Rating: 
Summary: A Great Reference Work!
Review: As a fan of The Outer Limits since a teenager in the early-
mid 1960s, I must congratulate David Schow on creating such a
comprehensive reference volume. Haven't had so much absorbing
fun since reading Bill Warren's "Keep Watching The Skies!"!Simply put, "The Outer Limits Companion" has given me much greater perspective and understanding of that enduring
Sci-Fi TV Series. So what was the dominant motif of The Outer Limits? This book
provides the answer: in the words of story editor Lou Morheim,
"...we wanted to say things that had both a dramatic and an
intellectual impact, and we were looking for ways to open people's minds to alien things - alien philosophies, creatures,
cultures." And more pointedly from actor Leonard Nimoy, "...The
Outer Limits routinely tested the resolve of human nature against alien true grit.". From the most "awesome and mysterious" (The Galaxy Being), to the most "dark and diabolical" (Nightmare), to the most "light
and whimsical" (Controlled Experiment), Schow evaluates each
episode in depth in an objective manner, while interspersing
revealing insights via views of the main participants. The biographical information was of particular interest. I was
taken aback by the high quality credentials and talent of many
of the show's participants. Perhaps the most accomplished elder,
Director Byron Haskin (War of the Worlds -1953), with his caustic anti-network stance, merits an entire book on his own
life! Plentiful photos and illustrations nicely complement the text,
while informative appendices and an index round out the book. I could go on and on, but will suffice here to say that "The Outer Limits Companion" is truly encyclopedic and will be sure to
titillate the afferent nerve endings of any Outer Limits aficionado.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Reference Work!
Review: As a fan of The Outer Limits since a teenager in the early-
mid 1960s, I must congratulate David Schow on creating such a
comprehensive reference volume. Haven't had so much absorbing
fun since reading Bill Warren's "Keep Watching The Skies!"! Simply put, "The Outer Limits Companion" has given me much greater perspective and understanding of that enduring
Sci-Fi TV Series. So what was the dominant motif of The Outer Limits? This book
provides the answer: in the words of story editor Lou Morheim,
"...we wanted to say things that had both a dramatic and an
intellectual impact, and we were looking for ways to open people's minds to alien things - alien philosophies, creatures,
cultures." And more pointedly from actor Leonard Nimoy, "...The
Outer Limits routinely tested the resolve of human nature against alien true grit.". From the most "awesome and mysterious" (The Galaxy Being), to the most "dark and diabolical" (Nightmare), to the most "light
and whimsical" (Controlled Experiment), Schow evaluates each
episode in depth in an objective manner, while interspersing
revealing insights via views of the main participants. The biographical information was of particular interest. I was
taken aback by the high quality credentials and talent of many
of the show's participants. Perhaps the most accomplished elder,
Director Byron Haskin (War of the Worlds -1953), with his caustic anti-network stance, merits an entire book on his own
life! Plentiful photos and illustrations nicely complement the text,
while informative appendices and an index round out the book. I could go on and on, but will suffice here to say that "The Outer Limits Companion" is truly encyclopedic and will be sure to
titillate the afferent nerve endings of any Outer Limits aficionado.
Rating:
Summary: How the Outer Limits changed my life...well, sort of
Review: Back in the era of Black and White television, a dark and scary show was broadcast that controlled our television sets and placed fear in our minds about the unknown and the possibility that alien life forms could be lurking around the corner. The Outer Limits worked on those fears and produced new phobias! An ordinary vacumn cleaner picks up a dust ball in the corner and produces an indestructable and violent electrical monster that can make you disappear! A saucer ride in an amusement park is producing mysterious sounds at 3AM in the morning and a lonely security guard checks it out only to find out that the spaceship is REAL and there is an alien on-board! Our poor guard is zapped into eternity! Micro waves combined with radio station power contact a creature from the Andromeda galaxy, who is drawn in by a power surge to haunt our neighborhood. I saw these episodes one by one and as a result....stayed clear of vacumn cleaners, especially industrial type shop vacs being operated by maids and always left balls of dust in corners alone, I never went on a single ride in an amusement park...it may be a source for alien abduction ... I stayed away from Radio stations with large towers. I also stayed away from old victorian houses in the country, because one episode featured an alien who was upstairs and the house was a trap for the alien to infest your mind and hold you prisoner, possibly forever! As each episode was broadcast, it was one more ordinary thing to stay away from! Thank God it did not last too many seasons or I might have been housebound forever! Anyway, this is a great book about the series and covers every angle about the writers, music and work that went into the show about special effects and scripts. One of the most innovative and challenging shows ever to broadcast, this book is the final word on the subject. Well recommended, but don't go near any amusement parks!
