Reviews (4)

The Light at the End of the Cyclotron
Unless you're a physicist, you'll quickly get lost in Leslie Stevens' technobabble script. But this episode more than makes up for it with "electrifying" visuals. For as talky as it is, it's surprisingly creepy and suspenseful, dramatic and action-packed. I'd give it an extra half-star, if the ratings allowed.

George Macready gets to play the good guy for a change, the head of a nuclear power plant gone apocalyptic. He bombards quasar particles in the plant cyclotron, and initiates a chain reaction that ends up doing something worse than building to critical mass - it's being stabilized from another dimension, by intensely radioactive particle-beings, to open a permanent doorway to Earth. The intelligent particles consume human matter inside the technicians' radiation suits, commandeering the suits themselves to serve as their robotic arms and legs in our dimension.

This is a real sturm-und-drang melodrama, with stormclouds and lightning flashes galore, and a highly-charged (though believable) emotional tenor throughout. The radiation suit-monsters and wild visuals steal the show, the suits being especially unnerving: Frankensteinian golems, with claw-hands and literal lightning-faces, that seize fallen humans and drag them to the cyclotron to "convert" them, itself a cleverly-done bit of business with the suits first deflating and then slowly ri-i-ising up to become more lightning-faced freaks.

The ending is odd but interesting, and quite dramatic. This episode is one of the moodiest of the series, creating a palpable atmosphere of dread and terror that never really lets up. It may not be logical, but it is the stuff of which nightmares are made.

beyond human understanding
This is one of the sillier Outer Limits episodes, written and directed by Leslie Stevens, who had done the series pilot The Galaxy Being, but is not responsible for directing the best episodes of the series. Stevens' teleplay gets swamped in scf-fi blather, in trying to explain a cluster of intensely radioactive subatomic particles pulled fresh from a cyclotron that accidently come into contact with an isotope of Nobelium-238, in a nuclear power plant's furnace reactor, resulting in a magnesium glare that kills and introduces force-creatures which threaten to cause an atomic chain reaction. As the head of the plant, George MacReady gets the bulk of Steven' verbage, jabbering about "quasistellar radio sources", and his wife Signe Hasso is given "If what you say is true, or even half of it....". MacReady and Hasso make an odd couple, with him going all Charles Laughton, grimacing and spitting over his false teeth, and her syllable-lengthening accented English. The emergency allows for Stevens to re-use the electricity that featured in The Galaxy Being, another tale of alien life form that snapped and crackled, though the animated flashes of lightning are more Frankenstein circa 1931. (The similar effect used for The Man with the Power works better because it occurs in daylight and is accompanied by a cloud formation). The plant workers use hooked gloves to access the particles source, which scores a laugh when the hook is used as a reinforcing gesture by a speaker, and the sight of numerous hooked arms connected to the source brings to mind wino's warming their hands by a lit oil drum. This contact reaches a comic climax when the workers all stand hook in hook in a daisy chain, playing a dangerous version of ring-a-ring-a-rosy. One of the lead walls brought into to contain the outbreak is toppled, but it's hard to believe that those under it have been crushed when the wall appears to have the solidity of cardboard. The sight of Signe Hasso at a control panel, turning dials frantically also gets a laugh, as does the appearance of the Frances Farmer look-alike Allyson Ames as the requisite hysterical female, who runs her hand through her hair as she screams, and needs to be carried when she faints. Stevens however provides one great image of Macready and Hasso running in long shot into a bunker of light, and uses the infamous atom bomb explosion footage complete with windstorm and shattered buildings. This episode also uses composer Dominic Frontiere's ascending scale. The Official Companion amusingly parallels the character of MacReady as a lone scientist battling impossible odds with Stevens, fighting time to produce a low-budget show at the expense of story values. This may be read as a back-handed compliment to Stevens, since other directors on the show were faced with the same predicament, in particular Joseph Stefano whose It Crawled out of the Woodwork tackles the same struggling to tame the nuclear menace idea.

Better the first time I saw it...
Like the previous reviewer, I remembered seeing this once before on network television--when black and white TVs were the rule rather than the exception. I was young--too young to notice the lead character's reference to "nucular" physics, for example, but I remembered bits and pieces of how scary it was. The radioactivity takes over the technicians in the suit, one of them I didn't recognize at the time but would in a year or two: Leonard Nimoy.

