Reviews (11)

One of my favorites
This episode is a sterling example of how the Outer Limits TV series took sci-fi television to heights that have yet to be surpassed four decades later. Typical of this series, "The Man Who Was Never Born" manages to be frightening while at the same time literate, thoughtful and futuristic -- and yet humane in how the story portrays its characters.

Martin Landau is terrific as "Andro," the mutant human from the future who can influence present day people with hypnotic suggestion. Landau is such a class act; truly one of the best actors of these past forty years. His voice transmits his earnest and gentle character's conflict and confusion in dealing with his own emotions (e.g., love, duty to humanity) and the awesome choices that his situation presents.

I'd like to acknowledge the well-written comments from previous reviewers that spurred my interest in this episode. I must echo their praise and highly recommend this episode.

TV at its most distinguished.
This episode manages to be highly original with some highly unoriginal material--mainly, the "Beauty and the Beast" theme and the ancient sci-fi cliche of saving the future by traveling to the past. "The Outer Limits" had a genius for making the old seem new, and "The Man Who Was Never Born" may be the most distinguished example thereof. The new series, by contrast, achieves exactly the opposite by making newer themes seem old and stale through cliched presentations. Same name, very different series.

Martin Landau is superb as Andro, the sensitive and peace-loving human mutant from the future who hates the task he must carry out. Everyone is top-notch, in fact. The themes within themes make each viewing a new experience.

The masterful direction is by Leonard Horn, who went on to contribute in a major way to the original "Mission: Impossible" series, his finest achievement being that series' "Operation: Rogosh," now available on video.

Who said that sci-fi couldn't be romantic?
"The Architects of Fear" and "The Man Who Was Never Born" are the only episodes of the 60's anthology that underneath the otherworldly trappings was a love story.

Martin Landau ("Andro") stars as an Earthman from the future that travels back in time to prevent the birth of a man destined to destroy humanity as we know it. Along the way he falls for "Nicole" (Shirley Knight), the woman that would become the mother of Earth's destroyer. Both actors show why they have been a theatrical and television presence, respectively, for over four decades.

Accompanied by a lush Dominic Frontiere score and superb lighting, the episode is a feast for the ear and the eye.

Haunting
Easily one of OL's top five episodes. The effects are rancid, but the story is so well written, acted, and produced, you won't care. It's a study in the suspension of disbelief that will completely draw you in, and leave you with your jaw dropped - it has probably the most haunting ending of any entry in the entire series.

Martin Landau was the ideal choice to play Andro, who travels eighty-five years back in time to prevent a sterilizing and disfiguring biological warfare plague from devastating humanity. Overshooting his mark, he inconveniently falls in love with the woman he must kill (Shirley Knight) in order to achieve his objective. How he resolves the dilemma constitutes the most lyrically poetic of all OL stories, and one not to be missed.

In a nutshell, this one is pure magic. They don't make them like this, anymore.

My 2nd favorite Outer Limits episode
One thing I liked a lot about Outer Limit was the viewer could never be sure where the story was taking him. Unlike series TV where you might lose a Star Trek private but NEVER a regular, with Outer Limits there were NO REGULARS, so they could tell the tale anyway they wished. They do so here in a great form, as the story keeps twisting in ways one may not expect. This is a very thoughtful episode with many touching moments. And who does not want to root for the beast to win the gal? ... Read more

Reviews (16)

classic outer limits
one of my all time favorite episodes of the outer limits, the plot? what a great idea, take all your misfits of society, your criminals,rapists,murderers,child molesters, etc and Banish them to another planet, let them deal with the problem. one problem. what alien race would tolerate another's misfits? great episode, great animation with the alien bugs. nasty critters.great performances by Bruce Dern, and others in this classic. a must see.

This is the one with the alien bugs!
When asked if he remembers "The Outer Limits", invariably, a person can recall this episode. It's the one where a man on the run (Bruce Dern) and his crazy girlfriend inadvertantly drive into an area of the desert (filmed at Vasquez Rocks in Ca.) where a group of government officials await the arrival of outer-space visitors. The aliens turn out to be scary little bugs about eight inches in length with equally scary faces. Theyare criminals exiled to earth because they come from a planet that has outlawed capitalpunishment. A must for "Outer Limits" collectors. This one would be a great one to re-make on the new series.

HILARIOUS
me and my friend checked this out from the library, and were rolling on the floor laughing! it seems that they ran out of money to continue making the claymation ants. at the end, they just sit there while the people blow them up. The funniest part is when the ant suddenly jumps out of the ship and you can tell its super-glued to the door. I would pay 50 bucks for it! buy it right now!

"What we have here is a failure to communicate!"
The inhabitants of the planet Zanti have a foolproof means of dealing with their hardened criminals: just ship them to another planet and let that planet deal with him. Of course, the planet in question is Earth and you know how WE deal with the natives.

"The Zanti Misfits" is one of the most intense of the series' two-year run. An inspired touch is the Zanti convicts: ants with human faces. While the episode reuses the same models (due to a tight budget, no doubt), it still holds the tension from the first sight of the inhabitants of the prison ship until the last all-out battle with the U.S. military.

Michael Tolan, Robert Sampson, Olive Deering, and a young Bruce Dern bring realism to their respective roles of the human characters involved in the Zanti government's machinations.

Nothing like "The Outer Limits" has been seen on television since. One can be grateful that "the video revolution" enables a new audience to discover this landmark program.

Invade their privacy at your own risk....
The Zantis love their privacy, and after Bruce "You smell bad when you lie" Dern invades it, he ant in very good shape. For sure, any episode that remains a classic even after lines like "'He's a psychopath, and he's not beautiful'" (the crazy lady quoting her husband) is some amazing episode. Much more than an inside-out version of "Them!" this is a perpetual-motion, real-time classic that skitters along in a nice, ant-sy fashion. Much of its power stems from the drama of Earthlings desperately trying to avert a confrontation with a superior power, all the while wondering if it might be better (and more honorable) to lock antennae with the enemy. Here, we see humans stepped on by ants--at least until the closing ant-ihilation. Have you ever wondered how the Zantis are able to TALK via radio to the Earthlings, yet all they can do in person is buzz? They have human faces with mouths, but on-camera they don't talk, though they sure behave ant-agonistically. I'll be Derned if I can understand it. Director Leonard Horn subsequently joined the colony of directors on "Mission: Impossible." ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent purple prose meets the unbelievably creepy
Joseph Stefano's prose can either fall flat or wonderfully enhance the action on the screen. It's definitely the latter here, whether delivered by George MacReady in his breathless anticipation of power or by Neil Hamilton in what turns out to be a grotesque soliloquy that's somewhere between Mein Kampf and a prolonged mental orgasm. And matching the mental horror generated by the speeches of the alien-possessed is the physical horror of the actual attachment of the symbiots and the contortions created by failed attachments. Effective editing, great use of sound and lighting, and Don Gordon's stoic performance all help the episode.

Bring On the Sick, Nameless Nuclei!
One of Stefano's best scripts, and one of the scariest OL entries. This one could almost be considered a logical sequel to "Corpus Earthling," in which alien parasites commandeer human hosts.

The Invisibles are "sick, nameless nuclei" spawned in space and fallen to Earth, looking like mutant horseshoe crabs, that attach to human hosts' spinal columns and seize control of them. The GIA (the CIA actually refused to let their name be used for the government agency in the story) have gotten wind of the Secret Society of the Invisibles, consisting of some very powerful political names, and infiltrate it with undercover agent Luis B. Spain. The audience accompanies Spain on his adventure of discovery into alien invasion, and gets quite a few chills along the way.

The tension and suspense in this episode are superior. It's a nail-biter. The possession scenes are uncomfortable, suggestive of homosexual rape. The cast is stellar, especially Neil Hamilton as a possessed general and the ever-arch George Macready as the head of the alien Society.

If this one doesn't make your skin crawl, well, then...you're probably one of Them.

Actually deserving of 4 stars, but........
just to counteract an unjust low rating elsewhere on this page. Not a great episode, but very good along the lines of "Invisible Enemy". As good if not better than your typical theatrical sci-fi potboilers of the late 50s-early 60s.

Incredibly stylish episode!
While producer Joseph Stefano's script fails to make things as clear as they might be, "The Invisibles" has incredible style and atmosphere, mostly courtesy of director Gerd Oswald. Don Gordon ("Bullitt," "Papillion") is perfect as "GIA" agent Luis Spain, and future "Batman" regular Neil Hamilton and a pre-"Hogan's Heroes" Richard Dawson head a fascinating supporting cast. The plot concerns alien parasites from somewhere in space who are intent on using humans as hosts for--what else?--planetary takeover. Extremely effective and greatly enhanced by the cinema-level photography of Conrad Hall.

lesser Limits
This is one of the poorer episodes in the series. The claim that it is one of the most unsettling is probably due to the "attachment" procedure that the title creatures use to enter the bodies of their human hosts. It reminded me of the way John Hurt was "hosted" in the film Alien. However having this procedure didn't seem to change the behaviour of Don Gordon who behaves the same way before and after. Perhaps the way it effected George MacReady and Neil Hamilton (later to appear in TV's Batman) was to make them act over-the-top. This is particularly unsettling for MacReady, who's voice is in opposition to this kind of performance. (Who can forget him in Gilda with Rita Hayworth). His teeth are also noticeably odd here. Was he wearing dentures? There is also a surprising homoerotic subtext to this episode which I'm sure is unintentional. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Tourist Attraction = 2 out of 5 stars
If you can get over the laughable creature from the deep, then this episode is at least watchable with a few decent moments. It all starts out well, in fact, it has the feel of "The Creature From The Black Lagoon." The characters are not too annoying and the premise is solid, but it completely unravels halfway through the episode. It seems that after 20 minutes, the director had the actors do the script as an improv because NOTHING happens and everything just goes in circles. Which brings me to the end.............errrrrrrrr.........hmmmmmmm.....no comment.

In short, the opening is solid and the premise is good, but the script and plot execution is awful.

thank you for your time, David

I Sink the Budget Fantastic!
If any good came out of this episode, it would probably be the fact that "Tourist Attraction" is the touchstone for how NOT to waste money on a uninteresting idea.

The underwater photography is fairly good, even if the critters are not very convincing. The performances are fairly perfunctory and even Henry Silva as the maniacal dictator seems rather uninterested in what little is going on.

The ending, where an already weakened dam breaks, flooding the city below, comes as a welcome relief to anyone who managed to make it that far into the show.

A Sinking Ship
Absolutely one of the worst--and possibly THE worst--Outer Limits episodes. Usually, OL was a brilliant, if sometimes erratic series. Tourist Trap is aptly named; after watching it, you'll feel as if you've been an unwilling prisoner for the last hour. "Horrible" is too kind a description.

