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The Outer Limits (Original Series) - comments? (1 Viewer)

Why is the ending controller's voice "We now return control of your television set to you until next week..." missing on "The Bellero Shield" episode. Has this always been the case for this episode? It's the only one I've watched so far without this.
 

Ockeghem

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eric scott richard said:
Why is the ending controller's voice "We now return control of your television set to you until next week..." missing on "The Bellero Shield" episode. Has this always been the case for this episode? It's the only one I've watched so far without this.
Eric,
You know, I never noticed that before. I'm going to watch that episode tonight on my U.K. discs. (These are the single-sided DVDs that I purchased not too long ago.) The footage is probably identical to the flippers I own, though.
 

Nelson Au

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That is one of my favorite episodes, but I never noticed that the Control Voice was missing at the end. I may have to watch that one and see. It could have been an artistic choice to leave it off to emphasize the tragedy. I'm just guessing. Ill have to see if I can find a reason. I'm curious now.
 

Ockeghem

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Nelson Au said:
That is one of my favorite episodes, but I never noticed that the Control Voice was missing at the end. I may have to watch that one and see. It could have been an artistic choice to leave it off to emphasize the tragedy. I'm just guessing. Ill have to see if I can find a reason. I'm curious now.
Nelson,
It's one of my favorites as well. The ending (with Sally Kellerman) is wonderful writing. Was her being inside of the shield real, or imagined? It doesn't really matter, but it's intriguing nevertheless. For me, it's captivating on the same level as your remarks concerning Corby either accidentally or intentionally pulling the trigger on the phaser in What Are Little Girls Made Of?
 

Nelson Au

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I think I'll watch this episode tonight! I agree, these kinds of endings are great. It's up to your imagination to wonder if?
Or I may watch Demon with a Glass Hand. So many great OL episodes. They must do a blu ray edition.
Edit: I did watch The Bellero Shield and it indeed is missing the Control Voice returning control to you. Perhaps the master was missing that particular section. In looking at the other episode on the disc, it's there and is a separate element.
 

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Ockeghem

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Nelson,
While watching The Bellero Shield last night, I noticed an interesting aspect which echoes to some extent what occurs aurally in A Feasibility Study. You'll recall that A Feasibility Study uses the ostinato that we've discussed before, while The Bellero Shield employs a wave-like humming effect comprised of two notes (pitched a tritone apart) which permeates much of the episode. It stops every now and then, but then it returns, continuing to work its way in the psyche of viewers predisposed to listening to these kinds of things.
The filming of the Bifrost was also interesting. It has at least three different appearances during the episode. One of these has sharp edges, and it almost looks like a documentary-style shot (but it's really not). No special effects are used in this shot. The second one appears to be stock footage -- grainy and used often enough that there is some wear and tear. This one was used very early in the episode, and I think it was only used once. Of course, it's not really stock footage, since it wasn't used anywhere else that I know of, including other episodes of TOL. But that's the best description I can come up with, as it resembles the same grainy background that I often see in re-used shots (particularly of the Enterprise) in episodes of TOS. The third example is the one we see the most during the episode, and which Schow discusses in his book (thanks, Wayne). This is the one where that distinct hue or 'gel-like look' is there, and which looks similar to whenever a close-up was used for some of the women we see in TOS. This 'hue' is seen on some of Mudd's women, Janice Rand, and a few others throughout the series.
 

Nelson Au

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You mean the old Vasoline on the lens trick? I've seen that effect before on another OL episode I think. Whenever a normal person passes in front of the alien, or alien effect, they get all soft and blurry too.
Since I don't frequently watch this episode, inspite of it being one of my favorites, I always forget the bifrost element. I had to look that up since I didn't know what a bifrost is. I looked it up for the first time last night thanks to having a handy dandy mobile device on hand this time around! Must have been over two years since I last seen this episode.
So that bifrost adds a dimension to the episode I never understood before!
I think I know what you mean by the aural aspect of this episode. Through out the whole time, you hear that sound that I always associated with the laser that Richard was using at the start of the episode. It's a very effective element!
And another thing that I picked up this time, and I think I always caught this, but it sunk in this time, was the commet the alien or Bifrost made to Mrs. Dame asking if it could help and it said how it could not help. Shows how truly benevolent the Bifrost is even after Judith tries to murder it and how much the humans are the bears of this episode.
That blog is interesting Wayne. I've seen it a few times. They tend to come off as a couple of smarty pants, but I can see they can get into the show. And it's interesting that Schow is involved too. That adds to its credibility!
If i have time, next up may have to be the Glass Hand. As far as aural qualities, that episode has a really strong score that always stuck with me.
 

Ockeghem

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Nelson,
Yes, that's the effect (vasoline on the lens) I'm referring to in The Bellero Shield. The downside to the effect (IMO) is that the blur makes it tough to focus on whomever or whatever is being highlighted. And I think you're right about that sound being associated with the laser in the episode. That makes a lot of sense.
BTW, I liked Neil Hamilton's performance in this episode. He has a lot more of an edge to him here than he does in any of the Batman episodes. Another neat thing about this episode is that John Hoyt is in it. Did you catch his appearance? ;)
5de43aa6_7021_130426074795.jpeg
 

Nelson Au

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Yes, both Hoyt and Hamilton are great in this episode! I always wondered if another actor did the Bifrost voice.
 

It's just odd that they didn't place the Controller Voice on this one episode only? And it isn't a time factor either. Very odd.
 

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eric scott richard said:
It's just odd that they didn't place the Controller Voice on this one episode only? And it isn't a time factor either. Very odd.
There is no control voice narration, either before or after for "The Guests". According to the Outer Limits Companion, Joe Stefano usually did some rewriting on scripts from other writers, but felt that Donald Sanford's script needed no revisions and just forgot to add the speeches for this episode.
 

That's interesting. But in this case, there is narration before and after. It's the ending "We now return control to you..." that is missing.
 

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As per my avatar, nothing beat "The Man Who Was Never Born". Great script,wonderful acting, and Martin Landau's makeup was very convincing.
Except for the teeth.
Apparently Bertram Cabot Jr.'s corrupting of the extraterrestrial microbe had no effect whatsoever on one's teeth.
 

I watched "Second Chance" last night.....I really liked it. Something about a spaceship sitting in an amusement park, with very few takers, intrigues me. Great makeup work, and good acting and writing. Also gives you something to think about....do we continue on our path with regrets or do we bravely face our fears to have a potentially better life.
 

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The current revival of this thread, notably the talk about "The Bellero Shield" (which I'd never seen), inspired me to watch not only that last night, but the other three episodes on that side of the disc. Great episode Also loved "zzzzz", the other one directed by John Brahm. There are still several in the entire series I haven't yet watched, so I'll dole the rest out one by one. But what a great little marathon it was. Very satisfying.
 

Ockeghem

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Charles,
The other night, when I watched The Bellero Shield, I too noticed the other three episodes on that disc. Don't Open Till Doomsday is one of my all-time favorite episodes from the series. That one terrified me as a child. It's also one of several from the series that I can't yet bring myself to allow our children to watch.
 

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