ExE:EXPOSED

Hi Everybody!

Well I have had quite a bit of trouble getting to sit down and review these,
especially since I think I did go through these first few episodes on our
last pass at an EXE discussion. Combine that with another ExE on the Space
1999 list and the work of family, Job and snow removal and I wind up behind
on the UFO ExE once again!
That being said i did sit down with my son to watch Exposed again and I
quite enjoyed it! This must be my 5th or 6th time through it and i took
special notice to see HOW my tape looked (Copy off laser) since there has
been so much DVD discussion on all the other GA related email lists.

If and when UFO comes out on DVD I think its going to be great as all the
colors of the clothes and models will probably jump off the screen!

Exposed:
The story is engaging, it's one of those rat in the maze type things (With
Foster as the Rat!) as we the audience watch Foster go through his paces to
become the SHADO operative with the most chest hair! We know Foster is
being moved into postition to join SHADO and the episode writers (Tony
Barwick???) makes a nice continuity nod to Identified which I appreciate in
a show filmed in 1970, before multi-episode or season story arcs!
I think I prefer the "Austin Powers" Freeman to the common sense Freeman
that we saw in Identified. At least i got a bigger charge out of Freeman
inspecting the equipment in Identified.
Since I just got the SF&F FX UFO magazine 2 weeks ago it was fun to see the
model featured in the Paulo Magaluti (Sp??) article flying around.
Storyline, I like the overall pacing but I sort of wished for a "B" plot
while they were making Foster get beat up in his apartment and then coming
to Harlington Starker productions to get "blown around" by Straker! ; -)
Something simple like maybe Skydiver submarine taking on supplies or
moonbase fixing an interceptor. Something to add a little more to it.

But this is the 1970's and attention spans were longer then.

The Sets and Effects:
Spectacular! I love SHADO HQ and i love seeing the ceiling. I kind of
imagine GA sitting in his office looking at those B&W video moniters saying,
"Show the ceilings! We PAID for the damn ceilings and you HAVE to show
them!!!!" I also enjoyed seeing the horizon line of the Earth and the
atmoshere. I think I remember seeing an effect like this when the C57D
crusier lands in Forbidden Planet and here in UFO. I don't remember seeing
it again until Babylon 5 when we see ships flying through the atmosphere of
Mars. Was this sort of effect used in the puppet shows? I know it was used
in 1999 as i remember seeing eagles fly to planets and seeing a level of
clouds. (Maybe that was immunity syndrome???)
The model work as always is wonderful and the rest of the sets are nice. My
favorite set fpr this episode is Foster's apartment with his revolving disco
music bookcase.
In case of break in, the attackers will be distracted by first revolving our
white bookcase while shaggy jazzy music plays. Foster, if he wasn't winded
from the punch, should have gotten up and started dancing (I'm thinking the
Radioactive man movie episode from The Simpsons here for those of you who
need an obscure reference right now! The scene where they watch an old
episode of the Radioactive man TV series in a spoof of Batman). Instead he
passes out as the music crescendos and books fly off the shelfs onto his
head. Smart move Foster by not putting your Encyclopedia on that bookcase.
For safetys sake I think after Exposed he replaced all those hardcover books
with Harliquin Romance novels. Their lighter and ought to sail right over
his head when the bookcase spinning attackers return.

Now, good thing those books weren't collectors items either. Imagine your
signed copy of Clan of the Cave Bear flying off the shelf and getting
damaged! (Actually, I would call that one a mercy killing!) (Oh no! Jean
Auel is coming to knock my head off now!)

Okay, sanity is returning, that darn bookcase is so distracting to me. I
sort of focus on it and forget everything else about the episode.

Well I rate this one an 8 out of 10. (With the revolving bookcase making up
5 of those points!) Oh, those John Lennon glasses he wore in the hospital
were also a little strange and distracting. I would have had foster where
some Elton John specs i think!

Now for the Exposed song parody:

(Sung to tune of Tonight! from West Side Story) (Sort of, I couldn't
remember the whole song! What I'm supposed to rent a movie just to write an
email?)


Exposed, exposed
It's not just any episode
It's the one that has Fosters chest Exposed!
Exposed, exposed
Dr. Jackson's in this show
He has his girlfriend grab Foster's clothes!

Exposed, he thought he saw a U FOE
And flew the plane into the O zone
And woke up with a fright
His plane is not alright
And now he searches with a silver flashlight!

Exposed, exposed
Ed Straker wears cool clothes
And shoots air guns all over the studio!
Exposed, exposed
Will Foster join the show?
Will he fight, aliens with red shiney hose?!

Exposed, exposed
Now Foster's joined SHADO
He's young and handsome and oh that nose!
Exposed, exposed
Those aliens will have to go
Once they get a look at foster in SHADO

Next episode he'll rise up in the ranks
The guy at the switchboard says that stank!
He took over just like that
After Straker pats his back
Gerry Anderson, how 'bout that!

EXPOSED!



Okay Marc, how was that? : -)

>Well, it's been exactly a week since we started to discuss the UFO
>episode EXPOSED, and so far I count exactly ZERO messages!!! Does
>ANYONE have ANYTHING to say about EXPOSED?
>Marc Martin, [hidden email]

Phil writes:
>Okay Marc, how was that? : -)

Wow! Great comments, Phil! Thanks!

(trying to remember how "Tonight" goes, even though I own the West
Side Story DVD...) :-)

--
Marc Martin, [hidden email]