Customer Reviews

The Twilight Zone - Collection 1

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

For those of us in the know, all TZ episodes have been available on DVD for quite some time, but in 40-some odd volumes that contained 3 to 4 episodes each and left you broke after about 20 volumes. Now, As I write this, we are a couple months away from being able to own the entire Twilight Zone series in a collection of 5 box sets,... Has Image Entertainment finally given TZ fans something worth emptying their pockets for? You bet.

Okay, so they still haven't put the series in chronological order. Don't wait -- this will probably never happen. It's an anthology series and there is no continuity here that absolutely demands you have the episodes in order. But what Image has done is put 9 volumes in each box set (Vols. 1-9 are contained in Collection 1) and made the cases a little more compact. These are great cases, by the way, and the box isn't just something to throw away either. The episodes in Collection 1 are among the most memorable: "To Serve Man", "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", "Time Enough At Last", "The Lonely", "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street", "The Invaders", and "It's A Good Life", to name only a few of the 35 episodes.

Quite simply, these releases (meaning not only Collection 1, but the 4 others) mean that you'll be able to own the series on DVD for [much less money than]it would cost you to buy the volumes individually...

I don't know what your favorite TV show is but mine has ALWAYS been "The Twilight Zone". It bothered me that for years we could get "Gilligan's Island" re-runs but there were never any of "The Twilight Zone". I hadn't seen an episode for over 35 years so I finally decided to check out their availability on DVD (after all, my teen-age daughter has all of the episodes of "Friends" on DVD). The price was a bit steep but I came into some extra money and took the plunge. I have been completely satisfied with this package of 36 episodes on a set of 9 DVDs. After I ordered it, I talked them up to my 11 year old son who looked forward to watching them with me. He was impressed as well. I mention that because today's youth seem overly focused on modern technology and these episodes left a lot to your imagination.

"The Twilight Zone" was a unique TV series that mixed excellent writing (mostly by Rod Serling, himself, in the early seasons), good acting, challenging social issues, and stories that were unsettling if not downright scary. Many of those episodes stayed with me decades after I had seen them; far more than from any other TV show. I watched "Outer Limits", "The Alfred Hitchcock Show" and others. They were very good as well but "Twilight Zone" was always a notch above. Even now, knowing how many of these episodes would turn out, I was impressed by the quality of the product. What surprized me was how excellent they all were. There were some that were in a class by themselves but all were worthwhile. "Monsters are Due on Maple Street" was always my favorite and it is in this collection along with such all-time favorites as Burgess Meredith's classic "Time Enough at Last", William Shatner in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", Jack Warden in "The Lonely", "To Serve Man", and Billy Mumy in the haunting "It's a Good Life". However, my favorite episode now is "Walking Distance" in which Gig Young discovers why you can't go home again. Many of the messages in these stories are timeless.

I saved up some money and am ready to order the next set. My son is as anxious to see them as I am.

Do not purchase any of the NON-definitive edition twilight zone box sets. They are inferior products in comparison to the follow-up sets, which were reissued about 11 months after the fifth and final original collections.

The definitive editions are absolute must haves. Besides the additional content, the sound, video and navigational controls are much better. It is an absolute disgrace that this product is still being sold at such an outrageously high price. It is worth about $20 to $30.

Disclaimer:

I am writing with the bias of a ripped off consumer.

After spending close to $450 dollars on the original five sets, season one of the Definitives was released within a year after the last original was put on sale. I contacted the manufacturer about this flagrant disregard for consumers and received the usual 'blah blah blah...sorry, there's nothing we can do...." response.

If you can't afford the Definitive Editions, I recommend monitoring ebay where you can acquire the originals for a more reasonable price approaching fair market value.

Afterward: My complaints are not about the content; the product is a classic that will continue to entertain viewers for years to come, but repackaged and upgraded products should be discounted--like software programs--for people that have already invested in earlier editions.

Buy the Definitive editions. Do not buy these inferior outdated and overpriced inventory outcasts.

