This randomly selected episode was my first acquaintance with a series of which I heard and read an awful lot about, but unfortunately never had the pleasure of "experiencing" myself. Being a child of the 80's, I never witnessed "Space 1999" playing on television, but I already heard from several people that it was one of their highlights of the week when another cool and petrifying episode of this aired on TV and the content would inevitable be the subject of their nightmares for a whole week. Thanks to the wonders of DVD, these hardcore fans can relive their childhood and younger generations can still their curiosity hunger. Like I secretly expected already, I really liked my introduction to "Space 1999". I'm a sucker for everything that is horror and Science Fiction and comes out of the 1970's, especially when there are kitschy set-pieces, flamboyant costumes and exaggeratedly far-fetched story lines involved. I've only seen one episode of "Space 1999" so far, and I can already safely say the series is chock-full of fascinating little gimmicks and imaginative trivia details. It is so incredibly charming and entertaining to behold how the cast members keep a straight-faced and look sincerely terrified when they're looking out the window to see a big and funky blue meteorite approaches their moon base station. But nonetheless, in between all the grotesque decors and cheesy effects, the scenarios for this show are seemingly very intense, unsettling and nightmare-inducing. The Alpha Moonbase apparently always bathes in an atmosphere of doom and total annihilation. In this episode a shapeless but powerful alien life force takes procession of technical engineer Anton Zoref, whilst the rest of the station is temporarily paralyzed, and uses him to gradually absorb all the energy within the station. This includes the energy from the reactor, but also the body heat from fellow crew members. The episode is fairly well paced and contains a couple of pretty bloody and confronting sequences, including the pitiful death of a defenceless girl trapped in a corridor. Martin Landau, a severely underrated actor throughout his whole career, is his usual stern and charismatic self and Ian Shane makes an effectively menacing killer. The music, mechanical equipment, costumes and the space models are simply irresistible. Can't wait to explore more of the series!
9 Reviews
Cool!
Rrrobert31 March 2019
A chilling and tense horror-type episode. Guest star Ian McShane is possessed by an energy sapping force and essentially shuffles around the corridors like a homicidal maniac. Scary and fun.
It has familiar elements that show up in many episodes (Koenig orders ALL power to be shut down threatening the lives of everyone on the base; the possession bit happened a few times). But it is a nice change from the common 'mystical aliens of a new planet' story.
Everyone is seconds from certain death, and a nuclear reactor explodes, but the computer quickly announces the all-clear to relieved smiles from the Alphans. Phew!
It has familiar elements that show up in many episodes (Koenig orders ALL power to be shut down threatening the lives of everyone on the base; the possession bit happened a few times). But it is a nice change from the common 'mystical aliens of a new planet' story.
Everyone is seconds from certain death, and a nuclear reactor explodes, but the computer quickly announces the all-clear to relieved smiles from the Alphans. Phew!
While a bit derivative, the idea still manages to be original in many ways.
planktonrules22 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This is not one of the very best episodes of the series, but is a good entry of "Space: 1999) and might seem to indicate that the series will be a success.
Ian McShane guest stars as an unlucky shmoe who is somehow picked by an odd fuzzy blue space entity. While the entire base is temporarily in suspended animation (without their knowledge), McShane is hit by some fuzzy blue thingie. When the rest of the crew resume moving, they find McShane--unconscious but not apparently injured. He receives a clean bill of health but soon starts acting weirdly. First, he's always feeling cold all the time. Second, when he touches someone else when he gets all mauvy-glowy (you have to see it to know what I mean), if he touches anyone they instantly become rock-solid frozen! And, even worse, third he becomes a giant power succubus--sucking the power out of the station's systems! How will they stop this? Why is this happening? Will Ian McShane survive the episode to be more than just a one-time guest star? Tune in and see.
In some ways, this show reminded me a lot of the second pilot for "Star Trek" (the one that starred Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman--"Where No Man Has Gone Before"). In this one, a DIFFERENT floaty space thingie attacks but instead of turning the recipient into an energy-draining deep freezer, the two recipients became powerful like gods. So, in some ways, the episode seemed a bit derivative but was not so close to the original idea that it still came off well and was interesting.
Very watchable if you like sci-fi, this one can also be enjoyed by the casual viewer.
Ian McShane guest stars as an unlucky shmoe who is somehow picked by an odd fuzzy blue space entity. While the entire base is temporarily in suspended animation (without their knowledge), McShane is hit by some fuzzy blue thingie. When the rest of the crew resume moving, they find McShane--unconscious but not apparently injured. He receives a clean bill of health but soon starts acting weirdly. First, he's always feeling cold all the time. Second, when he touches someone else when he gets all mauvy-glowy (you have to see it to know what I mean), if he touches anyone they instantly become rock-solid frozen! And, even worse, third he becomes a giant power succubus--sucking the power out of the station's systems! How will they stop this? Why is this happening? Will Ian McShane survive the episode to be more than just a one-time guest star? Tune in and see.
In some ways, this show reminded me a lot of the second pilot for "Star Trek" (the one that starred Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman--"Where No Man Has Gone Before"). In this one, a DIFFERENT floaty space thingie attacks but instead of turning the recipient into an energy-draining deep freezer, the two recipients became powerful like gods. So, in some ways, the episode seemed a bit derivative but was not so close to the original idea that it still came off well and was interesting.
Very watchable if you like sci-fi, this one can also be enjoyed by the casual viewer.
