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Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Extended Edition
Updated
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie Title:
Genre:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1979
Original Running Time:
85 (Theatrical) / 97 (TV version)
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
108
Time Added:
6
Available in HD?
Additional Links:
Brief Synopsis:
Buck Rogers is an air-force pilot and astronaut on a deep-space mission. An accident freezes him in an orbit that returns Buck to Earth 500 years later. In the year 2491 he is found and revived by the Draconians, under the command of Princess Ardala. Back on Earth, Buck learns that society has been rebuilt over centuries following a holocaust. He must adjust to the 25th century, and convince its people that the Draconians are planning to conquer Earth.
Intention:
The extended edition merges the 1979 cinema release and the TV-series pilot "Awakening", making this edit longer than either. Like the novelization, it also adds a glimpse into Buck’s past using two flashbacks from season 2.
It includes extensive background information in the form of a feature-length 2nd audio track of conversations with Gerard, Gray, and Silla; and written interviews with creators Larson, Stevens, and director Haller.
To keep the vibe of disco-Buck going after you watch this edit, songs from the late 1970s are added separately as an homage to the movie and TV series.
It includes extensive background information in the form of a feature-length 2nd audio track of conversations with Gerard, Gray, and Silla; and written interviews with creators Larson, Stevens, and director Haller.
To keep the vibe of disco-Buck going after you watch this edit, songs from the late 1970s are added separately as an homage to the movie and TV series.
Special Thanks:
Bionicbob for suggesting to improve Buck Rogers in the musical style of Guardians of the Galaxy. My resulting playlist of 1970s music is included as a bonus feature. Dkerin for his inspiring work on Battlestar Galactica.
Release Information:
Digital
Special Features
Video: 1080p (4:3)
Audio: dual mono (title song in stereo)
Subtitles: English subtitles
Bonus Features:
- Conversations with Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Felix Silla as full-length 2nd audio track (from Dragon Con 2017, Pensacon 2019, Awesome Con 2016).
- Interviews with Glen Larson, Leslie Stevens, Daniel Haller (separate PDFs).
- “Songs for the Movie & TV Series, an homage to Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” (separate audio).
Audio: dual mono (title song in stereo)
Subtitles: English subtitles
Bonus Features:
- Conversations with Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Felix Silla as full-length 2nd audio track (from Dragon Con 2017, Pensacon 2019, Awesome Con 2016).
- Interviews with Glen Larson, Leslie Stevens, Daniel Haller (separate PDFs).
- “Songs for the Movie & TV Series, an homage to Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” (separate audio).
Cuts and Additions:
EXTENDED SCENES:
The theatrical version contains 5 minutes of material not used in the TV version:
+ Different Conrad opening narration.
+ The “sexy” dream-sequence opening credits.
+ Buck has a longer talk with Wilma before going to the irradiated old city.
+ Buck calls Wilma “ballsy”.
+ When Wilma comes after Buck in old Chicago, she has her soldier stun Buck. She says “Captain, you got away once, but not this time. Lieutenant?” and he shoots Buck. The words “time. Lieutenant?” and the moment the soldier points the gun and pulls the trigger, are included in this theatrical version but (erroneously) cut in the TV version.
+ Kane talks with Huer at the dance party.
+ Wilma kisses Buck [different version].
+ Twiki says that he’s "freezing his ball-bearings off".
+ Buck comments that the Draconian uniforms aren't Gucci.
+ Buck kicks Tiger-Man in the balls near the end of the film. The TV version cut the actual kick: it shows Tiger-Man facing off with Buck then suddenly howling in pain.
+ Kane’s communication with Emperor Draco. The scene was cut from the TV version, Draco was not seen at all in the series.
+ Wilma gushes to Buck after the final battle.
The TV version contains 15 minutes not used in the theatrical version:
+ The interior of Buck's apartment.
+ Buck has two talks with Theo about what happened in the past 500 years. After the second one, he goes to sleep.