A Lungfish Ate My Homework (Blub!)
It could have been worse. It could have lacked the presence of Henry Silva, as a South American despot. Its locales and sets could have been less exotic and lush. Even Janet Blair's legs are surely worth a point or two.

Unfortunately, I've named about all this episode is worth. Tourist Attraction has the sad distinction of being the reason many worthier OL entries looked so [bad] - it ate most of the production budget for the first season. And the saddest thing is, you'd never guess it to look at it. The lungfish beasties (they could only afford three, made to look like more through the miracle of recycling) are really unconvincing.

Let 'er sail! (Blub, blub, blub...)

Ambitious as Hell
Though the Outer Limits was ahead of its time in many respects, this episode seems rather dated. This doesn't detract from it if one remembers what TV production qualities were back then. Here, we have underwater photography, several sea-monsters, and Henry Silva all in one episode of an anthology series. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Morality makes its own decisions
One of the best episodes in the Outer Limits series, this one has an intellectual and moral theme that is directly relevant to today. The story is set at a government research center called Cypress Hill and opens with a scene of a technician sitting in front of a circular display screen. The technician is viewing, apparently real-time, a research professor, Dr. Anderson, who is voicing complaints about his superior, which, the technician notes, is the "12th occurrence". The technician's attention is then shifted to the presence on-screen of what appears to be a "monster", and he then is strangled to death from behind.

In the next scene, a Senator Orville appears at Cypress Hill to investigate the murder and the general morale situation at the center. Inquisitive and intolerant of evasiveness, Orville sets up a board of inquiry and calls several witnesses, the first one being Clyde Wyatt, an investigator from the CID. When questioned by Orville, he notes only that the technician was strangled to death but that he is "not competent to say" regarding any morale and psychological problems at Cypress. Wyatt's evasiveness angers Orville, and he quickly dismisses Wyatt from the stand.

The next witness is a Dr. Philip Fletcher, an elderly man who has been employed for five years at Cypress as a research consultant in astrophysics. Fletcher had sent a letter to Orville, addressing the morale problems at Cypress. Apparently he had written several more letters but did not send them, having been questioned by the military police about the letters. Questioned by Orville as to how Cypress knew he was writing the letters, Fletcher responds by saying that "they know everything" and speaks of rumours and fear at Cypress. Cypress is a "ghost town" he says, and a place where "no one laughs".

After being notified that the head of Cypress, Dr Clifford Scott, was unavailable for questioning due to suffering a physical breakdown, Orville calls a Dr. Lomax. Lomax states that morale is no better or worse than any other government facility, but Orville rebuts by stating the statistics: divorce up 400%, rampant alcoholism, and three suicides. Also, reports of a "peeping Tom machine" have been related to Orville, but Lomax refuses to discuss the machine. Orville then demands all information on the machine, and gets a demonstration of it the next day.

Called OBIT for "Outer Band Individuated Teletracer", Lomax explains its operation to Orville, and illustrates its use by spying on a draftsman who is located somewhere in Washington D.C. Lomax states that "those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear from OBIT", but this is dismissed eloquently by Orville, who expresses worry and revulsion over the ability to use the machine to spy on himself when engaging in commentary on the President, his wife, or other senators.

A fourth witness, Col. Grover, is then questioned by Orville, but Grover has no knowledge of OBIT's manufacturer or who authorized its deployment. Again Orville demands all information about OBIT and its history of deployment and when threatened by Grover as to his political future, dismisses any concern with it, stating that "morality makes its own decisions".

Orville then calls Mrs. Clifford Scott, who states that the morale has been unbearable at Cypress and was left completely in the dark about the location of her husband.

Grover is later recalled, and speaks of 18 OBIT units deployed in the military as well as many more in industry and education. He describes painfully OBIT as being the most "hideous creation ever conceived", and one that saps the spirit, and indulges in using it himself, not being able to resist its temptations.

After insistence from Orville, Orville questions Dr. Scott, who describes his opposition to OBIT, and how he is always at odds with Lomax, who for some reason cannot be monitored by OBIT. The reason becomes rapidly apparent, as Lomax is transfigured to an alien being, who represents a race of beings who have deliberately placed OBIT machines on Earth to create rips and tensions in society and demoralize humanity, as preparation for their eventual invasion. He disappears suddenly from the scene.

The episode ends with the announcer explaining that all of the OBIT machines have been found and destroyed and that whether OBIT can live up to its reputation "depends on you".

The OBIT machine, with its ability to spy real time on citizens within a 500 mile radius, and even then through solid rock or steel, is certainly a technological marvel. Such a machine does not exist of course, but its abilities can be emulated. Governments can now engage in data mining and Email and business transaction monitoring, coupled with citizen spies whose sole function is to report "suspicious" behavior, can certainly have the same devastating effects as OBIT. The resulting suspicions and extreme paranoia accompanying these strategies of spying can indeed make life unbearable and demoralizing.

We must make sure we have senators who think like Orville, and refuse to allow this kind of privacy-robbing technology to be employed unless in very extreme life-threatening circumstances. "OBIT-like" projects like TIAA and its children must not be allowed to progress and must be kept in check. Thankfully there are many in government who are taking steps to insure that these kinds of projects do not get implemented. Eternal vigilance among citizens, government officials, and the military must be unrelenting in insuring that these kinds of projects never be put in place. Such an attitude should be part of our consciousness and automatized in our belief structures and in our machines, for this is the proper morality in the information age: a morality which makes its own decisions.

Don't Look Behind You...
...but someone is watching. And they're not human. If you thought the NSA was bad...

One of OL's few truly evil E.T. entries, a murder mystery performed as a courtroom drama. The script is highly literate, but the suspense is half-shot from the beginning by showing too much. It's still worth it for the opening murder scene and the dramatic finale alone, though the interesting analysis of intrusive government spying on its own citizenry along the way is quite good, too (and, for the time, eye-opening, as well).

Typically great OL cinematography, one of the creepier and more memorable monsters, and good performances all around, especially by Jeff Corey.

OL masterpiece with Orwellian overtones
An army security man is strangled under mysterious circumstances at Cypress Hills, a top secret military installation where a sinister new snooping system (the Outer Band Individuated Teletracer) is being tested. This audio-video spying device can tune in to the individualized biorhythms of everyone on the base, except for the murderer, it seems. The frightening implications of this new device for depriving personnel of even the slightest shred of privacy and dignity are unravelled in the course of a congressional investigation conducted by young, charismatic Senator Orville. His persona is tough as nails, but smooth-edged with dashes of wisdom and self-deprecating wit, a la JFK. This portrayal comes across as an intriguing reflection of the Camelot era, and we know from the moment we meet him that he is going to get to the bottom of things. Likewise, we are shown from the opening scene that the murder was committed by a Thing Not of This World, a monstrous, gangly, one-eyed creature of obviously alien origin. Our attention is also directed early on to one Byron Lomax, a sinister character who is in charge after the rightful director of the base is sent away to a mental institution, in Kremlinesque fashion we find out. These plot threads are woven together in a tense, moody script with expert direction and stylish noir photography, giving this episode the unmistakable first-season OL signature. The shattering and dehumanizing effect of invading privacy, feeding upon dark, all-too-human impulses, is the moral center of this story: we must rise above our lower impulses and temptations, or be dragged down by them. In the latter case, we become easy prey for an invading alien race that easily sets us up, and can take over without a single shot ever having to be fired. This is OL at its characteristic, intelligent best, with solid story and thought-provoking themes convincingly elaborated (e.g., we are our own worst enemies, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, etc.); plus loving homages (intentional or otherwise) to schlock 1950's scifi cinema, most notably Wyott Ordung's hilariously inept "Robot Monster". But it bridges the lowbrow appeal of such juvenile material with the prescience of George Orwell's writings. The kind of sheer range on display here is breathtaking, and puts to shame what passes today as scifi cinema, with its monotonous emphasis on artless techno special effects and characters targeted to audience hang-ups and attitude.

I.C.U.
This Outer Limits is unusual to feature a courtroom hearing as a series of talking heads, when otherwise episodes feature a lot of action. The scenario by Meyer Dolinsky centres around the titular surveillance machine, which Meyer used to parallel the House Un American Committe and Senator Joseph McCarthy witchhunts of the late 1940's and early 1950's. However the Senator who comes to the defence department site where a murder has been committed, ironically acts as arrogantly (and humourlessly) as McCarthy. The only seemingly intentional laugh in the whole episode is when a doctor is heard to make a derogatory remark about his superior - "He doesn't know the difference between a periodic table and a timetable". The obligatory series monster here is seen on the OBIT screen, which deliberately resembles the early round TV sets, and it is the sighting which accounts for the witnesses death. The monster itself is quite bizarre. The initial long shot view has it wearing a diaphonous gown, and it's mask face is half Halloween pumpkin and half unformed baby head. When the monster attacks another witness, it is unintentionally funny. Since the hearing's talking head structure relies upon testimony it becomes a series of performances, the best being Konstantin Shayne and Sam Reese, and the worst Alan Baxter. As the administrator of the base and the one associated with the OBIT, Jeff Corey wears distortive bottle-bottom black-rimmed spectacles which give him a great look but his climactic grandiose speech is undercut by it coming out of nowhere, and the maniac way it is filmed by director Gerd Oswald. The narrative also features a few plot holes - an affair has no pay off, and the monster has the unexplained ability to be in two places at once. However Oswald provides some redemptive images - a flashing cheap hotel sign, the ominous placement of Corey's overly hairy hand, and the soft-focus lighting of Joanne Gilbert as the base commander's wife, who still manages to come off as an anorexic transexual.

Probably my favorite.
I've always loved this episode. I has good dialogue, a fairly good monster, and a believable premise (except for the monster, of course). The pacing is well done, and it leads up to a fine climax. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Totally entertaining, mind-expanding scifi spectacle
"Galaxy Being" is the superb, seminal episode of the original Outer Limits, and it still packs quite a unique wallop today--indeed all the more so by contrast with the dismal state of contemporary scifi cinema. This is a towering, all-time great portrayal of the human encounter with the alien, who is at once intelligent, wise, noble, confused and stressed-out. His final, stern lecture to the foolish, frightened earthlings who in their ignorance would destroy him, puts this film into the same class as "Day the Earth Stood Still", one of OL's most important thematic forerunners. But then, in a brilliant stroke, there is a strong and daring infusion of emergent parallels between the rational and the non-rational, between recent discoveries of science and ancient, intuitive, mystical teachings--way ahead of its time in 1963. Another profound theme, embodied in both the alien and the Cliff Robertson character, is the courage of the individual who would seek to investigate the unknown, against the pressures of brain-washed society to conform, and all the efforts of authorities to keep humanity subservient and under control. Should these loner, visionary scientist types who break the rules in their quest for knowledge be careful what they're fooling around with? Of course; and yet, its often by mistakes that we learn the most and advance furthest as a species. The special effects are stylish and riveting, especially the design and imaging of the alien itself, which has few comparisons. The human/alien relationship is mirrored as well by the maritally troubled husband/wife couple, who have their own differences to overcome. The lame gender stereotypes of today's pathetic, post-Cameron/Hurd scifi offerings (i.e., the men as wimps or swaggering macho idiots and foils for the obligatorily smarter, stronger, wiser but good looking female lead) are nowhere to be seen, so you might not like this if you require that kind of shallow, formulaic content. The focus here, setting the tone for the whole series, is on the timeless and recurring themes of human existence, the quest for meaning, the finding of the self in the other, transcendence versus domination, the triumph of the human spirit and hope. Outer Limits is the Shakespeare of TV/cinematic scifi, and will admirably withstand the test of time. By the way, there is one unintentionally diverting moment here to watch for which I've got to mention, because I've never seen it commented upon elsewhere. It involves quite a double handful that Cliff Robertson gets hold of in the last act. How did that get by ABC's watchful eye?