I still like it, despite its weaknesses, despite the short time and the limited budgets and techniques they had for the special effects. The time-reverse--just the film of the nuclear explosion run backwards--is a tad corny, but, given those limitations, it's passable. I think each time I see it, I'm able to put a different sort of meaning to it, e.g., technology's dominance over the humans who created it, in addition to any number of anti-nuclear themes.

I'm still a fan of nearly all the old Outer Limits episodes, and this is one I'm glad I have.

Spock speaks!
If I'd written a review for "The Production and Decay of Strange Particles" the first time I saw it, I would have given it 5 stars - easily! However, it was also the first time this Outer Limits episode was shown on broadcast TV (around the same time when many Americans were searching the night sky for the radioactive cloud, made by the Red Chinese' first big nuke, to pass over head.)

History aside, the story takes place in a nuclear research lab. Experiments in the creation/control of radioactive compounds lead to the birth of a new isotope which promptly begins its own experiment - upon the lab techs. As the new life form is busily extending and replicating itself - with all the technicians, assistants, and janitors try to contain the 'monster' - the big-brained project head, an aging scientist, struggles to find the answers and the courage to help the research team and stop the monster before it's too late!

Like all Outer Limits stories, you have to swallow hard to accept some of the premises, still, two points make this episode special.

1. The characters in the script were ahead of their social time. Our cowardly hero is an educated man and knows he has already absorbed more than a lifetime's worth of 'safe' rads - his wife, strong-willed and out-spoken. Many (if not most) Americans at that time were quite the opposite. "A woman's place was (still) in the home" just like "Duck and Cover" was the best way to survive "The Bomb"! (Few were beginning to accept, though not fully understand, the M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction) scenario.)

2. (IF I remember correctly) This is the first of two Outer Limits episodes in which He appeared, and (again, IF I'm correct) it was the first time he spoke (one line, all four words) on any TV show. 'He' being Mr. Spock - Leonard Nimoy. ?noteworthy? maybe, maybe not.... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not the best, but still pretty good
_Outer Limits_ was unfortunately not always excellent. This
isn't one of the best efforts. Martian sandsharks? Still, it's
pretty good. But even when I first saw it, as a kid, I doubted
the existence of gigantic sharks swimming around around the sands of Mars. But then, the idea of being stuck on a rock while
being menaced by these monsters was pretty scary. It's certainly not up to the level of "The Sixth Finger" episode or "Demon with a Glass Hand," but it's still enjoyable, even if the heroes do
wait to long to dispatch their tormentors with a bazooka.

Invisable Enemy, Visable ACTING!
This is one episode where atmosphere, tension, and mood should reign supreme. However, the over the top "acting" by some of the players (Adam West in particular) is just too much.

There is a lot to recommened about this episode, however. The concept of "Sand Sharks" on Mars is actually quite intriging. The scenes on earth are well played, particularly by Ted Knight, before his Mary Tyler Moore days. And while the special effects are a little primitive, there is one nice shot (used twice) with a stranded Adam West in the foreground with a "sand shark" submerging just a few feet away. However, I must mention a key plot point that just doesn't cut it. Two memebers of the crew are lost, Adam West's career, not to mention his life, is in serious danger, yet he chooses to fall asleep. Allowing the remaining crewman to venture outside.

Overall, a decent find for your collection, but nothing to write home about.

Knock, Knock! Who's There? Sand Shark!
Really cheesy B-movie script and characters, and a total lack of suspense due to the near-immediate showing of the mysterious menace, all but ruin this sci-fi pulper that would only be mediocre even if it didn't have these problems.

The episode has two things going for it: nice production design in terms of the rocketships and Martian landscape, and some pretty neat monsters. The sand sharks are great fun.

But then they're dispatched by an "atomic bazooka" - need I say more?

Sand sharks???
Okay, sounds hoaky, but believe me when I say it's not. Adam West stars in this rather odd episode about a mission to mars sent to investigate the failure of it's predecesor. What they find is a sand pit that is complete with tides, a coastline, and very large/mean blood thirsty sand sharks. This episode is a must for any fan.

