11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Four Tales of Time Travelling in the Twilight Zone, December 8, 2001
There is an interesting pattern to the episodes collected on Volume 10 of "The Twilight Zone" DVD series since the third episode essentially merges the first two together. But the key element here is obviously Time Travel. "The Last Flight," written by Richard Matheson, was sold to "The Twilight Zone" on the strength of a simple idea: a World War I pilot lands at a modern airbase. The pilot is Flight Lt. Decker (Kenneth Haigh), who fled during a dogfight, leaving his best friend surrounded by enemy fighters, doomed to die. After flying through a strange white cloud, similar to the Matheson employed in "The Incredible Shrinking Man" one would assume, Decker lands at a modern day American air field in France (you have to pretend we had them). There Decker learns that he might have a chance to redeem himself and more importantly, a reason to do so. "Once Upon a Time," also written by Matheson is a rare opportunity for outright slapstick in the Zone. The show features the great silent comedian Buster Keaton as janitor Woodrow Mulligan. Disgusted with the fast paced and high priced society of 1890, Woodrow steals a "time helmet" from the inventor who employs him, and travels to 1962. Of course, he is in for quite a bit of future shock. The 1890 sequences are down in silent fashion, with cards instead of dialogue, but the humor is trite rather than funny. Keaton is fine, but the gags are second-rate at best, which is really a surprise since the episode was directed by Norman Z. McLeod, who directed the Marx Brothers films "Horse Feathers" and "Monkey Business." This is just one of those cases were major talents come together and produce a small pop instead of a big bang.
Cliff Robertson stars as Christian Horn, traveling to a new life in California in 1847 in "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim," written by Rod Serling. Similar to "The Last Flight," this episode hinges on a pivotal image: while searching for water and food for his dying son, Horn walks "over the rim" to discover a paved highway, telephone poles, trucks and a diner. However, the conclusion of this episode ends up paralleling "The Last Flight" way too much to avoid eye brow raising. Still, the performance of Robertson makes this one work on its own terms. Finally, "The Trouble With Templeton," written by E. Jack Neuman, features Brian Aherne as Booth Templeton, an aging actor who longs for the happy days in the Twenties when his wife as still alive. Late for a rehersal of a play he finds himself back in 1927. Finding his wife Laura (Pippa Scott) alive at a local speakeasy he is stunned to find that while she is as beautiful as he remembers her, she is a vulgar little flirt. His perfect memories destroyed, he returns to the present at which point he makes a rather stunning discovery. I have a special fondness for this episode because I did not see the twist coming. Sydney Pollack plays Willis, the young director who is not happy with Templeton's commitment to his craft. This was Neuman's only Zone script, although he did write/produce several notable television series including "Dr. Kildare," "Mr. Novak" and "Police Story." This is an above average collection of "Twilight Zone" episodes helped alone by the thematic unity of the quartet of stories.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Twilight Zone: Vol. 10, January 6, 2001
This review is from: The Twilight Zone Volume 10 (DVD)
Tickles the taste buds of mans fascination with time travel. "The Last Flight" flies through with a cowardly WWI psuedo flying ace who finds himself grounded in the wrong time. After flying through a "mysterious" cloud to avoid confrontation with the enemy our pilot finds himself landing at a modern U.S air base (circa1960) after abandoning a fellow flyboy. Its not until things begin to thicken that our pilot realizes his purpose of returning to the sky to sacrifice himself for the better of man. If it were not for the heroics of "The Last Flight" and "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" this would not be worth buying. The other two were watered down yet amusing to enough to watch by principle alone. The idea of bending time for good or bad is always entertaining and flat out scary. Volume ten touches on a little of both.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5.0 out of 5 stars
great performance in this Twilight Zone, March 22, 2011
deff a great twilight zone and I bought this one cause its clearly about science fiction hands down. and the best episode in this DVD is "A Hundred yards over the rim" the great acting performance by the great actor Cliff Robertson really a mind boggling episode that everyone must check out. This Vol. 10 DVD is about Time Travel this the episodes..
"Hundred Yards Over The Rim"
"Once Apon A Time"
"The Last Flight"
"The Trouble With Timpleton"
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
