Amazon.com

Shirley Temple's superstardom in the 1930s was associated with Twentieth Century Fox, but before Fox locked her down she made the two films for Paramount bundled here. It was 1934, her breakthrough year, and these pictures are not quite yet the showcase vehicles Fox would assemble for their pint-sized meal ticket. In Little Miss Marker, Shirley comes under the wing of Sorrowful Jones (Adolphe Menjou in good form), as Damon Runyon's world of bookies and gamblers and soft-hearted gangsters comes to life around her. It's a heartstring-tugger of an expert kind; Shirley's final line, delivered in an operating room, should have grown men weeping on their knees.

Henry Hathaway's Now and Forever casts Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard as world-traveling con artists, suddenly forced to grow up when Coop decides to take charge of his daughter. The lure of diamonds and the easy life is never far away, but rely on Shirley to keep her Daddy on his toes. The dimpled Ms. Temple plays a distinctly supporting role in this one, and her singing and dancing is limited compared to the vehicles she would command within the year. Cooper is all charm, although Lombard is stuck in something of a nag role. Still, a solid enough studio picture of the era, and a logical launching pad for the greatest child star in film history. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (1)

SUPER COLLECTIONOF HER 2 PARAMOUNT FILMS!
This set iswonderfulbut, a few things have changed since this set was first announced. it was to be a 2 disc set andthe 2 films were to be the colorized versions. Whatthis set has is just1DVD and so bothmovies are on1 disc and inblackand white. The backof the DVD case shows the colorized photos which makes you think the films are the color versions. The menus also show colorized photos.The VHS versions which are in color looked very good but for some reasonUniversaldecided tonot include them.

The real prize of this DVD is the extra, which is Shirley's very firstmovie and which has NEVER before been available onVHS or DVD or16MM or any other format. "THE RUNT PAGE".Shirley is not shown muchatall during the 10 minutes this film runs. She is shownrightafter the opening credits and then again during thelast3 minutes.She is veryadorable here and, for this firstfilmshort, she is wearing onlyshorts, she would be covered upmore in her next7 berleskfilm shorts.
Inthis film short, she is aware of the camera and theres a few times where she is lookingat it.She is so very adorable in her scenes and its amazingthatatthis time she was 3 years old!

Youwill reallyenjoythis film short as well as the 2 movies which are insuper quality!

ENJOY! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An Underrated WWII Film Well Worth Your Time
I had never even heard of Three Came Home until I ran across it in a catalog. The description sounded interesting enough to get me to buy it, and I'm glad I did. Three Came Home is a riveting and moving film that grabs the viewer and never lets go. Focusing on what happened to many civilians in the Pacific the film covers a 4 year period from 1941 to 1945, and it shows what kind of hardships and trials many people had to endure in prison camps during the war, primarily focusing on womens camps. Claudette Colbert gives a fantastic performance, and Sessue Hayakawa is outstanding as the Colonel in charge of the prison camps. The script is intelligent and filled with great dialogue, and the acting is first rate throughout. The Alpha DVD is quite good - the print is VERY clean for a "bargain" (public domain) copy, and you should have no concerns as to the quality of this DVD. Highly recommended.

A Classic Comes Home.
One of the best World War Two era dramas ever. The fact that I had never heard of this movie is a testament to it's being under-rated. It's usually not shown in retrospectives of war movies, not enough testosterone displayed, I presume, which is a shame, as it is a powerful take on the "human" side of war, and the effects on the individual. Claudette Colbert, whose only starring role I was familiar with was in "It Happened One Night", is wonderfully touching and noble in this true- story based drama of an author forcefully seperated from her husband and placed, with her little boy, in a Japanese prison camp. As anyone who reads my reviews knows, I like strong womens roles, the good ones of which are few and far between. This is one of the best. Her portrayal is one of pathos, bravery, and perseverence in the face of overwhelming, spirit- breaking odds. This film also offers a rare for that time somewhat sympathetic view of the Japanese, in the role of Sessue Hayakawas' Japanese officer who, over time, developes a true respect for Colberts character that transcends gender and war time prejudices, and, shows the human loss on both sides. This film says just as much about the tragedy of war, maybe more so, than any battle scenes. I am not generally a fan of many war movies, how many battle scenes can you watch??, but I was totally drawn in when I happened upon this film by accident on the History Channel. I was so impressed by it that I bought the video, after trying to track it down for some time. A wonderfully moving drama, yes, it is a "tear-jerker", but much more than that, it is also ultimatley uplifting. A classic movie, very radical for it's time, it's a must have for any film buff, or anyone who wants to see what true movie making WAS.

True-life drama: Superb
Miss Colburn did a lot of work in war movies and it was all excellent: Three Came Home rates among the best ever made about WWII, it is all true, wonderfully made, rarely known among the best b&w war movies, a fantastic story really well done.

Real Life Survival Story
Claudette Colbert gives a very strong performance as real life writer Agnes Keith, an American woman living on Borneo with her British husband and son during WWII. When the Japanese invade, she and her son are separated from her husband, Patric Knowles, and all are imprisoned in camps. A Japanese colonel, very well played by Sessue Hayakawa, takes an interest in Colbert since he has read her book, and they have a platonic relationship that is one of the most interesting features of the movie. He has been educated in America, and he reveals more about himself than a typical Japanese soldier would. Three Came Home illustrates the poor conditions of prison camps during WWII and the effect of the war on those who weren't soldiers but had to fight to survive. It's a dramatic story, well acted, and worth viewing.

Colbert gives a Great performance
If you are a Colbert fan or not or simply want to know her, this movie should be on your list! She gives a good range of her acting (even if Hollywood believes that mascara was easy to come by in a Japanese camp!). What`s more, Sessue Hayakawa, a typical villain, proposes a sweet & sour taste to his character rather uncommon to his more typical roles. And if you liked that movie, go to "So Proudly We Hail", a story with a similar plot but even better! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Three episodes dealing with dreams, with two excellent forays into Zone-ishness and one clunker. Also on the disc are special hidden zonesthat contain the isolated music score for each program and a few of the show's original ads.

"A Stop at Willoughby"
"A Stop at Willoughby" is Rod Serling in top form, using one of his favorite themes of escaping to a simpler time. James Daly is a businessman frazzled to the breaking point by an insensitive, demanding wife and a blubbery plutocrat of a boss who importunes him to "Push! Push! Push!" On the train ride home, he begins to dream of an idyllic town called Willoughby, not on the map or train schedule, but perhaps more than just thestuff of imaginings. Ah, Willoughby! Still relevant after all these years.

"Twenty-Two"
"Twenty-Two" is one of the show's six episodes shot on videotape, but still achieves a rare degree of eeriness due to its strong concept and acting. Barbara Nichols stars as a stripper who's checked into a hospital with nervous exhaustion, where she begins having precognitive dreams aboutdeadly doings in the hospital's basement, an exotic nurse leading her there with the foreboding phrase, "Room for one more, honey."

