Rating: 
Summary: Second season full of potential cut short
Review: The second season of The Outer Limits featured some of the finest episodes of the series and also some of the worst; Harlan Ellison's Demon With A Glass Hand and his compromised Solider were two strong highlights. With the departure of Joseph Stefano, the original vision of Stefano and creator/producer Leslie Stevens slipped and the series became host to increasingly absurd premises.Ellison's two episodes make this second set worth picking up. Demon With A Glass Hand features a brilliant performance by Robert Culp. Culp plays a character who has no memory of who he is. Wandering the streets of an unnamed city, he is attacked by a humanoid alien. He discovers that he is the last survivor of humanity from the future. Oh, and Trent (Culp)has a distinguishing feature that would be hard to miss--he has a computer attached to him shaped like his forearm and hand. Evidently the missing fingers will provide the clues he needs to defeat these aliens chasing him from the future. There's one catch; the aliens have the remaining fingers which have much of the computer's memory. Solider (which, along with The first season classic The Man Who Was Never Born and Ellison's Demon With a Glass Hand became the inspiration for James Cameron's The Terminator)concerns a solider (marvelously played by Michael Ansara) bred for fighting from the future who is flung into the 20th Century through an accident. He knows that his enemy is pursuing him but that's all; he has no knowledge of history much less how to interact with other humans. His orders are often relayed to him via dogs. All he knows is pain, fighting and killing. He's taken in and observed by a family one of whom is a psychologist trying to help him adjust to his environment. Still, he knows that his enemy is waiting to come and kill him. Other interesting (although not completely successful) episodes includes The Duplicate Man but nothing else (outside of Ellison's two episodes) quite as compelling as the two parter The Inheritors (which suggested that the series could offer much more character depth with two part episodes). Robert Duvall heads a stunning cast of adults and children in a tale of a group of people who suddenly have extraordinary abilities in science. These individuals had no history of these talents before and all have something that has been implanted in their brains. Who's done this and why are they recruiting physically hanidcapped children is a mystery Duvall must solve. In Wolf 359 (which shares a plot similar to a Theodore Sturgeon short story) a scientist builds a world in miniature and tinkers with its evolution creating life. After introducing human DNA, he expects the planet to evolve life similar to our own. Needless to say, he's quite mistaken. I Robot was later remade for the revival of The Outer Limits. It's most notable for a brief appearence by Leonard Nimoy as a reporter. The premise of the script is solid but is undone by mundane direction and a compromised teleplay. A Robot's creator is killed. Was it an accident or did the robot murder his "father"? Producer Ben Brady probably found the script appealing because it has elements of Perry Mason grafted to a science fiction storyline. A trial commences as to whether the robot is guilty of murder. If found guilty, he will be disassembled; essentially he'll be put to death for his crime. There were other episodes that offered much promise (such as Cold Hands, Warm Heart starring William Shatner and The Invisible Enemy written by the talented Jerry Sohl)but failed to deliver because of budget restrictions and the turnover of the production staff. Still, there were a number of fine episodes produced and at least four of these episodes matched or surpassed the best from the first season. There was a distinctive shift after the departure of Stefano and Stevens from the gothic science fiction stories (which, again, impacted films like Blade Runner and The Terminator in terms of atmosphere). The series final episode featured first season actor Mark Richman with a clever conceit; what if a probe came to Earth and took away what it deemed a sample of life? What if that sample happened to be human? It's well structured but the low budget undermines the look of what could have been a truly spectacular episode. The series looked less imaginative for the most part and lost much of its distinctive cinematic "feel". The picture quality and sound quality on the discs is very good overall. In fact, the picture is so sharp at times that wires are evident during some of the special effects sequences. The sound is somewhat muted particularly during the dialog sequences. This was a minor flaw that effected the first