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At least one of the episodes collected on volume 15 of The Twilight Zone DVDofferings is an all-time classic--if by classic we mean the kind of showthat still produces a shudder of recognition years after viewing. This is"The Midnight Sun," an apocalyptic tale in which a cosmic event has hurledthe earth toward the sun, sending the thermometer to 120 degrees and thepopulation into despair. Aside from the twist ending and the attractivesweating of Lois Nettleton, what's likely to be remembered from this episode, is the haunting image of an oil painting melting with the heat. Other episodes in this collection, all scripted by series creator RodSerling, emphasize bravura acting. In "Escape Clause," gracefully directed by Hollywood pro Mitchell Leisen, the whimsical David Wayne plays ahypochondriac whose anxious life is changed by the arrival of Death (veteran heavy Thomas Gomez). Soon the indestructible hero is courting exotic ways ofdestroying himself, just to alleviate his boredom: "Let's give the electric chair a little whirl," drawls the blithely curious Wayne. The claustrophobic"Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" takes on technical challenges typical of The Twilight Zone. It never leaves the confines of a tiny, shabby hotel room andleading man Joe Mantell plays much of the dialogue with a mirror image ofhimself. The point of the episode is somewhat monotonous, but Mantell'sperformance, as a loser facing his last chance at decency, is fully juiced. "A Kind of Stopwatch" shows what happens when a loudmouth pest (RichardErdman, the annoying personification of the can-do man with ideas) comes into possession of a watch that can stop the whole world in mid-motion. Justice eventually is meted out, per the usual scales of The Twilight Zone. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pretty Average DVD
Midnight Sun is the best Zone episode on this DVD. The rest are okay but not all that special.

Four stories of desperate people in "The Twilight Zone"
Desperate people in desperate situations abound in Rod Serling's four scripts presented in Volume 15 of "The Twilight Zone" DVD series. In "Escape Clause, " David Wayne stars at hypochondriac Walter Bedecker, who strikes a deal with Mr. Cadwallader (Thomas Gomez), a.k.a. the Devil, to receive immortality and indestructibility in exchange for his soul. Of course, Bedecker soon realizes he has gotten a raw deal. "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" features Joe Mantell as Jackie Rhodes, who has been ordered by a gangster to murder the owner of bar. Knowing he does not have the guts to refuse the order and that he will be caught if he commits the crime, Jackie looks in the mirror and discovers looking back at him a DIFFERENT Jackie Rhodes, who is the better man he could have been and who now wants out into the real world. Lois Nettleton turns in a wonderful performance in "The Midnight Sun" as Norma, who is trying to survive in her New York City apartment as the Earth moves closer and closer to the sun. Of course, there is an ironic twist at the end of this tale as well. Finally, there is Patrick Thomas McNulty (Richard Erdman), a man who does not know when to shut up in "A Kind of a Stopwatch," based on an unpublished story by Michael D. Rosenthal. The whims of fate, in the presence of a strange little man named Potts (Leon Belasco), give McNulty a remarkable stopwatch. Press the button and time stops for everybody in the world except him. Unfortunately, the man is not the equal of the gift. One of the better theme discs in this series, these are all above average episodes of the Zone.

The "Superb Zone" Volume 15
This volume is by far one of the best available today. The episodes "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" and "A Kind of Stopwatch" are worthy episode done in the typical Zonie fashion. While "Escape Clause," starring: David Wayne (well-known for playing the Mad Hatter on the 60's television comedy: "Batman") plays a hypochondriac, who sells his soul for immortality. The episode offers a bit of twisted humor that only "The Twilight Zone" could pull-off tastefully. However; it is episode "The Midnight Sun" that steals the show! Timeless situation about two women who are faced within a hopeless situation. The Earth has changed its orbit, and is drifting closer to the sun. Knowing the inevitable is soon at hand, the two depend on each other for survival. How long can they survive? How long can they remain sane? This episode makes you think: "what if this really happened? " Also: for you fans of Lois Nettleton, the scenes of her sweating in her under-garments is very sexy; it is worth buying the dvd just for that. Out of all the volumes I want to own, I bought this one first! ... 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 (1)