Please Stand By
An inventor, and a manager of a radio station, creates a 3-D monitor device in order to communicate with alien beings from outer space. He receives a signal from the galaxy of Andromeda. This is the pilot episode and a classic one. The key episode that gives you the premise and the series approach. Cliff Robertson is the perfect example of a cursed and lonely tinkerer ("But the secrets of the universe don't mind. They reveal themselves to nobodies. Who care ?") lost in his radio experimentations and in search of an absolute. The best scene remains the intense dialogues between Cliff Robertson and the Andromedan Being about the fundamental questions : Life, Death, War and God ("Infinity is God. God, Infinity, all the same."). Pre-"Counterweight" Jacqueline Scott plays skeptical and pragmatic Carol Mawxell who threats her husband ("Carol, it's more than interesting, it's important !"). Pre-"Production and decay of strange particles" Allyson Ames (Leslie Stevens' wife) is very gorgeous. The alien's optical effects is strange and magnificient at once and it is the best "bear" of the entire series. There are two beautiful scenes with the negative effects : 1.The Being enters a shop, with suspended instruments, and examines items (binoculars, musical box, bust). 2.The Being cauterized the injury of Allan Maxwell's wife with a blast of radiation. You have a "The day the Earth stood still" reference with the army, the jeeps and the alien's warning ("There is much you have to learn.").----"The planet Earth is a speck of dust, remote and alone in the void. There are powers in the universe inscrutable and profound. Fear cannot save us. Rage cannot help us. We must see the stranger in a new light-the light of understanding. And to achieve this, we must begin to understand ourselves, and each other."

-End of transmission-

Debut Episode Of This Sci-Fi Series Is Still The Best!
This VHS video contains the premiere episode of the 1960s science-fiction TV series, "The Outer Limits". Cliff Robertson stars in "The Galaxy Being", a story of energy gone haywire.

I recall watching this thrilling episode as a little kid years ago, and even today it's still a terrific sci-fi outing.

That's Jacqueline Scott as Robertson's wife. Jacqueline was a veteran guest star in many, many TV shows of that era, including a 2nd guest spot on "The Outer Limits" (the episode "Counterweight" in December 1964). Scott also very ably appeared in shows such as "The Fugitive" (as Richard Kimble's sister), "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", "Lassie", "Ben Casey", "Route 66", "Perry Mason", "The Twilight Zone", and "Marcus Welby".

Somewhat ironically, "The Galaxy Being" episode of "The Outer Limits" premiered on network television on Monday, September 16, 1963, exactly one day before "The Fugitive", another series which featured Miss Scott frequently as a guest star, made its network debut.

If you're looking for one of the best episodes of "The Outer Limits" TV series, look no further than this particular entry.

'Scared the [stuff] out of a then ten-year-old!
When I saw the pilot episode of the classic sci-fi anthology, I was frightened beyond belief. The mouthless, glowing alien that the unwitting radio announcer "yanks" from outer space was enough to make a kid sleep with a nightlight on.

As an adult, I can now better appreciate the social commentary built into this particular installment. Also, the acting of a young Cliff Robertson, fresh from his popular role in "PT-109" can be also be credited for the success of this entry.

While the later "The Bellero Shield" explored a similar theme of reversed "alien abduction" with better results, "The Galaxy Being" was a great start to a show that should've lasted beyond its two years.

Outer Limits #1: My radio conversation with an alien...
On September 16, 1963 viewers watching ABC at 7:30 on that Monday night noticed that the picture on their television screen started to do funny things. Then a deep voice intoned: "There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture..." Thus started one of the two greatest science fiction anthology shows in television history, "The Outer Limits."

"The Galaxy Being" was the pilot episode, starring Cliff Robertson as Alex Maxwell, a technician at a radio station who makes contact with an alien. The first half of this episode highlights the simple but compelling conversation between these two in which they discuss everything from life and death to God ("Infinity is God. God infinity. All the same," the alien tells the human). The episode takes a radical, but not totally unexpected turn in the second half when Alex goes away and a DJ boosts the station's signal, which manages to bring the alien to Earth. The alien was shot as a negative photographic image, which is amazingly effective, as most simple, elegant ideas often are. Of course the alien's mere presence sends frightened citizens running in terror and Alex comes back to find an imminent confrontation between the alien and all those people with guns.

Writer and Director Leslie Stevens comes up with a nice introduction to the world of "The Outer Limits." The episode appeals to both those who like the intellectual dimensions of good science fiction and those who want cool monsters from another planet. It also establishes one of the show's strongest elements, which was making viewers uneasy with what was going on rather than going for fear and terror. Robertson also provides the first of many strong performances by actors on this show (e.g., Robert Culp in several key OL episodes). His Alex Maxwell might be an ordinary Joe, but making first contact with an alien is a cause for curiosity and wonder, not fear and loathing. No reason to get into allegorical dimensions regarding the Cold War, because the simple lesson here is that aliens are people too. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Best "Control Voice" epilogue of them all
When I first saw "Behold Eck" back in the 60's, I thought
the special effects were better than on many of the more
respected episodes. The notion of a two-dimensional being
is cool, and you actually come to care for the soft-spoken
scientist from another geometry. The writing on OL was by far
it's strongest feature, in my opinion, and I remember the
Control Voice "moral" at the end of "Behold Eck" by heart.
Two of my four-star rating come from the words spoken at the
end by the CV, which could easily be considered the Epilogue
of the entire Outer Limits series, also.

Behold - the Title Says It All!
Hard to defend this one. About all it has going for it are some interesting visuals, but even those are pretty cartoonish. The production team knew the series was dead in the water and wasn't going to be revived, and more or less tossed this one off. It comes off overall like a children's theater piece, that would have been happier on an Irwin Allen show than OL.

The saddest thing about "Eck" is comparing it to the series premiere, "The Galaxy Being," which shows how far OL had degenerated from its original inception. Both "Being" and "Eck" have essentially the same plot - a benign but extremely dangerous alien comes to Earth, receiving help from a sympathetic human - but oh, my, how very differently the two episodes come off...

Enjoyable second-season "Outer Limits" effort.
This oddly-titled second-season "Limits" episode is mostly a missed opportunity, though the effective moments make it worth watching. The idea is great--a two-dimensional being (Eck, who else?) ends up in our three-dimensional world by accident and seeks the help of a scientist who happens to have a special pair of glasses that render the otherwise invisible being viewable. Unfortunately, the episode can't decide whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama, and it ends up not being much of either. Still, the special effects are great, if you can accept the cartoonish appearance of Eck, and the lab scenes have some of the first-season mysterioso. The director, believe it or not, is Byron Haskin, best-known for "War of the Worlds," "Robinson Crusoe on Mars," and the Disney "Treasure Island." Haskin despised this episode, claiming that it harmed his TV directoral career.

Behold Greatness
One of the best television series ever produced and certainly the best sci-fi ever produced. Behold the greatest TV show on this side of the galaxy. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Man with the Power = 2.5 out of 5
In this Outer Limits episode we see Donald Pleasence playing a scientist who created a unique invention. His invention allows the user (in this case himself), the ability to mentally project his mind to move objects. He joins a project to use this scientific advancement for the use in bringing asteroids from earth closer to spaceships and/or Earth so that their vast minerals could be tapped for good. (OK, the plot about the asteroids is moronic, but it's not the key point of the story.)

Needless to say, the best laid plains go awry and the subconscious starts to take ahold of Donald Pleasence's character. He has pent up hostility towards his wife (for nagging him and not being supportive), and his boss at the University he works at. When his hatred kicks in, he attacks his advisary with a mind projection storm with the purpose of doing harm and/or killing.

The episode has a nice deliberate pace, good acting and the classic Outer Limits music/cinematography. However, it lacks excitement and character depth.

thank you for your time, David

Hackneyed Plot, But Well Done
Donald Pleasance is top-notch as the mild-mannered little nobody who inadvertently creates a monstrously destructive force, while trying to help the space program develop telekinetic motive force.

Previous reviewers note that the characters in this piece are not sympathetic, but in large part the story utilizes that fact to drive home its point. People around Pleasance begin to suffer - and soon, die - as a result of his discovery, solely because he had some petty squabble with them. This is a story about real people, not ideal ones. If the characters being hurt by Pleasance were all heroic, the story would rapidly become comic melodrama. The fact that they are so everyday, and not exactly noble, is what makes "the power" so frightening. It also makes Pleasance's final sacrifice the more heroic, in and of itself - he would rather die, than harm even some ...schmoe.

This is not a great OL, but is a good one. The effects are especially memorable.

Pleasance With The Power!
Great performance by the one actor who can do more with his piercing gaze alone than anyone else. The story is well-written and not as predictable as it could have been written. Once he discovers the consequences of his uncontrolable Power, his conscience constantly tugs away at him until he sees one option left open to him.

Donald Pleasance's low-key approach works well with a character, dubbed by his nagging wife as a "simple little nobody", who wants to become someone greater than the mundane person he really is.

The special effects are truly classic 1963 vinatge - but then if you looking for this episode to be visually flashy, you've got it all wrong! It is Mr. Pleasance's performance that makes this such as pleasure to view - one-half 'The Great Escape' and one-half 'Fantastic Voyage'.

If you wish to view further evidence of Donald Pleasance great acting abilities - besides 'The Great Escape' and 'Fantastic Voyage' - check him out in 'The Night Of The Generals', 'You Only Live Twice', the underrated George Lucas debut 'THX-1138', and 'Prince Of Darkness'.

The man with the boring power.
It's hard to enjoy a show if there are no characters you really care about! Harold Finley (Donald Pleasence) may be timid but he's still a jerk!In the opening scene,he subconsiously kills two road workers because he refuses to wait for them to get out of his way. I know, he can't control his power. But he sure gets angry easily, never mind that he's in the wrong with most of his arguments. Unless you like to hear people argue, and find a storm cloud frightening, don't waste your money!