"I Dream of Genie"
"I Dream of Genie" shows the strain of TZ's change from half-hour tofull-hour format. A nebbish accountant (Howard Morris) acquires a magical lamp whose genie grants him one wish. The only highlight of this not-too-funny humoresque is the genie, played by veteran character actor Jack Albertson in a brief cameo, smoking a fat cigar and cracking wise. All else is drawn-out Walter Mitty-style fantasy sequences of said nebbish imagining the results of his prospective wish. Oh, and that signpost up ahead? Boredom. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Five stars for "stop at willoughby" and "twenty - two"
Although I think that the first installment on this dvd is an absolutely fabulous episode, "twenty-two" is without a doubt my all time favorite episode of twilight zone. The line "room for one more, honey" has become a family catch phrase. This episode really achieves that eerie quality and the suspense that you come to enjoy from the better examples of the twilight zone, rivaled only by such episodes as "the after hours" and "to serve man". And the repetitive actions that the stripper goes through still don't prepare you for the final amazing twist at the end. I recommend that everyone see this, or you're not a real TZ fan!

Five stars for Willoughby alone
Maybe it's because I AM in the advertising business. Maybe it's because I'm a nostalgic romantic who yearns for the "simpler days" of a hundred years ago (which is why I enjoyed Jack Finney's "Time and Again" novel so much). Maybe it's just because I enjoy Rod Serling's writing so much.

Don't know. All I know is that "A Stop at Willoughby" is one of my all-time three favorite TZ episodes ("Time Enough at Last" and "Walking Distance" being the other two).

Sharing a theme similar to "Walking Distance" (another episode about a burned out advertising executive who gets to step back in time), "A Stop at Willoughby" is the story of a harried, "average" man caught up in a lifestyle that pushes him to ulcers and dreams of days gone by. While on board a train returning home one evening, he dozes off only to be awakened by the conductor calling out the stop -- "Willoughby" -- a place not even found on the map. Of course, it's summer in Willoughby. And the townspeople are happy, slow-paced and friendly...a life the ulcerated ad-man wishes he could step into.

Of course, he does. And there's a typical TZ twist at the end.

I bought this DVD just for "A Stop at Willoughby." And it's a good thing, too. Althought the episode "Twenty-Two" is interesting (especially watching Lost in Space's Jonathan Harris in the role of a doctor), it's not even close to Willoughby's finesse.

The third episode -- "I Dream of Genie" -- is interesting only because Andy Griffth Show's Howard Morris stars. Other than that, it's nothing worth remembering.

If you're a middle-aged advertising executive, you need to see "A Stop at Willoughby." Or, then again, maybe not. That first step is a doozy.

The classic "A Stop at Willoughby" and two lesser Zones
People unhappy with their lives look for something better in the three episodes on Volume 34 of "The Twilight Zone" DVD series. First up is Rod Serling's wistful story, "A Stop at Willoughby." James Daly plays ad exuctive Gart Williams, who loses an important account. Riding the train home he has a dream of a restful little town called Willoughby. Williams believes that Willoughby is where he really belongs, but his wife ridicules the idea, forcing him to go back to the job he hates. This is Serling at his lyrical best. "Twenty-Two," was also written by Serling, based on an anecdote in Bennett Cerf's "Famous Ghost Stories." Barbara Nichols plays Liz Powell, a professional dancer who has recurring nightmares that make her associate the number 22 with death. Again, everybody she tells this to thinks she is crazy. This is a below average episode of the Zone. Finally, we have "I Dream of Genie," written by John Furia, Jr. Howard Morris plays bookkeeper George P. Hanley, who buys a tarnished Arabian lamp for Ann (Patricia Barry), the attractive secretary at his office. Too embarrassed to give it to her, he takes the lamp home, rubs it up and a genie appears! The deal, the genie informs George, is that he gets just ONE wish. But every thing George comes up with is not going to give him the happiness he wants. A great idea, especially given all the stories we have scene where the genie's wishes are traps, but the execution suffers somewhat, especially since it gets stretched out to an hour long episode. So what we end up with on this episode is one Twilight Zone classic and a couple of sub-par excursions.

Focussing attention on the episode entitled "Twenty-Two"
As a longtime fan of the Sci-Fi & especially the Twilight Zone, I was very disappointed that the episode called "Twenty-Two" from the second season had not been released on DVD.

Here it is --- & you wont want to miss it.

A dancer recovering from from a nervous breakdown is plagued by a recurring nightmare. When her plight enters the Twilight Zone, things become very interesting.

One of the eiriest and most memorable episodes of the Twilight Zone, it may have served as source material for the horror movie Final Destination. After watching this episode, I doubt you'll ever forget the words "There's room for one more". ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "The Last Flight" (Ep. 18, February 5, 1960) - A World War I Flying Ace flies through a mysterious cloud--and lands at a modern U.S. air base in the year 1960! But the strange part is yet to come. "Once Upon a Time" (Ep. 78, December 15, 1961) - Woodrow (Buster Keaton), a janitor living in the year 1890, accidentally activates a time-travelling helmet which transports him to 1962--then promptly breaks down! "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" (Ep. 59, April 7, 1961) - In 1847, a western settler (Cliff Robertson) sets out to find medicine for his dying son--and stumbles into modern-day New Mexico. He returns with much more than just medicine. "The Trouble with Templeton" (Ep. 45, December 9, 1960) - Booth Templeton (Brian Ahern) is an aging actor who longs for the old days when his wife was alive. Miraculously, he is given a sobering glimpse of the past he holds so dear. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Four Tales of Time Travelling in the Twilight Zone
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. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Warms the heart
A sweet film that is set in 1956 in the lush Swedish countryside. It tells the story of a kind-hearted, lonely and illiterate Swedish farmer, Olof, now 40 years old, who has never had a female companion. He decides that the time has come to look for a woman and places an ad in the paper for a housekeeper. The beautiful Ellen Lind, played by Helena Bergström, answers the call and sets herself up as a housekeeper in his dilapidated old farmhouse. With the two of them all alone in the house, things are bound to happen.

Olof's young friend Erik, played by Johan Widerberg, is suspicious of this woman. He too has fallen for her. What could she possibly see in Olof, he wonders - and he has no compunctions about voicing his reservations out loud. Eric is an unpleasant man, clearly up to no good. There is an interesting, manipulative, almost abusive relationship between him and Olof. Clearly, he is trying to prevent Olof from obtaining happiness, so he can keep using him and controlling him. Or is it so clear? Is he merely looking out for his well being?

Though the film is definitely on the sentimental side, the character of Erik creates a centre of tension that kept me on edge the whole time. All the characters are deep and well thought out, they all make perfect sense. They ring true. Rolf Lassgård in the part of Olof perhaps over acted a bit, but not to the extent that would put me off from watching.

It's a warm film, a film that might leave you feeling just a bit more hopeful about humanity. And that's not such a bad thing, is it?