Best laid plans go horribly astray in "The Twilight Zone"
The best laid plans of mice and men in invariably go astray in "The Twilight Zone" as evidenced by the trio of episodes collected on Volume 36 of the DVD series. Love potions do not work well in the Zone, as Roger Shackleforth (George Grizzard) learns in "The Chaser," written by Robert Presnell, Jr. and based on the short story by John Collier. Roger is desperately in love with Leila (Patricia Barry), and purchases a love potion from a professor named "A. Daemon." The potion works so well that after six months of marriage Roger is back looking for something a bit more deadly. In "The Rip Van Winkle Caper," written by Rod Serling, four men steal a million dollars worth of gold bars off of a train from Fort Knox. To get away with their crime, Farwell (Oscar Beregi) has created a gas that will put them in suspended animation. They awake 100 years later, but it seems one of them, DeCruz (Simon Oakland), is greedy enough not to want to share any of the stolen gold. "The New Exhibit," written by Jerry Sohl, is set in Ferugson's Wax Museum, where attendance has been poor. Ferguson has sold the place, which will be demolished and replaced by a supermarket. But Martin Lombard Senescu (Martin Balsam), who has worked there for 30 years, can not stand the idea since five of the figures, notorious murderers such as Jack the Ripper and Albert W. Hicks, have become almost like friends to him. Reluctantly, Ferguson agrees to let Martin take the figures to his own basement, in hopes that someday he can start his own museum. Martin's wife Emma does not like the fact that they are starving while the electricity runs all night to preserve the wax figures. But when she goes down there one night to pull the plug, Martin finds here dead the next morning with her blood on Jack the Ripper's knife. This is one of the better hour-long episodes from the Zone's sub-par fourth season. While none of these episodes are classics the last two are certainly well above average, so we will round up to 5 stars for this one. What stands out on this DVD are not so much the stories but the performances by Balsam, Oakland and Beregi. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "The Mighty Casey" (Episode 35, June 17, 1960) - A broken-down baseball team soars when a new player, a human-looking robot, pitches shut-out after shut-out. He must be altered to become more human, but how will this affect his superhuman skills? "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up" (Episode 64, May 26, 1961) - State troopers follow tracks from an unidentified flying object to a diner where they try to determine which of the seven bus passengers stranded inside is really a Martian. "The Changing of the Guard" (Episode 102, June 1, 1962) - Donald Pleasence is Professor Ellis Fowler, forced to retire after 51 years of teaching. Feeling his life was worthless, Fowler is startled by the ghostly appearance of former students. "Come Wander with Me" (Episode 154, May 22, 1964) - A singer (Gary Crosby) journeys to the backwoods to find authentic folk songs. He hears a great ballad...a timeless tune that will have a very personal meaning for him. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A mixed bag of episodes from "The Twilight Zone"
The performance of Donald Pleasance stands out in the four episodes from "The Twilight Zone" collected on Volume 41 of this DVD series. Robert Sorrells plays "The Mighty Casey," a robot that becomes the star pitcher of the last place Hoboken Zephyrs in this episode written by Rod Serling. However, when it is discovered Casey is a robot, it is ruled that he cannot play baseball unless he has a heart and it is up to his inventor, Dr. Stillman (Abraham Sofaer) to give him one. Jack Warden plays Manager Mouth McGarry, after Serling personally paid to have scenes reshot when the original actor died of a heart attack shortly after production. "The Might Casey" is a mildly amusing episode. "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up" by Serling finds State Troopers following tracks from a U.F.O. to a diner. Now all they have to do is figure out which of the seven bus passengers inside is really a Martian. This is an above-average Zone with references to science fiction writers and cliches, as well as nice performances by John Hoyt, Barney Phillips and Jack Elam. Serling even throws in one of his better twists at the end. Donald Pleasance turns in a surprisingly different performance as Professor Ellis Fowler in Serling's "The Changing of the Guard." A saintly English professor, Fowler is being forcibly retired and contemplates suicide, thinking he has accomplished nothing in his teaching career. But in his classroom for the final time the ghosts of his former students try to convince him otherwise. On the written page the dialogue looks looks rather cliched, but not when Pleasance delivers it. Finally, "Come Wander With Me," written by Anthony Wilson, is the story of Floyd Burney (Gary Crosby), "the Rockabilly Boy," who travels the backwoods looking for authentic folk songs. When he hears a haunted ballad being hummed by the lovely Mary Rachel (Bonnie Beecher), he knows he has found what he was looking for, but he fails to notice the tombstone with his name on it. There are so many twists in this one that by the time it is over you will have no idea what was really going on. So the four episodes on Volume 41 would grade out, in order, as D, C, B, F, which grades out as a C overall (can you tell school is back in session?).

If only we could hand pick our episodes ...
The (not so) Mighty Casey: 1 star This is a first season ep. and is surprisingly lacking in many ways. The sound effects are campy (even for 1960), the humor is off, and Jack Wardens perfomance is plain poor and over blown. He turned in one of the best performances EVER for the Zone in "The Lonely" but here, I suppose, the material he had to work with was sub-par. "Casey" himself is not even likeable, none of the characters are. A Formality Episode.

Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up: 3 stars A decent ep. that seems to be a fan favorite but for me "the old giggling man" is pretty annoying. Most will recognise a Trek doctor here and he turns in a fine performance. The ending is classic, sans for the silly makeup.

The Changing Of The Guard: 3.5 stars Pleasance is great in this episode. Even greater is the meaning behind it all. Whether we know it or WE ALL MATTER. Whether you teach or not your existance at some point WILL influence another in a positive way. Thats the meaning I got from it. A touching episode.

Come Wander With Me: 4.5 stars This ep. is great because the song is haunting and it also has a rather strange ending and meaning. I really love how "Floyd Burney" kept running around this Zone proclaiming for God and Country, "I'M FLOYD BURNEY!" As though it mattered to these people. A Caution for you ego-maniacs: it doesn't matter who you are, but WHO KNOWS YOU!

Again, there is no paperwork (inserts, like every other dvd has!) for the Zones which is unusually cheap (though they are all this way). The navigation is abnormally slow, but the picture is terrific! Also, I found no isolated music tracks.