The dark side of the mind
"In the course of centuries, Man has devoured the Earth itself. The Machine Age has dried up the seas of oil. Industry has consumed the heartlands of coal. The Atomic Age has plundered the rare elements-uranium, cobalt, plutonium-leaving behind worthless deposits of lead and ashes. Starvation is at hand. Only here, in the void of space, is there a new source of atomic power. Above us, in the debris of the solar system, in the meteorites and asteroids, are the materials needed to drive the reactors. Yet in their distant, silent orbits, these chunks of matter are beyond the reach of Man, beyond the reach of human hands... but not beyond the reach of human minds. Driving along a country road in an ordinary car is a modest man : Harold J. Finley, quiet and profound..." A meek and mild professor invents a device that can control all the sources of energy and the forces that surround us. This was the first episode I saw and I was very impressed by the mind power premise. Pre-"Fantastic voyage" Donald Pleasence's performance is top-notch. I like the very quiet man who turns angry and hysterical as Jeff Corey in the end of "O.B.I.T.". Conrad Hall's cinematography is outstanding as always. Watch the chiaroscuro close-ups of Donald Pleasence out. The mind power test when the dials become mad is very bizarre. The dark clouds and lightning visual effects, that symbolizes Donald Pleasence's avenging subconscious, are brilliant. Remember the character of Dr. Morbius/Id from "Forbidden planet". All the characters are great : the shrewish wife, Edward C. Platt as the authoritarian boss from University (the first attempt to kill him is fun), John Marley as the dead-serious psychiatrist. The operating room mood is really Expressionist and you can recapture the same scary feeling as in "The architects of fear". The best episode directed by "The wild one" Laslo Benedek and the single script written by "Mission : impossible" Jerome Ross. "Deep beyond the kindest, gentlest soul may lurk violent thoughts, deadly wishes. Someday Man will learn to cope with the monsters of the mind. Then, and only then, when the human mind is truly in control of itself, can we begin to utilize the great and hidden powers of the universe." ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A standout episode because of its noteworthy casting
In the early 60's when television rarely showcased an African-American actor, it was "The Outer Limits" that spotlighted Hari Rhodes in a part that was not racially based. In this episode from the series landmark first season, Rhodes is cast as "Lt. Travers", one member of a moon-based crew that encounters escaping aliens in search of sanctuary.

While many do not think this to be one of the show's best episodes, I find its significance as presenting a black man as essential as any other to the execution of the moon mission to be commendable for the show's producers.

Though slow-moving at times, this installment still provides a pleasurable viewing experience, especially during the moving soliloquy by the alien spokesman (voiced by veteran actor Ben Wright).

korea relived on moon
It is a common opinion that the first season of Outer Limits, under the direction of its original creators, was stronger than the second season. It is, however, also apparent that towards the end of first season the series wasn't as consistently good as in the beginning.
The Moonstone has plenty of values to keep it watchable: the actors are adequate, the production classy and the special effects (especially the moonstone itself) are among the best in the entire series. For once the aliens are portrayed as truly ALIEN in form. Also it has an unusually realistic ending, no superheroics, once again showing how intellectual this series was.
There are no moments of stupidity or embarrasment, but unfortunately, for some reason, Moonstone fails to be very exciting or gripping. The characters aren't that interesting and the story lacks that "awe and mystery" advertised in the title sequence...however, the episode is definitely worth watching.

excellent
This is a great movie,way ahead of its time!

Hairy Eyeballs Invade the Moon! (News at Eleven!)
The most badly dated of all OL episodes - in fact, it was dated even before they began shooting it. Outer Limits was never a complete waste, though, so you might enjoy it despite its flaws.

This is a cliched B-movie Korean War story awkwardly grafted onto a sci-fi story. Astronauts at our moon base (you know, that famous base we have on the moon?) discover a sphere that turns out to be a spaceship containing the hairy-eyeball inhabitants of another planet. Said hairy-eyeballs are benevolent refugee scientists from a tyrannical civilization that would exploit their great wisdom creating weapons of mass destruction. The astronauts vow to protect the hairy-eyeballs and maintain safe refuge for them, when said Tyrant-Eyeballs (in a much bigger ship) show up asking for them. In the end, the astronauts sadly relinquish the wise hairy-eyeballs to the Tyrant-Eyeballs, because they simply aren't militarily up to defending them...which is exactly what our protagonist did to a village in the Korean War, earning the ire of his mates. Now, they all know better...

The non-contemporaneousness of moonbases and the Korean War somehow undercuts the seriousness of the proceedings, as does the silliness of the wise hairy-eyeballs' wise pronouncements of all things wise about wisdom.

This episode does have one great thing going for it, however: really hairy-eyeball-pleasing effects, and good visuals. As for the rest...well, don't say you weren't warned.

Outer Limits does it again.
Believe it or not, this episode of "The Outer Limits" was inspired by a streetlight that may or may not been illegally obtained. But no matter: once again, the pure genius of both Joseph Stefano and Leslie Stevens shines through as they give us a story of tiny fugitive aliens trying to find shelter from their oppressors and the humans in between.

Not for beginners of the "Limits," but perfect for well-seasoned veterans of Sci-Fi. ... Read more

Amazon.com

You'd think that if the writers give away the monster's secret in the first few scenes, you wouldn't be scared--until you watch "The Architects of Fear."This super-creepy, classic Outer Limits episode features Robert Culp as a scientist chosen to undergo extremely avant-garde surgery to irreversibly turn him into a bizarre alien creature who will unite the world against a common, if fraudulent, threat.This series was uniquely able to capture a sense of individual horror in its stars; Culp is eerily compelling as a man giving up his identity to help the world.The black-and-white cinematography is stark and surprisingly indirect; in the best traditions of filmmaking, more is implied than shown directly.Not only one of the best episodes in the series, "The Architects of Fear" is one of the best television shows ever aired. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Outer Limits Episode #3: The Architects Of Fear
Where do I start?

This has got to be one of the strangest, creepiest TV episodes I have ever seen. Robert Culp is the lead actor. He plays a government scientist that has been chosen by lot to be transformed surgically into an alien. Why? Well, the goodguys decide that a nuclear war is eminent and believe that if an alien would land from space at the UN, the world's nations would come together to fight a common cause and put their animosity against each other on the back burner, thus saying everyone from war. The process of being turned into an alien and all types of operations procedures take up more then half of the episode. The 1st half is the strongest part of the 52 minutes. The plot actually kept your interest (even though it was moronic) and just the concept of going through an operation to become an alien is very bizarre/creepy. Then...it all falls apart, or shall I say, "it all unravels" at the end. Alien Culp (after being shot up into space) does not land at the UN, but at the same place he started!!! Then his annoying wife (a Joan Crawford wannabe) gets a hot flash and runs back to the "top secret" base because she just has that premonition that her hubby is still alive and is there. The end is a big letdown. What started out as possibly the best Outer Limits episode ends with a THUD. The show would get 1 star from me if it wasn't for the 1st half hour. The plot is moronic and the plot holes are MASSIVE (such as, why not use the real alien that Culp was made of a copy of or where the [heck] did they get the alien?).

thank you for your time, David

The Definitive Outer Limits Episode
The Architects of Fear is one of the classic episodes which made the first season of The Outer Limits so unique, and might be considered THE definitive example of what this great series could produce. Robert Culp plays an American physicist chosen to be the "scarecrow" used to frighten the world powers away from war between themselves. Through an agonizing series of operations he is gradually transformed into a hideous version of an alien and sent up in orbit to pretend to be arriving from outer space. The combination of script, acting, terrific lighting and direction, and the really wonderful musical score make this episode an unforgetable emotional experience. This is science fiction television at its best.

The Very BEST Episode of the Outer Limits
No, Culp's flipping out with the X-ray machine is definitely NOT overacted. This is where I tuned into the episode back in the 70s. It was black-and-white, and old, yet the drama was so intense that I continued to watch. It seemed too grittily dramatic for an old sci-fi movie, yet what they were talking about marked it as one. Then, it finally dawned on me that this was the famous "Outer Limits" which I had always heard so much about but had never seen. I then understood why it was so highly regarded. Few ensuing episodes matched this one. I believe, because of its anthology format, that it was a match for the original "Trek".

Robert Culp becomes an alien to stop the end of the war
I know that Robert Culp is best known for his work on "I Spy" with Bill Cosby, and while that was a landmark series in the history of television as an actor Culp clearly did his best work on "The Outer Limits." His first OL was Episode 3, "The Architects of Fear," where he plays an idealistic scientist who is surgically transformed into a horrible alien (one of the best in the entire run of the series for my money, all things being relative) in the hope that fear of the creature and the end of the world will bring the warring nations together in peace. Of course, today this has become something of an old chestnut (most notably, I think, in Alan Moore's comic series "The Watchmen"), but way back when it would have been just a neat twist on the fabled Mercury Theater on the Air broadcast of "The War of the Worlds." Culp's performance is the key to the episode's believability and he gets off a couple of great quips of the sort we would expect from him in his later TV life. Geraldine Brooks also does a nice job as his wife, who refuses to believe it when she is told her husband died in a plane crash. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished and even if you find the ending somewhat predictable, I still think you will find it affecting. "The Architects of Fear" (neat title by the way), is written by Meyer Dolinsky and directed by Bryon Haskin, but the name you want to know about is the great Oscar winning ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "American Beauty") cinematographer, Conrad Hall, who was director of photography.

great story, classic limits episode
this episode more than any other sticks out in my mind when i think of the outer limits. its a moving story, one that gets you caught up in feelings for the main character and is very memorable. if you want to experience what this show was about, the limits that is, this episode is the epitome in my opinion. but really, how can you go wrong with ANY of them?? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I've been Probed, and it wasn't pleasent.
One of the last of the classic Outer Limits episodes, this one suffers from a ten minute story stretched into one hour.

Here goes;

A cargo plane gets caught in a typhoon and is forced to ditch. The survivors then find themselves inside a huge alien probe. Trying to find an exit, one of the crew is killed by a monster/large killer organism that roams around the ship.
Though automated, the creators of the Probe realize that humans are aboard and they manage to get them outside (and to safety) before the Probe destroys itself.

The basic problem here is that the inside of the Probe is obviously a large set, thus killing any interest in the story (what little of it there is). Admittedly, there is a nice forced perspective shot of the survivors 'staring up' at a large beaker and weight measuring device.

Mark Richmond of "The Borderland" fame tries his level best to yell his way through this tale. The rest of the crew remains anonymous, 'cept for Tigh Andrews (I'm guessing his name) of Mod Squad fame, who has only a short scene before dissapearing after the first commercial break.

There is also a really nice blooper. The opening shot shows a DC-3 that's all silver with (what looks like) an Air Force symbol on the side. However, when we see the close-ups during the storm, the DC-3 is suddenly blue with a white streak down the side (not to mention, it's obviously a model).

