Gerry Anderson's UFO series was very popular in Italy and this led to five dubbed compilation films being released there in the 1970s, giving Italian viewers a chance to see the show not just on TV but on cinema screens. This one was released in 1976 and is a bizarre concoction of various episodes including briefer sequences from others interspersed into them.

This does have the original TV titles and music followed by space footage from "The Cat With Ten Lives". A scene of a UFO exploding then leads into the credits which roll over images from some of the episodes used in the film. The chief episodes used are "Confetti Check A-OK", "Flight Path" and "A Question of Priorities". However sequences from others such as "The Psychobombs", "Kill Straker!" and "The Square Triangle" are inserted at various points.

There would have been an obvious link between "Confetti" and "A Question of Priorities" with both focusing on Straker's relationship with his wife and son. However the producers decided for no obvious reason to sandwich "Flight Path" in between them. As is common with compilation films the material is obviously disjointed. This becomes even more so with the extra insertions of clips or brief scenes from other episodes. Whether these were added to extend the length of the "film" or - more likely - to add extra action is unknown. Some of these involve Moonbase under attack and maybe these were intended to live up to the film title although only one of the three core episodes used focused on this. Perhaps the strangest choice is to insert one of these attacks into the concluding scenes from "A Question of Priorities" which was one of the show's most significant and poignant episodes and certainly didn't need any "extra drama".

Another strange feature is the use of music by John Barry from James Bond films at various point in the narrative. It's been suggested this occurred due to the compilers mixing up John Barry with original composer Barry Gray! Whether or not this was the case the "new" music works well and is certainly less jarring than the synthesiser music used on the "Invasion: UFO" compilation released in 1980.

Ultimately these compilations are all now historical curiosities as the original full episodes are all now readily available on DVD, Blu-Ray or on streaming services. These are certainly superior ways to watch the show today but the compilations are still worth seeing as a reminder of how it was marketed and screened in the past.

Italian cinema has deeply influenced world cinema through its socially conscious realism and modernist experimentation, but it also flourished in popular genres like peplum (sword & sandal), giallo thrillers, and broad comedies. Its narratives often weave together politics, contemporary social change, class consciousness, and family dynamics, balancing artistic ambition with entertainment that resonated widely.

Lamberto Maggiorani in Bicycle Thieves (1948)

The action genre features fast-paced, thrilling, and intense sequences of physical feats, combat, and excitement. The characters of these stories are involved in daring and often dangerous situations, requiring them to rely on their physical prowess, skills, and quick thinking to overcome challenges and adversaries.

The sci-fi genre, short for science fiction, features imaginative and futuristic concepts that are often rooted in scientific principles, technology, and possibilities. These stories delve into "what if" questions and can serve as a platform to address contemporary social, political, and ethical issues by projecting them onto future or alternate settings.

James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

In a mix of clips from TV episodes, SHADO is facing terribile threats, and Straker's life could be incompatible with these.

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Ufo... Annientate Shado Uccidete Straker... Stop

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Michael Billington, Ed Bishop, and Wanda Ventham in UFO: Allarme rosso... Attacco alla Terra! (1973)

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