The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series is a fantastic, if not bulky, set that for anyone who hadn’t picked up the individual sets when they were released by Image Entertainment, might be worth the cost in having in one case.
The Twilight Zone
— The Complete Series —
(1959-64)
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror
Paramount | NR – 4474 min. – $126.99 | December 13, 2016
Date Published: 12/23/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE SERIES |
| Series Synopsis: The Twilight Zone has enthralled, captivated and mesmerized millions of television viewers with its five seasons of provocative stories, unforgettable characters, and star-studded roster of talent.
Quick Hit Review: Running for 5 seasons, The Twilight Zone was well before my time (by 20 years in fact) and my exposure obviously came via syndication and while it’s never been a must-watch show for me, it was quite entertaining with vignette-like episodes featuring the weird and wild. It was also, at least to me, a clear influence to the likes of the two Creepshow feature films and Tales from the Crypt (and even The X-Files) with those taking a gory horror take while Zone was a bit more sci-fi centric with 1960s horror elements. As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of season-long story arcs, aside from binge viewing following a home video release, I enjoy that I can pop in any one disc, randomly select an episode and just sit back and enjoy the 25-minute duration (or 50 minutes in its fourth season). This is a show for basically the entire family, though parents might have to explain to some of their kids why it’s not in widescreen… Season 1 Review (by Brad Lowenberg): One of the problems with the show (overall) is that not every episode stands the test of time. There is an over abundance of space-themed ones that, while being interesting and new to the late 50’s/early 60’s generation, just look and feel very corny and fake in today’s time. But since America was so heavily interested and astonished by things up in space (remember, this is the 50’s), I’m sure these were probably some of the most talked about episodes when they originally aired. But watching now in 2010, it’s a bit too laughable (especially after having so many great space-themed shows that follow like “Star Trek”). But there are still a few gems out of the space-themed ones like “Third from the Sun”. Watching this show in syndication as a kid, I remember not seeing some of the earlier “Twilight Zone” episodes. Sure, some of the great ones were replayed often, but it was always episodes from season 3/4/5 that aired over and over (season 4 obviously being trimmed and/or cut since they were hour long). So in some cases, this is the first time I’ve seen a few of these episodes before. As a whole, does the show still hold up? Absolutely. Now fifty years later, some of the episodes feel very dated, but others could have easily fit in if they were still being aired today (of course, in color and wish some advances in clothes and such). But watching this show, I am often troubled by things that occurred back then that is perfectly fine, while today it would be a huge uproar if it happened on TV (a man grabbing a young boys hand or sitting down and talking to him, smoking cigarettes etc.). But even with those small things that do shake me out of the episode I am watching, I still found the episodes incredibly enjoyable. Since I find it nearly impossible that someone has never seen an episode of “Twilight Zone”, I’ll go ahead and discuss one of my favorites from this season. “Walking Distance” – One of my favorite episodes of the entire Series deals with a man who decides to take a trip back to the town where he once lived. But when he arrives, he soon finds out something is not quite right when he meets himself as a young child and runs into his parents circa 1930. Being back in time, he is able to relive some of his childhood memories, but a discussion with his Dad quickly sets him on the right path. A small side note – this was initially one of the first Blu-ray (and HD DVD) titles announced back in 2005. For some reason Image just never released them on either format. I guess that’s probably a good thing since they would have used the 2004 DVD re-masters instead of these new ones. Season 2 Review (by Brad Lowenberg): As a whole, does the show still hold up? Absolutely. Now fifty years later, some of the episodes feel very dated, but others could have easily fit in if they were still being aired today (of course, in color and wish some advances in clothes and such). Since I find it nearly impossible that someone has never seen an episode of “Twilight Zone”, I’ll go ahead and discuss a few of my favorites from this season: The Eye of the Beholder – Janet’s hideous face has made her an outcast all her life. As she awaits the results of her last-chance surgery, she ponders the consequences of failure – to be banished forever to a village of freaks! – – There are probably a dozen or so “Twilight Zone” episodes that have been spoofed so much in Hollywood that the ‘twist’ is long gone. Eye is one of those episodes. If you’re watching it for the first time, you probably expect everyone to be ‘normal’ looking and Janet to be ‘hideous’, but just as the title of the episode says, it truly is in the eye of the beholder! Will the Real Martin Please Stand Up? – State troopers follow tracks from an unidentified