The Outer Limits - The Original Series, Season 2 (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)I grew up with this show, as many of you have I suspect. It would be easy to review this in a nostalgic haze and give it 5 stars "just because". However, I have taken a step back and have reviewed each episode rationally, based on budget, cast, writers, etc. Along the way, it may appear as though I am overly concerned with the "not-so-special-effects" of the series but trust me, it is a point of minor contension. Still, since great effect based movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes are barely three years away, I can't shake the notion that if the purse-strings were relaxed a little and it would have paid off big for a show that seemed doomed from the start. Often, the show could rise above it all, with superb acting, like in the first seasons "The Mutant", but why make a show work harder than necessary and potentially leave an accomplished actor looking foolish and silly?
Picture/sound/packaging: 4/5 Dissappointing yet predictable lack of 5.1 DD remastered sound. Original Star Trek seems to have proven to be the exception and not the rule in so far as sound. The picture is often nice, but varies from scene to scene on certain eps. I have no problem with the way the packaging is put together. So many complaints about the two sided discs? None here. And I think the packaging color scheme is an excellant compliment to Season One. My only real complaint is the cancellation of this series in the middle of season two, gosh, at least let the season finish!
--Episodes--Season 2--
(I consider 3 and above good, 2 or below poor.)
Soldier: 5/5
Cold Hands, Warm Heart: 2.5/5
Behold Eck!: 1/5
Expanding Human: 2.5/5
Cry of Silence: 3.5/5
Demon With a Glass Hand: 3/5
Wolf 359: 4/5
I, Robot: 4/5
The Invisible Enemy: 1/5
The Inheritors 1&2: 5/5
Keeper of the Purple Twilight: 3.5/5
Counterweight: 2/5
The Brain of Col. Barham: 1.5/5
The Premonition: 2.5/5
The Duplicate Man: 3.5/5
The Probe: 2.5/5
Wrap-up:
Still, in spite of all the hokey props, there lurks delicious camera angles, glorious sound, odd lighting, and most importantly, a fun sense of adventure that has all but since evaporated from the airwaves. In spite of the 3 stars, I cannot reccommend this set enough. Not because I'm caught like "the enemy" in the never-never, but because I'm trapped in a time period that uses "effects" to convey awe and mystery instead of imagination. The Outer Limits is a welcome look back at a future gone by.

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You hold in your hands an artifact from a time now vanished forever – a compendium of portals into worlds unknown. A three-disc set that controls over 14 hours of transmission from the 1964-65 series, this vessel has sought you out for one specific purpose: to expand your mind to "The Outer Limits"!

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The Outer Limits - The Original Series, Season 1 (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)With talents like Joseph Stephano and Leslie Stephens as producers, some of the best Sci-Fi Writers and a lot of talented 60's actors and even actors that went on to great fame like Robert Culp, David McCallum, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall and Martin Landau, this was one of the first quality Sci-Fi series.
Twilight Zone was out there, but at times it was not really pure Sci-Fi, often more mysterious and horror, Thriller hosted by Boris Karloff (PLEASE PUT THESE OUT on DVD) were pure horror and the long running Alfred Hitchcock Present was straight mystery, so SCI-FI fans were captivated from the opening line with that mysterious voice telling you your telly has been taken over for the next 60 minutes. The acting was top notch, the writing literate and thought provoking, and you will even see many of the episodes were later cannibalised later to make movies, such as SOLDIER with Michael Anshara, repackaged in the 80's as The Terminator. To think you get 32 original episodes on 4 double-sided discs is just amazing.
There are a few puppies in the series...In the second year of the series Stephano played a less controlling interest. He believed in thoughty mind twisting Sci-Fi, while Stevens wanted the monster of the week, so some monsters did get a little Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea-ish (Think they even shared a couple with monster doing double time!). But all in this in one super buy is a must for all those Baby Boomers that would once more would like their telly taken over.
Warning to those who have not seen the series, these are vintage, high quality Black & White episodes. I think it adds to the spookiness as they could film in lower light, creating those sinister shadows.

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You hold in your hands an artifact from a time now vanished forever - a compendium of portals into worlds unknown. A four-disc set that controls over 27 hours of transmission from the 1963-64 series, this vessel has sought you out for one specific purpose: to expand your mind to "The Outer Limits"!

