Customer Reviews

Outer Limits: Fun & Games [VHS]

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

 

 

Generally overrated but memorable OL entry.

A sneeringly superior decadent Senator of the planet Andera abducts small-time hood/prizefighter Nick Adams and true-blue do-gooder Nancy Malone, to solicit them for gladiatorial games to entertain his jaded populace. If they decline, the Earth is destroyed in a grand display lasting about five years - "like a firecracker in a black summer sky," as the blase Senator shruggingly puts it. If they accept, they are pitted in a duel to the death against two primitive but resourceful wolf-like apish aborigines from "an unnamed planet in the Calco galaxy," on a prehistorically-climated planet designated the "Arena."

Given the nature of the script, this episode should be action-packed, but in fact is rather static (and talky) throughout. It's memorable for Robert Johnson's gleefully sadistic Senator, who remains tauntingly in the shadows with his long, Mandarin nails and scepter of power, and for the smoulderingly suffocating atmospheric Arena. The Calco primitives are primitive indeed, OL being pretty short on budget when this one was filmed, essentially nothing more than fixed-expression masks and clawed gloves (except for one or two close-ups, where the mask's eyes roll) - but no one ever forgets their weapon, which was probably the most famous prop of the entire series: saw-toothed razor boomerangs.

Great beginning, with an imaginatively filmed gangster's poker game, long, rather muddled middle, and a decent last half, but the fairly dramatic finale is too abrupt. The performances are good, especially Johnson's hammy melodrama villain of a Senator.

Interesting story of a couple transported to another planet to do battle with two other aliens with the prize being that Earth will not be destroyed if they win. Well-acted, good dialogue and a great scene involving a poker game. It does take a while to get to the battle and the clothing the female character wears (wearing high-heels into battle?) is a little far-fetched, even for that time. But overall, since this is a story of redemption and second chances, a good show.

I watched this show when it was originally aired. It left a lasting impression on my very youthful mind, and it's been entertaining and interesting to see it again lately.

The plot isn't novel--there are other sci-fi stories of combat between selected humans and aliens as proxies for their respective worlds or as entertainment for superior aliens. This Outer Limits episode, though, pits a psychologically messed up human couple against the alien foes. The man and woman have problems enough of their own and the man, played by Nick Adams, initially declines to fight even though that could mean the end of earth. A hero he ain't.

But the alien Senator who's calling the shots helps persuade him otherwise. The Senator makes the whole episode work, in fact, with his dry humor, precise English (the sure sign of a bad guy), and uncanny knack for understanding, predicting, and disturbing the humans' mindsets both on earth and on the battle planet.

The human couple sort of come to an understanding of each other near the end, and the woman (played by Nancy Malone) overcomes a personal flaw to kill the final alien, a moment before her partner dies (or so she thinks). Interestingly there is no love story here. She's married to someone else but apparently separated, and the Senator intimates that she'll remember enough of the trial by combat to perhaps help her resolve her personal problems with him. The character Adams plays (who was fleeing the cops before being "electro-ported") picks up right where he left off when he's returned to earth, smashing out a window near the woman's apartment to use the fire escape. She sees him, he sees her before he flees, but there's no recognition in his eyes. Does he remember anything? We'll never know.
The show definitely had low production values and committed an unforgivable blooper with the two dresses Malone wore being logically inconsistent with the scenes, but if you overlook those you'll find here one of the better sci-fi TV stories. Outer Limits did good.

This episode was entertaining in part because the games master of Andarra is quite a character. He actually engages in a little psycho-analysis of the humans which is rather amusing.

A certain mystery surrounds the games master as we never really get to see his face clearly. He is always sitting back in the shadows just far enough to prevent a clear view of himself.

When the Earth man is first teleported from Earth to Andarra, his first reaction is to ask if he is dead. The games master asks in return "Why is it your species that is always so concerned with death?" This implies that other races of beings are not so preoccupied with their own mortality. An interesting assumption or speculation.

A final speculation: Could the tableau of the games master behind his control console be what will confront us at our own respective judgements?!

In this episode, a man and woman are transported to another planet to fight a couple of aliens (male and female). If they win the earth is saved otherwise the earth will be destroyed. The alien that is host of "Fun and Games" has a good sense of humor and must find interesting ways to keep the inhabits of his world entertained. The makeup of the aliens is good but it is interesting to see the earth woman doing battle in a dress and high heels.

Nick Adams is perfect for this interesting roll. He is a small time crook that, while fleeing, meets an idealist young lady. They suddenly find themselves on another planet ruled by an extremely technologically advanced beings, however they amuse themselves in a manner similar to the ancient Romans, with gladiatorial matches. The stakes are high. The losers have their planet annihilated. Nick is fantastic as the down and out small time hood who doesn't believe in anything. In one scene he remarks to the idealistic young lady "you know what you are? You're one of life's little cheer leaders". This is an imaginative theme with a great young Nick Adams and a surprise ending.