+ The first part of Buck's walk into the irradiated area of old Chicago.
+ Dr Huer pleads with the computer council to stay Buck's verdict.
+ Princess Ardala and Kane are seen scheming a bit more.
+ Wilma kisses Buck [different version]. The two versions have been merged, losing minimal text.
+ After the final battle, Princess Ardala and Kane are seen bickering a bit more.
+ Buck makes his apartment "homey".
+ The films ends with Dr Huer offering Buck a job.
OTHER CHANGES:
- First a text page, with images, about Buck Rogers from 1928 to 1979.
- We open on Buck's freezing accident in his shuttle in 1987 (heavily trimmed flashback from s2 episode "The Guardians"), as a pre-opening-credits scene.
- The opening and closing song are now in true stereo (instead of the blu-ray's dual-mono), using the Intrada CD.
- Twiki has two more lines of text. Two bidi-bidi's had silence after them while Felix Silla continued to move his head and arms as if Twiki was still speaking. Now he is. For part of season 2, Mel Blanc's voice was replaced by the very different sounding Bob Elyea. It sounds wrong! To fix Twiki's voice in those five adventures, I extracted all of Mel Blanc's Twiki from the episodes (435 lines of text). After that effort, it was easy to find two relevant lines to insert here.
- I've inserted a part of Buck's dream from s2e3 The Guardians. I always felt that Buck's grief over his parents missed an emotional set-up for the viewer. Now he dreams of his mom right before going into Anarchia where he searches for her grave. The point-counterpoint works very nicely. The trimmed dream isn't about "Buck being too proud" (the main point of the flashback in The Guardians), but focuses on "You might die on your flight" (a prescient referral to the 1986 Challenger explosion).
- I merged the scene of Wilma kissing Buck, trimming a few lines to make her stronger and less of a fawning school-girl. She's no longer "so mixed up" instead focusing on having "been trained for leadership".
- The bluray lacks subtitles, those were edited from the old DVDs.
The theatrical version contains 5 minutes of material not used in the TV version:
+ Different Conrad opening narration.
+ The “sexy” dream-sequence opening credits.
+ Buck has a longer talk with Wilma before going to the irradiated old city.
+ Buck calls Wilma “ballsy”.
+ When Wilma comes after Buck in old Chicago, she has her soldier stun Buck. She says “Captain, you got away once, but not this time. Lieutenant?” and he shoots Buck. The words “time. Lieutenant?” and the moment the soldier points the gun and pulls the trigger, are included in this theatrical version but (erroneously) cut in the TV version.
+ Kane talks with Huer at the dance party.
+ Wilma kisses Buck [different version].
+ Twiki says that he’s "freezing his ball-bearings off".
+ Buck comments that the Draconian uniforms aren't Gucci.
+ Buck kicks Tiger-Man in the balls near the end of the film. The TV version cut the actual kick: it shows Tiger-Man facing off with Buck then suddenly howling in pain.
+ Kane’s communication with Emperor Draco. The scene was cut from the TV version, Draco was not seen at all in the series.
+ Wilma gushes to Buck after the final battle.
The TV version contains 15 minutes not used in the theatrical version:
+ The interior of Buck's apartment.
+ Buck has two talks with Theo about what happened in the past 500 years. After the second one, he goes to sleep.
+ The first part of Buck's walk into the irradiated area of old Chicago.
+ Dr Huer pleads with the computer council to stay Buck's verdict.
+ Princess Ardala and Kane are seen scheming a bit more.
+ Wilma kisses Buck [different version]. The two versions have been merged, losing minimal text.
+ After the final battle, Princess Ardala and Kane are seen bickering a bit more.
+ Buck makes his apartment "homey".
+ The films ends with Dr Huer offering Buck a job.
OTHER CHANGES:
- First a text page, with images, about Buck Rogers from 1928 to 1979.
- We open on Buck's freezing accident in his shuttle in 1987 (heavily trimmed flashback from s2 episode "The Guardians"), as a pre-opening-credits scene.