Come Wander with Me and find Hidden EASTER EGGS
Volume 41 of "The Twilight Zone" contains 'Easter Eggs.' 'Easter Eggs' are hidden extras on the DVD which are not listed on the cover or even mentioned in the main menu. They have their own menu page and you have to navigate around until you find them! 'COME WANDER WITH ME' for instance contains an isolated music track. Many people complained about the reissue of 'THE ENCOUNTER' on DVD in Vol. 33. However, it was reissued because it contains an 'Easter Egg.' 'THE ENCOUNTER' contains an isolated music track! Now, on to the main review!

'COME WANDER WITH ME' has been a long-overlooked episode which first aired on May 22, 1964. It is a very strange and enigmatic tale written by Anthony Wilson and directed by Richard Donner. It stars Gary Crosby as a folk singer who ventures into the backwoods in search of his next hit song. He's a con man who steals authentic folk ballads by using a tape recorder and Gary Crosby is brilliant in this role. Crosby brings a real facade of charisma that the role demanded and he makes this episode work. This is a very atmospheric episode that does not hit you right away. You may not even like it. But its haunting images and singular tune may linger with you and you may just revisit this one again and again (that's a little hint about the story). I have done so many times and this one of my favorite episodes right up there with 'WALKING DISTANCE' and 'NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET.' I highly recommend 'COME WANDER WITH ME.' 'THE MIGHTY CASEY' is an enjoyable little episode written by Rod Serling about a down and out baseball team that gets a little help from a robot named Casey. The very dependable Jack Warden as usual turns in a good performance. 'A PIANO IN THE HOUSE' which first aired on February 16, 1962 shows the cruelty that lies beneath the surface of some people. Barry Morse is at his best as he uses a player piano to make his guests reveal their innermost feelings and desires in a most vicious fashion. The late Joan Hackett is very good as she underplays her role as his abused wife. Earl Hamner, Jr. wrote a brilliant and memorable script for this episode as he chose a different tune to reveal each character as it was played on the piano. As for being memorable, 'WILL THE REAL MARTIAN PLEASE STAND UP' is one of the most remembered and identified episodes. Written by Rod Serling with an original airdate of May 26, 1961 it is the story that takes place in a diner where passengers of a bus trip are stranded. There's only one problem: one of the passengers may be an alien in disguise! You get a good sampling of episodes on this disc showing the diversity of themes and stories which contain that one cohesive element for the viewer: YOU HAVE JUST ENTERED THE TWILIGHT ZONE. ... 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

Amazon.com

The four episodes included on The Twilight Zone, Vol. 26focus on characters who inevitably pay a price for their tragic flaws. In "TheBig Tall Wish," an aging boxer (Ivan Dixon, later to costar in TV's Hogan'sHeroes) can't comprehend the influence of a little boy's magical wish thatbrought him a surprise victory--a victory that's sacrificed to the fighter's owncynicism. (The twist is nothing new for TZ fans, but the episode's mostlyblack cast was a noteworthy breakthrough for 1960 television.) "Showdown withRance McGrew" is an amusing send-up of pampered actors, in this case amilquetoast TV cowboy whose comeuppance arrives in the form of the real JesseJames--in a real Western town--whose attitude toward phony cowboys is anythingbut tolerant.

Fine performances by Barry Morse and Joan Hackett highlight "A Piano in theHouse," in which a sadistic critic uses a magical player piano to expose thehidden truths of several party guests, only to be himself revealed as morepathetic than any of his victims. "Night Call" is a classic episode combiningterror and human weakness in the story of an elderly woman (Gladys Cooper) whoreceives phone calls from beyond the grave, realizing too late that the callermight have brought happiness to her final days. When viewed together, these fourepisodes demonstrate how The Twilight Zone often recycled themes andbasic plots with admirable ingenuity, thus defining the series' overall missionas set forth by Rod Serling. Some episodes work better than others, but they allilluminate the complex faults, foibles, and grand ambitions that makeTwilight Zone characters so timelessly appealing. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The best of the Twilight Zone dvds.
I have most of the TZ dvds and plan on getting them all. This one marks the 30th I've bought and I have to say it's the best so far. All four episodes are strong and good, and there's something for everyone. For the fun-lovers, there's "Rance McGrew" - a light-hearted TZ episode that's really funny in certain parts. For the child in all of us, there's "The Big Tall Wish", which tells us to never stop believing in the magic. For the more serious-minded traditional TZ lovers, there's two excellent episodes in "Piano in the House" and "Night Call" - both excellent in every way! While most TZ dvds suffer from a slow episode or two thrown in with a few strong ones, this dvd has nothing but goodies on here. A great one to start your collection with!

