The Outer Limits is turning 50.... (1 Viewer)

[hanshotfirst1138]

There also aren't any subtitles, which makes it even more annoying.

 

[hanshotfirst1138]

I was hoping with Quantum Leap finally coming and The Twilight Zone apparently still fairly hot there might be a chance for this, but I guess the BD market is just too dry . I had to track the DVD set down on eBay, and it was a copy the guy had marked up the box of a bit; in better shape, it was even more expensive.

 

[BobO'Link]

I was hoping with Quantum Leap finally coming and The Twilight Zone apparently still fairly hot there might be a chance for this, but I guess the BD market is just too dry . I had to track the DVD set down on eBay, and it was a copy the guy had marked up the box of a bit; in better shape, it was even more expensive.

You should have asked here first. There's a Australian release with *single sided* discs that typically goes for $30-$60 from deepdiscount or Amazon MP vendors. It's NTSC and region free (in spite of the markings on the box). It's a direct duplicate of the Universal DVD18 releases, menu and all, except on SS discs. It's a very good set.

 

[hanshotfirst1138]

You should have asked here first. There's a Australian release with *single sided* discs that typically goes for $30-$60 from deepdiscount or Amazon MP vendors. It's NTSC and region free (in spite of the markings on the box). It's a direct duplicate of the Universal DVD18 releases, menu and all, except on SS discs. It's a very good set.

Damn. Wonder what I can get for my U.S. set? I'm region free anyway.

 

[Brent Reid]

Better (and cheaper) still are the two UK season sets: Also on single-sided discs (though PAL this time), but with the addition of English, French and Dutch subs and a French dub.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Unless a BD set comes along, I'm okay with the used US set I found a couple years ago ($7.00 in a pawn shop). If I were buying new, I agree, I'd go with the Australian set so that the audio would play at the proper speed.

 

[Doug Wallen]

There's a Australian release with *single sided* discs that typically goes for $30-$60 from deepdiscount or Amazon MP vendors. It's NTSC and region free (in spite of the markings on the box). It's a direct duplicate of the Universal DVD18 releases, menu and all, except on SS discs. It's a very good set.

I received my package this afternoon and saw the box marked region 4 and began to get worried. I placed the first disc into my player and was pleased to hear the familiar soundtrack. I have watched the first two episodes and am so glad to have this on single sided discs. I really enjoy "The Hundred Days of the Dragon", implausible or not. Reminds me in some ways of The Manchurian Candidate.

I will be viewing these episodes a few at a time and chiming in periodically. I am impressed by the clarity of these episodes. Great looking transfers.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Chime away. And we'll keep chiming until we get the blu-ray for one of the most influential television shows of all time. How many plot lines from episodes have been copped since it aired, we can't even count. But we'll start with The Terminator from Harlan Ellison's episode, "Soldier."

 

[jperez]

And Demon With a Glass Hand, starring Robert Culp, also written by Ellison. After seeing an interview i which James Cameron, director and co-writter of The Terminator, candidly admitted that he had gotten his idea from those two Outer Limits episodes, Ellison went to court. From what I've read, he didn't ask for monetary restitution, but was satisfied when his name was included in the film's credits.

 

[Rodney]

Ellison went to court. From what I've read, he didn't ask for monetary restitution, but was satisfied when his name was included in the film's credits.

From everything I had read this was settled out of court, and there definitely was a monetary settlement, along with the credit addition.

 

[Flashgear]

I received my package this afternoon and saw the box marked region 4 and began to get worried. I placed the first disc into my player and was pleased to hear the familiar soundtrack. I have watched the first two episodes and am so glad to have this on single sided discs. I really enjoy "The Hundred Days of the Dragon", implausible or not. Reminds me in some ways of The Manchurian Candidate.

I will be viewing these episodes a few at a time and chiming in periodically. I am impressed by the clarity of these episodes. Great looking transfers.