I rate this product: (-89 stars)

Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the �geyeball�h version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting.

Each collection has its �ghits�h and �gmisses�h, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked.

For all Twilight Zone fans, you've hit the jackpot with this outstanding collection of episodes in the first installment.

Featuring 35 episodes over 9 discs, it is a true gem of a deal and certainly worth the money. There are Twilight Zone sets that can be purchased that are in chronological order but if you're not that picky, you only have to look this far to be completely satisfied. Each program is digitally remastered and reveals an impressive video quality considering this material is more than 2 decades old. Very few digital artifacts are present and detail is excellent.

The DVD set has some nice special features offered also which adds to the enjoyment including: Rod Serling Biography, Twilight Zone history, Episode reviews, Cast Information, and Season by Season commentary. There are 4 other collections that complete the entire set and give you every episode ever done (156 total I think). They all have the special features too and are wonderfully done.

Even if you are not a Twilight Zone fan but are intrigued by science-fiction, fantasy, the unknown, the uncanny, or whatever else, you will probably find yourself immensely pleased with the content offered here. A very highly recommended collection that is exceptionally well done at a nice price. Enjoy!

First: If you're reading this, then you probably enjoy the show and are at least slightly more familiar with it than passing fancy, so don't get me wrong: TZ is an A+, 10.0, five star show, even the final season has enough 'gems' to call it great. The three star rating I give this product goes toward the packaging and price. TZ was originally released on DVD many years ago, back when DVDs were 25 bucks a piece and still a pretty new item. The five collections set available today is the same DVDs repackaged. There is nothing special about the packaging: no program guide or booklet, and it's just a bunch of slim cases put in a nondescript box. I have watched the price for the collections steadily drop until this weekend, when I bought the first collection for thirty-five dollars at a local Wal-Mart: when I got home I realized that 'collection one' does not equate to season one, but just the first eight originally separately-sold DVD collections, which are completely muddled, with episodes spanning the complete span of the series. As one reviewer already mentioned, this doesn't matter because the series was 100% stand-alone, and no two episodes jived or seamed together; if you're a true purist, though, Amazon will be selling the 'Definitive' collection come December 28th for a very reasonable starting price (which should drive down the prices of the currently available 5 collections). This is the complete 1st season (1959-1060, 36 episodes) and includes the 'next week on TZ' previews and commercials originally aired back before I was born. But back to the currently available sets...As an aside: we've been brainwashed into "the last two years of TZ suck, don't bother watching them,' so by jumbling them together we're encouraged to watch, eventually, all the episodes...and some of the last really are the best. This show is forty years old: my advice is to wait for the collections prices to become reasonable: 30-35 bucks, then buy them.

I don't think I can add any more to what others have said below about "The Twilight Zone" beyond my review title, but there are two complaints:

1. Why couldn't the DVD release of this timeless series have been in broadcast order rather than a collection of random episodes from the many seasons this show was on the air? I would have loved to experience the show the way audiences did in the late 1950s and early 1960s without having to constantly be changing discs in order to see it this way. It is a senseless omission from an overall stellar package.

2. If the producers of the "Gilligan's Island" DVD set could get 14-16 episodes of that show on one double-sided disc, couldn't we get the same for "The Twilight Zone?" There are far too few episodes on each disc.

Perhaps the inevitable re-release of the series at some time in the future can correct these flaws.

Addendum: I originally wrote this review in October 2004. In the interim, "The Twilight Zone" was finally released in full-season form, subtitled "The Definitive Edition." Do not waste your money on this, likely soon-to-be-deleted version. Purchase the new version to see it as should be seen.
-- Art

