Customer Reviews

The Twilight Zone - Collection 3

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 3rd and 4th installments of Image Entertainment's Twilight Zone DVD "Collections" hit the shelves January 7th, with the 5th and final one due February 25th. In case you are wondering about cost you figure to save by purchasing these over the individually-sold volumes. But for the casual fan who only wants certain episodes, individuals are still the way to go.

Collection 3 contains 9 more volumes of the original DVD releases (this time Vols. 19-27 are collected) in more compact and efficient (but also cool) cases. These are housed in a keepsake box that makes for easy storage. The stand-outs from Collection 3 include...

--A Most Unusual Camera: A camera that snaps pictures of the future? Certainly qualifies as unusual...

--Five Characters In Search of An Exit: Why have five characters (a soldier, a jester and a ballerina, among them) awoken to find themselves in an empty room with no doors or windows??? One of the single coolest episodes in the series!

--People Are Alike All Over: Roddy McDowall plays an astronaut who, while stranded on an unknown planet, learns just how much this episode's title rings true!

--Elegy: Indescribably cool!

This Collection, does however, contain many of the episodes that fans universally consider to be clunkers (namely Black Leather Jackets, He's Alive, Spur of the Moment and The Big Tall Wish), but this doesn't harm the overall quality of the Collection. It is as essential, in my book, as the other four.

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 geyeballh 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 ghitsh and gmissesh, 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.

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.

The streak of brilliance that turned depictions of the paranormal to explain man to himself into a true American classic is as evident in this collection as in the others. The excellent DVD reproductions enhance the pleasure of watching it. TZ is uncanny in many ways, including in its ability to focus one minute on the distinctive bond between man and dog, and the next on the danger, ever present then as now, of nuclear annihilation. Seriously consider this item as a gift for those who "have everything" or are hard to buy for. If you like, see also my further comments on TZ collection 1 as they apply here, too.

Even though CBS released the "definitive" edition with even better picture and sound quality from the 35mm masters, and with extras, this set isn't bad for the price. In other words, you pay a few dollars more to get more, but if you are more interested in price then grab this box set.

One small note: I definately agree with other reviewers. THE TWILIGHT ZONE: UNLOCKING THE DOOR TO A TELEVISION CLASSIC by Martin Grams is 800 plus pages includes "everything" about the classic series and is a wonderful companion with the DVDs. The book details Serling's writing career on radio, early television and Twilight Zone is well researched and highly detailed. Exclusive interviews with cast and crew and behind-the-scenes trivia will floor you. What you do is watch an episode and then read up on it in the book and you'll discover a wealth of trivia that makes this worthy of appreciation. Both the DVD set and the book is on Amazon.com so check it out (samples are available on Amazon's review page). Do yourself the favor and get both. You'll thank me for it.

I spent over $800 on the VHS videos from Columbia House two decades ago. I spent less than $140 for the complete DVD set and discovered the value.
Sadly, while the quality and price is superb, the definitive set (also on Amazon) beats the quality and extras and price ten-fold.

However, the retail price keeps lowering over the months making this worthwhile if you don't want to spend the additional $5 bucks and get superior picture and sound quality and bonus extras.

I also suggest you buy "The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic" because the 800 plus page book is a P-E-R-F-E-C-T companion to the DVD box set. Before or after you watch an episode, you can use the book to uncover the in-jokes, bloopers and trivia that make viewing these episodes fun. Regardless of whether you buy this set or the definitive box sets, watching the shows is one thing, knowing the behind-the-scenes stuff is even more fun. Both are available on Amazon.

"The Twilight Zone" was always my favorite TV show. In its' 30 minute time slot were some of the best drama, spine-tingling suspense, and morality plays ever seen on television. It is always exciting to find an episode or two that I missed in my youth and there are some in "Collection Three". However, I came away with a sense that this collection is a bit weighted down with many lesser episodes. There's no need to list all those although the one hour episode "He's Alive" is about as good an example as any of what I refer to as "lesser". First of all, this selection was stretched too far for the hour-long format. Secondly, the ending was no surprize to most people. Thirdly, the efforts at irony fell far too short of the mark. The one redeeming feature was Rod Serling's closing comments. I hate to say it (since it sounds sacrilegious) but I was actually bored during "He's Alive".

Now to the good stuff; "A Most Unusual Camera" is a memorable look at how greed can ruin even a "sure thing". "Elegy" reminds our space program to know where you're going. "Mirror Image" explores the possibility of meeting your double. "Ninety Years Without Slumbering" stars Ed Wynn as a man who thinks he knows his fate and prepares to meet it. "A World of Difference" asks what we would do if we suddenly discovered everything around us was merely part of a script. "Ring a Ding Girl" tells us you CAN go home again (and just in time)! "From Agnes With Love" stars Wally Cox and shows us how true love finds him.

My favorite two episodes in the collections are "The Thirty Fathom Grave" and "Night Call". "The Thirty Fathom Grave" is an hour-long episode that fills the whole time with an intriguing mystery that gave me goose bumps at the end even though I had seen it years before and knew how it would end. I experienced the same goose bumps watching "Night Call" about an elderly invalid who starts getting mysterious phone calls one dark and stormy night. Those two episodes and the others mentioned gave me a lot of entertainment. However, I think that the folks that put out these collections could have done a better balancing act. I kept thinking that I'd seen about all of the best episodes after the first two collections. Collection Three made me wonder if I wasn't right. Oh well, time to take a peak at "The Twilight Zone-Collection Four".

After The Twilight Zone Season 3 The Definitive Edition is released (6/28/05)on 6 disks (takes less shelf space)with some bonus features that this does not have, the price for the Collection will fall to the floor. I'll wait until it hits the Lower $40's to Upper $30's prior to ordering. Check the price then and remember to check the New/Used prices as they will probably fall before Amazon's does.

I thought I had seen all the twilight zone episodes a zillion times, but when I bought this one, I discovered that I hadn't and it brought me back to when this show was being shown for the first time. Many of the episodes in this collection I or my wife had never seen. I was very pleased. I now have collections 1,2 and 3 and am looking forward to getting collections 4 and 5 in the near future

This is a wonderful trip into the past. Wonderful addition to anyone who is a Twilight Zone fan.