Four tales on the ways of magic in "The Twilight Zone"
Magic makes its presence known in the four episodes from "The Twilight Zone" collected in Volume 26 of this DVD series. Ivan Dixon has a nice role as Bolie Jackson in "The Big Tall Wish," written by Rod Serling. Just about washed up as a prizefighter, Jackson wins his fight because little Henry (Steven Perry), used magic to help. But Jackson refuses to believe in the magic. In "Showdown with Rance McGrew," written by Serling and based on an idea by Frederic Louis Fox, temperamental television cowboy star McGrew (Larry Blyden) suddenly finds himself in the real Old West where the real Jesse James (Arch Johnson) has a complaint about the way he and his fellow outlaws are portrayed on television. "A Piano in the House," written by Earl Hamner, Jr., stars Barry Morse as Fitzgerald Fortune, a cynical theater critic who uses a magical piano player to get his party guests to reveal hidden truths about themselves. Fortune is an unpleasant man who meets a deservedly unpleasant fate. Gladys Cooper makes a return visit to the Zone as Miss Elva Keene in "Night Call," written by Richard Matheson and based on his short story "Long Distance Call." Miss Elva, who is crippled, keeps getting strange phone calls with a man's voice saying, "Where are you? I want to talk to you." She is already scared, but when she learns the phone calls are coming from a fallen wire lying atop the grave of her long-dead fiance Brian, who was killed in the car crash that crippled her. This episode is another minor masterpiece from Matheson. This is an above-average volume in the series, which just happens to have three of my favorite "non-classic" episodes of the Zone.

"Night Call" Makes it All Worthwhile!
"Night Call" is one of the top 2 or 3 creepiest Twilight Zone episodes ever!! Superbly written script with excellent plot development (it gets more than the allowable number of "stars")! A great acting performance, and gradually mounting tension throughout! The other episodes are much less effective although "Piano in the House" is actually a very good script-- Unfortunately, superficial character development diminishes some admirable acting performances--It gets "2 1/2 stars" but the remaining two episodes are below average (by Twilight Zone standards). By today's standards, they are above average!

One for the fans
Although I write this under one particular DVD in the series, these comments apply to each and every one of the DVD releases.

Twilight Zone? On DVD? In Black and White? What were they thinking of?

They were thinking of me and others just like me who loved this classic old science fiction program and longed to have the entire collection in a compact, guaranteed to last collection.

Although the entire set is not yet released (they are up to volume 31 at the moment), I'm sure it will be -- not many more episodes are left to do and the sales appear to be good.

This show is the 1950's anthology that started it all. Began as an experiment in the late 50's by Rod Serling, it has become a classic and is still enjoyable 40 years later.

The DVD collection is crisp and clear both for audio and video, and thankfully still in the original black and white. Each DVD features three or four of the original uncut television programs plus a history of the Twilight Zone and a short bio on Rod. Treasures and More Treasures of the TZ also include an interview by Mike Wallace (quality of this is only so-so due to technology of the time) and the orgininal marketing trailer made by Rod to sell his brain child to potential sponsers.

The series itself is being released in what seems to be no particular order (talking about the episodes here), with each DVD containing either four 1/2-hour shows or 2 1/2-hour episodes and one of the fourth season hour-long programs. This collection also includes the installments which were not syndicated and are almost impossible to find on broadcast television.

This is a 'must have' for anyone who enjoyed the program while growing up -- or for anyone of any age who appreciates a good SF show. Naturally some episodes are better than others, but most will agree that the overall quality of the series clearly stands out.

Take one for a test drive -- then order them all. You'll be glad you did.

~P~

Twilight Zone Rules!
This tape was excellent, especially "A Piano in the House." The whole tape was spooky and creepy, but it makes you think, too. These are certainly some of Rod Serling's Best. Volume 25 was super as well. Everybody should own the Twilight Zone! ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "The Passerby" (Ep. 69, October 6, 1961) - On the road home from the Civil War, a Confederate soldier stops at a house. He and the owner, a recent widow, soon realize that all who pass are dead. Including them! "The Grave" (Ep. 72, October 27, 1961) - Before he died, notorious badman Pinto Sykes put a curse on hired-gun Conny Miller (Lee Marvin). If Miller ever sets foot on his grave, he will kill him--a threat Sykes carries out! "Death's Head Revisited" (Ep. 74, November 10, 1961) - A former Nazi SS Captain returns to the ruins of a concentration camp to re-live the good old days--until his long-dead victims appear to deliver overdue justice! "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" (Ep. 88, February 23, 1962) - Ever since he came back to life at his own funeral, Jeff hasn't been the same! The townspeople want him out of town, but Jeff says they have no reason to fear him. Or do they? ... Read more

Description

This volume includes: "The Whole Truth" (Episode 50, January 20, 1961) - A special Model A automobile propels used car dealer Harvey Hunnicut (Jack Carson) to tell only the truth. Consequently, he can't sell a single vehicle on his lot--until he comes up with an unusual marketing idea. "Mute" (Episode 107, January 31, 1963, 51 min.) - A 12-year-old girl (Ann Jillian) who loses her parents in a fire doesn't speak because she has grown up in a telepathic community. The couple (Frank Overton, Barbara Baxley) who takes her in and her teacher (Irene Dailey) are determined to help her adapt to their society, no matter the cost. "Queen of the Nile" (Episode 143, March 6, 1964) - A young, handsome columnist (Lee Philips) is startled to learn that famous movie star Pamela Morris (Ann Blyth) is just as lovely and young-looking as when she starred in the 1940 film "Queen of the Nile." Intrigued, he investigates--and soon learns a terrifying secret. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Richard Matheson's classic episode "Mute"
A classic episode from Richard Matheson stands out on Volume 28 of the DVD series of "The Twilight Zone." Used car salesman Harvey Hunnicut (Jack Carson), buys a haunted Model A that forces him to tell "The Whole Truth," written by Rod Serling. Of course, this means Harvey is never going to sell another car unless he comes up with some way of unloading this unique auto. This is one of the Zone episodes that was videotaped. Richard Matheson's classic episode "Mute" is one of the even rarer first-rate hour-long episodes, based on one of his short stories. Ann Jillian plays Ilse Nielsen, a 12-year-old girl who is raised in a telepathic community. When her parents are killed in a fire, Ilse is placed with a foster family who are appalled to find that she was never taught to speak, read or write. The element of horror in this tale is that Ilse's new community is going to make her conform, no matter what. Ann Blyth stars in "Queen of the Nile" as movie star Pamela Morris. In this script by Jerry Sohl, a young columnist named Jordan Herrick (Lee Philips), discovers that Pamela looks just as young and as beautiful as she did when she starred in the 1940 film "Queen of the Nile." Herrick uncovers her secret, which, of course, he does not live long to regret. The other two Zones are average episodes at best, but "Mute" is a real gem by a master storyteller.