I definately would not recommend "The Probe" as there are much better selections out there.

aliens..not like us...from another planet..in outer space...
The second season of Outer Limits is often dismissed by serious fans as a disaster best forgotten. The crew, visual style, all had changed. However, allthough not at all like the original series, it stands out on its own thanks to classics like "The inheritors" and "The demon with a glass hand".
The majority of the 17 second season episodes are, however, mediocre and some are downright awful. The Probe, the very last episode, is one of the worst. There is enough plot to fill ten minutes, and the cast fills the time by going through some absurd, senseless dialogue. It seems like it was written overnight. The story premise itself (an alien probe examining earth) isn't that bad and could have been the basis for a great story.
Sad to see Mark Richman so lost..he was great in "The Borderland". It's also unbelievable that writers Seeleg Lester & Sam Neuman were also behind the awesome "The Inheritors". I bet they wrote this turkey in a hurry.

Nice Laboratory You Got Here...
Hardly an extraordinary entry, but a good enough one.

Four people in a plane blown off course by a hurricane wake up in their life raft - on solid ground. In a closed environment. With alien writing on the walls, and decidedly odd, mechanized things being done to them. It doesn't take them long to realize they've stumbled into an automated alien space probe, apparently analyzing samples from planets in our solar system.

The story is padded by one of OL's many unnecessary monsters, though it is used to passable enough effect - in this case, an oversized microbe that got out of its Petrie dish and is threatening other specimens in the jar.

The better part of the story is the credibly handled attempt by the stranded wayfarers to communicate with the alien race that designed the probe. If for no other reason, this one is worth watching for the nice speech at the end, when the seemingly only surviving crewmember passionately pleads with the alien computer for help, breaking down in frustration at its endlessly blinking lights and repeated patterns, crying, "Are you all machine? No humanity? Can you hear me? Can you help me?"

Cheap, pretty static in the action department, definitely talky, but not bad. Fairly interesting throughout, with a satisfying and optimistic conclusion.

End of the Line for The Outer Limits
It is hard to watch many of the second season episodes of this fine series. The producers just could not put a great episode together. The quality of the first season shows simply would not be duplicated in the shortened season number two. Some episodes were well written, but suffered from laughable production values. Others featured interesting characters, but were torpedoed by lame direction. None could capture the awe-inspiring style of the first season episodes. I believe that "The Probe" was one of the last episodes made. Mark Richman (the man with two left hands from "Borderland"-an excellent episode) stars in this tale of plane-wrecked castaways trapped in a large alien space probe. The sets are interesting, special effects are good but something just doesn't quite seem right. It seems to suffer from a lame story. The characters have no depth, no reason to care about their fate. This really could have been made much better with some of the character developement of the first season shows. It still ranks as one of the best season two shows as far as interesting potential. The "bear" here was the same monster used in a Star Trek episode two years later. It looks like a giant "Mountan Bar" left out in the sun to partially melt. The best thing I can say about "The Probe" is...well, there are at least a dozen Outer Limits shows that are worse. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Venus Held Me In Her Arms!
This was Shatner's first famously hammy performance, playing Colonel Jeff Barton, the first astronaut to Venus and back. Sure, he's all smiles and NASA p.r. before the cameras, but behind the scenes, Jeff's having problems. He avoids his wife, can't concentrate, can't sleep, has snappish fits of temper, suffers unremembered terrifying nightmares, and can't keep warm. Soon, his problems run deeper - he's actually physically mutating into something not human. Turns out he met something on Venus, during the eight minute telemetry loss the mission had when he went under cloud cover. He's only now beginning to remember what...

Should have been a winner. Falters due to an unintentionally comedic, melodramatic script, and the actors' obvious discomfort at having to speak such soap-opera lines. It's additionally funny today for reasons the production team could not have predicted: the manned Mars mission Shatner's character tries to sell for NASA after his Venus flight is named "Project Vulcan," prefiguring Star Trek, and at one point he makes a vow to his wife by solemnly lifting his hand and saying, "Promise!" which he did identically, years later, in T.V. promotions for Promise Margarine.

Even turkeys like this one have their good moments, though, and are not total wastes. The being Shatner encounters on Venus is a memorably clever underwater puppet effect that is kind of creepy, accompanied by an eerie, minor-key sort of waltz music, and the scene in which Shatner's wife, Geraldine Brooks, helps rescue him from his horrific condition is often moving.

Atmospheric, but Little Story
I give this one 3 stars just because the alien sequences are so eerie. I would like to point out one thing, though. I see ...complain[ing] about the comic-book like plots. This is because "The Outer Limits" was so influential among sci-fi writers back then, that a lot of its ideas and concepts did indeed make it to numerous comic books in the ensuing decade...

Classic early Shat!
For those that are shat fans, this is a MUST WATCH! Bill stars as an astronaut whose mission to Venus goes astray as an alien infects him. He starts to change into some kind of alien with wacked-out hands. Today we would call this genetic terrorism I guess... Kinda funny that the project is called "vulcan". I am sure that it IS just a conincidence with ST because Spock was in the original pilot for Star Trek and our hammy friend Shat was not. But then again...

Overall its a pretty good ep. All the makings of Pre-ST Sci_Fi. Cool 'weirdo' music, bad (in todays standards) special effects, and good plot. All of the OL episodes kinda remind me of the old X-MINUS ONE radio show....

Johnny

What Low Budget Junk.
I don't know why so many people like the Outer Limits, it featured bad comic book type writing and lousy directing, with cheap effects and fake monsters. This one show alone shows us how hammy these shows really were. When it comes to science fiction, William Shatner did a much better work as an actor on Star Trek as well as his two apperances on the Twilight Zone.

An Outer Limits dress-rehearsal for Star Trek ?
Imagine William Shatner intoning: "...to lead the way to new worlds, new life, new knowledge". You might think this is a slightly skewed recollection of his famous Star Trek preamble; but in fact its a bit of his dialog from this flawed, but still enjoyable, second-season Outer Limits offering. Did Shatner compose his Star Trek "pre-ramble", by "borrowing" directly from this OL script? You can't help but wonder, and he has commented since that he doesn't remember his work in this OL very clearly (in TNT's broadcast of interview footage with him during their OL marathon a few years back). Hmmmm... But diehard Shatner fans will exonerate him with no questions asked when they get a load of his trademark hammy acting. It is abundantly on display here in all its overwrought glory (check out the photo on the video box!), recalling his roughly contemporaneous Twilight Zone episode "Horror at 20,000 Feet" (er, wait a minute--was it 20,000 or 30,000? Well, anyway...). Similarly, a scene with Malachi Throne prominently foreshadows Capt. Kirk's full-contact collegial rapport with Star Base Commodore Mendez--you can see them getting their chops down as actors here, playing off each others' style and delivery. Special effects are low-budget, but still exert an effective mood. As usual for the original OL, it is the sheer staging of the scene that carries it off. Playing Shatner's wife, poor Geraldine Brooks has to keep a straight face while delivering dialog in which she talks to the planets as though calling a pet dog home; its hard not to cringe a little, especially remembering what a good part they gave her to play in the first season episode "Architects of Fear". But the story here is solid, of an astronaut who begins to undergo some disturbing changes after returning from a space voyage, while trying to hold it together in his marriage and his space exploration goals. The dream sequence in which Shatner re-lives his frightening adventure on Venus is a high point, and pretty hair-raising. As with so many Outer Limits episodes, instead of just being told what's going on by some lab-coated doink standing in front of a blackboard and rationalizing it all for us (as in a lot of inferior vintage scifi pieces), we are shown, without the corny explanations--a much more dramatically effective approach, and more stimulating to the imagination. Although not one of the best, this OL episode is nonetheless quite memorable and better than much, if not most, scifi cinema. But those who dislike Shatner (and you know who you are) need not apply; for that audience, may I suggest a rerun of "Star Trek: The Pepsi Generation" instead ? ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Stupid is as Stupid does
I felt I had to say something since the last reveiwer just made a complete ass out of himself. Yes Lenard nimoy did play the lawyer IN THE REMAKE that is not being discussed here. In this one he played the reporter. So looks like someone else needs to straighten their facts before posting.

did you watch the show?
if you watched the show you made a mistake. Leonard Nimoy was the lawyer that represented adam not a reporter.
get your fact straight before posting here stupid

excelent show.
Marianna Hill is so hot
2 thumbs up

Howard da Silva defends a "killer" robot in court
Fans of Isaac Asimov's robot stories should not get too excited by the fact the title of episode 41 of "The Outer Limits" is entitled "I, Robot." Clearly Otto Binder's script is inspired by the robot stories, but this is not one of Asimov's tales scripted for television even though the climax is clearly taken from one of those short stories (aside: if you have not read the script Harlan Ellison wrote based on the "I, Robot" short stories, you should check it out). The robot in question is Adam Link, a human-looking robot who is the work of a local inventor. But when the inventor is found dead with Adam standing over him, the robot is charged with murder. Consequently, this "I, Robot" story is essentially a courtroom drama.

Not to be redundant and repetitive, fans of "Star Trek" should not get all excited because Leonard Nimoy is in this episode, because the future Mr. Spock is has a small role playing a local reporter covering the trial. The actor who carries this episode is Howard da Silva, who spent years in Hollywood playing bad guys and was just starting to do some outstanding work as a character actor, climaxing with his wonderful performances as Benjamin Franklin in the musical "1776". As the voice of reason trying to speak out against fear and prejudice, da Silva delivers an understated but powerful performance. The robot in question is okay looking, and certainly evokes a sympathetic response on the part of the audience. "I, Robot" is not a great episode of "The Outer Limits," but da Silva's performance compels me to round up the 4.5 stars this one deserves.

Golem Goes Ga-Ga!
Often effective murder mystery/courtroom drama centering on Adam Link, a robot accused of killing his creator. What really ends up being on trial is human prejudice and ignorance, and the question of artificial intelligence.

The robot is sympathetic and appealing, and brilliantly designed in such a way as to appear human, yet unsettling. Its pulp tin-can design contributes largely to the success of this piece. Marianna Hill does a nice job of evincing further sympathy as Adam's "mother," being the daughter of the man Adam is suspected of having killed and his early teacher, and his staunch supporter throughout the trial. The show really belongs to Howard DaSilva, though, as the crotchety, cynical humanitarian lawyer, who comes out of retirement to defend the much-maligned bucket-of-bolts.

