Forgotten HIT Movie! Battlestar Galactica

[@Pagsend]

I remember seeing this here in the UK at the cinema as part of a double bill with the theatrical version of the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century pilot! 😄 Never saw the original theatrical version of Battlestar Galactica so this was the first time I had watched anything Galactica.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Double bill with Buck… Very Cool memory! Thanks for sharing!

[@Ashworth6]

I saw that release too! In 1981 or thereabouts. This was also my first exposure to Battlestar Galactica, we didn't get the TV series in our region until late 1983. Mission Galactica was the second feature as I recall. I got to the cinema late and missed the first 10 minutes of Buck Rogers.

[@Mythologos]

I saw this movie at a tiny, last-run theater in spring of 1980. Just by chance, there was a dollar store in the shopping center and there was a *ton* of BSG stuff there. I got the Marvel Super Special comic, a Cylon action figure and the 12" Colonial Warrior. My brother got the 12" Colonial Warrior, Imperious Leader figure, and the Cracked Magazine issue. The stuff must have been in liquidation, it was all $1.00 or less. We couldn't believe our luck! I remember sitting on a bench waiting for the bus, scribbling BSG stuff in a cheap drawing tablet. Great memory! I was 8 years old and had loved it on TV.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Fantastic memory! Thanks for sharing!!

[@OU8124T]

Saw the movie in cinema with this gimmick called 'Sensurround' and it was spectacular!

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I missed that but heard it was incredible!

[@Mantikal]

@@battlestarcollectica7106 - I believe that sound system was originally created for the Earthquake (1974) movie - starring Charleston Heston & Lorne Greene

[@sgzartan]

I was a big fan as a kid. I remember renting Mission Galactica from Blockbuster Video. It wasn't until Universal started putting individual episodes on VHS that I realized that Mission Galactica was just an edited version of The Living Legend and Fire In Space.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I know! To this day many European fans will tell me that they had no idea it was a bunch of TV shows stitched together!

[@sgzartan]

@@battlestarcollectica7106 On a related note, my college graduation was literally in the exact location used for the Cylon Base Gamoray from this episode. When I graduated, I had the entire series on either commercial VHS or taped from the Sci-Fi Channel, but didn't notice the obvious location.

[@captlazer5509]

I remember a duplex theater playing both Star Wars and BSG. What a time to be a kid! Glen Larson should have just got international funding and make a proper BSG sequel(s). It had a built in audience by that point.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I think he tried to relaunch the show a few times but something always stopped him!

[@captlazer5509]

@@battlestarcollectica7106 money 😉

[@kelvaris1]

That first show was so good. Far better story and characters than the atrocity that came out in the 00's.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I agree!!!

[@wayneharvey4277]

I disagree.

[@pferreira1983]

Absolutely!

[@stevetheduck1425]

Yep, not forgotten. In the 'sensurround' sound system, like The Battle of Midway at a similar time, this Battlestar Galactica movie appeared in the major cinemas in London and elsewhere in Britain back then, the second one too. Second was quickly dropped when hardly anyone went to see it as it was killed by 'word of mouth' as being the 'Fire in Space' episodes extended with footage from another movie entirely. This was back when a cinema movie, TV movie, TV miniseries etc. would all be cut from the material shot, much as 'Shogun' was, but the idea suffered from the law of diminishing returns, timing (selling something three times in Britain is going beyond a joke) and went out of fashion quickly.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Low point for BSG! All about making a fast buck!

[@catfeeder5306]

I remember seeing it in Sensurround at The Empire, Leicester Square in London. The cinema had a fabulous illuminated poster with flashing lights. That must have been about 1980 or 81.

[@TREBONIANVS]

The original BG was horribly mismanaged. A missed opportunity.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I agree! Once it was changed from a movie of the month format to a weekly series it lost something.

[@pferreira1983]

Only after it was produced. The original series is amazing.

[@MarkFoster321789]

Blame those idiotic ABC executives! ☹️

[@adonian]

Oh so true.

[@marklatchford9557]

I remember going to the cinema to watch Mission Galactica with my Dad here in the UK. He even took me to see the third film, Conquest of the Earth. That confused my 10 year old brain, as the Earth didn't get conquered in the movie....