Swedish summer, love, friendship, and a letter...
In the beginning of the summer Olof (Rolf Lassgård), a big farmer, decides to hire a maid through the personals in a local newspaper, but in actuality he is looking for companionship. Awkwardly Olof approaches the whole matter with difficulty as he is illiterate for which he suffers in silent shame. Despite his anxiety he goes through the process with the whole village being aware of his add in the personals. Olof receives two responses, but he responds to the letter from the beautiful Ellen (Helena Bergström) as it contains a photo. When Ellen arrives Olof is extremely nervous as he doubts that she will take the job as a maid. However, she is willing to take the job without delay to Olof's astonishment. Olof's friend, Erik (Johan Widerberg), is on the other hand very suspicious about Ellen and what her scheme is as she seems to be out of her environment. Under the Sun is a warm and sensitive film about insecurities and love as the audience ventures with Olof through his social dilemmas. This social journey is enhanced by Rolf Lassgård's amazing performance as the big farmer that has a very limited life experience from outside the farm. A trademark for Nutley's films is the amazing shots of scenery which are apparent in this film. One could say that Nutley basically brings summer to the audience as he provides a brilliant cinematic experience in Under the Sun.

Sweet, gentle romance, tastefully done
This is another recent foreign film which just blows anything Hollywood has put out in recent years right out of the water.

Rolf Lassgård is lovable as the big lug Olof, a 40-something virgin out to fulfill his mother's dying wish that he get himself a lady. But hopelessly shy and awkward, his only method of reaching out is to put an ad in a local paper seeking a live-in maid.

Director Colin Nutley casts his own wife, the wholesomely radiant Helena Bergström, in the role of Ellen, the mysterious and enchanting woman who comes to the remote farm to take the job.

Also on the scene is Olof's friend Erik, a cocky young man who has been to America and fancies himself a man of the world. We are thrown off balance at the beginning of the film by Erik's seemingly unnatural interest in Olof's new living arrangements, but by the end of the film we come to understand him and see him for just what he is.

Nutley takes things slow, and what I really enjoyed about this movie was the very low-key and understated way that an erotic tension was allowed to gradually build up between the three. Very refreshing to those of us overdosed on Hollywood's in-your-face, over-the-top directness these days.

Plot complications naturally ensue, but the honesty of the ending will have you cheering.

All I can say is, thank goodness there are still places on this planet where people are not infected with the cynical sarcasm so prevalent in our North American culture today, and are not afraid of genuine emotions. Thank you Sweden!

"This house needs a woman's touch"
Set in the Swedish countryside during the 1950's, UNDER THE SUN is a story about friendship, betrayal, and love. Olof is a simple farmer who has been living alone since his mother passed away nine years old. His only friend, Erik, is a slick twenty-something who takes advantage of Olof's friendship and his inability to read. In an effort for female company Olof puts an ad in the paper for a young cleaning woman (photograph requested). Ellen, an exquisite and beautiful bombshell, answers Olof's ad with a desire to live in the country. She has a challenge ahead of her, as Olof's house is completely dirty. But while she begins her cleaning tasks she is frequently interrupted by the longing stares and conversation of Olof and Erik. Both seem to be unable to resist her charm and beauty. As a result of Ellen, Olof and Erik's friendship is strained. Ellen doesn't believe Erik's actions are altruistic while Erik questions the intentions of Ellen. As the film progresses both men fall in love with Ellen which only complicates their lives.

The cinematography is beautiful. Situated in the Swedish countryside with rolling green hills and winding roads that appear to go nowhere, the viewer is easily entranced with the landscape. Hallmarks of life in Scandinavia are plenty. Set during the summertime the character go to bed at 9pm while the sun still shines. Despite the cinematography the significance of the intermediate shots of fighter jets and planes in the sky lost me. I could not make a connection between those scenes and the film itself. Regardless, UNDER THE SUN is a touching film.

Oh my goodness, what a romance
While watching this movie with my husband last night, I kept saying aloud, "Oh my goodness, this is lovely, just lovely." It's so lush and lyrical and downright touching (oooh, I hate to use that word, for fear readers will think it's sappy or stupid, and it's not - but it IS touching). You fear all will not end well for dear Olaf, a huge country 'boy,' a 40yo self-proclaimed virgin whose other major problem is that he's illiterate. But Olaf has a heart of the purest gold. He has lived alone on a remote Swedish country farm with his dog and his chickens, cows, and horses. There is one 'friend,' Eric, a slick man-of-the-world, who has been borrowing money from him. Olaf can't even read the IOU notes Eric gives him now and then.
Olaf, shy and socially awkward, has been alone since his mother's death a decade earlier. There's nothing weird about his love for his mother; you don't get the sense he's a momma's boy. It's just that, way out at the end of the road, there's not much opportunity to meet women. So he puts an ad in a big newspaper for 'a housekeeper.'
Enter: Ellen. Obviously a city girl, in her fitted suit, upswept French twist, and high heels. And obviously, she has a past, a secret, a hidden flaw, because otherwise, why would this urbane woman be answering an ad to go live on a remote farm?
Eric, jealous and fearful that his abuse of Olaf's trust will be discovered, determines to discover Ellen's secret.
That's enough of a set-up to get you started on your way to the video store to rent this absolutely beautiful, redemptive movie. See it, and recommend it to all your friends if you love it as much as I did. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "Miniature" (Ep. 110, February 21, 1963, 50 min.) - Robert Duvall is a shy bachelor who discovers a miniature doll apparently alive inside a 19th century dollhouse. Fascinated, he whiles away the hours peering into this little world and wishing he were part of it. "The Jeopardy Room" (Ep. 149, April 17, 1964) - In a deadly game of cat and mouse, Soviet defector Major Ivan Kuchenko (Martin Landau) has three hours to escape from a room with a ticking bomb and a gun pointing at his head. "Stopover in a Quiet Town" (Ep. 150, April 24, 1964) - Bob and Millie Frazier wake to find themselves in a strange town where everything appears to be fake. There are no other people, though they can hear the giggling of a little girl... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Robert Duvall in Charles Beaumont's classic "Miniature"
A charming little fantasy with Robert Duvall is the highlight of Volume 31 in "The Twilight Zone" DVD series. Duvall stars as Charley Parkes in "Miniature," an hour-long episode written by Charles Beaumont. Charley is a shy bachelor who still lives with his mother (Pert Kelton). In a museum he discovers a 19th-century dollhouse with a tiny mechanical doll (Claire Griswold) playing the harpsichord, only to be told the doll is carved from a single piece of wood and does not move. Charley does not fit in the real world and becomes obsessed with life in the dollhouse. "Miniature" is a beautiful love story by Beaumont with a touching performance by Duvall. "The Jeopardy Room," written by Rod Serling, features Martin Landau as Major Ivan Kuchenko, a defector from the Soviet Union, who is tracked down by an assassin, Commissar Vassiloff (John vanKreelan). Vassiloff has planted a bomb in Kuchenko's room: if her finds it within three hours he is free to go; if he triggers the bomb it will explode; if he stops looking for it or tries to leave the room he will be shot. No fantasy elements here, just good old fashion suspense. "Stopover in a Quiet Town," written by Earl Hamner, Jr., tells the story of Bob and Millie Frazier (Barry Nelson and Nancy Malone), an unhappy couple who get drunk at a party and wake up in a strange house where everything is fake. The "2001" twist on this one has little impact because these are such unpleasant people that you cannot identify with their plight. Actually, until you get to the very end of the second episode, this is a very good disc. On-balance this one ends up being slight better than average.

