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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
La Rivière du hibou, August 21, 2001
This review is from: Treasures of The Twilight Zone (DVD)
"An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge" (the original English name for this French film which was presented as Episode 142 of the "Twilight Zone" on 2/28/64) is this DVD's ONLY raison d'être. The other two TZ episodes ("Where Is Everybody?" and "The Encounter") appear on DVD volumes 43 and 33, respectively, and the fillers (The '59 Serling/Wallace interview and "Inside the Twilight Zone") are shamelessly (or perhaps shamefully) duplicated on "More Treasures From the Twilight Zone." So, is this DVD worth its price just for this one feature? Probably. In the first place, it is based on an Ambrose Bierce short story. Bierce is best known for his acidly satiric aphorisms in _The Devil's Dictionary_, but, more to the point here, he was also a consummate (arguably America's best) short story writer, and this story in particular has achieved near legendary status in literary circles. In its French video version, it won best short subject in the '62 Cannes and '63 BAFTA (British Academy Awards) competitions. Somewhere along the line, Rod Serling saw it, and when William Froung (the series' producer for its final episodes) told him that the 36-episode budget had been exceeded after only 35 episodes, Serling suggested acquiring US TV rights to the French film. For a paltry $10,000, which saved the 5th season's budget, but not the series, the deal was done. Later that year, probably as a result of the exposure it received on TZ, the film completed its hat trick by winning the '64 Academy Award for best short subject. Although I'm not positive on this point, I believe it to be the least expensive and most highly honored half-hour-long film in the history of US television. The original film (with a few minutes of footage that was cut for the TZ version and sans the Serling narration) is available as a VHS cassette, but, for the few dollars extra, I recommend that you go ahead and buy this DVD -- especially if you don't already have one or more of its other features.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure genius., July 12, 1999
By A Customer
You don't even have to know what is on this tape. It doesn't even matter which episodes are on it. "Eye of the Beholder" is present. You won't find a better half-hour than that. "The Howling Man" is good, and "The Masks" is adequate. Check out Serling's interview with Mike Wallace.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A testimony, May 3, 2000
This review is from: Treasures of The Twilight Zone (DVD)
Rod Serling had quite a bit to say about the quality of televsion programs of the late 1950s and the way advertising dollars and corporate influence effect the medium. He could see this and rise above it. Each of the episodes exhibit that Rod Serling was a man of true determination and integrity. He was an artistic genius who was not afraid to challenge both audiences and censors. The first episode is an early attempt of just what Rod Serling claims he set out to do in the Mike Wallace interview. That is to create mature, quality drama for television. While it does have a relatively safe, conclusive ending, unlike many of the best TZ episodes, Rod was merely testing the waters rather than jumping in with both feet. Keep in mind that this is still only a 1959 audience. The second episode is much more daring. It shows how the show progressed and the creators began to push the envelope in dealing with more socially concious topics. This definitely isn't I Love Lucy or Father Knows Best. While the third isn't a TZ original, it is an example of the awareness the show's producers had of artistic possibilities of the medium of television. Something that had become too often overlooked as Rod mentions in the Wallace interview. Rod Serling was a visionary and this DVD is a testimony to his true genius.
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