The Merchandise GuideVideo: Europe
Compiled by Martin Willey
The Merchandise Guide
Spain 1986. VHS: 9056-51 Beta: 9056-41
Destino Base Lunar Alfa (Destination Moonbase Alpha). The cover is the Tom Chantrell poster (also used on US CBS-Fox release in 1983, CBS-Fox in Germany in 1986 and UK's Precision video in 1980).
The text at top is "La más fantástica aventura del hombre está a punto de comenzar" (The most fantastic adventure of man is about to begin)
The back cover has small pictures of other video releases: Lady Halcon (Lady Hawke) and Dune. Koenig is spelled "Koening".
Spain 1986?
Alien Ataca (Alien Attack) was released on VHS around 1986-1987 by the Spanish division of I.V.E., International Video Entertainment, locally named "Inter Video Espanola". IVE was formed in 1985 (the name was changed in 1990), and in the US they distributed the Sybil Danning Adventure Video versions of these titles.
Uniquely, this video release had a reworked version of the original Tom Chantrell cover art. The white-eyed Sparkman image is removed and replaced by a new shot of Helena (it may have been judged too disturbing for the cover). The English title is the centre is removed and replaced with an Eagle (with three red stripes and Airfix Eagle markings).
La fantástica Base-Lunar Alpha lanzada al espacio como platafonna científica con una comunidad de casi mil personas, acaba de recibir señales extrañas desde el espacio ... El comandante John Koenig autoriza las pruebas para deterrninar lo que posiblemente seria la primera comunicación del hombre con otras razas extraterrestres. De repente, una tremenda explosión ocurre en el depósito de materiales de deshecho en el otro lado de la Luna. Cuando la Base se dirige a comprobar la explosion, una flota de naves enemigas preparan un ataque frontal a la Tierra.
The fantastic Lunar Base Alpha launched into space as a scientific platform with a community of almost a thousand people, has just received strange signals from space... Commander John Koenig authorises the tests to determine what would possibly be man's first communication with other extraterrestrial races. Suddenly, a tremendous explosion occurs at the waste materials repository on the other side of the Moon. When the Base goes to check the explosion, a fleet of enemy ships prepare a frontal attack on Earth.
Spain 1990s?
Quartz Video released a number of first series episodes singly on videotape. The strange packaging art featured weird jet-fighters (possibly the same art as the AvoFilm Italian 2nd edition shown below). Episodes included "Ring Around The Moon", and were dubbed into Spanish (series and episode titles were translated from English by a narrator).
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Italy. Cod. 3091 The 1975 Italian compilation film released on video: comprises Breakaway; Ring Around The Moon and Another Time, Another Place edited into an 88 minute feature, with music by Ennio Morricone.
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France: volumes 1-4 1992, volumes 5 & 6 May 1993. 7 & 8 in 1994. VHS/Secam, each 140 F.
Also released in Belgium in VHS/PAL format.
Three episodes dubbed in French per 150 minute tape.
Covers were identical in design: a bright 'starburst', with a reversed promotional shot of Koenig & Helena, and a smaller shot of an Eagle. The back covers featured a Nasa photo of the Earth, and a small episode shot. Both back and front had much writing, highlighted in florid colours (apparently to evoke a kitsch 1970s impression).
The tapes were accompanied by interesting black & white leaflets, illustrated by plans (taken from the US Starlog magazine and Technical Notebook) and photos, describing features of the series such as the Eagles. The text was by "Fantasy & Co" (Alain Carrazé, a fan and TV presenter, also behind the later DVD releases).