Good Episodes from the 4th and 5th Seasons
The 4th and 5th seasons of the "Twilight Zone" always seem to get poor marks for originality and production values. This DVD can testify to the contrary. 'MINIATURE' written by Charles Beaumont is a tour-de-force of underplaying a role by Robert Duvall. This is a beautiful story of an introverted man that escapes the real world into a fantasy one when he becomes intrigued by a museum's miniature replica of life in the 1890's. 'THE JEOPARDY ROOM' written by Rod Serling and directed by Dick Donner seems more akin to "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" but is a good play on words and strategies between Martin Landau and John VanDreelen with it 'cold war' views and interpolations. It is still a story of the individual who must emerge from a society that would suppress personal freedoms. 'STOPOVER IN A QUIET TOWN' is one of the most memorable episodes from the series. The Earl Hamner, Jr. story starring Barry Nelson and Nancy Malone as the stranded couple who wake up in a deserted middle class neighborhood returns back to the very origins of the series with a quite innovative ending. These are all well produced episodes and are very representative to the theme of the series.

GREAT DVD
This DVD features "Miniature" with Robert Duvall as Charley Parks. This one is such a sweet episode because he falls in love with this doll!

"The Jeopardy Room" is the best one on this DVD. It features Martin Landau trapped in a room with a ticking bomb and a gun pointing at his head. It's a great episode and I love it.

"Stopover in a Quiet Town" is one of the most remembered episodes of the series. It's when two people go to this town but everything is fake. There's no sign of anyone, except the evidence of the laughter of a little girl.

It's the best one released so far next to More Treasures, two, and fifteen. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "The Trade-Ins" (Ep. 96, April 20, 1962) - An elderly couple visit the New Life Corporation, hoping to transplant their personalities into youthful artificial bodies. But they can only afford one. "Sixteen Millimeter Shrine" (Ep. 4, October 23, 1959) - An aging former movie star (Ida Lupino) lives and dreams in the past. Despite the efforts of her agent (Martin Balsam), she refuses to leave her screening room--until she disappears! "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" (Ep. 3, October 16, 1959) - A has-been, drunk of a gunslinger (Dan Duryea) finds that his fast-draw abilities can actually be restored by drinking a magic potion! "The Lateness of the Hour" (Ep. 44, December 2, 1960) - Dr. Loren enjoys the faultless robot servants he has invented. His daughter (Inger Stevens), however, feels imprisoned by them--and soon learns how right she is! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Star on Sunset Boulevard
The question of what is real and what is illusion is central to my favorite episode on this DVD, "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine." The story concerns a former movie queen who refuses to believe that she is no longer young and in demand, instead spending her days and nights alone with her old films. In an uncanny bit of wish-fulfillment, she finally leaves the "real world" and enters the world of make-believe for good. Ida Lupino gives a formidable "star performance" as the aging actress, and Martin Balsam brings emotional depth to the role of her sympathetic agent. Mention must also be made of the set - the star's Beverly Hills mansion - which is simply beautiful. In short, the script, the acting, and the production values all combine to make "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking episode of The Twilight Zone.

SECOND CHANCES OF DROOL
Except for the episode "Mr.Denton on Doomsday", these are some of the weakest Zone episodes I have ever seen. "Denton" concerns an ex-gunslinger (Dan Duryen)who has become the town drunk. Martin Landau portrays a leader of a gang that finds its primary entertainment in humiliating Denton, forcing him to sing "How Dry I Am" a couple of times. Then a travelling quack offers him a potion that will restore his former skills. Duryen gives an emotional performance that truly conveys the emotions of shame and learned helplessness of an alcoholic.

"The Trade-Ins" is a overly sentimental tale of an elderly couple who want to continue to live in the froo-froo of their love. So they visit a showroom where you can pick from an assortment of young bodies you can transfer yourself into. The problem is that they only have enough money for one! Joseph Schildkraut plays the old man and his real life wife died during filming of this episode. It didn't help the performance. This episode was weighted down by mush.

"16 Millimeter Shrine" is a blatant rip-off of Sunset Boulevard in which an aging movie star (Ida Lupino) just sets in her room drinking and showing her old films, unable to accept that all things must pass. Martin Balsam, just years away from his greatest performance in "Mitchell", plays her agent boyfriend who is trying to make her live in reality and trying to revive her career. Lupino gives an ugly overacted performance with sweeps of her arms and superficial breakdowns of emotion. It's all too much.

Lastly, we come to the only other half decent episode on the DVD, "The Lateness of the Hour". It's about parents and their suddenly no longer childlike daughter. It seems her father has perfected the safest and most isolated environment to live in. The family stays confined in their lavish mansion and are waited on by robots who look like humans. Except they never make mistakes. The problem is that the daughter, Inger Stevens, wants to see what the rest of the world looks like. She wants to meet a man, have some adventures. This episode felt like a play because it was filmed on videotape, and thereby all of it was shot on the same set. The actors do a decent job.

Overall, a subpar volume in this series

Four great journeys into the Twilight Zone
I'm a little partial to this dvd because it has "Mister Denton on Doomsday", which is one of the first TZ episodes I ever saw as a little boy and one I actually sat on the floor in front of the tv taping on a tape recorder with my own narration (well before the days of VCR's). Of the four stories on here, three have the telegraphed endings (if you don't see it coming by about ten minutes into the show, you're not watching hard enough). The other one (Mister Denton) is good about keeping you guessing until the end. Still, the fact that you can see the ending coming doesn't stop them from being exciting and worth watching. "The Lateness of the Hour" was filmed on video tape (one of only 6 episodes done that way) and like those others it was limited in the locations it could shoot from. Still, they manage to tell a gripping story in the expanse of two rooms and it's worth watching. "The Trade-ins" is a good sentimental story that has its moments. "The 16mm Shrine" is a creepy tale, but pays off well in the end. And finally, "Mister Denton..." is a good western tale that has an interesting premise and a cool twist at the end. Don't forget to go to the extras on the dvd and read the "Reviews and Credits" section for each episode after you watch it. "The Trade-ins" has an especially tragic side-note that will make you want to go back and watch the episode again to catch the emotion you didn't notice as well before. I give this dvd 4 stars because while the episodes were mostly strong, there were a couple of weak spots during the stories that kept them from being perfect. Still, it's a great one to add to your collection!