- The opening and closing song are now in true stereo (instead of the blu-ray's dual-mono), using the Intrada CD.
- Twiki has two more lines of text. Two bidi-bidi's had silence after them while Felix Silla continued to move his head and arms as if Twiki was still speaking. Now he is. For part of season 2, Mel Blanc's voice was replaced by the very different sounding Bob Elyea. It sounds wrong! To fix Twiki's voice in those five adventures, I extracted all of Mel Blanc's Twiki from the episodes (435 lines of text). After that effort, it was easy to find two relevant lines to insert here.
- I've inserted a part of Buck's dream from s2e3 The Guardians. I always felt that Buck's grief over his parents missed an emotional set-up for the viewer. Now he dreams of his mom right before going into Anarchia where he searches for her grave. The point-counterpoint works very nicely. The trimmed dream isn't about "Buck being too proud" (the main point of the flashback in The Guardians), but focuses on "You might die on your flight" (a prescient referral to the 1986 Challenger explosion).
- I merged the scene of Wilma kissing Buck, trimming a few lines to make her stronger and less of a fawning school-girl. She's no longer "so mixed up" instead focusing on having "been trained for leadership".
- The bluray lacks subtitles, those were edited from the old DVDs.
Buck Rogers disco (Password: fanedit.org)
User reviews
5 reviews
Overall rating
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
10.0(5)
Audio Editing
10.0(5)
Visual Editing
9.6(5)
Narrative
9.6(5)
Enjoyment
10.0(5)
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
as a big fan of the 70s sci-fi style of shows like Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica, and the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman, I must say that this is a must see for any fan of that genre. This work is seamless and the story flows easily and great video. After watching this edit i am looking forward to digging into the rest of the Buck Rogers edits. Great job and look forward to more edits.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
D
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
I know you're gonna dig this.
Chances are if you're reading this review then you're already onboard with the kitsch silliness that is 70's sci-fi. From silver spandex and Farrah Fawcett hairdos to the disco dancing and campy costumes this edit has it all. It's Buck Rodgers in all his melodramatic space operatic glory. The editing is faultless, the narrative flows smoothly and the picture is as crisp as it'll ever be. I am very much looking forward to continuing with this movie series.
Great job Lapis
Chances are if you're reading this review then you're already onboard with the kitsch silliness that is 70's sci-fi. From silver spandex and Farrah Fawcett hairdos to the disco dancing and campy costumes this edit has it all. It's Buck Rodgers in all his melodramatic space operatic glory. The editing is faultless, the narrative flows smoothly and the picture is as crisp as it'll ever be. I am very much looking forward to continuing with this movie series.
Great job Lapis
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
M
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
This extended blend of the pilot and the spin-off movie showcases the spirit of the series. This is a pretty grim, dark future with a devastated earth short of food and endless threats, but its not grim-dark story: instead, we get an upbeat and hopeful narrative with resilient characters, not much angst, plus a lot of 1970s grooviness plus a bit of 1970s sleaziness -- not least from the droid Twiki.
I liked the series as a kid, and still do. Its great fun and this edit is a great way to get back into it. s with anything from this editor, the job is professional every second.I am not enough of a Buck Rogers aficionado to have particularly strong views about the 1979-1981 Glen Larson series, and how it both recast and respected earlier iterations of the character. I honestly don't have strong views on how the series could or should be "fixed." Its fun, and imaginative, and has some very memorable parts. As a fan of old pulp characters including Buck Rogers (and Flash Gordon, who is, erm, let's call him a "tribute" to Buck), I like shows like this one, which show some respect to the originals but also try new things. Sure, I could do without Twiki, but I can also enjoy him. And if Twiki is the price of this series and this fanedit, I am willing to pay it in full.
So, thanks editor, for getting me to dust off my series DVDs and re-appreciate the series.
this fanedit emerges from,
and a lot of 1970s influences,
its hardly a grim-dark series.
