Customer Reviews

Outer Limits: Bellero Shield [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Probably the quintessential OL episode. An all-star cast of five, a single claustrophobic Gothic setting, a benevolent alien, and malevolent humans out to exploit him. Superior in every department. The script is polished, the suspense is intense, the story fascinating, the characters fully realized, and the finale a haunting spine-chiller.

The radiant Sally Kellerman is cast against type in her best role ever, as the Lady Macbeth wife of Martin Landau, a genuinely good man whose genius is exploited by his venal and emotionally distant father, Neil Hamilton. Chita Rivera is Kellerman's vicious maid, who has already killed a man in her past. Rivera helps Kellerman murder and conceal the body of an accidental alien visitor (John Hoyt) into Kellerman and Landau's house, in order that Kellerman may steal its technologically advanced "anti-weapon" in her husband's name for the sake of power. Unfortunately, Kellerman failed to learn one thing about the anti-weapon, before stealing it from her victim - she doesn't know how to turn it off, and becomes an eternal prisoner inside it.

There's a great deal more to the story than that, but any more would ruin it. Astute viewers will recognize the "anti-weapon" spiel used twenty years later by Ronald Reagan to sell Star Wars to the electorate.

This episode is flawless. The cast couldn't be better. The performances seethe and sparkle. The script is poetic without becoming cloying. The cinematography and the music are perfect.

Don't miss this one. It's a winner, in every way.

A young Sally Kellerman is delightfully wicked as a wife determined to help her husband get ahead. Chita Rivera is equally riveting as the housekeeper who may or may not be more than just the mistress's "maid." A little Freud is evident in the unexplained closeness between the two women. Neil Hamilton, famous as Commissioner Gordon on "Batman" a few years later, makes a thoroughly despicable tyrant of a father to weak scientist Martin Landau in an early pre-"Mission Impossible" role. John Hoyt as the abducted alien brings a quiet dignity to his heavily-disguised role. Magnificent is this episode!

Another seminal episode in the series, like the Zanti Misfits, but this time featuring a benevolent alien. The title device is brought by the alien who arrives in much the same way as the alien in The Galaxy Being ie by accident, little knowing that it has fallen into a house of family powerplay. Written by Joseph Stefano and directed by John Brahm who also directed ZZZZZ, the episode is described in The Official Companion as a "combination of Shakespeare, ancient mythology, pulp science fiction, quasireligion, and legitimate theatre". Stefano is quoted as wanting to write a `haircut' of Macbeth for Sally Kellerman, as the wife of Martin Landau's scientist and the Lady Macbeth analogy is made clear from a line about "Your ambition is singularly the most active form of violence I've ever encountered". Occasionally Stefano goes overboard eg Kellerman replies to her description with "Lust is what becomes of an aspiration when it is allowed to grow and become ambition". Brahm's experience in theatre is evident in the playing of the actors, with a choice part for a barefooted Chita Rivera witch with a vaguely lesbian air, and Brahm even manages to pull back that notorious ham Neil Hamilton. Tears aren't often seen in The Outer Limits so it's testiment to the sensitivity of Rivera and Landau when their tears fall, plus Kellerman gets a great scream in closeup. Brahm also provides a funny cut from the shield to the array of utensils used to break it. DOP Conrad Hall has fun in having the alien out of focus to allow for it's vasoline-on-the-lens inner light illumination when it is circled by others, and also posing the women in darkness.

Earlier reviewers have aptly summarized the plot of the story, which is clever. I have fun memories of seeing this in late-night reruns, laughing at the special effects which I appreciate in retrospect. DeStefano and the others had a week to put them together, and they did a pretty good job given the lack of computer graphics and all the bells and whistles available today.

Anyway, I wish I had a copy of the tape right here right now. I must've seen in 30 times, and will see it as many again. One trivia tidbit that many do not know is that the fellow who was among the first to claim alien abduction in "Incident at Exeter" and other tales paraphrased the alien in this episode; many a UFO skeptic refers to that while suggesting that that New Hampshire fantasy--and the thousands that follow it--(it's become a New Age "cause"!)--was actually brought about by this episode which provided that line.

Then look at the alien (despite the zipper in his pants, etc.): the white creature with mysterious eyes so many of the abductees refer to.

Despite that connection, I think it's a fine story, with excellent acting, a super plot, and even very clever concepts. Outer Limits was pre-Star Trek, and still strikes a great sci-fi cord when I think of it. And this of its episodes is among those which stands out. Enjoy it!

We now return control of your television set to you...