Four Serling Tales of Second Chances in the Twilight Zone
All four episodes of "The Twilight Zone" included on Volume 12 of the DVD series were written by Rod Serling and the common theme is one of Serling's favorites: people being given a second chance. "The Trade-Ins" features Joseph Schildkraut and Alma Platt as John and Marie Holt, who visit the New Life Corporation hoping to translate their personalities into young, artificial bodies. However, they only have enough money for ONE operation. This episode is my favorite Twilight Zone love story, made all the more effective by the performances of the two lead characters. Ida Lupino stars as aging movie star Barbara Jean Trenton in "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine," who secludes herself in her screening room watching her old films. Her agent (Martin Balsam) tries to coax her back to the real world, even getting her former leading man to visit her. However, this Twilight Zone version of "Sunset Blvd." finds that sometimes wishes come true. "Mr. Denton on Doomsday," also by Serling, stars Dan Duryea as the title character, a drunken gunslinger who is forced to fight the town bully (Martin Landau). However, Henry J. Fate (Malcolm Atterbury) rides into town and just by looking at Denton momentarily restores his shooting skills. But after winning the gunfight, Denton finds he has become the target for a young gunslinger (Doug McClure) wanting to make his reputation. Denton buys a magic potion from Fate that will give him ten seconds of deadly accuracy, which Denton must use to change his life forever. This episode provides one of the better Twilight Zone scripts, which I do not think you will find predictable. Finally, in "The Lateness of the Hour," we find Dr. Loren (John Hoyt) enjoying being served by his perfect robot. However, his daughter Jana (Inger Stevens), cannot stand this idyllic life. Unfortunately, the twist for this one is pretty predictable even though Serling does put a nice flip on the twist at the end. This was the first Zone episode to be taped rather than filmed, and Serling made the limitations of this format part of the story in terms of Jana's feelings of confinement. None of these are classic Zones, but except for the last one they are all certainly above average, which is pretty good for one of the volumes in this series.

mediocore
it isn't a scary movie at all. i saw it in class and i thought it was realy funny, because its kind of reflecting all the wrong things that happen today. i wouldnt really recomend watching it but seeing alot of them really gave me the creeps nate ... Read more

Reviews (15)

What were they thinking?
They took these two amazing television shows that has an average viewing age of 20 and made a poor-quality animated movie meant for kids around age 8.

Universal truly needs to get a clue. I mean the landscaping was cheap slops of paint on cels that were very far from realistic. And, while they may have some meaningful style for the creators or artists, they have nothing to do with the story or series. The animation is about the equivalent of the original Snow White (not cleaned up) with a Saturday morning cartoon quality. The characters do the most obnoxious things and I can see why Sam Raimi chose a "Executive Producer" credit instead of a director one.

Story: mediocre. Zeus abducts Hercules's mom and flies off to Mount Olympus just as Herc tries to stop them and fails. Hera, jealous at Zeus's audacity, steals a stone from a pedestal in the middle of the throne room. This stone is apparently the essence of Earth and the source of the Gods' powers. Hera unleashes the titans and they all climb Mount Olympus. Herc decides to save mommy by climbing Olympus. Artemis and Hades choose Xena as their hero after Herc turns them down. Aphrodite spends more time surfing her shell-board than making any sense. After that it all falls apart and it is a mediocre film. I rented it to see if it was worth the money. If you have kids who may have seen the series (doubtful) they will love this.

I am surprised they got away with the singing and the opening to the movie that is almost verbatim and identical in introduction as the Disney movie a few years ago...

Better animation and better story would have helped.
But Universal apparently did not look at this before they released it.

Oh, one last thing: they must have rushed through the coloration, as Xena's warrior suit is plain white with pencil outlines in a few cutscenes. How poor is that?

WHAT?!?!?!?!
I bought this becuase it was a xena movie but was extermely disappointed. I am thankful they kept the original cast but I seriously think the writters and amination artist were smoking something. The Story line is not that great but it could have worked if it were live action. I think it would have been cool to see the titans as we saw many other creatures on the shows. I loved both the shows and will watch them whenever I can but have not watched this again since the first time I got it. I was hoping that they would make a Xena live action movie beucase after all Herc got four live action movies. A good Xena movie will never happen becuase Xena is 'dead' and Kevin Smith sadly died. But they could always make a Xena movie to clear up somethings from the past and Gabby could alway wear a wig or it could be something from the last seasons. Sorry I strayed but there is not anything good about this movie. Even for a die hard Xena fan it is a snooze to watch. Refers to the VHS version.

Bad Everything
There isn't ANYthing in this cartoon to recommend it.
The art is bad. The script is bad. The animation is bad.
The acting is bad. This isn't even "Sheena: Queen of the
Jungle" bad, it's just plain lousy. I tried to laugh AT it,
but couldn't.

Even the [money] I spent on this seems too much.
They should have paid ME for wasting my time like this.
GroOooaAannn...

A True, Die-Hard Xena Fan
I loved it, as any true, die-hard Xena fan would. Though I'll admit that the animation should have been done by some competant artists. When Xena was singing, most of the color for her breastplate, bodice, leathers, and skin was missing. Everything else managed to have color during the movie. Most of them were completely out of character. But what can we do? What's done is done. Now that the sixth season is over, there's more details to their personalities, and this animation was created less than five years ago. In spite of all of that, I loved it, because, it's Hercules and Xena!!!! The music was fab. I managed to find pieces in the soundtracks. And whenever Lucy Lawless sings, I become inspired. I just need to tune my voice up a bit. If you love Hercules and Xena, and you're not critical, then this is definitely for you. Adios from a Chamorro Xena (wanabe). Hee Hee!

Great Movie!!!
This movie was excellent! The plot was not hard to follow although there were a lot of neat scenes and areas in which the plot thickens. I agree that the characters don't look to great and Xena's chakram only has dots, but technology isn't the whole movie it is the story that counts. I thought that they did a great job with the movie and I would always recommend this movie any die hard Xena&Hercules fan!!! ... Read more

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"Hocus-Pocus and Frisby"
Cracker-barrel loudmouth and teller of tall tales, Mr. Frisby (Andy Devine) getshis comeuppance and a real-life tall tale to tell when he's abducted by alienswho mistake his bragging for the truth. Raspy-voiced Devine is perfect as thefabricating Frisby. Howard McNear (Floyd the barber from The Andy GriffithShow) is part of his long-suffering audience.

"Of Late I Think of Cliffordville"
An hour-long--and overlong--episode from the fourth season that mixes adeal-with-the-Devil story with a yearning to return to a simpler place and time, twoof the series' favorite themes. The corrupt plutocrat Feathersmith (AlbertSalmi) trades his fortune to Satan (Julie Newmar) to return to the place of hisyouth, Cliffordville in 1910, where his knowledge of the future should make hima bigger fat cat than he was before. But the biter-bit ending is a verypredictable turnabout. Notable for Julie Newmar sporting a pair of cute hornsthat make her look like Catwoman from TV's Batman.

Mr. Garrity and the Graves"
No one could make the Old West weirder than Rod Serling. Mr. Garrity (JohnDehner) saunters into Happiness, Arizona, one day and claims to be able toresurrect the dead in this grim comic gem. Only the townsfolk like their deadwhere they are. Happiness, Arizona: it's just asking for it.

This disc has a twilight zone of its own, holding hidden features such as the original ads and program bumpers, and isolated music tracks for the first two episodes. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Messers. Frisby, Feathersmith & Garrity in the Twilight Zone
Rod Serling adapts a trio of short stories for "The Twilight Zone" on Volume 37 of the DVD collection. "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby," based on an unpublished story by Frederic Louis Fox, features Andy Devine as Frisby, a blowhard whose boasts attract the attention of aliens who want to take them to their zoo as an example of the ultimate human. One of the funniest Zones every. "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville," adapted from Malcolm Jameson's short story "Blind Alley," tells of William Feathersmith (Albert Salmi), who is bored having reached the top of the financial world. When he is given the opportunity to go back in time, remembering everything he knows, and start over. If this sounds too good to be true, it is. This is one of those hour-long episodes from the Zone's fourth season that almost invariably seemed padded too much. Finally, "Mr. Garrity and the Graves," based on an unpublished story by Mike Korologos, the title character (John Dehner) has promised to resurrect all 128 of the dead in Happiness, Arizona. Since all but one of those dearly departed died by violent means, the townspeople end up paying Garrity off to reverse the resurrections. Put you can imagine how con games work in the Twilight Zone. I know none of these three episodes qualify as classics, but I happen to like all three of them. This is one of those 4.5s that gets rounded up.

