I remember watching this show every Saturday, and when the movie _Damnation Alley (1977)_ (qv) ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075909/ ) was being marketed (and eventually made it to tv), I was 'excited' by the sight of the Ark being used in a movie. But, when comparing trivia between this show and the movie, it is said that the vehicle is made by two different companies, like they are not the same vehicle. They do look the same, don't they? Are they not the same?
shareThey're similar, but I believe {according to the disc} that the ARK was built from the ground up....{specifically for the show}.
"I need you to intervene!"-Helen Parr/Elastigirl, The Incredibles, 2004
I remember reading a lot about the construction of the vehicle in Damnation Alley, also specially built for the movie. the key feature was the rotating wheel assembly. when they hit an obstacle like a large rock or small boulder that would ordinarily make the vehicle stop, the wheel assembly would rotate and roll over the obstacle.
when I saw it in the theatre, it was a cool movie. seeing it recently on Fox Movie Channel...what the....? I liked this? ((;0) But this movie is a prime example of a movie that would benefit from having it's efx redone. the bad efx take away from the thin story, maybe it would be more enjoyable with better efxs. (Why fix star wars which had great efx, fix the movies with bad efxs).
"when I saw it in the theatre, it was a cool movie. seeing it recently on Fox Movie Channel...what the....? I liked this? ((;0) But this movie is a prime example of a movie that would benefit from having it's efx redone. the bad efx take away from the thin story, maybe it would be more enjoyable with better efxs. (Why fix star wars which had great efx, fix the movies with bad efxs)."
Oh, come on now...How can you not like the brilliantly done giant scorpion scene...they looked like they were really there!
I'm sure if Damnation Alley was a Lucas film he would have gone back and redid the effects. And if it was a Spielberg film he probably would have changed the vehicles to giant walkee-talkees.
Personally I love the film because of it's cheesiness...silly effects and all(Same goes for The Martian Chronicles, which I don't think would have quite the same charm without the cheesy silver rockets- I keep expecting Buster Crabbe to show up). Instead of going back and redoing the effects on Damnation Alley, I'd rather see someone do a closer adaption of Roger Zelazny's novel.
My head hurts, my teeth itch, my feet stink, and I don't love Jesus.share
"Instead of going back and redoing the effects on Damnation Alley, I'd rather see someone do a closer adaption of Roger Zelazny's novel."
I'm surprised no-one ever has, but maybe the fact that the movie that was made was such a notable flop has dissuaded anyone from trying. I seem to recall Zelazny saying he wrote the novel in a weekend on vacation, but it was still a pretty good read.
"but maybe the fact that the movie that was made was such a notable flop has dissuaded anyone from trying."
That's a good point.
I don't exactly call a disappearing raw chicken a murder attempt.share
No, they're very different vehicles. Though it was the comparison between the two that brought me to this show... for all its problems, what I've seen of 'Ark 2' is certainly more intelligent than 'Damnation Alley' :).
So, where is it now? Anybody know if it has survived? As an antique car buff, and a vehicle buff in general, one of my interests has always been movie and TV show vehicles. The Ark is one I've never been able to find anything out about. That cool Dodge wagon on 'The Wonder Years", BJ's semi on "BJ & the Bear", etc.... Interesting stuff if you're into it. Thanks! -The Wagonnut
shareIt was for years parked in a lot on Lankershim, visible from the 101 freeway as you headed into downtown L.A. But it's been gone from there for a decade or more.
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I think we saw it in "Get a Life", the Chris Elliot show. It might have been used as "Paperboy 2000", an automated newspaper delivery vehicle that played a song (like an ice cream truck) and fired newspapers into peoples yarks.
Not a dignified use if its the same vehical, but a nice cameo.
Here is further info, lifted from wiki
>>The series is best-remembered for its titular vehicle: a futuristic six-wheeled combination RV and mobile laboratory. The vehicle was built from a fiberglass body on a garbage/dump truck chassis by the Brubaker Group. It is sometimes incorrectly reported that the Ark II was built by Dean Jeffries, who constructed various fantastic vehicles for science-fiction films and television. These include the Landmaster for the film Damnation Alley, with which the Ark II is sometimes confused. The front end of the Ark II prop was later re-used as the nose portion of the Seeker spacecraft in the Filmation series Space Academy.
In addition, the series also featured futuristic inventions such as a jetpack called the Jet Jumper, and the Ark Roamer, a smaller, 4-wheeled all-terrain vehicle built by Brubaker from a modified Brubaker Box (a kit car using a Volkswagen Beetle chassis).<<
The Roamer (according to the DVD commentary) was built on a Volkswagen Thing chassis, not a Beetle or a Volkswagen van as stated in the trivia here. The Thing was cool. You could buy it and reconfigure it (doors, no doors, spots, no spots). Fun concept, and one still sees them around today on the road occasionally.
sharePaperboy 2000 was the vehicle from Damnation Alley. It was painted white though, so I can see why it could be easily confused.
shareThe Ark and the Landmaster are not related. But do play on the then new concept of the super RV. Stripes has one in it too. Strange New World had the really strangely designed Vespa vehicle as well. Some pretty nifty craft from the shows back then.
I know the Landmaster and Roamer have been both recovered and rebuilt. But havent had any confirmation of the Ark surviving past 2000. Hopefully it has somewhere. Looking at the episodes it wouldnt be impossible to build a re-creation of it with much better handling and chasis now than back then.