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The Outer Limits Original Series Complete Box Set Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my second review in as many that has given a zero to the poor packaging and contents and higher marks to the show itself.Let's take a look at the show first and then we'll take a look at the rest.
This is one of the top Sci-Fi shows ever to appear on television.Created by Leslie Stevens and Joe Stefano the show made its' premiere in Sept. of 1963 and WHAT a premiere it was."The Galaxy Being" certainly scared the living begeesus out of me and I will never forget that.The whole look and feel was totally different and it definitely was not The Twilight Zone but a deep and darker version of it.Nothing that intense had been seen on TV before and nothing would equal it's impact for many years.The show was directly helmed by the team of Stefano and Stevens with Dominic Frontieres' great scoring in the background through all of season one.When Season two arrived all three had departed and were replaced by others.The format underwent minor changes but it basically stayed true to its' roots.The entire story is detailed wonderfully in the "Outer Limits Companion" by David Schow and Jeff Frentzen.
Some prefer one season over the other but there is much to recommend both.Season one has its' "Galaxy Being","The Zanti Misfits","Second Chance" ,"Production and Decay of Strange Particles" and "A Feasibility Study".Season Two "The Inheritors-Parts 1&2","Keeper of the Purple Twilight" and one of the entire series top eps "The Demon with the Glass Hand".The series is filled with many well known actors like Cliff Robertson,Ted Knight,Robert Culp,Ed Asner,Eddie Albert,Robert Duvall and so many more.There is also a huge Star Trek connection as William Shatner,Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan would all make appearances,along with many of the future shows supporting actors.The ep "Production and Decay..." contains at least five future Trek actors at once,including Leonard Nimoy!
The show never had a big budget and many of the shows today look dated as a result but in quite a few like "Demon...",the props are totally minimal and it is the great script,direction and acting that more than compensate for any shortcomings in the special effects department.That the show could do so much with so little at times,is a testament to the skill of everyone involved.
It is so unfortunate it only lasted two short seasons as the show should have gone many more.As one ep in the first season states:"Maybe young people are the only ones who listen and understand-you can't reach a closed mind".And so it was,as the almighty ratings beast dictated to the head network honchos just how they ought to proceed with shows;promising or not.The biggest shows' fans were the younger gen of the time who did write in frequently praising the show but it was the adults in the end who controlled the decision making of what to watch and they weren't generally impressed with the show;at least not enough for ABC to continue with it.To top this,in the second season it was put up against the ever popular(among the entire family) Jackie Gleason Show;and Gleason wasn't going anywhere.The show may have been cancelled but it has continued in syndication ever since staying in the collective memories of those who first saw it and gaining new fans along the way.
Now let's look at the presentation.The one thing positive about this new set is the price.The original release about eight years ago broke the series into two release sets and both at the same price(at least $10 higher than this set per season!).Everything else goes down hill from here.MGM has decided in their "wisdom" to re-release this set again in the double sided disc format.BAD choice,period.As I stated in my other recent review Universal and MGM(among others) have a fondness for this type of release;it is cheap and yields the greastest profit.DVDs are notoriously scuff and scratch prone and that alone should preclude any such release of this type if these companies actually cared about the product and consumers.
The second thing about this "new" set is...that it isn't.I do not see any difference in the transfer of this product onto DVD from the original release sets."A Feasibility Study" was particlularly grainy in the first release and it remains so in this one and all other eps with any excesses in this area are also the same.So the question presents itself:"Why?".Why would MGM not remaster these eps like they should be,after all this time?
I can certainly recommend the series itself as a groundbreaking one of its' day,as many of the eps still hold up very well,despite the budgetary restrictions.But it gets a zero as far as release presentation goes.It certainly is cheaper than the original release sets but it is just a simple re-packaging of the material on hand.Shame on MGM.

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Disc 1: The Outer Limits Vol. 1 Disc 1 Disc 2: The Outer Limits Vol. 1 Disc 2 Disc 3: The Outer Limits Vol. 2 Disc 1 Disc 4: The Outer Limits Vol. 2 Disc 2 Disc 5: The Outer Limits Vol. 3 Disc 1 Disc 6: The Outer Limits Vol. 3 Disc 2 Disc 7: The Outer Limits Vol. 3 Disc 3