The problem with this one is a cliched script and heavy-handed handling. But it has many nice moments, especially the memorable finale.

a memorable and moving second-season episode
"I, Robot" is an engrossing, hard-hitting OL drama in the tradition of "Inherit the Wind", but featuring a robot wrongly framed for murdering its inventor, rather than a schoolteacher accused of teaching evolution. The robot itself is effectively portrayed, a bit like C3PO from "Star Wars", but with a less "non-threatening" persona. The opening scene shows him being hunted down by a posse of locals who have concluded his guilt before any facts have been determined. The robot pauses to help a bratty little girl whom he has stumbled upon and accidentally frightened; but alas, she perceives only that he meant to harm her, and points the way he fled to the posse. When he is finally rounded up and jailed, marked for the junkyard, the dead scientist's sweet-tempered daughter (Marianna Hill, of Star Trek's "Dagger of the Mind") tries to save him, with the help of a cynical, opportunistic reporter played by Leonard Nimoy (the H.L. Mencken-like role), and a crotchety but lovable lawyer (a Clarence Darrow type) whom he refers her to. The lawyer has had a life-long, quixotic antagonism toward "philistines" and demands due process for the mechanical man; and the reporter has a sharp nose for a sensational story, so both have their own motives for taking the up the daughter's cause. In a flashback sequence, we learn the robot is innocent and even child-like. But the cards are stacked against him because of the narrow-mindedness of the human community that tries him and can't see past its own fear and craven prejudices. The ending is cathartic, deeply moving, and unflinchingly true to the story. It recalls a scene from an old "Twilight Zone" episode ("I Sing the Body Electric"), but puts it to shame for sheer dramatic impact. This second-season OL episode packs a full punch, and illustrates how the vision and sensibilities of the show's creators continued to inform the better episodes of the second season even after their departure at the end of the first season. This show seems to say that despite our human failings, there is enough to justify hope that we can rise above our flaws, based on the emotion and sympathy we come to feel for the persecuted robot--its a human affair and within our reach, a persistent theme of classic OL. This is a tragic yet uplifting powerhouse episode that builds inexorably to an unflinchingly honest conclusion. Fans of intelligent, humane, and thoughtful science fiction will not be disappointed. This is stirring and unforgettable stuff with a solid moral perspective and a sharp bite. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Evil Space Aliens Abducted My Neighborhood!
One of OL's all-time best. It even has better-than-usual sets and effects, having been filmed early in the season before the budget dried up.

The humanoid inhabitants of the technologically superior planet Luminos abduct an entire neighborhood of humans from Earth, transplanting them for study to test their viability as slaves. The first half of the episode is spent with the characters gradually coming to realize they're "not in Kansas, anymore." By the time they find out what's going on, they're beyond help - but not beyond hope.

The only drawbacks to this episode are its sheer talkiness (mostly unavoidable, since a lot of exposition has to be dispensed with in a short period), diminished suspense by the revelation from the outset of the abduction (and its purpose), and the curious lack of any children in the stolen neighborhood.

Aside from that, it's richly atmospheric and often downright frightening. The milieu throughout is eerie as hell, shadowy figures moving in and out of a pervasive fog, odd goings-on, strange sights and sounds...the feeling of actually being on another planet is exceedingly well-done. The performances are uniformly excellent. And the finale is the most moving of the entire series.

The new OL remade this one, which is not as good as the original.

At their best when things were worst
Joseph Stefano suggested that A Feasibility Study was the most humanistic of Outer Limit Episodes. He's probably right. In a series in which aliens were actually the more sympathetic characters in many cases, here they are decidedly malignant. The Luminoids abduct an entire neighborhood from Beverly Hills (though their ship looks as though salt should be pouring out of it), and bring the unsuspecting inhabitants to their world so that humans can serve as their slaves, and do their physical labor. The Luminoids suffer from the effects of a progressive disease that turns them into immobile stone-like lumps. The title refers to their effort to see if a small sample of humans will prove resistant to the disease and make planet-wide abduction and slavery feasible. While some of the initial human abductees accidentally get exposed to the disease and contract the disorder, it seems enough would survive to make the experiment work, UNLESS, someone spits in the test tube. That's the ultimate decision/solution that confronts the humans. They know they can't save themselves, but they can make the experiment fail by intentionally exposing themselves to the disease.
While some of the dialogue and interaction is schmaltzy, especially the overly-intellectualized discussion about bringing more children into a troubled world, there are also brilliant moments in the screenplay. The interaction between Ralph and Rhea (David Opatashu and Joyce Van Patten) is both grating and comical ("Really, Ralph!" "When you say that, it sounds like 'Mealy Mouth!'"). The whole experiment and abduction plan are exposed when a teenaged Luminoid disobeys orders and snoops around, acting just like a whiny Earth adolescent.
The final moments of the episode, where the gathered inhabitants all agree (some more reluctantly than others) to take the suicidal step of exposing themselves intentionally to the disease to spoil the experiment is one of the most moving I've ever seen on television. I first saw it in the OL's first run in 1964, when I was 5. The scene in which Sam Wannamaker says, "I'm going to take my wife's hand. Won't someone please take mine" is still moving, nearly 40 years later. Stefano's opinion about this being the most humanistic episode of the OL (though ironically the decision is reached in a church, and the first person to take the hands of the afflicted, outside of their spouses, was the priest)is exemplified by the final narration from the control voice: "It could have happened anywhere. It did happen here. It would have happened everywhere, had they been less brave. Had they been less-human". Bravo!

It's a Wonderful Episode.
"A Fesability Study" is one of the more experimental outings for the classic "Outer Limits" first season. And it succeeds on all counts.

I'll dispense with a synopsis and just say that it's one of the more intense and enjoyable shows. The final speech and joining of hands is wonderful. A shame that such innocence & simplicity are considered passe for today's tv fare.

One interesting note. The special effects used at the beginning of the show, particularly the journey through the stars, comes from earlier films. Although it is mixed in with original effects at times. Note when the narration starts and we see a moon-like planitoid pass closely by. That footage is from "It's a Wonderful Life". You can tell by the 'galaxies' in the distance.

One of the good episodes
"The Outer Limits" was a very inconsistent show. The bad episodes were barely above the quality of a 50's b-movie, and were basically excuses to put a monster made for about [money] on the screen. The good episodes, however, could be intelligent, poingant and exciting all at the same time. "A Feasability Study" is one of the good ones, arguably the best.

Although the plot is well described in other reviews, a synopsis really could not do this episode justice. Although the characters do a fair amount of talking their interactions give depth to their personalities and weight to their feelings. This allows the viewer to be drawn in and genuinely feel for their plight. Unlike most OL aliens the Luminoids are decidedly villians, their arrogance and cynicism being made very clear. Yet even they evoke a measure of sympathy, as viewers can imagine the horror the Luminoids must live with, knowing that once they become adults they will become immobile, forever. The conclusion is heartwrenching, but also inspiring. I have found few stories, regardless of their medium, which evoked such a perfect balance.

It is episodes like this one that have established the original Outer Limits as one of the best treatments of the sci-fi genre that television undertook. Even after almost 40 years its ability to stimulate the mind while simulateously touching the heart has yet to be duplicated.

An excellent OL classic, scary and poignant
"A Feasibility Study" is a finely-wrought masterpiece, one of many from the cellars of classic OL. This episode illustrates the sadder-but-wiser, paradoxically uplifting tragedy type of sci-fi drama that typified some of the best installments of the series. On the one hand, the ending is downbeat. Yet the focus is firmly upon the human capacity for virtue, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, the ability to overcome against all odds--even a powerful, implacable alien intelligence that views earthly life with a cold and uncaring eye. Also, in the grand OL tradition, this is an excellent scare show that delivers the goods. The Luminoids are stuff of which nightmares are made, intensified by the pathology that ultimately paralyzes them and gives rise to their designs on our species. Story credibility is heightened by the fact that the earthlings are not the only ones suffering. The humans' altruistic solution to the alien menace saves our species from a fate we don't even dream of as we lay sleeping peacefully, and is all the more poignant because the sacrifice of the heroic few will never be sung. And what overcomes the aliens' malign intentions also patches up the troubled marriage of the husband/wife protagonists, a stirring and characteristically OL element that beautifully showcases the economy, humanity, and essential brilliance of the scenario. This is typical of the kind of mature, thoughtful, and highly entertaining storytelling routinely served up each week by the greatest science fiction show ever to emerge from the land of television (--Stephen King, if I recall correctly). PS. Weighing in on a debate among reviewers below, can we get it right? The alien ship resembles a bronzed badminton birdie ! "Really, Ralph!" ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Tossed In(to) Space
"Second Chance" is a great idea flamboyantly rendered, however silly the result. Painfully bad dialogue only adds to the fun. In fact, the stilted lines kind of befit the amusement-park milieu-artificial thrills, artificial dialogue. In keeping with the theme of facades, writer Louis Morheim's characters all wear emotional masks, while the Joyland flying saucer serves as a front for a REAL flying saucer. Only the Empyrian (the beakless, avian alien) shows his real face, except that everyone thinks it's part of a costume. It isn't, as Mimsy Farmer discovers, to the crew's collective horror, in the episode's best scene. This drama gives us a lot to think about. How many of us, for example, live in houses that are really flying saucers that can take off at any moment? Or cars?

Anyway, Paul Stanley's direction is excellent; Kenneth Peach's lighting is alternately flat and arty; and the acting is pretty good considering the lines the players are stuck with. Great sound effects and superior Dominic Frontiere music. Stick this one in the VCR, close the airlock, and (pun alert) enjoy the ride!

Flying Saucers Stole My High School Football Career!
One of the best premises ever attempted on the show: a carnival flying saucer ride turns out to be the real thing - piloted by a real alien.

Unfortunately, the script is weak, and the characters inconsistent. The alien who converts the ride in order to abduct pre-selected humans is portrayed as benevolent and sympathetic (if ruthless), yet he callously murders a security guard who has the misfortune of stumbling across him at the very start of the story. The dialogue is often trite, and sometimes even unintentionally funny. The situations, once the alien and his abductees are in space, are hackneyed.

The abductees themselves, chosen because they will have the least to leave behind, are an odd lot: a down-on-his-luck shoe salesman with a self-defeatingly unpleasant personality and a long-suffering loyal wife, a vapid teenage socialite, her high school football hero boyfriend and his game-fixing toadie pal, an art student making ends meet as the carny ride conductor, and the acting pilot who happens to be an unknown genius formerly with the Defense Department. Only one or two on the guest list - who end up deciding to make the journey anyway, after the alien reasonably enough decides to return them all and instead ask for volunteers - really make much sense. And the alien's reason for stealing away human beings is not really that plausible.

Still, Second Chance has a lot going for it. It starts well, the implausible murder of the security guard notwithstanding, and manages good suspense for the entire first half. The abduction itself is dramatic. It isn't until the crew are all in space that the story starts really going south.

But even then, there are some wonderful moments, the best of which is when they first awaken from launch blackout to realize that they are "not in Kansas, anymore." The shoe salesman panics and attempts to flee through the airlock, prevented by the quicker-witted "stewardess" of the flight, who forcefully makes him realize, "That's space, out there! It's real!" And he sadly - and believably - pitiably whines, "But why...why is it all real...?"