Episode Summary and plot.
rslegion26 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
An alien arrive's on Moonbase Alpha and merge's with one of the technical crew Anton Zoref (Ian McShane), the new life form is after energy in any form and is not fussy where it gets it, it drains heat from other crew, use's tanning lamps for heat and light, the only way to slow him down is to switch all power system on Moonbase Alpha off and keep Anton away from any form of energy, when the Alpha crew try and stop him with a laser blast he absorbs the energy and with his new power is able to enter one of Moonbase Alphas reactors which causes it to explode destroying Anton, but releasing the life form back into space.
Dark and Moody
weanedon200117 June 2018
For a series that was broadcast on Saturday afternoons in my native Canada, and therefore aimed squarely at children, there were certainly some scary episodes, and this is definitely one. Nothing is overly explicit regarding the alien presence, and this really makes it frightening. The orange, blurry effect when the besieged central character is thirsty for heat is very stylishly executed, as are the eerie camera shots of him walking down the corridors, leeching electricity. Ian McShane registers strongly here as the central victim. The scorched figure near the end was definitely nightmare fuel for un-jaded Seventies kiddies!
Awesomely cool!
mm-396 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Awesomely cool episode. As the Earth moon goes out of the earth orbit the Moon base fly's out into outer space and goes on to new adventures. Force of life has this member of Moon base Alpha taken over, while alone, with this energy force aka the Exorcist. When the alien entity takes over the victim gets cold, saps all energy, lights, peoples life force etc. How do you solve this problem? Commander John Koenig says turn the reactor on fall charge to get blow the evil force up and what happen is the entity flies of fully charged. Cool story. Force of Life left and imprint on me when I was six years old. The special effects of the space station, the glowing man after the laser shot etc is just super cool. The directing and acting was strong with a the energy man character. What to do with him, how we contain him etc? People running around in a maze of fear. All the kids in grade one talked about this episode back in the day. Watch on YouTube and thought still good. Kind like a Halloween movie in space. 10 out of 10 stars.
In space, no one can hear you yawn
Fluke_Skywalker15 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Plot; A mysterious energy force inhabits the body of a technician, transforming him into an energy consuming being.
I've always found Space: 1999 to be a stiff, dry and antiseptic affair, but I still come back to it every few years, mostly thanks to Mattel Toys. You see, my Brother and I had two Eagle-1 toy ships as kids; One our parents had bought my Brother and one he finagled from a friend of his so that I could have one.
The show actually holds up reasonably well from a technical standpoint. The sets are rather impressive by the standards of the era, as are the special f/x. It's the stories, characters and acting that don't pass muster. Lead Martin Landau is drier than a desert and stiffer than spray starch spiked with Viagra, but he still fares better than then real life wife Barbara Bain. Having recently watched a few episodes of the original Mission: Impossible, I was shocked to discover that there Bain was sexy, smart and assured, stealing every frame she was in. Here, as the facility's medical doctor, she often looks blank-faced, like a cat in the front row of a lecture on quantum physics.
This episode has a "monster of the week" vibe, but it's filtered through the series' achingly dull melodramatic tone.
I've always found Space: 1999 to be a stiff, dry and antiseptic affair, but I still come back to it every few years, mostly thanks to Mattel Toys. You see, my Brother and I had two Eagle-1 toy ships as kids; One our parents had bought my Brother and one he finagled from a friend of his so that I could have one.
The show actually holds up reasonably well from a technical standpoint. The sets are rather impressive by the standards of the era, as are the special f/x. It's the stories, characters and acting that don't pass muster. Lead Martin Landau is drier than a desert and stiffer than spray starch spiked with Viagra, but he still fares better than then real life wife Barbara Bain. Having recently watched a few episodes of the original Mission: Impossible, I was shocked to discover that there Bain was sexy, smart and assured, stealing every frame she was in. Here, as the facility's medical doctor, she often looks blank-faced, like a cat in the front row of a lecture on quantum physics.
This episode has a "monster of the week" vibe, but it's filtered through the series' achingly dull melodramatic tone.
Force of Life spoiler
egruchy2 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A lot of this could have been avoided once they caught the engineer. The doctor is directly responsible for death of security guard and his escape which led to other problems which came as a direct result. All cause the doctor sat down with her back to the most dangerous person on the base which she knew. And she turns her back to him. Come on!! She even had a light on him to let her know if he became dangerous, which lit promptly went out when eh gained conscience. Then he had to take time to brake free of the bracelets on his arms, then ones which had him tied to bed, not mention having time to break down door between lockup in med facilities and where doctor was. All done with her back turned to him. What silliness. I am sure this is what happens in real life and why some people in hospitals actually die.
A TRAGIC EPISODE
duncanbrown-767334 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is sad and tragic.
The special effect that is used as an alien force to take possession of one of the Moon base personnel is excellent.
When Operative Anton is taken over by an evil alien force, he is in a bad situation, where his wife, friends and colleagues can't help him.
It is not one of the worst episodes of Space 1999, but then it is not one of the best.
This episode had a similarity to The Quatermass Experiment.
The special effect that is used as an alien force to take possession of one of the Moon base personnel is excellent.
When Operative Anton is taken over by an evil alien force, he is in a bad situation, where his wife, friends and colleagues can't help him.
It is not one of the worst episodes of Space 1999, but then it is not one of the best.
This episode had a similarity to The Quatermass Experiment.
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