Twilight zone fan right here
Very good video if your a fan of the series. I really enjoyed "Mute" it is one of the best epsidoes in my opinion. I dont want to give any plots away but this is a good video to get ... Read more

Description

This volume includes: "A Nice Place to Visit" (Episode 28, April 15, 1960) - After being shot to death, Rocky Valentine (Larry Blyden) encounters the amiable white-haired Pip (Sebastian Cabot), who gives Rocky everything he wishes. Heaven! Right? "A Penny for Your Thoughts" (Episode 52, February 3, 1961) - The lucky flip of a coin seems to give a mild-mannered bank clerk (Dick York) the power to read minds. But he soon learns that you can't believe everything you read. "Little Girl Lost" (Episode 91, March 16, 1962) - A six-year-old girl who can be clearly heard, but not seen, has vanished into a fourth dimension and is trapped there while a hole between two worlds rapidly closes. "I Am the Night--Color Me Black" (Episode 146, March 27, 1964) - On the day an unpopular idealist is to be executed for killing a racist bully, Sheriff Charlie Koch (Michael Constantine) and other townsfolk are shocked to see that the skies are pitch black. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Two above average, two below average "Twilight Zone" shows
Two first-rate episodes are sandwiched in between a couple of sub-part efforts on Volume 29 of "The Twilight Zone" DVD series. "A Nice Place to Visit," written by Charles Beaumont, stars Larry Blyden as Rocky Valentine, a petty thief who is apparently shot to death by a cop but who wakes up to find himself just fine. Not only that, he has a guide named Pip (Sebastian Cabot), who supplies him with everything he wishes for; could this be Heaven? A one-joke episode you can see coming a mile away. Dick York plays bank clerk Hector B. Poole in "A Penny for Your Thoughts," written by George Clayton Johnson. When he pays for his morning paper the coin he flips lands on its edge; as a result, Hector can now read people's minds. Now, if he can only find a way to use this new power to do good. A whimsical little story that hits the right notes because of York's performance. Richard Matheson adapts his short story "Little Girl Lost," in which little Tina Miller (Tracy Stratford), rolls under her bed and disappears. It soon turns out she has fallen through a hole into another dimension. A chilling little episode that will remind you of a sequence in the film "Poltergeist." Finally, Rod Serling gets on his soapbox for "I am the Night--Color Me Black." Sheriff Charlie Koch (Michael Constantine) is presiding over the execution of a man named Jagger. But the night does not end this morning and it becomes clear that Jagger is innocent, the victim of a corrupt justice system. The darkness is caused by hate and in this episode Serling gets unbearably preachy. Fortunately the Johnson and Matheson episodes are around to balance this volume out.

A samples from seasons 1, 2, 3, and 5
* "A Nice Place To Visit" (Eps. 28, aired 4/15/60) - When Gangster Rocky Valentine (Larry Blyden) gets shot to death, he is welcomed to a world where he gets everything he wants and wins at everything. But, when he gets bored, he finds out he is just getting his just deserts. Three Stars.

* "A Penny For Your Thoughts" (Eps. 52, aired 2/3/61) - With a lucky flip of a coin, bank clerk Hector Poole (Dirk York) gains the ability to read people's minds. But, as he soon discovers, you can't believe everything that people think. This is a more comedic than serious Twilight Zone episode, and gets four stars.

* "Little Girl Lost" (Eps. 91, aired 3/16/62) - Late one night, the Miller's six year old daughter, Bettina, can be heard throughout the house, but can't be found anywhere. With the help of a physicist friend, they discover a hole from Bettina's room to possibly the fourth dimension. Will the Millers be able to save their daughter in time? Although it has a X Files feel and it was a basis for a later Simpson's episode, the effects limitations of that time really shows. Two stars.

* "I Am The Night - Color Me Black" (Eps. 146, aired 3/27/64) On the morning of the execution of an idealist who murdered a racist bully, the sky has turned pitch black around the town. Emotions run high as the time of execution approaches. This story, penned by Rod Serling, gets somewhat preachy at times, but is still good. Three stars.