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The Outer Limits (The New Series) - Sex & Science Fiction (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)This DVD contains six episodes from the second science fiction anthology series called The Outer Limits (the first series aired 1963-1965 on ABC). The Outer Limits television series aired on Showtime from 1995-2001 and then on the SciFi Channel from 2001-2002 (its last season). The series was an anthology series because the episodes rarely had any connection with each other, though there were occasions when storylines carried over to more than one episode, though sometimes these continuations of the story came seasons apart (which is easier to see on the Time Travel collection of episodes). I was unaware of the Showtime connection with the series, and had only seen episodes on SciFi, so this warning: there is nudity on four of these six episodes.
Special Features: On Side A: Outer Limits Story; and episode featurettes; on Side B: episode featurettes and "The Outer Limits of Sex and Science Fiction." (Don't forget to manually turn over the DVD or you will miss the other 2 episodes and featurettes (I had to physically turn over the DVD disc to see the side B stuff, maybe other DVD players can read both sides).
1) "Caught in the Act" - This episode is about a woman that is infected with an alien creature and finds herself with an uncontrollably need to mate (she had previously been "saving herself" for marriage). She "plays the field" and absorbs her partners into her, literally. The woman's boyfriend tries to help her. This 1995 season one episode (number 17 overall) stars a more healthy looking Alyssa Milano (as Hannah Valesic; TV: Who's the Boss; Charmed), Jason London (Jay Patton; Movies: Carrie 2; Dracula III: The Legacy), Saul Rubinek (Professor ; who appears in several Outer Limits episodes; Movies: The Singing Detective; Rush Hour 2), Garry Chalk (Detective Barnett; Movie: Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2) and features Stephen Fanning (Karl; Movie: Father Xmas), Kavan Smith (Quarterback; Movie: Mission to Mars), Fred Henderson (John), Sarah Strange (Lisa), Shaun Johnston (Cop), Larry Musser (Clerk), and Garry Davey (Doctor). This episode was written by Rob Forsyth and contains female nudity. (4.34)
2) "Bits of Love" - This episode takes place around 2047 and is about a man that is in an underground bunker trying to survive after "the bombs dropped." The man has turned his bunker into a virtual reality simulation, somewhat like those simulators in Star Trek (though in this particular VR system, the man has to get into a special capsule to be able to touch the other characters in the program). This 1997 season three episode (1st of season) stars Jon Tenney (Aiden Hunter; Movies: Free Will 2; Beverly Hills Cop III; Lassie), Matthew Walker (Dad, Trevor Hunter), Sheila Larken (Mom, Francis Hunter; TV: Marcus Welby, MD; The X-Files), Steve Bacic (Griff Hunter; TV: Andromeda) and Natasha Henstridge (as Emma) and features Ingrid Kavelaars (Nicole; 1987 Miss Teen London; Movie: Dreamcatcher; TV: Jeremiah), Crystal Cass (Claire; Movies: American Dragons; Disturbing Behavior), and Brett Stone (Michelle; Due East). This episode was written by James Crocker (Twilight Zone; Stargate SG-1; Lois & Clark; ST:DS9; Simon & Simon; The Rockford Files), and contains female nudity. (4.34)
3) "Valerie 23" - This episode is about a man in a wheelchair that has been working on synthetic skin for a company. It turns out that the company has been creating a realistic android "companion," and the man is asked to test out the android. The man is reluctant but eventually agrees to test the machine as he is lonely. This 1995 season one episode (third overall episode) stars William Sadler (as Frank; TV: Wonderfalls), Sofia Shinas (as Valerie; Mary 25 in episode 4.15 of Outer Limits; Planet of the Pitts), Tom Butler (as Charlie; Freddy vs. Jason) and Nancy Allen (as Rachel Rose; Robocop; 1941; Carrie) and features Paula Shaw (Executive; Insomnia; Freddy vs. Jason), and Bruce Harwood (Technician, X-Files; Lone Gunmen; The Fly II). This episode was written by Jonathan Glassner (TV: Stargate SG-1; CSI: Miami; The Invisible Man; 21 Jump Street), and contains female nudity. (4.35)
4) "The Human Operators" - One of the few episodes in this collection that I had seen before, but only on SciFi, where it had been heavily edited (despite the heavy editing, I was slightly annoyed when I saw the episode on SciFi). This annoyance stemmed from the fact that I had seen previous episodes of this series on SciFi, had found them to be quite good, and praised the series to a relative. The first, and maybe only episode that this relative watched was this one, which I watched for the first time with them. I was somewhat embarrassed by the sexual nature of this episode. Well, years later, I've seen this episode again, and find that it is actually enjoyable. The episode is about intelligent spaceships (warships) that travel the stars trying to keep out of detection range of humans (they had been under the control of humans, and only came "alive" while under their control). These spaceships keep one human on-board to make repairs, and on occasion meet up with other ships so that they (the ships) can get their humans to mate to create the next generation of humans. The humans are treated quite badly. This 1999 season 5 episode (7th episode of the season) stars Jack Noseworthy (Man; Movies: Encino Man; Alive; TV: Elivs), Polly Shannon (Human Operator of Starfighter-88; Movie: Harvard Man), David Kaye, Noah Heney (Man's Father; Snow Falling on Cedars) and Malcolm McDowell (as the voice of Ship; Movies: A Clockwork Orange; Caligola; Blue Thunder; Milk Money). This episode was written by Naren Shankar (The Chronicle; Night Visions; UC: Undercover; CSI; Farscape; ST: Voyager; SeaQuest DSV; ST:DS9; ST:TNG) based on the short story by Harlan Ellison & A.E. van Vogt. This episode contains female nudity. (4.20)
5) "Skin Deep" - This episode is about a man, Sid Camden, that sees himself as being intelligent, but quite unattractive. Sid works for a company that has come up with a new product, which he is allowed to test out in the world. This product allows Sid to take on the shape of any human that has been recorded by it (there are some size and dimension requirements). Sid likes the device and abuses it (by, along with other things, pretending to be Chad Warner). This 2000 season 6 episode stars Adam Goldberg (Sid Camden; TV: Friends; Movies: Mr. Saturday Night; Son in Law; Edtv), Christiana Cox (Deb; Movies: Better than Chocolate; Jane Doe; The Chronicles of Riddick), Antonio Sabato jr (Chad Warner; TV: Earth 2; Joey), and Deanna Milligan (Gail) and featuring Linden Banks (Hal Taylor), Ted Cole (Chris), Claude Duhamel (Grant), Keith Provost (Bartender), Gaetana Korbin (Deb Model). This was written by Scott Peters (The 4400; Tracker; Highlander). No nudity. (4.25)
6) "Flower Child" An alien life form arrives on earth in the form of a plant. After taking over an apartment (after "eating" the former occupant), the plant grows into the form of a woman and attempts to lead the invasion for her alien plant-like kind. A couple move in next door and are entangled in her plot. This 2001 SciFi episode stars Jeremy London (Chris; Gods and Generals), Rebecca Reichert (Mia; The Perfect Score), Judy Tylor (Violet; Suddenly Naked), Kavan Smith (Allan), and Ken Tremblett (Tom; Pursued) and featuring James Cresceno (Sylvano; American Dragons) and Christina Jastzembska (Mary; Final Destination 2). This episode was written by Jeffrey Hirschfield (Starhunter 2300; Singles Court; Lexx; Mundo del Lundo, El). No nudity except behind a foggy shower door. (3.83)