Rating:
Summary: Expericing the awe and mystery again
Review: David Schow's terrific overview of this classic television series is stuffed with illustrations many of them never published before. His critical assessment of the various episodes is always well informed (although there are a couple that I do disagree with very strongly). The most important thing is that this groundbreaking gothic science fiction/horror series is finally being appreciated. The Outer Limits was always a poor cousin to The Twilight Zone; critics preferred Rod Serling's O'Henry like twists and turns in the plot. Twilight Zone was a terrific series but it couldn't touch the one hour (or two hour)format. Likewise, the bulk of the audience preferred Serling's morality plays. What's fascinating is to compare and contrast the two--it's like comparing Steve Spielberg to Terry Gilliam; both are technically adept and brilliant filmakers but Gilliam's films have a dark vision missing, for the most part, from Spielberg's films. Spielberg always feels the need to lighten up even his darkest toned films. Gilliam has no such compunction. Time has been kinder to The Outer Limits than The Twilight Zone. The series had no peer as a 1 hour gothic science fiction/fantasy/horror program. What made the series so appealing and great was the contrast in styles between Leslie Stevens' science fiction plot driven tales and Joseph Stefano's dark character driven morality plays. Their collaboration on the series brought out the best of both writers/producers. Stevens created the series and let writer/producer Stefano do the day to day production of the show for the first season. The bulk of the most powerful episodes are from the first season. Stefano, like Rod Serling, had a hand in a large number of these scripts often writing originals, providing stories or rewriting other writers to make the episode fit the format, improve the drama or characters (or make it affordable to shoot). Schow interviewed all the major participants in the series and has a wealth of memos, original scripts and background information on the show. I'd also recommend the boxset DVD of The Outer Limits. It contains all the first season episodes on 4 two sided double layer discs. There aren't any extras to speak of (which is too bad given that Stefano, Martin Landau, Martin Sheen and many of the actors are still alive). The second season was more difficult for the show; Stefano left in a disagreement over pared down budgets and the demands to modify the series. There were still a number of outstanding episodes. One of the best episodes was Harlan Ellison's Demon with a Glass Hand. Robert Culp gives a startling, powerful performance in this episode. Ellison also contributed Solider (which was radically rewritten by others. It reflects the poor quality control at the time. Still, Solider has a number of interesting ideas and strong performances (chiefly Michael Ansara). The best episodes -- The Galaxy Being, The Man Who Was Never Born, It Crawled Out of the Woodwork, OBIT, Feasability Study,Nightmare, The Chameleon, Demon with a Glass Hand, The Inheritors, The Form of Things Unknown, The Sixth Finger and The Man with the Power all rival the best written shows from the 60's and 70's. The new verison of the series, while it has many admirable moments, is closer to The Twilight Zone in spirit and lacks the sharp, engaging writing/direction of the original series. The direction of The Outer Limits if often overlooked. Gerd Oswald, James Goldstone, Leslie Stevens and others strived to make the series look like short movies. Conrad Hall's and Kenneth Peach's distinctive cinematography created a vaguely European feel to many of these classics. Schow's book is worth it and would make a great three-fer gift with the first disc of the original soundtrack and the boxset.
