THE OUTER LIMITS: VOLUME ONE
(not rated)
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5)
Studio: MGM
BY KEVIN CARR
Although most people remember “The Twilight Zone” as the quintessential sci-fi/fantasy anthology show, true science fiction fans remember “The Outer Limits.” Unlike “The Twilight Zone,” “The Outer Limits” was an hour long, and it tackled more cerebral topics. Rather than the unexplained and eerie fish-out-of-water stories from Rod Serling, “The Outer Limits” was more of a straight science fiction show.
MGM has released the first volume (16 episodes) of the original television shows from 1963 and 1964 in a special double-sided two-disc set. With the Cold War in full swing by now, this series went darker than your standard “Zone” show, presenting the unseen enemy in more than one episode.
Today, many people might have their memories tainted by the 1990s remake of the show, but for classic science fiction, you’ll be hard pressed to do better than “The Outer Limits.” Yes, some of the shows have too much cheesy acting, and yes things tend to run long in the 50+ minute running times of the episodes, but for the era in which these were made, they were masterpieces.