season as well and is probably related to the transfer and the high fidelity DVD's and television sets now. It should be noted that this really was only a partial season. The first season consisted of over 30 episodes. The Outer Limits was cancelled after a disasterous run against the Jackie Gleason show (which, admittedly was well written and performed but hasn't aged quite as well as Limits). In today's world, The Outer Limits would probably have been kept on because it captures a completely different demographic that spends a lot of money. Sadly, advertisers and network were ignorant of this fact in 1963-4. The best episodes are worth a 5 star rating while the worst 1 or 2 at best, hence an average of 3 stars. There's a missed opportunity here with this disc. While many of the particpants are dead, Robert Culp, Harlan Ellison, original series producer Joseph Stefano, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Duvall are all very much alive. Considering the price of this set, could it have hurt MGM to put together a featurette on the genesis and making of the series? There's plenty of historical info around (as evidenced by the book The Outer Limits Companion)to compliment the DVDs. Instead, we get a bare bones presentation with little info outside of a synposis and credits on each episode. A commentary from Shatner, Ellison, Stefano and Culp would have been welcome. It also would have made this boxed set more valuable to long time fans curious about the inner workings of the show. Additionally, the advertising material and many of the teasers probably still exist. Why not include these? I have a copy of one of Joe Stefano's scripts, so I don't think it would have been impossible to include a comparison between a couple of key episodes (such as Ellison's Soldier) between first draft and final shooting script. The Outer Limits had as much of an impact as The Twilight Zone despite a shorter lifespan. It influenced a generation of writers/directors/producers/actors as witnessed by Star Trek, Babylon 5, Farscape and other notable sf series. I just feel that there was so much more to offer and now that opportunity has been lost. Regardless, I am happy to finally have the entire series available. It's a glimpse into a different era for television, science fiction and the world at large.
Rating: 
Summary: At Last the 2nd season is on DVD
Review: There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We can reduce the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. You are about to experience the awe and mystery, which reaches from the inner mind to - The Outer Limits. The second season, 17 episodes, are contained on 3 disks. There are only 17 episodes, because the series was canceled half way through the season. 1) The Soldier - A solider is catapulted into the past, our present, and is being chased by another soldier of his time. 2) Cold Hands Warm Heart - After returning from Venus an astronaut experiences side effects where he's always cold and needs more and more heat. 3) Behold Eck! - An optical expert develops glasses that allow him to see a 2-dimensional alien. 4) Expanding Human - After taking a consciousness-expanding drug, a scientist goes on a killing rampage. 5) Demon With A Glass Hand - A man with a glass hand, battles time travelers from the future. 6) Cry Of Silence - A couple stranded in the desert try to communicated with aliens living in tumble weeds. 7) The Invisible Enemy - Astronaut must cope with a deadly and "invisible" enemy on Mars. 8) Wolf 359 - A miniature, alien world is created in a laboratory where a ghost like figure lives. Trivia: Wolf 359 is where the crew of the Enterprise engage the Borg. 9) I Robot - A lawyer defends a robot accused of murder. 10&11) The Inheritors Pt.1&2 - The only 2-part episode, where four men, with alien inhabited brains, work together on a project to build a spaceship. 12) Keeper Of The Purple Twilight - A frustrated scientist trades his emotions to an alien, in exchange for two mathematical formulas, which will allow him to construct a deadly ray gun. 13) The Duplicate Man - A man creates a duplicate of himself, to kill an escaped alien monster. 14) Counterweight - A group of people begin a simulated space trip and an alien is with them. 15) The Brain Of Colonel Barham - A wheelchair bound astronaut, volunteers to have his brain transplanted into a robot that will be sent in a spaceship to Mars. 16) The Premonition - A pilot goes faster than the speed of sound and propels himself and his wife into the future. 17) Probe - Survivors of an airplane crash find their way into an alien spacecraft, which is a laboratory from another world.
Rating:
Summary: Good writing, interestingly dated effects and plotlines.