"Of Late..." is a gem...
..."Of Late I Think of Cliffordville" is the reason for this DVD to be sought after...Julie Newmar of course steals the show, though Albert Salmi is not without interest (but it is his weakest TZ episode...see "A Quality of Mercy" for his best TZ performance [there were three total]). Unfortunately "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" and fifth season "Mr. Garrity and the Graves" are not as commendable. However, like almost all TZ episodes, they are of great merit in comparison to the vast majority of things being aired on television then or now. The hour long episode DVD's are especially valuable because these fourth season episodes are rarely shown at all in syndication (and of course TZ is always cut in syndication anyway). ... Read more

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Here is another strong entry (beautifully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive) from the peak of Basil Rathbone's prolific, seven-year run as a definitive Sherlock Holmes for the big screen. In the gripping Pearl of Death (1944), a then-contemporary update (set in the World War II years, as with most of the Rathbone-Holmes features) of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Six Napoleons,"a reluctant Holmes agrees to help a London museum recover a stolen, rare pearl. But the investigation takes a strange turn when the great detective and his sidekick, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), find their mystery linked to a series of odd murders involving the destruction of porcelain china. Typically, "Pearl of Death" has its share of inside jokes for true Sherlockians, including Holmes's declaration, "If I'm wrong, I'll move to Sussex and raise bees." Of course, that's exactly what Doyle's most famous character did upon retirement.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A highlight in Holmes' film career
In some quarters, "The Pearl of Death" is considered the best of Universal's 12 Sherlock Holmes films if only because, unlike most of the others, it is generally faithful to one of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, in this case "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons." But the fact is that it's not as effective as "The Scarlet Claw" which directly preceded it, nor is it as entertaining as several other entries in the series ("Spider Woman," "House of Fear"). Nonetheless, it remains a highlight in the legendary sleuth's film career.

Director Roy William Neill once again turns out the lights and heightens the gloom with his customary dark shadows giving the film beautiful atmosphere, and Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are as reliable as ever. Cranking out an average of three Holmes films a year, you could expect them to have grown weary of their roles but neither ever showed the slightest hint of fatigue.

As for the villains, Rondo Hatton steals the show as The Creeper, but he almost inspires more sympathy than dread. Voted the most handsome boy in his high-school class and immensely popular due to his good looks and athletic abilities, Hatton was exposed to poison gas in World War I and left horribly deformed, a condition that Hollywood's ever so sensitive "dream factory" was happy to exploit. After small roles in "The Ox Bow Incident" and "In Old Chicago," he became a star through his encounter with Sherlock Holmes and was publicized by Universal as the "Monster Without Makeup." Whoever came up with that tag may have been more deserving of being called "The Creeper" than Hatton, but...oh well, enjoy the movie. It's a good one.

Ankers, Rathbone Rock!
It's great fun to watch the Queen of Screams--Universal's Evelyn Ankers--finally able to do some acting. In Pearl, she portrays one of her rare villianess' (you should see her strut her stuff as Illona in the camp classic "Weird woman". As Naomi, she portrays a cockney dishwasher, a bookish clerk of antiques, while all the time terrified by The Creeper--played by real-life acrogomaliac, Rondo Hatton. No one can display terror as la Ankers: her blue eyes widen, she uses her palm to press against her temple, her breathing quickens and usually there's a blood-curdling scream. There's plenty of Universal fog-machines at work here with Rathbone deftly solving the murders (along with Dr. Watson-Nigel Bruce). Ankers wrote in her memoirs that the set of Pearl was unusually British and droll. She and Nigel addressed Basil Rathbone--as Rasil Bathbone. The spry but elderly Nigel flirted with Ankers who took it with good humor but terrified her admirer when she brought her new husband on the set, B-movie king, Richard Denning, who had just joined the Navy since this was during World War II. Sharp little gem of a thriller. Wish Universal would put all the Sherlock Holmes movies on tape, or in a boxed series. Especially "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror' which showcases Ankers talents and beauty more than any other flick she made--with the exception of "The Mad Ghoul."

Good Sherlock Holmes outing with a clever, inventive script
This film and "The Scarlet Claw" are generally considered to be the best of the Universal Holmes series. Rathbone and Bruce are in good form with a clever and resourceful script to back them up and Miles Mander gives a fine performance as Giles Conover,master criminal. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

This is a great sci-fi comedy!
Garry Shandling plays an alien who is sent to Earth to have a kid with an Earth woman. He meets Annette Bening, an AA-member, and soon realizes that social life isn't as simple as in the simulator back home.

This is a very funny comedy, directed by Mike Nichols and co-written by Garry Shandling. He and Annette Bening are great in the lead parts, supported by equally good Greg Kinnear, John Goodman and Ben Kingsley. "The funniest movie of the year", some critics said. It probably is. It's great fun, that's for sure. I strongly recommend it!

Funny Interplanetary Sex Farce
This is a cute little sex farce starring and written by Garry Shandling. Harold Anderson (Shandling) is actually an alien on a very special mission. He must impregnate an earth woman to begin the infiltration of earth for eventual domination and takeover. He has done his research and learned to be a good listener, dutifully repeating "uh huh" at every utterance by a female. Unfortunately, there are certain subtleties he hasn't mastered in the fine art of seduction, and he gets his face slapped repeatedly.

After countless humorous failures he meets his future mate Susan (Annette Benning), and discovers that the only way she will have sex with him is if he marries her. After the nuptials he learns that all the rules of engagement have changed.

This droll script ranges from mildly silly to hysterical as it holds a circus mirror up to our mating rituals. Shandling is always funny with his deadpan whiney style, but the real treat here is Annette Benning. She makes this film work as Shandling's overwrought love interest. As she did in "American Beauty", she plays another caricature role to perfection. Here she is the aging female who has been a continual loser at the dating game and is desperately searching for love. Her brilliant performance is a treat that upstages Shandling at every turn. In addition, the rest of the cast is wonderful and fits well with Shandling's wry sense of humor.