Some images thanks to Nicolas Lemarignier.
| 1. A la dérive Question de vie ou de mort La machine infernale  |
Colour: Green-Yellow. Leaflet: La Moon Base Alpha   |
| 2. Le soleil noir L'anneau de la Lune Direction Terre 
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Colour: Orange. Leaflet: Cdt Koenig   |
| 3. Le gardien du Piri Le maillon Aute temps, autre lieu 
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Colour: Pink. Leaflet: L'Aigle [the Eagle]   |
| 4. L'enfant d'Alpha Le dernier crépuscule Puissance de vie 
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Colour: Red. Leaflet: Dr. Helena Russell 
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| Also box set of volumes 1-4 (530 F) | Garish orange box with small series photos. |
| 5. Un autre Royaume de la mort Collision inévitable Le retour du Voyageur 
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Colour: Yellow. Leaflet: Victor Bergman, Le localisateur [the comlock] 
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| 6. Ruses de guerre Au bout de l'éternité Le grand cercle 
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Colour: Blue. Leaflet: Alan Carter, Le Pistolet Laser [the stun gun] 
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| 7. La Mission des Dariens, En désarroi Cerveau Spatial 
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Colour: mauve. Leaflet: Paul Morrow, le Poste Principal [Main Mission] 
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| 8. Le Domaine du Dragon Le testament de l'Arcadie Le Dernier Adversaire 
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Colour: blue. Leaflet: Sandra Benes, Uniformes 
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French poster advertising the videos, using the Charlton comic cover by Gray Morrow, but oddly reversed so Koenig's black sleeve is on his right.
France. VHS/Secam.
The cover is the Chantrell poster (with the title in English: Alien Attack). The back cover has 4 small photos.
France. VHS/Secam.
Two titles, dubbed in French, by "GCR Distribution". Thanks to Jerome Wybon.
| Soleil Noir (Journey Through The Black Sun) |  |
| Cosmic Princess |  |
Germany, end 1996. 19.95DM.
The attractive standard cover features a moon top left (actually a reverse image of Saturn's moon Dione taken by the real Voyager 1), portraits of the 3 main actors in the centre (Koenig, Helena and either Victor or Maya) and a lunar scene below.
| Vol 1 | Nr.3201 |
Ein Ring von Licht (Ring Around The Moon) Die schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) |
Moonbase Alpha |
| Vol 2 | Nr.3202 |
Metamorphose (The Metamorph) Die Verstossenen (The Exiles) |
Nuclear Disposal Area 2 |
| Vol 3 | Nr.3203 |
Schottische Geschichten (Journey To Where) Der entscheidende Stoff (All That Glisters) |
Last Enemy Deltan ship |
Germany 1986.
Angriff auf Alpha 1 (Destination Moonbase Alpha, "Attack on Alpha 1") CBS Fox Video # 9056
The Chantrell artwork seems to have been redrawn (the signature is "Chris Heiss"), probably to include the German title, making the characters notably more cartoonish.
The tagline is "Die tödliche Gefahr aus dem Weltraum": "The deadly threat from outer space"
Above: The cover from 1990. Below, the revised "Silver screen collection" from 1993, thanks to Ekmar Brand.
| Alien Attack | Die Außerirdischen schlagen zu (The Aliens Attack) | #708 | 
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| Black Sun (Journey Through The Black Sun) | Der Todesplanet greift an (Enter The Death Planet) | #715 | 
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At least 4 tapes were released. The cover design is a variation of the 1996 UK Polygram releases (volumes 21-24).
| Volume 1 | På Liv och Död ("On Life and Death", Matter Of Life And Death) Dödsmaskinen ("Death Machine", The Infernal Machine) |
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| Volume 4 | Den Oroliga Själen ("The Uneasy Shawl", The Troubled Spirit) Rymdhjärnan ("Space Brain", Space Brain) |
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Denmark 1980s (the back cover has the text "the right to rent and sell until 1.11.87" indicating a date on or before 1987)
Alien Attack (the Danish title translates as "Attack on Moonbase Alpha"). # 4712/15
The tagline is "Mareridtest i rummet, var kun begyndelsen..." - "The nightmare in space was just the beginning...". The episode War Games had not been shown in the original 1976-1977 run, so this was the first time Danish audiences would see it.
According to the Portugal film classification regulator (IGAC), both were classified "M/6" (for 6 years old and over). Both are listed for the same company, Turil, The website zoomwin.pt lists one as MX Video, which may be a mistake or a sub-label.
The names of the movies were different to the Prisvideo DVD releases in 2004 (Princesa Cósmica and Jornada Através do Sol Negro). Thanks António Rodrigues
Copyright Martin Willey