Second Chance Deserves One
This is not the sexiest episode in the Outer Limits series, nor is it the episode which best represents the series' enduring strengths and virtues. It is, however, a well written, well acted, and completely enjoyable story of a group of people who, for individual reasons, desperately need a second chance at life after bungling their first attempt, but don't quite realize this until they are on their way to another galaxy.

Suprising
A group of people get on a space ride and it turns out to be the real thing. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

the laughing spaceman
The Chameleon is usually dismissed as a well written tale brought down by low budget and poor effects. I must say i found the effects (mainly an alien makeup) completely satisfactory, the apparently low budget didn't make it any less convincing for me. But then again, i'm a Doctor Who fan. Who watches 60's scifi tv for effects anyway?
Of all the mature, psychologically convincing Outer Limits episodes i find this one of the very best. The story is tight and very original, Robert Duvall's Mace is unforgettable. In fact he is a very modern character: a guy who despises himself and finds meaning in life only by throwing himself into any extreme job. Unlike Robert Culp's character in The Architects of Fear, who goes through a similar ordeal suffering for a greater good, Mace gets KICKS out of his sacrifice.
The only trouble i see in this episode-if you accept the effects-is that the acting job rests almost completely on Duvall. The rest of the cast seems a bit clumsy. And oh yeah, the version i saw had NO BARFIGHT IN THE BEGINNING. Thank's a lot, Scifi-Channel!

CIA Agent Defects - to the Stars!
A small cast and a smaller budget convincingly pull off this clever story.

A flying saucer has landed near an Air Force base. It doesn't answer our hails, and one expeditionary team sent to investigate it has been vaporized by the saucer's alien occupants. The base colonel wants to blow it up, but his Intelligence advisor tells him their measurements indicate the saucer has enough combustible elements aboard "to make Hiroshima look like a bonfire, if it's hit." They have a longshot idea to figure out the means and motives of the elusive aliens: send in an undercover agent.

Enter Robert Duvall as agent Louis Mace, a former assassin compromised from further work in the Intelligence game, but whose life is an empty shell without his work. Through a recombinant DNA trick, Mace is temporarily turned into one of the aliens, and given a cover story to gain entrance to the saucer.

But once aboard, the Intelligence team have a little problem on their hands: Mace seems to want to go native with the aliens; they can't be sure that the process they used to transform him hasn't really contributed one more to the aliens' number.

Good script, passable effects, great cast. Wonderfully produced on a shoestring budget.

You too can write Sci-Fi ...
By the story the way it's written I COULD WRITE SCI-FI ... in fact all you need to do is know how to WRITE period. I like Robert Duvall in this, not as good as TZ's "Miniture" starring Duvall but with the way this material is written ... what can you expect?

First, before watching this fastforward the video (or laser disc, like I have) for 15 minutes. Why? Because the first 15 minutes are just general FLUFF used to stretch this out to an HOUR!

Second, the story. The scientists will make Mr. Duvall into an alien (EXACTLY like the ones that landed) and chase him into the alien ship in hopes the real aliens will embrace him? And Duvall is supposed to say to the aliens, I do not know my origin, but I've been on earth for a while? Plain ridiculous on every count. Even SCI-Fi needs boundaries and limits ... even in the Outer Limits.

Thirdly, the masks used would have looked good in 1950 ... I don't care what kind of a budget they had ... the look of those creatures is too hammy.

Alien camouflage
"The race of Man is known for its mutability. We can change our moods, our faces, our lives to suit whatever situation confront us. Adapt and survive. Even among the most changeable of living things, Man is quicksilver-more chameleon-like than the chameleon, determined to survive, no matter what the cost to others... or to himself." A C.I.A. agent uses an alien-like mercenary in order to penetrate a mysterious flying saucer and obtain informations with a hidden audio camera. Pre-"Vera Cruz" Henry Brandon is stubborn and skeptical General Crawford who dislikes unconventional C.I.A. manners. Howard Caine is C.I.A. agent Leon Chambers who tries to convince his military colleage ("Only an insane scheme has any chance of working, right now !"). Pre-"The Wild Wild West" Douglas Henderson, from "The architects of fear", is sensitive Dr. Tillyard who turns Mace into an alien due to a sample of skin. Pre-"The inheritors" Robert Duvall is undercover agent Louis Mace who is a quiet, lonely ("Between missions, I cease to exist...") and resigned drunk misfit living in Mexico. And the most important scene remains the killing at the Mexican bar which shows two paramount sides of Mace. He is a stone-cold killer ("But being ugly is better than being nothing...") and a warm-hearted man towards a poor musician whose guitar has been destroyed. The fixing of the guitar becomes Mace's last obsession. The scene I like the most is when General Crawford says to Chambers about Mace : "You, Intelligents people operate in a strange and devious ways. You find a derelict for this job !" Then you see Mace's face with a blind lighting effect. The last important detail is Mace's crazy laugh which indicates the change of his mind. As in most episodes, the main character undergoes a temporary state of schizophrenia. Finally, the transformation chamber and UFO surroundings are eery-enough. An episode directed by Gerd Oswald, written by Robert Towne with peace-loving monsters, that I'm very fond of, and I always thought it was a two-parter show (due to Mace's character). "A man's survival can take many shapes, and the shape in which a man finds his humanity is not always a human one."

Exelent FX
An alein spacecraft lands in a forest. The peoplehave one question, are they friend or foe? ... Read more

Reviews (10)

My Bride Was Abducted By Space Aliens!
Overrated but good. Screenwriter Stefano was a little pressed for time on this one, and didn't quite get to polish it off as well as he could have. Still, it's got atmosphere to spare, one of the creepier aliens of the series, and Miriam Hopkins as a demented spinster in a worse-than-haunted house.

Hopkins goes crazy after her bridegroom vanishes on their wedding night, back in the Roaring Twenties. Now, many decades later, she lives in the mansion that would have been theirs, which has become a decadent shrine. Unbeknownst to anyone else, she is secretly in league with an alien monster seeking to abduct more cooperative help than her snatched fiance in its quest to blow up the universe. Along come a pair of underage eloping high schoolers...

This episode has a lot going for it. Logically, it makes about as much sense as the Magic Bullet theory, but the imagery and the story are rich and unsettling. There are two fabulously creepy abduction scenes, Hopkins' groom at the beginning of the episode and the high school sweetheart later. The latter is especially unnerving, since she cannot be distinguished between experiencing cosmic terror or an orgasm in confronting the hypnotic alien abductor. Hopkins is a pre-Patty Hearst study in the Stockholm Syndrome, a woman gone round the bend in lifelong coerced service to evil.

The script is weak, especially at the end, when the rather imaginative one-eyed monster-in-a-box talks too much and comes off sounding like a bass-voiced Marvin the Martian. The finale is rushed, and if you pay attention you can see the high school youth jump his cue before the special effect he is supposed to be reacting to occurs, which is pretty funny.

Overall, definitely worth a look, especially for horror or Lovecraft fans.

One of the Best!
Along with "The Architects of Fear, The Man Who Was Never Born, Demon with the Glass Hand", and "The Duplicate", this one is tops. A mixture of sci-fi, gothic, and Manilow's "Copa Cabana", it succeeds despite its flaws.

Outer Limits goes 'David Lynch'
"Dont' Open til Doomsday" is an unfocused mess, yet it has so much going for it. On the plus side are the rich characterizations, the attention to atmosphere and detail, the juxtaposition of 20's period jazz with Frontiere's evocative score and of course the grotesque, over-the-top conception of the creature-of-the-week itself - which must have been Stefano's way of thumbing his nose at the ever-intrusive censorship board. The negative side: 1. there's the explanation of the creature's reason for existence which is such an incomprehensible clash of nuclear and meta-physics that it could make even a nuclear physicist's head explode 2. the episode comes to such an abrubpt and anti-climactic end - the creature out of the blue decides after 35 or so years that "if I can't destroy the world, I must un-create myself" - that it isn't clear if Stephano was playing it for laughs or again thumbing his nose at the network bureaucracy for imposing production deadlines or a combination of the two.

a mind-bending, pulp-inspired scifi romp
Between its title, its cyclopean blob-like monster, and its plot premise, this is one of the most pulp-inspired episodes of the original Outer Limits' fabulous first season. As often as not, Outer Limits' aliens were inhuman good guys, reflecting or embodying the higher virtues of humanity, a la "Day the Earth Stood Still". This is one of the few occasions on which the show indulged itself (and why not?) in the luxury of a little inspiration from the lower-concept scifi movies of the 1950's and '60's: alien bad guys entering our universe (from Outside, almost Lovecraftian!) to destroy it; and not so much from malice as from just being callous--impinged upon or inconvenienced by our space-and-time continuum. But grafted onto this time-honored hokum is a much more psychologically elaborate and human-centered storyline than is normally seen in such a plot, involving the desperation and frustration of its dramatis personae. The aging bride, whose 1929 marriage was only a few hours old (and "still unused") when her groom mysteriously disappeared, has been slowly and steadily driven to dementia by the strain. She still makes herself up (further and further over the decades since, one detects) as a flapper with cosmetics by the trowel-full, to a horrifying extent bordering on psychosis, offering an interesting counterpoint to the alien as an object of repulsion. As for her husband, he has been snatched away by the alien, into its little dimensional craft, within which space and time seem to be suspended--exactly the opposite of the frozen "flapper world" of his bride's delusions, in which time has marched on against her denial. And the alien won't release him until he agrees to assist with the plot to destroy the universe--which he won't agree to, because he is a "heartless mountain of good" (much to the resentment of his bride, aging outside the box). She is well aware of what's going on, and concerned only with her own unfulfillment. This episode has one of the most cryptic and labyrinthine story-telling styles of all OL episodes. Because of its subtlety, one has to watch closely and carefully, putting two and two together from a trail of little clues. No character explains it all at the end. Especially, one has to recognize by facial features alone, a picture in a newspaper seen but briefly. Its of a fellow who, at the beginning, we see delivering the dimensional craft, disguised as a wedding present, to the house of the newlyweds. Likewise with the headline of the newspaper story accompanying his picture, in which we learn by implication about the character motivations that set this whole ball rolling. But these elements function almost as a mere backdrop, with the nightmarish and incomprehensible events that unfold, centering around the arrival into this weird tapestry of a young couple who have troubles of their own. This is one of OL's many "finest episodes", and with my attention nailed to the TV screen, I felt an uncanny identification with the poor guy whom we see from inside the alien's box, with his eye uncontrollably glued to its lens-like window. Chilling, unforgettable, and unique--Outer Limits has done it again.