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Lol! Conquest of Earth is one of the worse decisions Universal Studios ever made concerning the franchise! Not only was it a bad film but it squandered all the good will BSG had around the world!

[@marklatchford9557]

@@battlestarcollectica7106 Absolutely true, but I did enjoy it at the time. First thing every Monday morning at school we had to do a report on what we did at the weekend and I remember illustrating mine with drawings of Cylon Raiders blowing up LA after going to see it!

[@TommygunNG]

NBC Universal had part of that posted on their website. Yes, only part of it. It cut off after an hour or so, and there was no part two.

[@jimsmalleimb7709]

In Canada, the original film was shown BEFORE the TV show premiered. The model kits were available at that time too.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I always found it amazing that BSG was test in Canada. Supposedly there where some changes made after that release.

[@marktodd6187]

I had a chance to see this at the Egyptian theatre in Hollywood back in 2017 and it was damn good.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Nice!!!

[@doctorclu]

Love Battlestar Galactica content and subscribed! -Lt. Jubal

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Thank you!!

[@timfankell4242]

I believe "Space 1999" spawned a couple theatrical features cobbled together from series episodes as well.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I never knew that! Thanks for the info!

[@farhorizonz]

​@@battlestarcollectica7106yep one was called Alien Atteck

[@Leojoo4]

I recently bought this movie on VHS for like $8.00 off eBay. Then paid $20.00 to get it transferred to DVD.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Smart idea!! Thanks for that tip!

[@paulquantumblues3599]

I could have transferred it to DVD for you for free. LOL.

[@MichaelLaing71]

Yes, definitely saw it on release and it was mainly from the Episodes The Living Legand, part 1 and 2. The thing is the Battlestar Galactica TV wasn't shown in all parts of the UK, where the ITV channel was split into different regions, which meant that you might be able to watch it in one region, an example being Television South (TVS) but wouldn't show in London Weekend Television (LWT) and Themes Television. So I only got to see a few episodes until I get to watch the series many years later.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Very interesting! Thanks for that info!

[@catfeeder5306]

I seem to remember it debuting on Thames Television in a mid-week early evening slot, which seemed odd given what an expensive show this clearly was.

[@Stansman63]

I remember excitingly buying this on VHS back in 83, in some ways I think this version is superior to the original episodes as it has improved music, extra footage including a closer look at the Imperious Leader and a shorter more tolerable version of "Fire in Space".

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

It’s a fun movie! I just wish Universal had produced something new.

[@MarkHarvey-uh8oc]

Saw this on a Sunday afternoon at my local cinema I. England. 1 showing only. Went with a friend as the cinema usually showed 1 offs every week like Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Humanoid, Condor Man, and this film. Not a Galactica fan, but after STAR WARS, we were hungry for Sci fi. The TV FX did not hold up at all on the big screen, namely the spacewalk during "The Fire in the Sky" bit. But hey, it was fun to watch.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Yah, that scene where you can see their exposed wrists could have been better!

[@MarkHarvey-uh8oc]

@@battlestarcollectica7106 I suppose,but it was the 70s and this was a made for TV episode on a huge screen. Great days indeed.. I miss those Sundays. Nicholas Hammond. The Amazing Spiderman. That is the only way we saw that show as a film. Never screened over here as a series until much later.

[@frankcarpanzano3902]

Yes I saw on cable television back in the early 1980’s. Fire in space and the living legend are my favorite episodes of the original battlestar galactica.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Those are fun episodes. Boomer and Athena were great in FIS!

[@kennethmcintyre6942]

Thanks good video, some people don't know is that when this was released George Lucas sued Universal stating BG copied some of STAR WARS material. I'm sure the Exsecutives at Universal felt the heat and that may be a big reason they canceled the series.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Well said! I think there is even more to that story. Would explain a lot of “strange” decisions by Universal!

[@FusedMusic]

I remember going to see this at the Capitol cinema in Bham. superb! Although it was just episodes shunted together it was fab! And not long after going again to see "Conquest of the Earth".