Rating:
Summary: A BIBLE FOR OUTER LIMITS FANS
Review: FOR BABY BOOMERS WHO LOVED "THE OUTER LIMITS" TELEVISION PROGRAM, THIS INCREDIBLE TOME IS THE SECOND COMING. IT IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE GREATEST BOOK ABOUT A SINGLE TELEVISION SERIES EVER WRITTEN. OF COURSE THIS ALL MEANS NOTHING IF YOU DIDN'T LOVE THE SERIES. BUT IT MEANS EVERYTHING IF YOU DID. NEAR PERFECT IN EVERYWAY. A HARDBACK EDITION WOULD HAVE IMPROVED MATTERS BUT PROBABLY WAS COST PROHIBITIVE. IT HAS BEAUTIFUL GLOSSY PAPER WITH GREAT TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Rating:
Summary: Hey, It's Huge!!
Review: I have the 1986 original version of this book and I always thought that there was no need for this new reprint, also for its steep price.
One day after being one more time enthusiast of this Great Series I ordered it and I couldn't believe when I finally saw it, I was amazed! ^_^
It's got almost the same text of the original but it is totally filled with new pictures with incredible crystal clear quality, excellent paper, new interviews and brand new chapter. Every episode has 3/4 big-sized (and rare) pictures at least while
the old one had 1 only and sometimes 2. The old one was quite
small and this one is Giant-Sized! Love was surely put again in this new revision. It is like having a totally new and book!
The old one was an excellent treatment of the Series but they improved on it dramatically and thankfully didn't include the New 1995 Series!!!
It's totally worth its price and a must for any fan of the series even if already owning the original companion.
Buy it while you can and before it goes out of print again!
Rating:
Summary: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR LIBRARY
Review: If this book is on a shelf within it. I have a badly beaten copy of the original Outer Limits Companion, and this re-release of that tome only reinforces the quality, production values and casting that made the Outer Limits the penultimate in 60's TV. The book is big, bad and glossy, with a visual impact that will please any die-hard Outer Limits fan.Have you ever wondered why the music changed quality and character after the first season? Why the production values went through the basement? What happened to Vic Perrin, the Control Voice? Answers to these and other questions can be found in the pages of this magnificent volume. You must buy the OUTER LIMITS First Season DVD collection as a visual and auditory companion to the book, or vice-versa. Long Live Vic Perrin!!!
Rating:
Summary: The One, the Only, Accept No Substitutes.
Review: If you're reading this review, you've probably already bought the book - and anyone reviewing the book is obviously a fan, so five stars goes without saying. This book covers the original 1963-65 United Artists/ABC series, which is far superior to the Showtime/Sci-Fi Channel contemporary show of the same name (though it is often quite good, as well). Schow's companion is such an in-depth study of everything that went into the making of this incomparable T.V. series, it should be used as a textbook in television production classes. The behind the scenes information is fascinating, especially in regards to studio politics, production problems, and even difficulties with sponsors due to show content (a face cream company wanted to yank its advertising spot for one episode, which dealt with gross disfigurement). Interviews with principals before and behind the cameras are plentiful, and the candid shots (not to mention production promos) are wonderful. But you hardly need to know that. You've already bought it.
Rating:
Summary: Overwhelming/fascinating, just a few "buts"...