what's in the box?
The creepiest component of this episode is the casting of Miriam Hopkins as a Miss Havisham bride who has been abandoned on her wedding night because of alien interference. Director of photography Conrad Hall abandons his trademark soft-focus glamour to expose the aging Hopkins in a Grand Guignol manner, aided by her flapper wardrobe, with knee high stockings. At times Hopkins' campness recalls Bette Davis particulary since she wears a black wig and uses big eyes, and she is too pitiful to be considered a drag queen. The jazz score also recalls the Robert Aldrich/Davis film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The alien plot about an invasion somehow stopped by the imprisonment of a key figure in a doomsday box is pretty silly and writer Joseph Stefano deliberately undercuts it with a non-linear narrative. We are presented with consequences before explainations which oddly works for the story. This is probably wise since the fact that Hopkins' groom could be transported into the box by the alien when it first appears, but Hopkins not, is a fatal flaw in logic. In the Outer Limits Official Companion Stefano says that he was more interested in exploring a psychology of sex, with Hopkins and then a newly married couple with the wife under the age of consent and the cob-webbed bridal suite representations of virginity, and the disgustingly feculent alien monster both male and female sex organs. The Freudian metaphors are too obscure to work, perhaps undermined by the questionable virility of Hopkin's groom and the blandness of the new one, and by setting up 3 time frames, Stefano may have over-extended himself. There is a continuity error with Hopkins closing a door then returning to find it open, an obvious overdub in the opening scene, in a supporting role Nellie Burt is hammy portend, director Gerd Oswald doesn't make enough of Hopkins in her wedding gown, and the resolution is clumsily and dismissively staged. However the human transportation into the doomsday box has a primal terror since one is attacked in the eye, with an effective cut from one person attached to the box in semi-transportation to Hopkin's laying on her bed kicking her legs in time to music, and an arresting image with the overview angle of the inhabitants of the box. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Recommended for its breakthrough casting
While the story isn't one of the series' best, the casting of Diana Sands and Henry Silva was revolutionary for its time. Sands, an African-American classically trained actress, and Silva, an actor known for playing a variety of "ethnic types", were able to enrich a television landscape that, at the time, was mostly devoid of "color". The parts that they played were not stereotypical and could've easily been portrayed by more "mainstream" performers.

Thankfully, the producers of "The Outer Limits" looked beyond the outward appearance and hired two actors that brought depth and pathos to their respective roles.

"The Mice" belongs in a time capsule of television taking a chance...and succeeding.

Jello On Legs
Henry Silva and Diana Sands are the only reasons to watch this thinly-spread sandwich. This is one of those OL stories that would have been fine, if it had more time to develop during the writing phase, a better budget, and a better monster. But...it didn't.

Actually, The Mice is great until the arrival of the gloppy alien. The first acts are well-written and interesting, suspenseful and a little unsettling. The story idea itself is wonderful. It just doesn't hold together over the space of the hour - any more than its far-too-much-seen Jello Monster. The entire last act is so padded with repeat viewings of the same stock footage chase sequence, and unnecessary and illogical fights and killings - not to mention a pretty crummy musical score - that you'll kill the time waiting for something pertinent to happen by seeking the zipper on the monster suit.

Silva is wonderful, however, but then he always is. And Diana Sands is rather compelling.

An Excellant episode
The Outer Limits: The Mice is one of the best acted and best written episodes I've ever seen of this series. Henry Silva gives a 5-star performance as Chino Rivera, the convict who chooses to participate in this "Alien-Exchange Progam", and plays the part of the manipulative yet sympathetic criminal with great realism. Diana Sands is excellant as a sympathetic scientist trying to help Siva's charachter, and the Chromoite is one of the coolest aliens ever to grace The Outer Limits. And the end message is as stunning as it is simplistic... all they had to do was ask for help.
A definate must buy for Sci-Fi fans.

The Human Guinea Pig
"In dreams, some of us walk the stars. In dreams, some of us ride the whelming brine of space, where every port is a shining one, and none are beyond our reach. Some of us, in dreams, cannot reach beyond the walls of our own little sleep." In a prison, a murderer volunteers for a dangerous experiment. An alien scientist from planet Chromo is teleported on Earth and soon the convict will be sent out there. Forget the storyline and focus on the characters. Henry Silva, from "Tourist Attraction", is jumpy Chino Rivera, for instance : in the scene where Chino, scared to death by the Chromoite, runs in a hurry. We can see a long dolly shot made with a hand-held camera and we can hear a military music to emphasize the tension. Michael Higgins is dead-serious scientist Dr. Thomas Kellander : especially, after the alien's very violent murder in the lake, he speaks of Chino to Julia while watching a shoe : "A disease that walks like a man...". Diane Sands is frightened Dr. Julia Harrison (and a small part by Dabney Coleman). I like the friendly dialogues between Julia and Chino, when they talk about Chromo's food : "I'd better bring a couple of hero sandwiches with me." And when they talk about the horror of the Chromoite : "Everybody looks like a monster to somebody." The cinematography is dark and effective due to Conrad Hall's tough hand held camera shots. One of the best chiaroscuro shot is when Chino is reading near the mice' cages. The very science-fiction music blends with O.B.I.T.'s haunting sound effects is okay. The Chromoite alien is evil (in the teleportation scene when it turns insane and agressive and destroys everything) and repulsive-enough (the way it eats) to watch the show. This monster is re-used, in part, later, for The Guests. One more thing, I like Robert Johnson's distorted Chromo transmission voice ("Transmission point Chromo. Subject stable. Sequence commences. Initiate systems... Transmission accomplishes.") A "who is really the killer ?" episode with great artistry and a fast-paced/action-packed orientation, directed by "The Mutant" Alan Crosland, Jr. and written by Joseph Stefano. "Hunger, frightens and hurts, and it has many faces, and every man must sometimes face the terror of one of them. Wouldn't it seem that a misery known and understood by all men would lead Man not to deception and murder, but to faith, and hope, and love ?"

I enjoyed this video primarily because of Henry Silva.
"The Outer Limits: The Mice," starring Henry Silva and Diana Sands, 1963. I bought this video because I have had a life-long "crush" on Henry Silva. I think he is one of the best actors in the world, and in this video, one can see he really loves acting. He has fun with his roles. Consider that this was made in 1963 and have fun with it. Mr. Silva plays convict Chino Rivera who exchanges his "life in prison" sentence to be a guinea pig for a scientific experiment which is an exchange of inhabitants between earth and a planet named Chromo. The "alien" (Chromoite, who is one hungry dude!) will make you laugh, so remember it's T. V. and it's 1963! And is he REALLY a "bad guy" in this episode? Watch and see! For those of you who think of Henry Silva as a "character actor who plays bad guys," you can see by his acting in this role that he can play anything. I enjoyed watching his every move. Of course, I think he's gorgeous! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A True Classic. A Must Have for your Collection
Simply put, the best Outer Limits episode ever made. This because of, not in spite of, the bugetary limitations imposed on the second season.

Robert Culp playes Trent, a man without memory being chased by the insidious Kyban. Outworlders who conquored the Earth 1,000 years in the future, but have gone back in time to capture Trent to find out just where the 70 Billion earthlings have dissapeared to. The secret lies within Trent's glass hand. A computer that knows all the answers IF Trent can capture the three "memory lobes" or fingers the Kyban possess. Almost all the action takes place inside the Dixon Building where Trent finds Consuela Byros, a poor clothsmaker who eventually falls in love with Trent.

This one packs real tension as Trent scurries through hallways and up staircases to find the Kyban Time Mirror. Robert Culp is superb in what may be his finest performance. His cat-like moves through the building, the budding romance between him and the hapless girl, and the incredable music are highlights. Complete with a bombshell of an ending that's brilliantly hinted at throughout the episode, but whose revalation is still a shock.

Of course, no review would be complete without little nitpicks. The Kyban are nothing more than humans with bad eyeshadow and shower caps. While Trent's glass hand is a marvelous creation, the way it raises and lowers on the screen is not well executed. And this episode continues the Outer Limits tradition of NOT GUARDING ANYBODY, NO MATTER WHAT. Allowing the hero or villan to escape. Still, these are very minor nits and certainly doesn't detract from what is the finest episode in the Outer Limits original series.

The odd thing is, if this episode had been given a proper budget, I don't think it would have pulled it off as well. A lesson for producers and directors everywhere who think more money will solve the problem.

maybe the best of the best
As great and original as many of the episodes of the Outer Limits were, 'The Demon With a Glass Hand' seems to stand alone.

Images that stick out in my mind: Robert Culp slinking around, sleek as a black cat. Tense, well-timed chases, and a general film-noir atmosphere that seemed to transcend the usual, sometimes cheesy, but always earnestness of your usual Outer Limits episode.

In retrospect, the Outer Limits seems to enjoy a greater reverence than its more well-funded cousin, the Twilight Zone. Actually, there were some real 'WOOF's in there, and probably only about a half dozen or so truly great episodes.

The Demon With a Glass Hand is perhaps the best of the best of these. It is truly a treat, especially for those uninitiated to the golden age of serialized science fiction on TV.

The 70 billion people of Earth - where are the hiding?
I've loved Cabaret Voltaire since 1978 and Yashar from about 1982 (??) is one of their best works. Stephen Mallinder's solo work is pretty dull, and Richard H Kirk's solo stuff hasn't got the playful experimentation of the Cab's recordings. But Yashar is ace, and it's mostly due to the sample from this episode of the Outer Limits. Buy it, it's only a few quid for heaven's sake.

Harlan Ellison's superb "Demon with a Glass Hand"
"Demon with a Glass Hand," Episode 37 of "The Outer Limits," is truly one of the classic science fiction television episodes of that era. Written by Harlan Ellison, the episode stars Robert Culp as Trent, a man with a robot hand missing three fingers, which holds the secrets of the future of humanity. Ten days earlier he woke up in Los Angeles knowing nothing about himself or his strange appendage. Pursued by weird time travelers from the future clad in black, Trent and his female companion, Consuelo (Arline Martel) track down the missing fingers and find out the grim truth about the future, but about himself. Culp's totally compelling performance holds this episode together and he has never been better. Directed by Byron Haskin, the only debate about "Demon with a Glass Hand" for fans of "The Outer Limits" is how high on the list of Top 10 episode you want to put this one. This is one of Ellison's most original works and once again you find yourself wishing he had been given more free reign to write for television. Just think of what he might have come up with unfettered by the network jackals.

One of Harlon Ellison's best
"Demon" was filmed at night in the famous Bradbury building in downtown Los Angeles. The building has been restored and you can visit it. As with most Outer Limits episodes it conveys a larger or deeper psychological message. The reference to Gilgamesh, the eternal guardian as an example. I have seen this episode, and most of the others countless times. Some are better than others but as usual, when a talented writer teams with a good director and actor, the result is superior. Check the credits for the Assistant to the Producer, B. Ritchie Payne, my father. ... Read more