The prints used for these DVD are in excellent condition for their age, with only an occasional speck or mark. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "Judgment Night" (Ep. 10, December 4, 1959) - In 1942, a German (Nehemiah Persoff) wonders why he's on the deck of a British steamship, with no memory of how he got there, and an overwhelming sense of impending doom. "The Purple Testament" (Ep. 19, January 12, 1960) - Lt. Fitzgerald has found his own special wartime hell. Looking into the faces of his men prior to battle, he has the disquieting ability to see who is about to die. "The Obsolete Man" (Ep. 65, June 2, 1961) - In a future state where religion and books have been banned, a librarian (Burgess Meredith) is judged obsolete by the Chancellor (Fritz Weaver) and sentenced to death. "A Quality of Mercy" (Ep. 80, December 29, 1961) - A soldier (Dean Stockwell) gets a new perspective on war when he is forced to experience it from the enemy's point of view. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

extraordinary thought provoking episodes
Four episode that are exceptionally well acted, superbly written and brought to life by some of the most brilliant actors of the period, with the best episode ever filmed: THE PURPLE TESTIMENT stars the underrated and gorgeous William Reynolds (The Gallent Men, FBI) and Dick York. Reynolds suddenly has acquired the unwanted ability to see look in a man's face and tell when he is going to die. JUDGMENT NIGHT stars the great Nehemiah Persoff as a man trapped on a ship doomed to be torpedoed, with no one listening to his warnings. (A very young James Fransicus, of Longstreet fame, appears at the end with a terrible German accent!). In the OBOSETE MAN you have the powerhouse pairing of the great actors Bergess Meredith and Fritz Weaver in a contest of willS where books have been banned and it is against the law to have them, with Meredith refusing to give them up. The last one QUALITY OF MERCY has super Dean Stockwell as a soldier who is suddenly forced to face the war from the body of the enemy.

CBS put out these episode at 4 per tape at nearly twice the price, so getting them on DVD at this low cost is a value no Twilight Zone Fan can pass up.

Good episodes with eventually well known actors
Three of the four stories in this DVD deal with war... and the one that doesn't is the best of all. In "Judgement Night" (Season 1) a passenger on a war-time ship has a premonition that the boat will sink at certain hour (cast includes James Franciscus). "A Quality of Mercy" (Season 3) is a powerful story about the horrors of the war, where a young liuetenant (Dean Stockwell) suddenly finds himself as a soldier on the enemy side, looking at things with a whole new perspective (the episode also features Leonard Nimoy). "The Obsolete Man" (Season 2) stars Burgess Merdith as a librarian in a society of the future that considers him obsolete - a great episode -. Finally "The Purple Testament", another war story, shows us an officer with the peculiar ability to know who is going to die in battle (this chapter could be a reference for "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", one of the best episodes in another Sci-Fi Classic TV Series, "The X-Files"). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The lesser efforts of the show.
These episodes also deal with the dangers of rasism and the supernatural, although other episodes of the show delt with them much more effectively. These shows mostly come from the fourth and fifth seasons that the show was on, and as such they are not as well written nor are the performances as effective as they were in the show's first three seasons.

Dennis Hopper and Wally Cox together in "The Twilight Zone"
Volume 27 in "The Twilight Zone" DVD series starts with Dennis Hopper playing Peter Vollmer, the leader of a small band of American neo-Nazis in "He's Alive," written by Rod Serling. Vollmer dreams of having more power and is being advised by a figure who stays in the studios (bet you can guess who it turns out to be). One of the Serling's preachier episodes, this one suffers from being an hour long episode and the fact that Hopper just does not cut it as a charismatic racist. Wally Cox plays master computer programmer James Elwood in "From Agnes With Love," written by Bernard C. Shoenfeld. "Agnes" is a Mark 502-741 computer who has already driven the previous programmer insane. Poor Elwood does not stand a chance. After these two misfires we do have a classic episode written by Richard matheson. "Spur of the Moment" features Diana Hyland as Anne Henderson who is chased by a black-clad figure on horseback. Anne's family wants her to marry Robert (Robert Hogan) a boring stockbroker, but the young girl is in love with David (Roger Davis), a headstrong romantic of whom her family does not approve. David begs Anne to marry him for love, but her father forces him to leave at gunpoint. Then we see Anne 25 years later and learn the consequences of her decision on who to marry. This is one of the least predictable Twilight Zone episode, at least for me, and just another reminder that Rod Serling's name might be more recognizable, but Richard Matheson is the true master of horror. However, even this one gem does not make up for the other two below-average episodes included in this volume.

People Confront Themselves and Their Creations
'HE'S ALIVE' is a good study of Fascism and Nazism and how it can affect an essential weak individual who carries strong inner hatreds which are probably aimed at himself but manifests that hatred towards others aided by the vision of Adolph Hitler. Denis Hopper is excellent as the figure with a spine of clay that elicits advice from his vision of Hitler played by Curt Conway. The choice of Conway was criticized for his lack of resemblance to Hitler. However, Conway's performance was right on target full of energy and conviction. He had Hitler's gestures down to a science. This is a very interesting episode written by Rod Serling and often overlooked. Vividly photographed. It fit the hour-long format perfectly. 'SPUR OF THE MOMENT' contains some very frightening images filmed in broad daylight. The sight of a pursuing Diana Hyland on horseback dressed in flowing black are Freudian in nature and remain indelible to the viewer. Freely written by Richard Matheson but one of the most visually effective episodes. 'FROM AGNES - WITH LOVE' is a lightweight episode but very appropriate for Wally Cox. You either like this one or you don't. Written by Barney Scofield and directed by Dick Donner! It was enjoyable to see so many actors from 1960's television on this DVD such as Wally Cox, Ralph Taeger, Dennis Hopper, Diana Hyland and Roger Davis.