Don't Step Into the Martian Sand!
Adam West stars in this superb "Outer Limits" episode, directed by the great Byron Haskin(director of the 1953 science fiction classic "War of the Worlds" and several highly acclaimed "Outer Limits" episodes such as "The Architects of Fear", "A Feasibility Study", and "Demon With a Glass Hand", which won a well-deserved Hugo award). "The Invisible Enemy"(1964) is his last directorial job on "The Outer Limits". Among the writers of this second season episode are Jerry Sohl(who later inspired the episode "Counterweight") and Seeleg Lester(co-writer of several other episodes, including the second season opener "Soldier"(Hugo award winner), "Wolf 359", "The Inheritors", and "The Probe". Byron Haskin and season two producer Ben Brady contributed to the writing of "The Invisible Enemy"(1964) and is their only collaboration on an "Outer Limits" episode. Among the cast members are Joe Maross(played Jerry in "The Twilight Zone" episode "Third From the Sun") and Ted Knight(look for him in "The Twilight Zone" episode "The Lonely"). Knight seems miscast in "The Invisible Enemy", but he nevertheless pulls it off splendidly.

Here's the plot: astronauts sent to Mars mysteriously disappear and a rescue team is sent to investigate. They soon discover to their horror that grotesque sand "sharks" dwell within the sands of Mars. The bloodthirsty creatures live right under their feet.

"The Invisible Enemy"(1964) is an average episode of the second season. Though entertaining, it lacks the subtle thoughtfulness of the first season. It stays away from thought-provoking ideas, but maintains a good entertainment stride that never slows down. I like this episode mainly because of Byron Haskin's skillful directorial approach towards atmosphere, tone, and mood. "The Invisible Enemy"(1964) can stand with the best of any season of "The Outer Limits". I highly recommend it to all present and future "Outer Limits" fans. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you ever liked the TV series, get this movie!
Flipper the TV series was made before my time, but I grew up watching reruns of the classic series. As long as I live, Flipper will always be one of my favorite TV series of all time. Just like the TV series, the famous dolphin named Flipper is here in "Flipper's New Adventure" making rescues, helping people, and just being the good old talented Flipper that performs amazing exploits in the water.

In this movie, Brian Kelly makes his debut as Porter Ricks, Luke Halpin plays as Sandy, and Flipper is played by...Flipper. In "Flipper's New Adventure," (yep, it's a full-length movie), Flipper and Sandy use an island as a hideaway and they both later get tangled up in a kidnapping exploit. If you're familiar with the TV series, then you'll pretty much know what to expect from this movie. Unlike the Leonard Maltin review says, this movie is not just for kids, it's for anybody who has ever liked the TV series, or for anyone who likes good movies. I recommend it all the way!

Flipper rocks
This is Brian Kelly's debue as Porter Ricks. There is incredible underwater photography and great dolphin tricks. Brian Kelly went on to be the Executive Producer of Bladerunner. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

They're all absurd!!
Writing a review about the OL and proclaiming that the premise is "an absurd notion" is like complaining that cartoons aren't real. Give it a break. There's nothing wrong with this episode. It's fun to watch.

Not as bad as "Tourist Attraction"...
...but a close second. "Zzzzz" represents OL at its worst, rehashing cliche's from the schlockiest of 50's movies. Now schlocky b-movies can be fun, but fans of OL had learned to expect much more from the series by the time "Zzzzz" hit the airwaves.

The plot revolves around the absurd notion of a queen bee assuming human form. How is this accomplished? Could this be accomplished elsewhere by another hive? Neither of these issues are addressed. Instead the bee-lady makes a beeline (pun intended) for our scientist hero. She wants him to father her brood of world-conquering children (nyah-hah-hah) and thinks that his doting wife should buzz off (pun intended).

From there the absuridites pile up. Our "monster" almost dies from food poisoning. Later she whines, "love me" to our hero scientist, still hoping to seduce him into fathering her brood of world conquering insects (nyah-hah-hah). Basically we learn that our monster-for-the-week is physcially weak and has all the manipulative cunning of a frustrated toddler. Her defeat seems inevitable less than half way through the story! Plus, her bee-buddies "think" the scientist's wife to death. Now even if I could wrap my head around that, I have to ask why they need to propagate a hybrid bee-human race if they could just think us to death. The good OL episodes would never allow such a gaping hole in logic, but this is not a good episode.

Much has been made of the attractiveness of the lead actress, and yes she is nice to look at and gets ample screen time. Unfortunately, her acting talents are mediocre, and when combined with a mediocre script, the episode sinks almost as low as OL could go. My advice is when this one comes on, take the next hour to catch a few Zzzzz's (pun intended).