It arrived in the mail yesterday. I couldn't wait to see it again. This is my all-time favorite episode of The Outer Limits and it didn't disappoint me. I still got the same chills as when I saw it back in the early 60s when I was just a child. As a matter of fact, I welled up in tears at the conclusion. I remember I had a crush on Sally Kellerman...she is gorgeous in this episode. Chita Rivera fascinated me as the barefoot servant. Neil Hamilton was great as the overbearing father and Martin Landau was perfectly cast as the son who desperately wanted his father's approval, support and love. Yes, the effects are lacking compared to today's technology, but hey, they worked for me! The alien, portrayed by John Hoyt, was outstanding. I liked the way his voice would "hum" before he said a phrase. And the way he would learn our language by "reading" our eyes...brilliant!

I'm very pleased with the service I got when ordering this VHS tape and extremely happy with my purchase!

The Bellero Shield is The Outer Limits at its most theatrical. Its tone and language are that of a classical play, drawing on many references to mythology and literature. Martin Landau plays a wealthy scientist caught between a demanding father and an ambitious wife(Sally Kellerman)who accidentally traps an alien from another dimension in his laser beam device and drags him into this world. The scientist is only interested in intellectual exchange with this peaceful being, but his wife, like Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, is interested in fame and fortune through exploitaition of the alien's amazing invisible shield. Chita Rivera gives a creepy performance as the barefoot housekeeper Mrs.Dame,and the magnificent and moody photography catches her emerging from the shadows in a most spooky way.The mood and texture of this episode are absolutely haunting and a fine example of why The Outer Limits holds such a legendary place in television history.

"There is a passion in the human heart that is called aspiration. It flares with the noble flame, and by its light Man has traveled from the caves of darkness to the darkness of outer space. But when this passion becomes lust, when its flame is fanned by greed and private hunger, then aspiration becomes ambition-by which sin the angels fell." By accident, an alien, made of light, lands on Earth. Post-"The man who was never born" Martin landau plays utopian inventor Richard Bellero Jr. who experiments a laser beam device. Landau delivers brilliant lines against his father : "Call, call, call whom ? The police, the leading scientitists of the world, ... Whom do you call, father, when you're trapped alive in your own tomb ?" The reference to the Scandinavian mythology ("the trembling way") is marvelous and Sally Kellerman, from "The human factor", is Machiavellian when she shoots a Champagne's bottle with a laser pistol : a symbol of power. Neil Hamilton, from "The invisibles", is noble and dignified ("Great men are forgiven their muderous wife."). John Hoyt, from "Don't open till doomsday", as the Bifrost alien, who learns foreign language through eye contact, is as benevolant as the one in "The galaxy being". Chita Rivera, as the barefoot servant, is diabolical when she gives a small gun, extract from her garter, to Sally Kellerman. Conrad Hall's supreme cinematography is gothic and classical at once : the wine cellar is beautiful with its high chiaroscuro look, the lab mood is great with the close-ups of the dials' machines and the close-up of Sally Kellerman's hand which symbolizes her insanity. This is a play and the best episode directed by John Brahm ("The lodger/Hangover square"). It's all about the universal theme of greed (love, ambition, murder and madness). Greed always breeds the best drama in every art forms, remember Shakespeare : "Boundless intemperance In nature is a tyranny; it hath been The untimely emptying of the happy throne, And fall of many kings..." - The Tragedy of MacBeth, MacDuff, Act IV. Sc. iii.- "When this passion called aspiration becomes lust, then aspiration degenerates, becomes vulgar ambition, by which sin the angels fell."

Though the Outer Limits series features episodes of inequal quality, The Bellero Shield is probably one of the best, along with The Galaxy Being, Demon with a Glass Hand and Keeper of the Purple Twilight.

The ambience itself is unusual for a sci-fi series, somewhat theatrical and of an almost shakespearian dignity (the plot could actually be perceived as a re-lecture of Macbeth.), with a strong fairytale feeling. As far as the cast goes, veterant actor Martin Landau masterfully leads the party as Dr. Richard Bellero, along with Sally Kellerman as his power-thirsty wife ; Chita Rivera herself is awesome as Mrs. Bellero's witch-like maid ; finally, the Bifrost Alien, briliantly played by John Hoyt, is probably the most benevolent and poignant alien in the whole series.

Like any other Outer Limits episode, The Bellero Shield offers an interesting reflexion on human condition, this time choosing to denounce our species' lust for power, through the tragic story of an Angel that came to Earth in search of friendship and knowledge, but only to face human defiance, jealousy and covetousness.

An alein is accidently beamed down with the ultimate weapon..