A great story starred by Dennis Hopper
These DVD features one the best episodes in the series and one of my personal favorites: "He's alive". It stars a 27 year old Dennis Hopper in a very interesting role: a young fascist emulating Hitler. Hopper's performance really shows things to come in his career, and the story written by creator Rod Serling is -tragically so- scary, and most of all a sad reality still among us... Two more episodes are included. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "And When the Sky Was Opened" (Ep. 11, December 11, 1959) - Col. Clegg Forbes (Rod Taylor) and two fellow astronauts have returned from their first space flight. They soon discover that no one remembers them--as if they never existed. "In His Image" (Ep. 103, January 3, 1963, 50 min.) - Alan Talbot doesn't understand why his hometown seems so unfamiliar; why is he driven to kill and what are those strange noises in his head? He's about to get some answers when he comes face to face with his double. "The Last Night of a Jockey" (Ep. 125, October 25, 1963) - Mickey Rooney is Grady, a former jockey, banned from horse racing and down on his luck. When he gets one wish, he grows to over eight-feet tall--which, he'll find out, can be too big. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "Jess-Belle" (Ep. 109, February 14, 1963, 50 min.) - Billy-Ben Turner (James Best) finds himself enchanted by the beautiful Jess-Belle (Anne Francis), who soon learns the danger of buying a love spell from a witch. "Sounds and Silences" (Ep. 147, April 3, 1964) - This rarely seen Ep. features Roswell Flemington (John McGiver), a boisterous man who loves noise. But when his wife leaves him, the volume in his life goes haywire. "Caesar and Me" (Ep. 148, April 10, 1964) - Broke and jobless, ventriloquist Jonathan West (Jackie Cooper) is no match for his evil dummy, Little Caesar, who grabs the chance to set him up for a fall. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "What You Need" (Ep. 12, December 25, 1959) - A two-bit thug thinks he's found the key to a better life in an old sidewalk salesman who has the uncanny ability to tell people what they need the most. "What's in the Box" (Ep. 144, March 13, 1964) - Joe Britt (William Demarest) sees his secret revealed and its horrible consequences on his just-repaired TV set. He frantically tries to alter his fate by confronting his wife (Joan Blondell). "The Mirror" (Ep. 71, October 20, 1961) - After a poor, but ambitious Central American farm worker (Peter Falk) overthrows his country's tyrannical leader, he believes he sees assassins everywhere. A look in the mirror reveals his most dangerous enemy. "The Old Man in the Cave" (Ep. 127, November 8, 1963) - A mysterious guardian helps a tiny community survive after the Bomb destroys much of the earth. But spurred on by the bullying outsider Major French (James Coburn), the townspeople become an angry mob bent on learning the secret of "The Old Man in the Cave." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Unpleasant people meeting unpleasant ends in the Zone
The common thread for the four episodes offered in Volume 17 of "The Twilight Zone" DVD series would be disagreeable people meeting get their just deserts. In "What You Need," adapted by Rod Serling from the short story by Lewis Padgett (a.k.a. Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore), has cheap thug Fred Renard (Steve Cox) encounter a sidewalk salesman named Pedott (Ernest Truex), who has the unusual gift of knowing exactly what people needed before they need it. When Pedott gives Renard a pair of scissors that end up saving his life, the petty little criminal sees an opportunity to take advantage of Pedott's gift. "What's in the Box," written by Martin M. Goldsmith, offers William Demarest and Joan Blondell as Joe and Phyllis Britt, a most unhappily married couple. After Joe insults a mysterious TV Repairman (Sterling Holloway), he discovers his set now picks up Channel 10, which shows him having an affair and murdering his wife. These are not very happy people and they do not meet happy fates in the Twilight Zone.

Peter Falk plays Castro-clone Ramos Clemente in Serling's "The Mirror." When he takes control of his Central American nation, Clemente is told by the deposed dictator that there is a magic mirror in his office which reveals the face of your assassin. Soon, Clemente is seeing assassins everywhere. Apart from the obvious references to Castro, there is really nothing to recommend this episode. "The Old Man in the Cave," adapted by Serling from Henry Slesar's short story "The Old Man," is set 10 years after a nuclear war when a community has survived because Mr. Goldsmith (John Anderson) has been relaying instructions from the title character. But when a gang of soldiers commanded by Major French (James Coburn) shows up and takes over the town, distributing food and drink that "the Old Man" denied them because he claimed there were contaminated, the townspeople become determined to learn the truth, to their eternal regret. So far Volume 17 is the weakest collection in "The Twilight Zone" series.

The Real Castro
I read one review from someone who thought it did not show dictator Castro very good. I saw this video and I think it showed him like he must be. I think the rest also show how people should think before they do anything to hurt others they don't understand and not act like a mob in a riot in the cave episode.