This is a fun and very light comedy that works well most of the time. I rated it 7/10. Viewers who are offended by nudity, profanity and sexual situations should pass. Others will probably enjoy more than a few good laughs.

underrated
The set up of this film seems simple and silly enough. On a planet a thousand years more technologically advanced than Earth, the entire population is male clones with no sex organs, no emotions, and
nothing better to do than conquer the Universe. Their technique--though it's never explained--involves impregnating a woman on the planet they wish to take over. So their leader, Graydon--played by
Ben Kingsley in a nice turn--instructs them in the fine art of seducing an Earth woman, which to their minds mainly consists of complimenting her hair and shoes. Their quickest learner, H1449-6 (Gary
Shandling), is chosen to perform the deed and is whisked to Earth where he is deposited in the lavatory of a passenger jet. The disruption this causes the flight brings him to the attention of an NTSB inspector
(John Goodman). But he is able to rapidly establish himself in a job as Harold Anderson, bank loan officer, and, thanks to the womanizing connivance of a co-worker (Greg Kinnear), he's soon romancing a
recovering alcoholic, Susan Hart (Annette Benning), who they meet at an AA meeting where they've gone to scam babes. And so we have the basic dramatic tension of the film: Will Harold be discovered
before he can complete his mission?

The film gets to this point mostly on the strength of battle-of-the-sexes humor and some physical comedy involving the mechanical penis that Shandling's character has had attached to enable him to
complete his mission. It continues in this vein through the early portion of Harold's relationship with Susan, but when he ends up having to marry her to get her to bear his child the inevitable humanizing takes
place and a more serious message starts to peak out from beneath the more sophomoric sex comedy and the unfortunately disjointed story line. This initial message concerns the utter emptiness of the
modern mating game, which is all about sex and only peripherally, if at all, about meaningful interaction between two people. By the end--when Harold realizes that Graydon won't let Susan keep their baby
and that the experience of love, loyalty, sex, death, and all the rest that makes us human is superior to the supposedly advanced bioengineered culture of his home world--it's become very much a political
film, whether intentionally or no. It comes down so firmly on the side of humanity as it is, with all our glorious and maddening imperfections, and against the vision of a future that is perfect but soulless, that
regardless of an over reliance on genitalia jokes it ends up being a profoundly conservative movie, and a pretty funny one at that.

GRADE: B+

don't bother
what a waster of my time...the whole movie is so predictable and boring. i've spent better time in the can than watching this movie.

Good Fun
Intentionally derivative and utterly hilarious, 'What Planet Are You From?' follows Garry Shandling as an alien with buzzing genitals whose task is to impregnate a human female with an end to total domination of the planet earth. How this is ever to be brought about by producing a human offpsring remains unclear, though Annette Bening's six week gestation period would suggest our alien friends are capable of rapid action. The whole cast of this thing is in fine form, especially John Goodman as an intrepid FAA agent determined to bring an end to Air Arizona's misuse by Shandling & Co who routinely use their flights as a landing facility, as well as Ben Kingsley's Planetary Leader, at once camp, fifties-British and wholly ridiculous. This mightn't be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone who says the yanks can't do irony should watch it. It's very funny. ... Read more

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Volume 14 of The Twilight Zone on DVD is a wall-to-walltribute to series creator Rod Serling. All four TV episodes represented here are original ideas scripted by Serling himself, with his strengths--and some of his weaknesses--on display. "One for the Angels" was the second episode broadcast in the series and demonstrates Serling's sentimental streak:an aging street peddler (former vaudevillian Ed Wynn) is confronted by Death(Murray Hamilton, bearing a curious resemblance to Serling), butstrikes a clever deal to forestall his demise. Ah, but there's always acatch... "The Man in the Bottle" is a variation on the old genie-in-a-magic-lamp number, except that this time the elegant genie comes out of an ordinary wine bottle. Luther Adler plays a bitter antique store owner who learns his lesson in four short wishes. Not much of an episode, really, but the punch line to the third wish is one of those startling twists that stuck in the collective imagination of Zone fans everywhere. The eerie "Arrival" indulges Serling's fondness for aviation stories, as a DC-3 pulls into a hangar with not a soul aboard--not even the pilot. Like many of Serling's tales, itfollows the theme of regret, which also hangs heavy in "In Praise of Pip,"the opening episode of the series' fifth and final broadcast year, 1963. A two-bit bookie (Jack Klugman) reflects on his wasted life when he learns that his son is near death on a Vietnam battlefield. Although the episode isderivative of Serling's previous efforts on the same topic, this one doesprovide a glimpse of two actors who appeared frequently on the Zone, Klugmanand kid actor Billy Mumy. Klugman's anguished aside about Vietnam ("Thereisn't even supposed to be a war going on there, and my kid is dying") maywell be American popular culture's first, hesitant questioning of a war that would soon bloom into a national nightmare. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (6)

WISHES AND REQUESTS
The theme of this quartet of mostly lackluster episodes is "The Mind's Endless Dimensions". The first, "One For the Angels" is about a salesman (Ed Wynn) who outwits Death but too late realizes that a little girl will have to die in his place. The problem is that the performance by Wynn lacks any credibility in portraying the greatest pitch of all time. It would have put me to sleep, not made me eager to buy.

"The Man in the Bottle" is about a couple who own a curio shop who buy a piece of junk bottle from a woman desperate for money.
Unfortunately for them there's a genie inside whose wishes in the old cliched manner always end up having negative consequences. For example, when the husband wishes to have great power and rulership of a country he is turned into Adolf Hitler.

"The Arrival" concerns a plane landing at an airport and manuevering into docking position very normally. The problem is that when the luggage crew opens up the door there's noone on the plane, no pilots, crew, or passengers. So a veteran FAA investigator is called in to solve the mystery. It was a good premise but the resolution is oh so boring.

The best and only good episode on this DVD is "In Praise of Pip". It opens in a Vietnam War field hospital operating room where a young man named Pip has been severely wounded and is doubtful of surviving the night. Flash to the States where his father, played commandingly by Jack Klugman, is a man who collects debts for the mob. When he learns of his dying son he wants desperately to speak to him, to redeem his own life and seek forgiveness for his bad parenting. It just might come true in the Twilight Zone.

Great stories, wonderful performances!
"One for the Angels" and "In Praise of Pip" alone justify buying this DVD. The former is a charming folktale about an unremarkable street peddlar and the pitch of a lifetime which he makes to "Mr. Death". Enjoy an endearing, "Wynnsical" performance from everybody's favorite "uncle", Ed Wynn! "In Praise of Pip" stars Jack Klugman as a dissolute, boozed bookie who regrets not being a better father to his son, who is dying in Vietnam. Jack Klugman's performance is simply astounding, with a shattering climax! Horror, fear, shame, confusion, self-loathing, regret, despair, pain, fleeting joy - they all register on Klugman's remarkable face. Jack Klugman had to have been one of the greatest character actors of all time. I have only seen a few episodes of this classic TV series, but my appetite has definitely been whetted for more. All TWILIGHT ZONE fans must buy this release!