flying object to a diner where they try to determine which of the seven bus passengers stranded inside is really a Martian – – Just like the previous episode I discussed, this surprise here has long been ruined but watching it again with a fresh eye (after not seeing it in close to a decade), I was still unsure of who the ‘real’ Martian was. This episode plays on the strengths of people’s emotions and trying to determine who appears to be an outcast. Nick of Time – A superstitious newlywed becomes obsessed with a penny fortune-telling machine. But are his pennies revealing his future – or determining it? – – Easily one of my favorite episodes of the Season, this one stars a regular on “Twilight Zone”; William Shatner, in one of my favorite roles – a man who continues to plop pennies into a machine to see what his fortune might be. It’s definitely an interesting episode to watch, as one man is willing to destroy his new relationship over what some silly machine has to say. Season 3 Review (by Brad Lowenberg): As a whole, does the show still hold up? Absolutely. Now fifty years later, some of the episodes feel very dated, but others could have easily fit in if they were still being aired today (of course, in color and wish some advances in clothes and such). Since I find it nearly impossible that someone has never seen an episode of “Twilight Zone”, I’ll go ahead and discuss a few of my favorites from this season: “It’s a Good Life” – One of the episodes most spoofed on Television and Movies (even adapted for the Theatrical Film) features a young boy who can send people into the cornfield. Better be nice to him… “A Game of Pool” – Often overlooked, but a great story about a Pool player challenged to a game of pool by…a ghost! “Once Upon a Time” – Maybe a bit too goofy for some, but when a janitor from the 1980’s finds a helmet, he goes…into the future! Full of laughs. “Five Characters in Search of an Exit” – Ever heard of the term ‘bottle episode’? It’s when an episode uses one or two sets for the entire episode as a way to save its budget for a much for lavish episode later on in the Season. This is like the definition of a bottle episode as it takes place in… a bottle (well, cylinder, but still). I’ve seen this bunch of times, and it always pops out a great episode of ‘whodunit’. “I Sing the Body Electric” – Written by Ray Bradbury (!) this film serves as almost an inspiration for films like A.I. when a robotic grandmother helps raise children. A very spooky story. This is probably the last Season of ‘great’ episodes. Season Four was an interesting idea (hour long episodes) and season five had far more failures in its Season than ever before (still worth a watch), but to many, season three marks the end of the ‘great’ “Twilight Zone”. Really a shame. Season 4 Review (by Brad Lowenberg): Gone are the half-hour versions of the show replaced with hour-long ones to help fill time on CBS’ schedule. After watching so many of the 30 minute episodes, it’s tough for viewers to adapt to the new hour long segments which often feel padded and slow. But surprising, Season Four offers up several decent episodes. Since I find it nearly impossible that someone has never seen an episode of “Twilight Zone,” I’ll go ahead and discuss a few of my favorites from this season: “In His Image” – The first episode of the season is an interesting tale of robot who figures how he isn’t who he thinks he is and eventually meets his true counterpart. “Valley of the Shadow” – A reporter trapped in a town that won’t let him leave. Personally I feel this story could easily be remade in some way on “Fringe”. “On Thursday We Leave for Home” – Many regard this as the best of the Season. A group of people survive on a planet far away and live in fear of what happened on Earth. But when a space ship comes by and offers to take them to Earth, their leader tries to stop them. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 5.0/5 |
| This massive 24-disc set comes housed in a giant keep case, similar to those of other recent complete series releases like Star Trek: The Next Generation or Dexter. It is a bit unyielding to get to the discs but as a bargain option especially if you don’t already own the individual sets.
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VIDEO – 4.0/5 |
| The Twilight Zone comes to Blu-ray shown in its original 1.33 Black & White presentation and although it is a tad uneven from one episode to the next, where some look a bit overly sharpened, others though appear sharp and well defined. Still, even the poorer ones do seem clean, free of any dust, debris, scratches and other flaws. |
AUDIO – 3.5/5 |
| Each episode comes with a PCM Stereo track with seasons 2-5 getting both original and remastered audio. Either option is fine as they both output clean and clear dialogue levels and the music, particularly the classic Twilight Zone theme, comes through nicely enough, but with little power behind it. This one is a bit more consistent between episodes, at least. |
OVERALL – 4.5/5 |
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Overall, The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series is a fantastic, if not bulky, set that for anyone who hadn’t picked up the individual sets when they were released by Image Entertainment, might be worth the cost in having in one case. For those who do own the others, you’re not getting anything new and the discs themselves are exactly the same. |