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Wow! Thanks for sharing your memory!!

[@brunozeigerts6379]

I remember acquiring a VHS copy of Galactica discovers Earth. It was essentially the first episode of Galactica 1980 mashed together with the episode where a Cylon fighter crashes on Earth. One peculiarity is where the human looking Cylon tells the robot version that it will have a difficult time evading detection. The robot Cylon responds with 'Earth is no stranger to robots.' How would any Cylon know that? Also, it wasn't in the original Galactica 1980 episode.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Interesting! I have to rewatch to hear that line! I wonder what he was taking about…

[@Ken-vk8pb]

I have this movie version of Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack but it's only just a movie version of the 2 Part episode The Livinig Legend. I bought it on VHS videotape around 1991 at the Suncoast Video store in a mall but they have been long out of business now for almost 30 years at least that particular store but the mall is still open today but there is now a clothing store there. I only keep my VHS videotape original copy of it as a collectors item since it's kinda hard to find but not impossible and not exactly rare. Battlestar Galactica' s Theme music soundtrack for the Original Pilot Episode movie and the actual original series was beautifully orchestrated by Stu Phillips at the time and I think it sounds better than the Star Wars movie theme music by John Williams at least in my opinion. Although Star Wars fans may disagree but I'm a fan of both Galactica and Star Wars but Galactica is much better in my opinion.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I agree with you! The BSG theme is one of the best of all sci-fi cinema!

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

I have this on an official DVD! Because most of it came from THE LIVING LEGEND, it hangs together pretty well... until you get to the end. They use the floating minefield scene from the 3-part pilot story for part of the PEGASUS' journey, but you know it's actually the GALACTICA because you can see her fleet in the same shot! Sheba's injury plotline is removed to allow the inclusion of her FIRE IN SPACE scenes, Cain's dialogue is duplicated, and in the final scene, poor editing suggests our beloved heroes are standing in two different places at the same time! Even so, I still love it. "Launch When Ready!" 🚀🚀🚀

[@seeyouatthemovies2561]

I totally agree with you. Even as a kid it was funny to recognize, that Starbucks hair length changed from scene to scene...😄 Nevertheless, I love it too and the Gomorra-part was totally awesome to watch as a kid. I loved the black suits and the whole mission. ...and because we couldn't watch the series on TV, it was fantastic so see the new adventures on the big screen. 🤩

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

@@seeyouatthemovies2561 - Yes! I even enjoy the much-maligned third movie, CONQUEST OF THE EARTH, and the TV movies too, such as SPACE CASANOVA! 😆

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Good grief! Just awful! 🤣

[@sgzartan]

@@peppermintspacecapsule9898 I remember Conquest Of The Earth used to air on On-TV in the early 80's.

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

@@sgzartan - Yes, we used to get GALACTICA DISCOVERS EARTH as a TV movie in the UK too, which in fairness hangs together as a film far better than CONQUEST OF THE EARTH. I still like 'em both though! 😆

[@LarryCarrell]

Here is Houston channel 39 used to show these “movies” that were a few episodes cut together. I was always glad to have some Battlestar Galactica in any form when I was a kid.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Any BSG was better then nothing! Thanks for watching!

[@Kamandi1971]

I first heard about this film in the mid 80s then remember seeing the vhs cover at mom and pop video stores before the days of blockbuster and hollywood video chains i cant remember if my dad rented it though ? its fuzzy but for sure I remember going to Suncoast video either in 90-91 and bought a copy along with a random episode on vhs in those days the whole thing was not available unless you had taped it from tv run original or syndicated,. I like this film maybe it was a mistake releasing it in Europe and Asia> not sure but I know for a fact I know it was a mistake cancelling the show in spring of 1979 by ABC tv!

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I agree with you 100%!!!

[@mikeselwa2298]

I wish I could find this uploaded on line somewhere

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

VHS copies are easy to find and cheap.

[@the_flyattractor8656]

BSG was the jam as a kid, cause it was on Every Day. Unlike Star Wars that you MIGHt have got to see but once a year.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

My local station would play BSG, Buck Rogers and Star Trek in a row twice a day! It was pure fun!!