Four Wonderful Episodes that Demonstrate Serling's Talent
Any one of these episodes could serve to demonstrate the craft as well as the concern for humanity that always permeated Rod Serling's writing. "In Praise of Pip" is a particulary powerful script and is given a deeply moving performance by Jack Klugman. This and "One for the Angels" are my all-time favorite episodes of The Twilight Zone. The latter has a very touching story and a beautifully-written script. Its protagonist, Lew Bookman (Ed Wynn) is an aging, unsuccessful sidewalk salesman whose gentle yet fun-loving nature makes him popular with the neighborhood children, and in particular with Maggie, a little girl whose life he eventually saves by sacrificing himself to "Mr. Death." I love how Wynn (a former vaudeville comedian -- you may also remember him as the laughing Uncle Albert in MARY POPPINS and as the voice of the Mad Hatter in Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND -- and a surprisingly effective dramatic actor) interacts with Maggie; he is like her uncle or grandfather. Some have pointed out that, because Wynn was not a "fast talker," he is unconvincing in his "final sales pitch," in which he distracts Mr. Death and saves Maggie's life. I don't entirely agree with this view. The whole point of the story is that Bookman is NOT a great salesman but is loved by the children, and that this is what matters in the end. So it seems fitting that his delivery of the pitch does not sound smooth and practiced, but desperate, as though he is frantically improvising because he knows he must save Maggie. In other words, Bookman is too soft-spoken to have ever been a good salesman, but for the sake of a child he loves he can muster the energy for an effective pitch. I find Wynn's characterization entirely believable throughout the episode. Watch all four of the epidoes on this DVD. But especially watch "In Praise of Pip" and "One for the Angels" for their stories, their scripts, and their star performances by two remarkable actors, Jack Klugman and Ed Wynn.

Another four Rod Serling episodes from "The Twilight Zone"
Volume 14 of "The Twilight Zone" offers four episodes of the celebrated television series written by Rod Serling, most of which deal in some way with approaching death or the last days of your life. Serling scripted "One for the Angels" especially for Ed Wynn, who plays Lew Bookman, a sidewalk pitchman who learns from Mr. Death (Murray Hamilton), that he will die at midnight. Bookman convinces Death to not take him until he completes the Big Pitch, a masterpiece of salesmanship that would be "one of the angels." "The Man in the Bottle" is a rather lackluster story of a curio shop owner, Arthur Castle (Luther Adler) who gives an old woman a dollar for a worthless bottle that turns out to have a genie (Joseph Ruskin), who declares he will grant four wishes. After wasting a wish on having a cracked display case fixed and having his wish for million dollars in cash not work out the way he planned, Arthur comes up with something he thinks is foolproof for his next wish: to be the ruler of a foreign country in the 20th century who cannot be voted out of office.

"The Arrival" features Harold J. Stone as Grant Sheckly, a FAA investigator who tries to solve the mystery of Flight 107, which arrives from Buffalo with no one on board. Sheckly, very proud of his perfect record of having solved every incident he has investigated in 22-years on the job, refuses to let this mystery beat him. Jack Klugman and Billy Mumy return once again to the Zone for "In Praise of Pip." Klugman is Max Phillips, an alcoholic bookie who learns that his son Pip (Bob Diamond) has been seriously wounded in Vietnam. Remorseful, Max returns $300 to a bettor and for his good deed gets a bullet from one of his boss's gunmen. Making his way to a closed amusement park, Max encounters his son Pip (Mumy) as a boy. However, this happy reunion takes a fatal twist at the end. This 1963 episode opened the fifth season of "The Twilight Zone" and may well be the first television episode to deal with American soldiers dying in Vietnam. This is the best episode on this disc, with a very moving climax. Once gain, this volume does not offer any classic Zones, but certainly has three solid episodes.

Another Great twilight zone DVD
I won't waste space by describing the synopsis and content of the DVD and focus on the episodes itself. One for the Angels: 4 stars. The Man in the Bottle: 2 stars The arrival: 4 stars In Praise of Pip: 4 stars ... Read more

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Three features (just over an hour each), showcase the well-honed comic patter of George Burns and Gracie Allen during the busiest time in their movie career, the mid-1930s. Gracie's dingbat malapropisms were so perfectly straightforward ("I really shouldn't drink coffee in the morning; it keeps me awake all day"), and Burns's straight-man timing so unerring, the pair was often funnier than their material. They road-trip west in Leo McCarey's amusing Six of a Kind, which is actually at its best when W.C. Fields is polishing one of his pool-playing routines. Love in Bloom casts George and Gracie as carnival folk, in support of a sappy plot of young lovers in New York. They top-line in Here Comes Cookie, which has some nice screwball-among-the-rich energy. The Burns and Allen chemistry was really at its best in their short films, radio, and TV, but these Paramount features are pleasing entertainment nonetheless. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Burns & Allen only guests in "their" movies but Gracie sings
Vaudeville and radio stars George Burns and Gracie Allen seldom starred in their movies; they were usually comedy relief or part of an all-star format. This DVD features the only two "Burns & Allen" features, and at times you'll think they're merely guest stars, because they aren't always the center of attention.

HERE COMES COOKIE (which does NOT feature the hit tune of that name) has tycoon George Barbier discouraging fortune hunters, by temporarily entrusting his money to scatterbrained Gracie, much to secretary George's consternation. Gracie promptly turns the mansion into a theatrical flophouse! You might be scratching your head at some of this -- it wanders from scene to scene haphazardly and sometimes abruptly -- but there are some good gags and Gracie sings a Latin number, "The Vamp of the Pampas." A fun little quickie, accent on "little."

LOVE IN BLOOM (which does not feature the title song but DOES feature "Here Comes Cookie" sung by Gracie -- typical Gracie Allen logic!) is the story of hard-boiled Dixie Lee (Mrs. Bing Crosby) and softhearted Joe Morrison trying to get along in the big city. Joe Morrison (in a role perhaps intended for Bing) has a pleasant manner and a very easy way with dialogue; he should have gone farther in pictures. Burns & Allen are the nominal stars but they appear only occasionally as a couple of carnival employees.

SIX OF A KIND is a 63-minute exercise in frustration directed by Leo McCarey. Burns & Allen play traveling companions from hell, who make a cross-country automobile trip miserable for Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland. W. C. Fields and Alison Skipworth are seen in the second half as a shifty sheriff and a hotel proprietor. Director McCarey concentrates on all the cruel and terrible complications, making Gracie unsympathetic instead of charming. Fields does his celebrated "pool table" routine, but it's Charlie Ruggles who steals the film with his understated reactions and remarks.

Universal deserves applause for releasing these seldom-seen comedies from the vault. The three features are all on one single-sided disc, with no apparent loss in quality. Movie buffs will enjoy the set; those who only care about George and Gracie will have to sit through (or fast-forward through) a lot of other stuff, but the Burns & Allen routines are worth waiting for. Excellent picture and sound quality throughout. ... Read more

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Judicial debate gets a lively cinematic treatment in First Monday inOctober, starring the odd couple pairing of Walter Matthau and JillClayburgh. When a justice of the Supreme Court dies, his appointedreplacement is a witty but deeply conservative woman, Ruth Loomis(Clayburgh, An Unmarried Woman, Silver Streak). Loomisimmediately raises the hackles of Dan Snow (Matthau, The Bad NewsBears, California Suite), a fervent liberal in the minority onthe bench. For a while, First Monday in October succeeds in makingLoomis and Snow's debates about pornography and censorship lucid andengaging, aided greatly bythe actors' obvious intelligence and grasp ofthe issues. But the movie gets sidetracked by an aimless corporateconspiracy plot and what can only be described as an intellectual romancebetween the two leads, which never quite catches