Press Releases
Blackstar and Space Sentinels Coming To DVD
By Hervé St.Louis
June 23, 2006 - 23:51




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Hot on the trail of DVD releases of She-Ra and Master of The Universe, BCI-Eclipse’s Ink and Paint division is bringing two other classic cartoon series to DVD. The first is the entire thirteen episode run of Space Sentinels and The Freedom Force. The second is Black Star. Both collections are scheduled to arrive in stores on August 22, 2006.

Space Sentinels and The Freedom Force is the story of super-strong Hercules, shape-changing beauty Astrea, and lightning-fast Mercury, three young Earthlings who were transported to an otherworldly domain centuries ago. There, the cosmic computer entity known as Sentinel One granted them astounding powers and eternal youth. Now, they protect the human race from super-villains, marauding aliens, tampering time-travelers, and vengeful deities. The trio of heroes have become legends, guarding mankind as… the Space Sentinels!

The series—which aired in the 1977-78 television season—was ahead of its time with its racially diverse cast of a Nordic male (Hercules); an African-American woman (Astrea) and an Asian male (Mercury). During the 1978-79 television season, an equally diverse set of heroes was created as "The Freedom Force." That show included an animated version of ultra-popular live-action super-heroine Isis, star of "The Secret of Isis."

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“The Freedom Force” features five legendary heroes. Joining the returning strongman Hercules are the magician Merlin, super-adventurer Sinbad, armored giant of the East, Super Samurai, and the beauteous Egyptian heroine known as Isis! Headquartered in the sandswept Valley of Time, this powerful quintet defends humanity, using their awesome powers to defeat magical menaces, rampaging robots, and mythological threats. Together, they are The Freedom Force!

In “Blackstar,” when his space shuttle is pulled through a black hole, astronaut John Blackstar finds himself crash-landing on the distant planet Sagar. There, he is rescued by the gentle Trobbits, a race small in stature but big in courage. Sagar's inhabitants are threatened by the brutal tyranny of the Overlord, a dark magician who possesses the Power Sword, one half of the powerful Powerstar. Blackstar soon gains the other half of the weapon, the Star Sword, and allies himself with others — the shape-shifter Klone, the sorceress, Mara, and a dragon named Warlock — to bring freedom and peace to Sagar.

Each DVD collection contains a two-disc set and includes extras such as interviews, model sheet galleries and Spanish language tracks. No French tracks for Canadian audiences were included though.