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Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season 3, Vol. 1 [1964] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
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Our Price: £14.92 (subject to change)
'S'more than just the "monster-of-the-week"
Review date: 2008-06-21 Rating: 8 out of 10
Irwin Allen's sci-fi classic has received its share of both praise and condemnation. While the show showcased impressive 60's special effects, along with the stellar performances of stars Richard Basehart ("Admiral Nelson") and David Hedison (Captain Crane), it was often criticized for its over-the-top monsters and occasionally absurd situations.
However, when viewed as a reflection of its time, the show carefully blended all its elements into an entertaining and adventurous hour. The thirteen episodes on this compilation feature some of the series' strongest episodes, along with a couple that fall flat. But, even those that aren't up to par are still fascinating enough to hold the viewer's interest and can be overlooked for their scientific and/or logical "liberties."
The episodes appear in their correct airing order, and, with that arrangement, viewers can take a nostalgic trip back in time to days of less "politically correct" and more innocent times.
This reviewer feels that the show's third season should have started with "The Day the World Ended," a taut and thrilling episode featuring former child actor Skip Homeier as a U.S. Senator that's not all he's cracked up to be. Unfortunately, the season began with "Monster from the Inferno," a not-so-bad installment about an alien entity (voiced by "Lost in Space's" Dick Trufeld) that attempts to take over the Seaview with the aide of scientist Arthur Hill.
"Death Watch" is basically a three-man piece showcasing the two principal characters, along with Chief Sharkey (Terry Becker).
"The Thing from Inner Space," though not that good, does give significant screen time to cast member Paul Trinka as "Crewman Patterson." Perennial fan favorite Del Monroe ("Kowalski") continues to play a significant role on the show and gets highlighted on "Deadly Waters," with Don Gordon featured as his brother.
Richard Bull continues in his role as the unnamed but much-needed "Doc."
Even radio operator "Sparks" (Arch Whiting) has more than five lines in a given installment.
Upon back-to-back viewing, one discovers that crewman "Ron" (Ron Stein) was an early version of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's" Morn; that is, a character that is voiceless but appears frequently in the background.
"Ron" even gets addressed in one installment!
"The Lost Bomb" is a throwback to the first season in that it deals with an undersea conflict with an enemy submarine intent on capturing a submerged bomb.
Basehart gets to assay two roles in the entertaining "The Haunted Submarine" while "The Terrible Toys" features veteran Paul Fix as a sailor with a malevolent cargo.
The infamous and often-lambasted "The Plant Man" starts strong but loses steam when the plant mutates into plant "men" walking the corridors of the Seaview.
But it is still better than the remaining two.
Henry Jones, who would later appear as "Mr. Pem" in two installments, guests on the lackluster "Night of Terror" while Charles Aidman bears his fangs in "Werewolf," two of the weakest in the show's entire four-year run.
Rounding out the set are interviews with David Hedison, still galleries, and a FULL issue of the now-defunct Gold Key comic version of the show.
Memories abound as baby boomers and future fans can take another "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."
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Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Terry Becker
Creators:
Terry Becker (Primary Contributor)
Axel Hubert Sr. (Editor)
Homer Powell (Editor)
Irwin Allen (Writer)
Jack Gross Jr. (Writer)
Recording label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
EAN: 0024543446149
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 3
Format: Box set, Colour, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC,
Release date: 2007-06-19
Universal product code (UPC): 024543446149
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 507 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1964-09-14
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Dubbed)
Language: Spanish (Dubbed)