I had about 10 episode discs I had bought, but I could see the end result would just be too costly. So, I waited, not sure why, mostly for "space" reasons. After the original Star Trek series I bought one at a time, my "warehouse" was FULL! Anyway, I really like the slimline "look" and the space they save is much appreciated, plus I got this at a great price. I really do not like the menu set-up on these, it is very slow and time-consuming to deal with the "eye". Also, the sound for this "eye" movement is lounder and almost "jarring" when going from viewing an episode back into the main menu. So, my advice is to turn the volume off before the episode starts, turn it back on for the ep, then again turn it off when the "eye" comes back. The notes included are helpful and interesting. I don't know why they didn't include the "laserdisc" interviews with Serling I own, or even put more episodes per disc, and IN ORDER would have been nice, so I lopped a star off on this account. However, the performance's we know are "six" stars. The episode "A game of Pool", and the dialogue enclosed in that one show was just about worth the price for the whole set. I feel for those who went out of their way and laid out the cash for all these seperately, and normally that is me as well, however, this time the powers that be gave me a break:)

Unbelieveable story telling with unpredictable twists have made me, a young, new fan to the series, love this series and every single twisted pathway that is the Twilight Zone. Unique in every way, it is unparalleled to this day for creativity and thought ever put into a television show. From the great love story " Two" to the comedic " Mr. Dingle the Strong" many of the greats are here. My experience with the Twilight Zone began last year, at halloween. My parents gave me The Treasures of the Twilight Zone, and More Treasures of the Twilight Zone. Being a naive youth that I often am, I contemplated taking back the DVDs. With great reluctance I decided to keep the DVDs, and opened them. And so, my mind became enthralled by this delightful series, which seemed to have been part of me before I had ever been truly exposed to the Twilight Zone ( Save the movie, which is a valiant attempt at recreating the Twilight Zone, it did frighten me to see the Creature at 20,000 feet at whatever age I first saw it). My mind was hooked with " Where is Everybody?" Which to this day remains my favorite, only furthering another reviewer's insight on being young and seeing this particular episode ( on a friday night at that). The next day I watched The Encounter, which with the right weather outside left me with a feeling of pure magic. This led with a need for more, so for my birthday, my parents gave me this collection, along with the Twilight Zone Companion. It has only furthered my love, and I can not wait to get collection 2 either on my own or as a gift. If you have a son or daughter who has an open mind and an active imagination, this is a perfect gift, give them the opportunity of experiencing possibly the best Television series ever made. This collection is very encompassing, going from space, to matters of the mind, to questions we all come upon. If you're on the boder of buying this set, buy the Trteasures first, then see where you were unfounded in your worries. This is honestly one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me. I bonded with a friend even more over this series. The most important thing it gave me was piece of mind. It taught me that it's ok to think differently, and that great things that can come from it.

One day on the Sci-Fi channel I became intrigued with The Twilight Zone. And I was thrilled to discover the box set DVD series on Amazon. And after some time I was able to buy the first set. I didn't realize till later on that the episodes where out of order, but you know what? I didn't care. I love all the episodes displayed in the set. Do I think it's odd? Yes, but so is the series and highly under rated at this day and time. Rod Serling is certainly a genius and it's a wonder to all the things that were imagined and created during The Twilight Zone series. Which also was jam packed with a lot of classic celebrities such as: Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert Redford, Burgess Maredith (who was a constant guest star through out the series), William Shatner (before Star Trek I believe), Charles Bronson, Jack Warden, Buddy Ebsen and tons more. This series is thought provoking, but makes it entertaining not only for a science fiction fan, but for the regular viewing audience. Some of the episodes aren't very clear on the DVD, but I believe that's the type of film they had back at the time. But it does come with trivia games, and a chronological (again out of order) history of The Twilight Zone. Some of my favorite episodes include: Night of the Meek, The Invaders, Time Enough at Last, The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, Walking Distance, Two, A Passage for Trumpet, Long Distance Call, I Sing the Body Electric, The Passerby, The Hitch-Hiker, Third from the Sun, To Serve Man (which I think is one of the creepiest episode in the series), and of course the classic It's a Good Life from what everyone loves to remember including on a Simpson's Halloween Episode - I believe. I admire Rod Serling very much for his creative writing and thought provoking episodes - he was before his time. Even though it's out of order and the DVD menu's are a little annoying to navigate through don't let that stop you. All classic episodes for the fans of each generation.