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Caught in the Act:Hannah Valesic (Alyssa Milano) has a killer body...literally! When the formerly chaste beauty is taken over by a sinister force, her appetite for men becomes insatiable ? and murderous! Can her loving boyfriend put an end to her killing spree?Bits of Love:Earth's sole survivor, artist Aiden Hunter (Jon Tenney), has created a beautiful hologram, Emma (Natasha Henstridge), for companionship. But when Emma expresses an urgent desire for a baby, will she sever his cord to reality?Valerie 23:Can a little jealously be a good thing? Not for Rachel Rose (Nancy Allen), a physical therapist whose life is threatened when she comes between her paraplegic patient and his amorous robotic companion who is programmed to remove any obstacle that stands in her way.The Human Operators:Like other Star Fleet vessels, Ship (voice of Malcolm McDowell) has evolved and now controls the only human (Jack Noseworthy) aboard. But the relationship takes a dramatic turn when man fights machine in a desperate bid for freedom!Skin Deep:When a prototype image enhancer allows Sid Camden to transform himself into a handsome co-worker (Antonio Sabato, Jr.), he quickly begins enjoying the life his average looks denied him. But he soon discovers there's more to his new reflection than meets the eye.Flower Child:Alien plant life arrives on Earth, blossoming into the form of a beautiful woman who roots herself into the lives of Chris (Jeremy London) and his fiancée. But if Chris allows this new love to bloom, will he plant the seed for her species to rule the planet?

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