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One of the greatest memories of my childhood years, in regards to the viewing of television, is that of the miniseries "V" and its sequel "V: The Final Battle." Though I was too young to follow the various subplots and dominant theme of a fascist dictatorship, the idea of rebel freedom fighters and evil, mouse-eating aliens was quite appealing. In later years, I would watch the inferior television series and eventually keep a careful eye on the TV Host for reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel. The LaserDiscs that were available were Japanese and extremely expensive. From the launch of DVD, there were web-petitions and hopes of the two miniseries. Four years after the format´s launch, "V: The Original Miniseries" has made its debut on our beloved shiny disc.
"V" is the brainchild of Kenneth Johnson, who made his mark in television by writing, directing and producing shows and features based upon "The Incredible Hulk," "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Bionic Woman." Influenced by the Third Reich and their non-aggression pacts signed with Russia, the Holocaust and French freedom fighters, Johnson penned the story that would eventually become "V." To sell his idea, Johnson took the World War II story and applied it to alien invaders. He personally read the story to the Warner Bros´ brass and they gave him the go-ahead to direct and produce a four-hour miniseries that would become (at the time) the most expensive television movie ever.
Starring Marc Singer and Faye Grant as the freedom fighters Michael Donovan and Dr. Julie Parish, "V" is the story of a fleet of fifty large spaceships that hover some of the largest cities in the world. Initially, their leaders John (Richard Herd) and Diana (Jane Badler) ask for the aid of Earth and promise technological and medical breakthroughs as payment. They claim their planet is starved of natural resources and a chemical is needed to revive the planet and save their race. At first, these humanlike aliens enthrall Earth. Factories are modified to make the necessary chemical and various people are hired to help the Visitors and Earthlings get along wondrously.
Just as the Nazi intentions of World War II played out, the Visitors soon turn things to their advantage and begin a hostile takeover of the planet. All scientists who could be harmful to the Visitors´ plans are arrested or disappear. Martial Law is soon imposed and all rules and regulations become enforced and created by John. Cameraman Mike Donovan is trusted by the Visitors and allowed to photograph their ship. Donovan begins to suspect something and sneaks aboard a mother ship to discover the true face of these Visitors. He is discovered and captured. Aided by a Visitor, Martin (Frank Ashmore), who does not believe in his peoples´ plans, Donovan escapes and joins Julie and a group of scientists who have banded together to fight against the Visitor occupation.
"V" is a brilliant piece of science fiction that became an enormous hit at a time when sci-fi was not popular. It debuted in May 1983 and attracted a record number of viewers. An estimated 65 million viewers watched the struggle against the fascist Visitors. The success of the miniseries quickly prompted Warner Bros. to desire a sequel. Johnson penned the script for "V: The Final Battle," but when the network wanted much more for less money, he walked away. Eventually, the reins to the series were handed over to xxx and the follow-up series played out more like a daily soap opera than the retelling of the oppressive Nazi regime that Johnson had intended. He asked to have his name removed from "V: The Final Battle" and never returned to the series, even when Warner Bros. begged his return to save the eventual television series from its demise.
In 1984, the "V" television series was cancelled and "V" took its place among other films with cult followings. The series played to record numbers on the Sci-Fi Channel. Most recently, Roland Emmerich´s film "Independence Day" borrowed many elements from "V" and became a smash hit. Unlike that popcorn film, "V" is a film with a great deal of substance. The main plot that echoes Nazi Germany is perfectly done. The numerous subplots kept the story fresh and added a great deal of depth to the story. Characters became memorable, including an early turn by Robert Englund (Freddy Kreuger) as a friendly Visitor named Willie. Even today, just mentioning the name "V" will conjure up images of an alien invasion and not that of a soccer victory.
The special effects of "V" are well done. Today, there are moments where they look very dated and the matte paintings couldn´t be more visible with a bull´s-eye painted on them. However, the general look of the film holds up well. The bright red uniforms of the Visitors mirrors the uniformity of Nazi Germany. Principal photography took 54 days. Ninety percent of the camerawork was done on practical sets and only a few days were done on stage. By using Los Angeles and other outdoor sets, "V" will hold up for years to come.
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