Search - The Outer Limits - The Original Series, Season 2 on DVD

Episodes reviewed, not nostalgia

William Smith | Fontana, CA United States | 12/18/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up with this show, as many of you have I suspect. It would be easy to review this in a nostalgic haze and give it 5 stars "just because". However, I have taken a step back and have reviewed each episode rationally, based on budget, cast, writers, etc. Along the way, it may appear as though I am overly concerned with the "not-so-special-effects" of the series but trust me, it is a point of minor contension. Still, since great effect based movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes are barely three years away, I can't shake the notion that if the purse-strings were relaxed a little and it would have paid off big for a show that seemed doomed from the start. Often, the show could rise above it all, with superb acting, like in the first seasons "The Mutant", but why make a show work harder than necessary and potentially leave an accomplished actor looking foolish and silly?Picture/sound/packaging: 4/5 Dissappointing yet predictable lack of 5.1 DD remastered sound. Original Star Trek seems to have proven to be the exception and not the rule in so far as sound. The picture is often nice, but varies from scene to scene on certain eps. I have no problem with the way the packaging is put together. So many complaints about the two sided discs? None here. And I think the packaging color scheme is an excellant compliment to Season One. My only real complaint is the cancellation of this series in the middle of season two, gosh, at least let the season finish!--Episodes--Season 2--(I consider 3 and above good, 2 or below poor.)Soldier: 5/5
Cold Hands, Warm Heart: 2.5/5
Behold Eck!: 1/5
Expanding Human: 2.5/5
Cry of Silence: 3.5/5
Demon With a Glass Hand: 3/5
Wolf 359: 4/5
I, Robot: 4/5
The Invisible Enemy: 1/5
The Inheritors 1&2: 5/5
Keeper of the Purple Twilight: 3.5/5
Counterweight: 2/5
The Brain of Col. Barham: 1.5/5
The Premonition: 2.5/5
The Duplicate Man: 3.5/5
The Probe: 2.5/5 Wrap-up:
Still, in spite of all the hokey props, there lurks delicious camera angles, glorious sound, odd lighting, and most importantly, a fun sense of adventure that has all but since evaporated from the airwaves. In spite of the 3 stars, I cannot reccommend this set enough. Not because I'm caught like "the enemy" in the never-never, but because I'm trapped in a time period that uses "effects" to convey awe and mystery instead of imagination. The Outer Limits is a welcome look back at a future gone by."

A rip off DVD from a great series

C. A. Luster | 10/12/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"After the release of the first seasons episodes on DVD, like many fans, I was anxiously awaiting the release of the second season. Well here it is. What a value! Just over half the number of episodes (17 vs. 32) for about 95 percent of the price! I assumed there would at least be some extras to make up for the fact that the second season was so short (and frankly contained so many stinkers) but there were not. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Just the unadorned episodes themselves. Another review here makes a confusing reference to a comment made about including the original pilot "Please Stand By" so let's set the record straight. YES that WOULD have been nice, but NO they didn't do it. There is nothing on these disks but the seventeen second season episodes - period. This was clearly NOT a labor of love. To give you an idea just how little they gave a dam about the material, some idiot split "The Inheritors Part 1" and "The Inheritors Part 2" so that it ended up on two sides of a `flipy' disk. Now that was really stupid. If they cared at all, they would have given this special two-part episode the special treatment it deserved with a "play part 1", "play part 2", "play both parts" special sub-menu. Ok, let's take it as a given that MGM was too greedy and/or lazy to spend even the miniscule amount of time and money on the project that this minor change would have required. But, how much would it have cost to rearrange the ordering so that, at least, these two episodes ended up on the same side of a disk? THERE ARE FOUR EPISODES ON THE SIDE OF THE DISK WHICH CONTAINS "The Inheritors Part 1", SO PLACING PART 2 THERE AS WELL WOULD HAVE COST THEM NOTHING. It would have only required that the individual laying out the disks have the tinniest shred of consideration for the material and the intelligence that god gave dirt. The only two episodes I cared about in this set was "the Inheritors" (ruined for me by this totally unnecessary stupidity) and "Demon with a Glass Hand" which sadly ends up being the episode with just about the worst video quality in the set. Thanks a lot MGM I'll think about this next time I see you logo on a DVD. My advise is, if you MUST have this material, wait a while, my guess is that it'll be on clearance for 29 bucks (or less) real soon."

How Far Have We Come in Forty Years?

William Smith | 09/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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?"

Exceptional Series, Lousy Studio

C. A. Luster | Burke, VA USA | 12/23/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a child I watched this series and was mesmerized. It and Twilight Zone were the key reasons I became a fan of Science Fiction. Like the original Star Trek series that came a few years later, in it's last season it was weak. Both series however had good episodes in their last season. This set is not worth the same as the first season if for no other reason than it has half the episodes.I find it appalling the studio got everyone into buying the first season with a reasonable price, then figured they will all pay just to finish their set. Well at least in my case guess again. As much as I would like to have the complete series I refuse to pay any studio a price that is unjustified for what they are giving us. I too would have given four or five stars if this had a price comparable to the product."