Review: This is a little treasure for Sci-Fi fans. Here's a short-list of what to expect: 1) Star power. See William Shatner (Captian Kirk) and Leonard Nimoy (Spock) before they landed their Star Trek roles. 2) No-holds-barred, top nothc Sci-Fi names writing for the series. Harlan Ellison, for example. In terms of writing, the only thing more I could have hoped for would have been Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and Steven King-- and the time machine they would have needed to have been part of this project that was before their time. 3) It's Not Twiighlight Zone. This is the series that was the edgier, less-successful contemporary of Rod Serling's "Twighlight Zone". In some ways, it's easy to understand that this series was trapped by its own format. While The Twighlight Zone could explore outside the strict Sci-Fi genre (much as the X Files do), Outer Limits was stuck firmly in SciFi. However, where TTZ stayed away from social fireworks, TOL aims straight at issues that were volatile in their day, with the notable exception of feminism, which is entirely absent. 4) Landmark, interestingly-aging plotlines. You'll see discussions about whether drugs are a way to access a higher reality, and debates about whether artificial life is human. You'll see Utopianism. You'll see blacks given prominent, intelligent roles (rare, in the days before Star Trek had the first onscreen interracial kiss). Yet, you'll see women repeatedly thrust into demeaning roles. You can see how these pieces fit nicely into their time period, with a distinct rift between then and now. These're DISCUSSION PIECES, better than any coffee-table book. Show'em at a houseparty, and talk about them afterward. 5) Now that Mystery Science Theater 3000 is off the air, where can you see cheesy, dated Sci-Fi special effects ? Here. It's disrespectful of the series' writing, to laugh at the technology & special effects, but genuinely, this adds a large dimension to your enjoyment (& discussion). 6) This is not to be compared with the recent HBO series by the same name. This older series is vintage pre-60s with good writing and zero budget for special effects, while the later HBO TV series is a special effects fest, with markedly less-often-inspired writing.
Rating:
Summary: Good writing, interestingly dated effects and plotlines.
Review: This is a little treasure for Sci-Fi fans. Here's a short-list of what to expect: 1) Star power. See William Shatner (Captian Kirk) and Leonard Nimoy (Spock) before they landed their Star Trek roles. 2) No-holds-barred, top nothc Sci-Fi names writing for the series. Harlan Ellison, for example. In terms of writing, the only thing more I could have hoped for would have been Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and Steven King-- and the time machine they would have needed to have been part of this project that was before their time. 3) It's Not Twiighlight Zone. This is the series that was the edgier, less-successful contemporary of Rod Serling's "Twighlight Zone". In some ways, it's easy to understand that this series was trapped by its own format. While The Twighlight Zone could explore outside the strict Sci-Fi genre (much as the X Files do), Outer Limits was stuck firmly in SciFi. However, where TTZ stayed away from social fireworks, TOL aims straight at issues that were volatile in their day, with the notable exception of feminism, which is entirely absent. 4) Landmark, interestingly-aging plotlines. You'll see discussions about whether drugs are a way to access a higher reality, and debates about whether artificial life is human. You'll see Utopianism. You'll see blacks given prominent, intelligent roles (rare, in the days before Star Trek had the first onscreen interracial kiss). Yet, you'll see women repeatedly thrust into demeaning roles. You can see how these pieces fit nicely into their time period, with a distinct rift between then and now. These're DISCUSSION PIECES, better than any coffee-table book. Show'em at a houseparty, and talk about them afterward. 5) Now that Mystery Science Theater 3000 is off the air, where can you see cheesy, dated Sci-Fi special effects ? Here. It's disrespectful of the series' writing, to laugh at the technology & special effects, but genuinely, this adds a large dimension to your enjoyment (& discussion). 6) This is not to be compared with the recent HBO series by the same name. This older series is vintage pre-60s with good writing and zero budget for special effects, while the later HBO TV series is a special effects fest, with markedly less-often-inspired writing.