[@loftlegacy]

I remember seeing the movies at the former Unit Four cinema in Little Harwood, Blackburn, UK. I found a spin-off book in a box in the loft from the movie and will get round to reviewing it in my channel. It’s in amazing condition.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Nice!! Thanks for sharing!

[@mahatmarandy5977]

There were, I think, 12 movies which were edited-together episodes, such as “the space cassanova” which was the lost warrior and..lcrap, I can’t remember. Another was murder in space and the young lords cleverly edited together. The idea was that they had two few episodes to syndicated, but they have very high production values, so they figured if I edited the two-part episodes together as TV movies and edited the hour long episodes together as others give you about is they could syndicate them as TV movies rather than individual episodes, and they could recoup their investment that way. It was a good plan. Are used to see the things on UHF channels in the early 80s, but then they just sort of disappeared. So all told I think there are 11 or 12 Battlestar Galactica TV movies. In addition to the one you’re talking about, I think, at least several of the others were released theatrically overseas.

[@williammitchell4417]

The narrator said it best. As when VHS tapes were getting more and more popular, I'm not surprised that universal tried to get their money back.

[@mahatmarandy5977]

@@williammitchell4417 absolutely no reason why they should not have trying to get their money back. I completely support that. I just thought the TV movie method was a pretty unique and inventive way of doing so. And to be honest, I remember liking most of the edited TV movies. I wouldn’t mind having copies of them now if that were possible, but they seem to have completely evaporated.

[@williammitchell4417]

@@mahatmarandy5977 if you remember John Dykstra blew the budget on the special effects just getting the pilot done. Universal, like Paramount several years later with Star Trek wanted to make as much money as they could. Star Wars was and still is the benchmark for merchandise. Glenn Larson also had legal troubles nearly as much as Trump does now.

[@webstersempire]

"Experiment I'm Terra" was the most interesting one of these telefilms, with the opening of an Astronaut finding a "Logbook" of Galactica floating in space. Lorne Greene & I think Patrick Macnee narrate this history of BSG, featuring artwork of the lizard Cylons. Of course, this opening makes one wonder if the Galactica was destroyed & never found Earth, and how this "Logbook" was just floating in space. The telefilm then launches into the "Galactica 1980" episode- The Return of Starbuck". Most of these telefilm were bridged by voiceovers- they clearly didn't get Richard Hatch to do it and got a soft- talking voice actor sound alike to do Apollo👍

[@mahatmarandy5977]

@@webstersempire i think that’s the only one i never saw, though the intro is on youtube. The bridging was sometimes clever, sometimes not. In “space cassanova” it was literally two pairs of hands holding polaroids of Cassie, Athena, and the girl from Mutiny in Space, and pretty weak soundalikes discussing starbuck’s love life. OTOH, the one that merged murder in space with the young lords altered a scene where starbuck breaks out of the brig, gets in a ciper, and was about to flee when apollo and boomer point out he’s got nowhere to go, so he gives up and returns to the brig. In the tv movie, he actually launches, crashes, the young lords happens, and then boomer and apollo rescue him in a shuttle and take him back to stand trial. No new footage in thqt one, just some clever editing and it worked really well

[@BillPayne-t6y]

Hello I have mission Galactica the cylon attack when I was a kid as a cinema release then it was shown one christmas on TV in the UK I can now find the movie to download on certain sites.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Fun movie! Thanks for sharing that terrific memory!

[@1701Tex]

Saw this on HBO in late 79/early 80. A LOT!

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Did not know that it was on HBO. Thanks for the info!

[@GooeyGluey]

I think I've seen the cinema 'souvenir book' for this movie here in Japan. So, BSG certainly had a presence here back then. Apparently, one of the most extensive BSG collections, in the world, is here in Japan...somewhere.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I know! It must be found!!🤣

[@farhorizonz]

Yep i had mission galactica on vhs, was. a great cut, im not sure if any of the hand of god is in it though. Also saw at the movies in New Zealand

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I think they used a scene from the Cylon control room (HOG). Thanks for watching!!

