t fare much better with some truly shocking outfits, but of course it all adds to the effect.

A real visual treat is the title sequence, which is just brilliant!

Audio

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital Mono, which is clean and free of any noise, and adequately reproduces the series` original soundtrack. There are plenty of sound effects, but the dialogue is always clear and understandable.

Features

The extras include an alternative opening sequence, an audio commentary from Gerry Anderson on the first episode, a production gallery, a deleted scenes gallery and a behind the scenes gallery.

The commentary is a good substitute for a making-of documentary, as Gerry Anderson provides plenty of background information about the series and how it was made. This is, as usual, fascinating and worth the asking price of the disc alone. Hopefully future volumes will also include some featurettes, particularly on set construction and effects etc.

The disc is packaged in a black Amaray case, which contains a four page insert giving some background information into the series along with the chapter breaks for the four episodes.

Conclusion

UFO has earned cult status over the years, and you only need to watch the first episode to see why - sharp editing, stylish production and great sets provide classic sci-fi entertainment, which although as cheesy as it comes, is damn good fun.

As with other Gerry Anderson productions, UFO benefits from the DVD format, with excellent image quality and a good range of extras. There is over three hours of entertainment on the disc, which represents good value.

Overall, a worthy addition to Gerry Anderson`s growing DVD repertoire, which won`t disappoint fans of the series.