Gratuitous Llama Netflix Movie Review

Battlestar Galactica (1978). This is the movie version of the original tee vee series pilot with some minor modifications (the most notable being that the Cylons whack Baltar). I tossed it into the Netflix queue a looooooong time ago. It was back-ordered or sumfin and I completely forgot about it. However, it turned up in my mailbox recently, so I popped it in after trick-or-treating duties were finished last evening.

I loved this series when I was a kid. I watched it religiously, even the appallingly awful Galactica 1980. I had models of a Colonial Viper and a Cylon Raider. I had the soundtrack album. I had a storyboard book of the pilot episode. And it was only because my parents wouldn't cough up the money that I didn't get one of those brown suede Colonial Warrior jackets.

On the other hand, I hadn't seen the show in something over 25 years, so I was a bit apprehensive. But you know what? For late 70's cheese, it's held up pretty well. Sure, little Boxey and the Daggit should be tossed in the airlock. Sure, the then-prevailing attitude that the primary form of entertainment not just in the future but across the Cosmos would be disco music seems woefully, well, woeful. Sure, the dialogue seemed awful weak and surface-y by today's standards. But so what? Some of those majestic Dykstra-effect shots of the Galactica (quite sophisticated and expensive for the time), combined with the swelling, hopefull music, still gave me a bit of a shiver. And the Cylons remain cool in a Soviet Robot Juggernaut way. Perhaps it was just the nostalgia talking, but I truly enjoyed this look back.

Out of curiosity, I also checked to see whatever became of the lovely ladies of BGTOS, if I may call it that.

Of course Jane Seymour (Serena) was the thoroughbred of the group. She still seems to be going strong on the Estrogen Network.

For some reason, I could never muster that much interest in Laurette Spang (Cassiopeia). She later appeared in the classik early 80's Sargasso Sea of Washed Up Talent (namely Love Boat, Fantasy Island and even the Dooks of Hazzard) before vanishing. However, I see that just this year she had a bit part in a USA Network movie.

Then there's Maren Jensen (Athena - my favorite). It was only on rewatching that I noticed she has a vague resemblence to Angelina Jolie (without all the extra, erm, enhancements). She, too, dropped out of the biz after doing the Fantasy Island/Love Boat tour and hasn't resurfaced, apparently having contracted the Epstein-Barr virus.

I also dimly remembered that JohnL of TexasBestGrok had featured the ladies of BGTOS in one of his Babes of SciFi polls. Upon checking again, however, I was surprised to see that all three of them had been badly left by:

Anne Lockhart (Sheba). She, too, is still working, seemingly in a lot of small parts here and there. I was surprised that she got so many votes because, again, I never really cottoned on to her myself.

Anyhoo, you younglings who didn't grow up with the real original Battlestar Galactica probably wouldn't understand, but I also found this flick much more enjoyable than the current version. You scoff, but let's see what people have to say about it thirty years from now.

Robbo's Recommendation: I'll give BGTOS - The Movie 3.5 Yips! out of 5, but only recommend it for people 35 years old and up who remember watching the original series. It's a nice little trip down memory lane.