[@kevinnoble7060]

Someone already mentioned VHS releases. I bought a few tapes in the early 90's. Read they were released in theaters outside U.S. The premiere movie movie edit was also released in the U.S. in 79. Maybe after it was cancelled.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I think you’re right. Thanks for watching!

[@rickytoddbotelho9555]

Glenn got crapped on 😞

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I agree 100%! To this day Universal has no idea of the potential for BSG!

[@brunozeigerts6379]

I had this on video tape. I remember the altered sounds for the Cylon fighters, the shortened version of Fire in Space. But... what parts of Hand of God were included? Or did I just have a different version?

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I believe they used the Cylon control room scene from HOG. Thanks for watching!

[@brunozeigerts6379]

@@battlestarcollectica7106 Ah, the Cylons being hurled by explosions. Of course, I should have remembered that wasn't in the Living Legend.

[@warrior64]

Universal sure misfired on continuing the journey of “ Battlestar Galactica “ on the big screen. The perfect film would have been just “ the Living Legend “. It shouldn’t have been board-cast on ABC. Just at the theater!

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Now that is an interesting idea!

[@chrisstetsko5020]

Wasn't Mission Galactica just "Living Legend" and "Fire In Space" packaged together into one big movie on VHS? Then YES I watched many years from my local video store.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Your correct!

[@crazedvole]

I have mission Galactica on VHS

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Very cool! I love the artwork!

[@gcen01]

It would be great for Universal to show it in US Theaters for 6 months for the 50th anniversary and release it on digital a week later. the collection is so INCOMPLETE without this film.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I agree! That is a great idea!

[@turret72]

I have the VHS of this, and the VHS of Conquest of the Earth. Don’t get me started on Conquest of the Earth.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Lol! One of the worst decisions Universal ever made!

[@MrSpireite]

I could be wrong but I don't think in the UK we got the series till about '83

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Very interesting! I did not know that!

[@StefanPiasecki-k6f]

I watched it as a kid in the cinema as was thrilled. However, how can I reach you for information on the show that you might be interested in?

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Face book page is in the works. Thanks for reaching out!

[@StefanPiasecki-k6f]

@ And if I am not on Facebook?

[@raymondstpaul4913]

Tried to find this but never could find is their a DVD version for purchase?

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

There was a version issued in Europe.

[@Thompsdan]

I think I rented Mission Galactica on VHS. I found it boring and repetitive. I can’t remember whether or not I realised it was basically three episodes of the series welded together. It’s astonishing they pulled the same trick three times. We were a trusting audience in the UK: if America said these were feature films, who were we to question them? After all, they gave us Star Wars!

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Like GL said… “Universal we’re genius”! lol!!

[@NzLand3r]

A dissapointing end for sure. The Return On Investment virus struck down my favourite TV show!

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Greed seems to always win!

[@CommodoreProductions01]

love BSG 🖖👍

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

It’s a great series that deserved more! Thanks for watching!

[@garwingcheung9617]

I support you

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Thanks!!

[@OLYMPICHELLO]

Time for fan fim battle star galactica

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

That would be amazing!

[@markc5111]

Mission Galactica is a real mish mash of scenes obviously done in such a hurry that the plot (what there was of it) was a complete mess. I still went to see it in a double with the first and it was just so Awesome to see Galactica on the big screen.... Actually I probably would have gone for others 😅🎉❤

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I know! Any Galactica was better then no Galactica! Lol!!

[@P90F55]

Ok, they cancel the show. It seems like it would have been a good investment to make Galatica movies. A new one ever two years. Like Star Trek did.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

I agree but Universal could only think of short term gain. Very stupid!!

[@computeraisle]

ABC dropped it because they found a cheaper 'Sci-Fi' replacement. Mork & Mindy.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Your right!

[@theessentials450]

It should have come back in it's initial plan as a series of TV movies.... they could have aired for the years with just tv movies or even big screen releases....

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

Yes! Glen Larson knew that but was ignored.

[@theessentials450]

WHOA! so then why didn't Universal just make movie of BSG? They sat on a potential goldmine and did nothing with it.

[@battlestarcollectica7106]

They never respected the franchise and just wanted to make a fast buck.