Joanna Frank carries this episode!
A VERY absurd plot, but Joanna Frank carries the show with her utterly successful, but subdued T&A antics. Her (admittedly) inflated figure - which she attributed later in interviews was thanks to her wearing a padded bra that was vastly oversized for her natural assets and then using a huge set of falsies inside it - along with her enchantingly exotic eyes, put her in the driver's seat to steal the show (which she easily does hands down). Worth watching just for her exagerated flouncing on the sets if nothing else!

Honeybee My Baby!
Flawed, but good. Joanna Frank stands out - literally and figuratively, thanks to a set of enhancing falsies she still likes to joke about in interviews - as a Queen Bee turned human bee-ing by her hive, in an attempt to breed with man and overrun the earth with superior hybrid offspring. (Q: How did the bees manage that? A: What are you, some kind of troublemaker? They just did, okay?)

Philip Abbot is miscast as the object of Frank's sinister affections, but is exceptionally effective in the dramatic finale. Marsha Hunt is cattily effective as Abbot's wife, who doesn't like this hussy homewrecking newcomer one little bit. Frank is simply fabulous, a stunningly cheery, psychopathic femme fatale, who dispatches rivals to death one second and unfeelingly asks "Can we get married, now?" the next.

The camerawork and cinematography in this one are especially good. There's a "starburst" lighting effect reflecting from Frank's eyes to give her a more alien appearance - and her eyes are already pretty large and almond-shaped - and the frequent skulking-about scenes are dark and shadowy, with added good use of music.

It also has two excellent scenes in it: the finale, which is quite powerful for a number of reasons, not least of which is that you actually feel sorry for the Queen Bee even as you're glad to see the back of her, and the scene in which Hunt discovers Frank for what she is, which is chilling. Much of this episode works because Frank's character never comes off as evil, rather more alien to our psychology, and extremely, extremely dangerous. She is a strangely sympathetic monster.

Not OL's best, but definitely worth watching.

An Episode that Still Sports a Mean STING!
With about as many plot "holes" as there are in a hive, "ZZZZZZ" benefits from a great Joanna Frank performance as a "woman" with hidden designs for boss/scientist Phillip Abbott. It's too bad that wife Marsha Hunt stands in the way.

But, such is life, even in the insect world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you ever liked the TV series, get this movie!
Flipper the TV series was made before my time, but I grew up watching reruns of the classic series. As long as I live, Flipper will always be one of my favorite TV series of all time. Just like the TV series, the famous dolphin named Flipper is here in "Flipper's New Adventure" making rescues, helping people, and just being the good old talented Flipper that performs amazing exploits in the water.

In this movie, Brian Kelly makes his debut as Porter Ricks, Luke Halpin plays as Sandy, and Flipper is played by...Flipper. In "Flipper's New Adventure," (yep, it's a full-length movie), Flipper and Sandy use an island as a hideaway and they both later get tangled up in a kidnapping exploit. If you're familiar with the TV series, then you'll pretty much know what to expect from this movie. Unlike the Leonard Maltin review says, this movie is not just for kids, it's for anybody who has ever liked the TV series, or for anyone who likes good movies. I recommend it all the way!

Flipper rocks
This is Brian Kelly's debue as Porter Ricks. There is incredible underwater photography and great dolphin tricks. Brian Kelly went on to be the Executive Producer of Bladerunner. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If you ever liked the TV series, get this movie!
Flipper the TV series was made before my time, but I grew up watching reruns of the classic series. As long as I live, Flipper will always be one of my favorite TV series of all time. Just like the TV series, the famous dolphin named Flipper is here in "Flipper's New Adventure" making rescues, helping people, and just being the good old talented Flipper that performs amazing exploits in the water.

In this movie, Brian Kelly makes his debut as Porter Ricks, Luke Halpin plays as Sandy, and Flipper is played by...Flipper. In "Flipper's New Adventure," (yep, it's a full-length movie), Flipper and Sandy use an island as a hideaway and they both later get tangled up in a kidnapping exploit. If you're familiar with the TV series, then you'll pretty much know what to expect from this movie. Unlike the Leonard Maltin review says, this movie is not just for kids, it's for anybody who has ever liked the TV series, or for anyone who likes good movies. I recommend it all the way!

Flipper rocks
This is Brian Kelly's debue as Porter Ricks. There is incredible underwater photography and great dolphin tricks. Brian Kelly went on to be the Executive Producer of Bladerunner. ... Read more