Rating:
Summary: The First Season's Better
Review: This series was outstanding. In addition to clever anti-war and other relevant themes, it consisted of a series of science fiction fables, including the moral at the end. I like these of the second season. "Soldier" is clever, led, in fact, to the theme of at least one "Star Trek: The Next Generation," in which a young man was bred to be a soldier, found it all but impossible to transcend that breeding. The 2-part "The Inheritors" was even a little sentimental: Must all "invaders" be malevolent? Robert Culp in "Demon With a Glass Hand" was clever, despite the rather silly costumes. And that leads to the ultimate criticism of this collection of episodes: the sets were so poorly done as to almost resemble Ed Wood style production. I reiterate that I like them, but the first season was more creative, more stimulating. Frankly, I prefer the music from the first season too. Long ago, I reviewed "The Outer Limits Companion" which I'd purchased from Amazon.com. If you really liked The Outer Limits, and especially if you have this set, I further recommend that book. When I feel a little let down by the set, I read the reviews in that volume and find out WHY they weren't as good as I'd like. Aside from that, again, the stories are good, but don't expect the special effects quality of the first season.
Rating: 
Summary: We will Control the Vertical - TAKE TWO!
Review: This set includes the following episodes. 33. The Soldier
34. Cold Hands Warm Heart
35. Behold Eck!
36. Expanding Human
37. Demon With A Glass Hand
38. Cry Of Silence
39. The Invisible Enemy
40. Wolf 359
41. I Robot
42. The Inheritors Pt.1
43. The Inheritors Pt.2
44. Keeper Of The Purple Twilight
45. The Duplicate Man
46. Counterweight
47. The Brain Of Colonel Barham
48. The Premonition
49. Probe
Rating:
Summary: The fulfillment of a forty-year-old dream!
Review: When "The Outer Limits" was first being broadcast, I began to dream of having a complete set of all the episodes, to watch whenever I wanted. That was forty years ago. With the publication of this set, the dream I've had since I was a teenager is finally coming true. "Demon With A Glass Hand" and "Soldier" get all the publicity, because of who wrote them, rather than any inherent quality of their own, but there are better episodes in this stack. "Wolf 359", which was probably inspired by Sturgeon's "Microcosmic God" and "The Duplicate Man", based on Clifford Simak's incomparable "Good Night, Mr. James" would be reason enough to buy this set. But towering above them all is the wonderful and poignant two part episode, "The Inheritors," which, for sheer power of storytelling and acting towers above all the other episodes in the season put together, and leaves them in the dust. With the release of this DVD set, I think M.G.M. has finally justified its existence. To Joseph Stefano, who brought this miracle into being I say, "May G_d bless and keep you, and thank you from my heart."
Rating:
Summary: How Far Have We Come in Forty Years?
Review: When I first saw the Outer Limits series, I was young enough that I'm sure much of the story line went directly into the subliminal mind. So when the DVD sets came out I wanted to review each episode to see exactly what was going into my subconscious mind at such an young and tender age. Much to my surprise I found my self highly challenged by both seasons. Having lived at least half a life time, I did not expect to find myself so challenged. Now I know how much dramatic media can indeed influence the subconscious mind. In fact, if I had been a little bit older when I first watched the series, I think my life might have been different. I was too young at the time to really be able to hold onto the dramatic impact and theme of each episode. What truly amazes me is how much the story and theme carry the episode, and how minimal the special effects. This realization has made me rethink my whole experience with contemporary science fiction cinema. Once all the computer graphic, virtual reality special effects, all the senseless, sensationalistic violence and sex are stripped away, how much does contemporary science fiction really tell a story? I can hardly think of any contemporary science fiction movie that can stand on the story line alone, without the aid of special effects. Yet the creators of Outer Limits were able to accomplish amazing dramatic effects with light and shadow, playhouse sets, and black and white photography. Better yet, with a constantly changing cast, the acting comes across far superior to so much of today's stock, formula performances by Hollywood stock performers. Today, make a science fiction and chances are that you've got to cast Kenau Reeves, Tom Kruse, or the Star Trek/Wars crew to even get into production. In summary, I think there is a great deal to be learned from the original Outer Limits series. The original series constitutes a whole cinimagraphic course in how much can be accomplished with so little - provided you have performers who can really act and cinematographers who really understand light, shadows and camera angles. In the end, the question arises: how much has all the high tech film making actually bought us?
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