Okay. I know I'm a little late. This MCA Ltd. show has come and gone. But here is my tribute to The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space! A two hour syndicated Sci-Fi spoof movie. Set on the planet Pangea, some 400 light years from Earth, a band of courageous rebels battle the oppression of the evil Lord Vox (Ron Perlman) After their leader, Tyra (Liz Vassey), is captured the rebels scan the universe to find a hero to help them rescue their leader. They find such a hero by the name of Captain Zoom who is an interplanetary freedom fighter that battles for justice, who protects the oppressed and who never loses. Best yet he has a goofy but lovable sidekick by the name of Happy (Rick Copp). They waste no time in zapping the good Captain to Pangea with help from Baley (Gregory Smith), a young scientific genius. Unfortunately, Captain Zoom in nothing more than B grade actor Ty Farrell (Daniel Riordan) who plays the Captain in a live show in 1953 on the DuMont Network. Ty is a true anti-hero (a womanizer and a coward through and through), but priestess Sagan (Nichelle Nichols) disregards his story and instantly declares him as the Choose One (through an ancient prophecy about one who would come and free their world) Ty is thrown into real battles with real people using real weapons and all without the aide of a stuntman. Rounding off the rebel band is Simulus (Duane Davis), a masked warrior who was disfigured by Vox. A motherly robot called Alumina (voiced by Cathy Moriarty) And Starlet (Ciara Hunter) Vesper (Gia Carides), Vox's Evil High Priestess, is forced to join the rebels after she loses her mystical powers by doing, er, um... I don't think I want to get into that right now.
Though it doesn't translate very well here, Captain Zoom
stands very well as both comedy and action/adventure. The comedy
style is that of the original Batman TV Series (kids and adults
laugh at the same jokes but on different levels) While the action
and special effects are state of the art. I really enjoyed this
show. I only have one gripe: The loss of Happy, Vox and Vesper.
Still, if you happen to get a chance to catch this movie I urge
you to do so.
Note: If anyone has seen the show I'm needing additional
information for this page. I've only seen the show once and could
hardly find any information on the Net. But I'm looking for a
character description for Starlet (and any other characters I've
missed) Also the locations of any sound (I currently have 7.7
Meg) or image files (I currently have 1.6 Meg) from Captain Zoom,
and any URLs (sites on Internet) If you have anything please
notify me.
Also check out Max
Tash's Site (director of Captain Zoom)
Here is part of my library of pics from Captain Zoom:
Don't Work Up A Sweat: Tyra battles in the caves (you know those caves can put up a tough fight)
Enternal Damnation: Simulus wearing the head gear Vox has cursed him forever.
Have We Won Yet: Lord Vox waits impatiently on news of the final destruction of the rebels (Or maybe he is on the toliet. I'm not sure.)
Holy Complications Captain: Ty holds up an engine to his spaceship as Baley bolts it into place while Vesper makes an untimely pass at Ty (I should have these kinds of problems!)
I Get The Point: Ty fights the traitorous Simulus with swords as a group looks on (I wonder if they are the judges)
I Hate A Parade: Lord Vox marches into the sacrid temple and takes command (to the dismay of Ty, Simulus and the rest of the rebels)
IQ Boy: Baley in front of the spaceship always ready and willing to save the day (and the universe if needed)
Maybe I Should Have Joined The Other Side: Simulus, Sagan, Baley and the rest of the rebels meet Ty.
No, Really, I Am An Actor: Ty doing what he does best: Begging like the sniveling that he is (my hero)
Pic #1: Production photo of Gia Carides as Vesper.
Pic #2: Production photo of Nichelle Nichols as Sagan.
Pic #3: Production photo of Ron Perlman as Lord Vox.
Sick Minds Think Alike: Tyra and Ty in the caves, ready to fight (If Ty had his way I bet all the women would dress up like this)
Smile, You're On DuMont Camera: The Captain and Happy pose on the set of Captain Zoom circa 1953 (I WANT TO BE HAPPY!!!)
Sneaky Attack: Lord Vox's troops attack the rebels as they sleep! Do they die in the attack? (If so then this is a real short show)
Stop The Prop, I Want To Get Off: Captain Zoom poses on the world ready to protect and die for it (as long as he gets over scale)
They're Doomed: Tyra, Sagan, Vesper and Baley watch helplessly as Ty (off camera) fights for his and their freedom.
Time To Save The World Again I Guess: Captain Zoom battles the evil and wicked and not all that nice Lizard-Type King (Stuntman!)
Why Couldn't She Have Picked Me: Vesper and Ty is a, er, quiet moment (this is exactly how she lost her mystical powers)
Yes Ma: Baley with the overly mothering robot Alumina.
Since it appears that mine is the only Captain Zoom site on Internet I've gotten a lot of visitors. Mostly those looking for a copt of the show (which I can't suppy) But the most interesting have been these:
"Steve... this is your captain speeking. Captain Zoom
that is. A.K.A.
Daniel Riordan. I was flattered to find your concise and
appreciative
analysis of "The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer
Space" here on your
site as I watched my assistant surf the net.
Update on Zoom:
Universal is still very much committed to producing Zoom as a TV
series.
The interest overseas is great and backed by financial commitment
to the
project. However Universal has yet to find a domestic (US)
carrier for
he series (i.e. Starz / Encore, the original carrier of the Zoom
movie
that you saw) but they are actively negotiating with several
interested
TV outlets. Don't be dismayed. Zoom will rise again! Its unusual
for
there to be so much enthusiasm and energy expended by a large
studio
like Universal without a positive outcome. There is something
about Zoom
that people really dig and so we are all confident we will find a
home
on your TV dial.
In the mean time, catch me as Turbo Man in the feature film
"Jingle All
the Way," directed by Brian Levant, the creator and
executive producer
of "Captain Zoom." (Guess how I got the job!)
By the way, as a fan of Happy, you'll be interested to know he
was also
the cowriter of the show. And you're not his only fan. Happy got
the
highest "TVQ" of all the actors on "Zoom."
Consequently, future episodes
that have already been written in anticipation of the series
include
Happy's character as well as more of the 50's scenarios, which
were my
personal favorites as well.
That's all for now, Steve. Carry on with your brilliant analysis
and
sensibilities. It's people like you that make America (and my
career)
work.
Zoom On!
Dan"
"Just thought I'd drop you a note to say how much I
enjoyed the "Captain Zoom"
web site. As one of the writer/producers and actors
("Happy"), it was
gratifying to know there are people out there who watched it and
enjoyed it.
Maybe someday soon we'll be able to do a sequel. Shortly
after the movie
aired, we tried to get it off the ground as a series, but it fell
through at
the last minute. Anyway, thanks again. I thoroughly
enjoyed all the sound
bytes from the movie you included for the site."
"Dear Steven,
Believe it or not I am Captain Zoom and I am calling you to say
thank you
Steven for keeping the dream alive. As you probably know the show
was shot in
Vancouver BC in May of 1995. It was Brian Levants
brainchild. I read against
two hundred other actors to be the obnoxiously loveable, fragile
yet petty
Captain Zoom.
Seriously though I happened to be surfing the net with a friend
who is typing
to you now and we happened upon your tribute to Zoom. I am
in NY doing a
movie a new comedy called "The Waiting Game" written
and directed by Ken
Liotti.
Zoom was never officially shelved, there has always been alot of
interest and
you may be seeing new episodes now that Universal has bought the
Sci-Fi
Channel.
Best Regards,
Dan Riordan "Captain Zoom""
"Thank you for the kind words. I did check out your
site and it's
terrific.
Max Tash"