Doug, I like "Hundred Days of the Dragon" too...a very early episode in the premiere season of Outer Limits...It was a real change of pace after "The Galaxy Being"...and sandwiched between that and the great upcoming episode "Architects of Fear"...both with memorable Exoplanetary Alien Creatures...so the Communist Chinese infiltrators of "Hundred Days of the Dragon" left some fans a little confused as to the ongoing nature of the anthology...but it's pretty good Science Fiction well executed...even an ordinairy episode is so beautifully accented by that Great Dominic Frontiere music...Sydney Blackmer and Philip Pine are effective...as are Hollywood veteran Richard Loo, and Aki Akeong and James Hong...James Hong turned 88 just two days ago, and IMDB has posted a fine video tribute to him...the guy has over 400 career credits on IMDB!"No Small Parts" IMDb Exclusive: James Hong

 

[jperez]

I think Harlan Ellison once said that Demon With a Glass Hand represented a short section -maybe just one chapter- of a much longer work, and that he had plans to write a long novel or the script for a regular film. Anyway, the original episode -=my favorite of the whole series- certainly could be taken as a preamble to a long story, even a series of novels, starring Robert Culp's character after he learns he was a robot and is facing a lonely future of more than 1,000 years before mankind reappears..

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

"The Watchmen" copped the premise from "Architects of Fear," but to be fair, was open about that influence.

I read early drafts of "The Terminator" when James Cameron was attached to direct my science fiction script "M-PATH" (we had the same agent at the time and a deal for a Canadian production), and warned him about the "Soldier" similarities. We were both huge TOL fans and he openly admitted the influence, along with ideas from the episode, "The Man Who Was Never Born" (Martin Landau).

Harlan Ellison is not somebody you want to mess around with, though. I'm sure he got monetary compensation as well as the onscreen credit. And I once saw him jump out of his convertible Mustang and start banging on the hood of a large truck screaming at the driver for inadvertently spitting out the window and hitting his car. Pitbull, was the image that came to my mind.

 

[hanshotfirst1138]

Chime away. And we'll keep chiming until we get the blu-ray for one of the most influential television shows of all time. How many plot lines from episodes have been copped since it aired, we can't even count. But we'll start with The Terminator from Harlan Ellison's episode, "Soldier."

And work your way up from there .

 

[Doug Wallen]

Doug, I like "Hundred Days of the Dragon" too...a very early episode in the premiere season of Outer Limits...It was a real change of pace after "The Galaxy Being"...James Hong...James Hong turned 88 just two days ago, and IMDB has posted a fine video tribute to him...the guy has over 400 career credits on IMDB!"No Small Parts" IMDb Exclusive: James Hong

I did a double take when I saw him, I guess he was the requisite Asian whenever there was a need for one. Seems like he appears in every series I watch still!

"Seinfeld ... Four!!!"

 

[rjd0309]

Carabimero had his Kim Darby Day. Sounds like a James Hong Day is in the offing...

 

[Camper]

How did James Hong never appear in Star Trek or Twilight Zone?

 

[Doug Wallen]

The Man Who Was never Born

Martin Landau, John Considine, Shirley Knight

A time travel story that doesn't cheat. I like Andro and truly feel that his actions made sense. He wished to avoid his desolate lot in life and killing the person responsible seemed the perfect answer. It became apparent that his information was just slightly off. I don't believe that he was trying to find love. I believe that was Andro's nature shining through and that is what Noelle responded to.

I like the ending. It did prove that Andro changed his future, so much so that he was no longer a part of it. A great ending. I really enjoyed this one.

 

[Doug Wallen]

O.B.I.T.

Peter Breck (Nick Barkley), Jeff Corey, Jason Wingreen, Harry Townes, Alan Baxter

How interesting, a machine that can track anyone anywhere, sounds very familiar doesn't it (cell phones anyone???). Odd to see Peter Breck in a "modern" setting. Well played senator. Obviously, invasion is not happening, although teens to seem to be "posessed" and oblivious to anything around them while connected. Story seemed to be a bit more timely and possible than it would have in 1963. I liked the parallels to current culture. Hope I'm not reading to much into this episode.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

O.B.I.T.

Peter Breck (Nick Barkley), Jeff Corey, Jason Wingreen, Harry Townes, Alan Baxter

How interesting, a machine that can track anyone anywhere, sounds very familiar doesn't it (cell phones anyone???). Odd to see Peter Breck in a "modern" setting. Well played senator. Obviously, invasion is not happening, although teens to seem to be "posessed" and oblivious to anything around them while connected. Story seemed to be a bit more timely and possible than it would have in 1963. I liked the parallels to current culture. Hope I'm not reading to much into this episode.

The look of the technology may be extremely dated in this series, but the ideas, characters and stories are not, which is why it has a timeless appeal (like The Twilight Zone).