I liked the series as a kid, and still do. Its great fun and this edit is a great way to get back into it. s with anything from this editor, the job is professional every second.I am not enough of a Buck Rogers aficionado to have particularly strong views about the 1979-1981 Glen Larson series, and how it both recast and respected earlier iterations of the character. I honestly don't have strong views on how the series could or should be "fixed." Its fun, and imaginative, and has some very memorable parts. As a fan of old pulp characters including Buck Rogers (and Flash Gordon, who is, erm, let's call him a "tribute" to Buck), I like shows like this one, which show some respect to the originals but also try new things. Sure, I could do without Twiki, but I can also enjoy him. And if Twiki is the price of this series and this fanedit, I am willing to pay it in full.
So, thanks editor, for getting me to dust off my series DVDs and re-appreciate the series.
this fanedit emerges from,
and a lot of 1970s influences,
its hardly a grim-dark series.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
AVCHD
D
Overall rating
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
9.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
10.0
As a scifi kid of the 70s shows like Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica have a special place in my heart. Even with all the 70s-ness! Takes me back to that fun time as a kid. I remember watching season 2 of Buck and just not enjoying it as much as the first season. But there were a few little things that were still enjoyable. And pulling the flashback segments from season 2 and incorporating them here are great! Not only does this give us all the footage from the extended tv pilot (vs the theatrical cut), it adds those few other touches to expand on the story. While I could nitpick that there are kinda different explanations from the newly added scene, and the narration explaining what happened to Buck, my enjoyment of it just looks beyond that. And Buck's continuity was always a bit flexible.
Visuals look gorgeous and the pilot movie seemed to take itself a little more seriously than what the series later did. Great stuff and enjoyed all of it.
Visuals look gorgeous and the pilot movie seemed to take itself a little more seriously than what the series later did. Great stuff and enjoyed all of it.
D
Overall rating
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
9.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
10.0
It's part of every sci-fi or fantasy fanatic's early upbringing to be educated on not just the fiction giants like Buck Rogers, but on the Glen A. Larson library. I've seen just about all of them, and the first series of Buck Rogers was a highlight of repeat afternoons on BBC TWO in the UK during the late 90s. I wound up recording the theatrical version of the pilot around 1998, so I was quite versed in it. My memory of the TV version is a little more distant, but luckilly this edit retains the footage that might have slipped my mind.
There's also the inspired choice of using footage from season two episodes that gives us little extra 20th Century Buck before the accident overtakes him, as well as repurposing a dream sequence to tie in better with the themes of longing for home and losing someone before, and beyond, their time. I really dug this thematic choice for the narrative, and it's placement in the story timeline is well thought out.
About the only niggle I can find are the double credits, this occurs for a couple of names due to using footage from the TV version and comes directly after the credits used in the titles of the theatrical version...but I imagine things like this cannot be helped as a lot of the set-up for the rest of the episode that plays over those credits can't be cut, 'least it lead to a most confusing cut.
That issue aside, this is an action packed nostalgic flavour of 70s punch, and if, like me, you grew up on this, you'll be watching and wishing we could have a few centuries of life left to reach this one.
There's also the inspired choice of using footage from season two episodes that gives us little extra 20th Century Buck before the accident overtakes him, as well as repurposing a dream sequence to tie in better with the themes of longing for home and losing someone before, and beyond, their time. I really dug this thematic choice for the narrative, and it's placement in the story timeline is well thought out.
About the only niggle I can find are the double credits, this occurs for a couple of names due to using footage from the TV version and comes directly after the credits used in the titles of the theatrical version...but I imagine things like this cannot be helped as a lot of the set-up for the rest of the episode that plays over those credits can't be cut, 'least it lead to a most confusing cut.
That issue aside, this is an action packed nostalgic flavour of 70s punch, and if, like me, you grew up on this, you'll be watching and wishing we could have a few centuries of life left to reach this one.
Z