Review: Since I generally agree with all of the previous positive reviews of David Schow's "The Outer Limits Companion", the only things I can really add here will be the (rare) negative sides I managed to find to it. Let me first insist, notwithstanding any of my following comments: NO true fan of the original "The Outer Limits" B&W series, existing or - hopefully - to come, should go through life without owning this wonderful, thorough and indispensable companion book! It is just that I expected so much out of it after having read and heard such ultra-raving comments - and having never before even SEEN the former print - that I wound up a little disappointed about SOME aspects of this edition. First, I found the overall reproduction quality of the video frames taken from the episodes a bit low key. There are a few unpleasant editing bloops, not so much typos as whole chunks of paragraphs or sentences repeated twice, a typical problem in this "on screen editing" era. And this already hefty serving of a manual is somewhat overloaded with NOT ALWAYS essential stills depicting various phases of monster make-up jobs (especially when concerning the more mundane ones instead of the reputed classics!), fans wearing auction sold costumes as well as some industrial monstermania byproduct trash that I could do without. Moreover, I would have liked to learn more about the actual appreciation, the personal feelings of the author with regards to the show's individual episodes (which, absurdly, you will have to roam some obscure corners of cyberspace to get a real taste of), its dramatic changing of the guard between the classic 1st season and the not so classic 2nd, and at last, of the program as a whole. The subject is obscure enough that given that there is only one (English language?) book around devoted to it, as a first time reader, I expected more insights from the author himself, more out-front, open biases, even if this is not the usual approach of "companion type" literature. But then this is not a usual book, nor is it dedicated to an usual type Sci-Fi TV show in any fashion... It is also for me incomprehensible that the music of Harry Lubin - the pedestrian 2nd season of the show's soundtrack composer, which I personally can't have, "Glass Hand" or not... (all sounds written/played as it goes along anyway!) - gets an actually more detailed musicological analysis than the work of 1st season composer and musical director - THE one - Dominic Frontiere! Forget that the average fan on the street can MORE EASILY recall and hum Lubin's electronic theme! Of all the existing fans of Hitchcock's "Psycho", how many could recall and hum Bernard Herman's credits theme?! (Especially if the movie would have had a more mundane immediate follow-up, with a lower-rent, easier to remember signature tune, such as is the case with tOL...) Mind you, Frontiere's era nevertheless gets a priceless day-by-day sessions insight treatment and lots of details on the instrumentation of the pieces recorded, which is really cool, to say the least... But this is a technical account and no so much insights on the construction of the themes and cues as you will actually get with Lubin's music! Also, you will count me among those unfathomable souls (all right, so I'm alone!) who would have preferred the episode guide to follow the order of the original broadcast dates. Not that I do not appreciate the chronological account of the PRODUCTION of the eps, but IMO this should have been an "extra" only, a separate listing, and not the other way around. (Of course, a huge part of the book would then have had to be reorganized differently!) The way it is set here follows a genesis or strict historical development pattern that felt a bit hefty for me to swallow at first reading... Not enough user-friendly. And I am of the opinion that a work of art (television included) exists from the moment it is received by the target public, like any form of communication act. That is why such or such episode, for me, existed from the day it was aired and not from the day it was canned. That's it: no more criticisms for "The Outer Limits Companion"!! It IS fabulous, thorough, full of humor and enlightening (on many aspects of American television production and history too, and not just for this cult series) and is a must-buy for any true fan of tOL as well as any student or researcher on the history of American (heck, even Canadian!) entertainment medias, not to mention on the many tOL original craftsmen that further distinguished themselves in cinema, radio or on Broadway, before and after this show's run (cinematographer extraordinaire Conrad Hall [recent Oscar recipient for "American Beauty"], director Gerd Oswald, scriptwriter Joseph Stefano - of "Psycho" fame - and stage writer Leslie Stevens [both respectively producer and creator/exec. producer of the original tOL series], TV superstars of the 60s and 70s David McCallum and Martin Landau, to name just a few). I am also grateful for Mr. Schow to have written this, originally, in 1986, which I hear had such an impact initially that it must have had a lot to do with MGM/UA's decision to issue the whole series in home video format. I happen to live in one of those parts of the world where the syndicated original tOL has just never aired for ages, and neither does any decently transferred, foreign language version full run of the show, and those MGM home videos have been the only means for me to rediscover the series in recent years, as an adult viewer.
Rating:
Summary: Superb series, superb book
Review: This book exceeded my expectations. I love the original Outer Limits with its film noir science fiction mixture. Eternal black and white photography and great music. The book goes into incredible detail on scripts, scores, authors and artists. My appreciation of the show is even greater now that I have poured over Mr. Schow's book. If you care for the show you MUST own this book!
| 
