The FRiday Night Movie - SPACE:1999 Dragon's Domain (1974)

Youtube ^ | N/A | N/A

[DemforBush]

Tonight's second feature is a classic bit of dark science fiction from the 1970s. Astronaut and pilot Tony Cellini (Gianni Garko) is in the throes of what most people on Moonbase Alpha believe is a mental breakdown. The only survivor of a disastrous mission that wrecked his career some years before, Cellini is once again claiming the existence of an impossible alien creature, one that Cellini is obsessed with destroying...

[DemforBush]

SPACE:1999 was one of those sci-shows that was very hit-and-miss. Good story ideas were sometimes wrecked by by bad scripts and/or bad acting. And bad story ideas, especially in the ill-fated second season of the show, too often got the greenlight when they should have been filed in the wastebasket.

Dragon's Domain, however, is an exception. It's one of the best episodes of the series. IMHO, it's one of the better sci-fi eps of all time. Garko, a veteran of the Spaghetti Western scene, was excellent in the role of Cellini, and the episode shines with a themes of obsession and revenge. It's also quite scary, even by today's standards. Several FReepers have told me that some of the affiliate stations refused to run the episode when it came out in 1974.

8.5/10

[DemforBush]

Double-feature ping!

[HossB86]

Bump for later

[martin_fierro]

This guy in clingy polyester: NO NO NO

[TomGuy]

I watched the later episodes when they originally ran. For some reason, I missed the final episodes and never knew how the series ended. I think that was even before VCRs.

Didn’t know it was on Youtube, but found a link to the entire series (both seasons) and the Movie. Will tag them to watch.

[Shadowstrike]

that was a great series, and you’re right one of the Best episodes.

Wish Syfy channel would run them.

[Secret Agent Man]

Invisible aliens or monsters/light monsters also sucked hard on these shows.

[Secret Agent Man]

All the clothing had large metal zippers. The worst 70s hairstyles. They also filmed these at the same studio they did Alien in in 1978. Pinewood Studios.

[boop]

I saw Dragon's Domain as a kid and it scared the holy hell out of me.

It still gives me the chills.

What a nightmare. The alien vacuums you up and spits out your charred remains.

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you and thank you!

[verga]

Great episode, but I have point out a couple of things. First all of the "ancient weapons" in Tony's room and he grabs a tomahawk, not the rifle. Maybe the Rifle wasn't loaded, but he knew from the flashback that the hatchet didn't work.

Second The supplies they had on the Eagle included a grappling hook, knife, hatchet, but not a single Berretta 92, colt .45, M16. In other words they had energy beam weapons and weapons from the 1800's, not a single projectile weapon.

[DemforBush]

And the constant howling, along with the tentacles shooting out from the darkness. Very creepy stuff, even today.

[DemforBush]

Yeah, I have to admit it was a bit of a plot hole not to have some sort of projectile weapon available. I would chalk it up to tv ratings (fantasy violence from ray guns always seems to be considered less serious than a six-shooter, for some reason), but DD is so danged violent and bloody by the standards of the day, it seems a bit of a stretch to say they couldn’t have worked in had a firearm of some sort.

Heck, even a speargun or a crossbow would have worked!