A bad one
This is one of the worst. "What's in the box" is terrible. You can laugh at the end. "The Mirror" is terrible, it's their impression on Castro, "What you Need" is good. And "The Old Man in the cave" is good. This one has two bad ones and two good ones. Which ones do you like better? Take your pick..... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Worse than video!
Where do I begin. Let's start with the sound quality. If your listening through headphones, don't bother using the left earcup, there's nothing there. The right cup is filled with overpowering analog hiss. I could barely hear the dialog. It's not letterboxed or widescreened, it's full screened, or rather left hand justified. If there is any action where the camera has to move quickly to follow it (and there is), the pixils rudely take over. What a mess. If you're a hardcore Caan fan, perhaps you'll suffer through this. The majority of the movie is narrated by some 35 year old woman attempting an 89 yr. old voice. How does it end? I don't know. At around 23 minutes, my DVD crapped out and my player was audibly struggling to find a track. The only difference between this DVD and my DVD of "Boy in the plastic bubble" is "Bubble" at least played till the end. I just started a new catagory on my DVD shelf. The trash can right next to it.

OLDIE BUT GOODIE
A wronged Indian women and a framed cowboy take their revenge on a small corrupt town, razing it overnight. Absolutely, payback time on the range! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Harrison Ford fans, take note
I haven't actually seen this (yes, I know, "0 out of 27 people found this review helpful"), but fans of Harrison Ford will want to know about it because it's his first movie role. It's actually a James Coburn flick, and a very young Ford has about one line as an uncredited bellhop. As I write this, I don't see any mention in the Amazon.com listing about Ford's presence, so I thought I'd post the info for Ford completists. As far as I know, this is also the first time this has been available on home video.

A tad more sophisticated than Waterhole #3
We are used to seeing James Coburn bigger than life. He may be here but blends in to the story and soon you think of him as Eli Kotch or who ever he is at the moment.

Eli Kotch is planning a large caper that will be masked by a visit by the Soviet Premier. He must make some quick cash to cover this plan. Do to his he becomes many people and no one. Wooing maids to gain access to their employer's abodes and pilfering on a large scale. It is fun watching him manufacture his personality and background. He becomes very efficient at this and even the boldness (with that Coburn grimace) will impress you. As in "Waterhole #3" (see my review ASIN: 6300215970) he must chose between the girl and the money. Keep your eyes and ears open for the outcome. Shall justice prevail?

another great coburn performance
this movie is another great james coburn movie somewhat in thespirit of our man and in like flint, as well as presidents analyst. itfeatures a great coburn performance when he was in his prime in the 1960's. well worth the money. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Ultimate Camp Classic is an enormous unheralded gem
campy thriller, brilliantly acted by its main protagonists. The fantastic Geraldine Page stars as a psychotic widow with a penchant for growing the very sturdiest and handsome of Pine trees - her secret is human fertiliser in the form of a series of butchered companions. Slowly suspicion rises and a friend of one of the deceased, now fertiliser fodder, begins to catch on to Page's dastardly deeds. Geraldine Page delivers a tour de force performance as Claire Marrable - oozing a charming menace and evil with every breath. Yet there are severe undertones of humour and one senses that the actors involved would have a good cackle after every take. Page's performance rates with the most vintage camp EVER. She obviously relished and thoroughly enjoyed the role. Ruth Gordon, best remembered from the wonderful Harold and Maude, delivers a typically feisty and spunky performance as the Aunt Alice of the title. It is vintage stuff and works equally successfully as a taut thriller but best of all as the blackest and most wicked of comedies. Please also appreciate the totally schizo music score that is so appropriate for the film. A gem from director Robert Aldrich who gave us another cult favourite, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane

Page and Gordon sparkle in witty, melodramatic thriller
In the early 1960s director Robert Aldrich teamed aging stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in a suspense thriller called "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" The movie was a smash hit. Two or three years later he brought the two actresses back for "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte". Crawford dropped out and was replaced by Olivia De Havilland. Again, Aldrich struck pay dirt. In 1969 his production company made yet another such movie, "Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?", starring Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon. This was directed by Lee H. Katzin. I don't think it was as successful at the boxoffice, but the important thing is that Alice is almost as much fun as Jane and Charlotte.

Page plays Claire, a woman of sixty or so. In the opening scenes she finds out that her recently deceased husband left her with virtually nothing. Furious because her grand lifestyle has ended, Claire moves to the American Southwest, where she cooks up a scheme. She hires timid little old lady housekeepers and, over time, convinces them that she can make them a lot of money in the stock market. Once an unsuspecting employee turns over her life savings, Claire kills her and buries her in her garden, marking each grave with a new pine tree. Soon the yard is filled with trees. One day a new housekeeper named Alice [Ruth Gordon] shows up. Alice, however, has an ulterior motive. One of the women was her friend, and Alice suspects that Claire is responsible for her disappearance. Thus begins a grand game of cat and mouse.

Unlike Davis and Crawford, Page and Gordon were not movie stars fallen on hard times. They were great character actresses with extensive stage experience. Both had had an occasional starring role in films but had played mostly supporting roles over the years. They were older but hardly faded. If anything, they were at the height of their popularity when they made "Alice". They are the reason the movie, otherwise an outlandish melodrama, is still worth seeing. Gordon is outrageous fun as Alice, playing the part with true professionalism, yet barely able to conceal her glee and amusement at being in such a movie. But it is Page who dominates throughout. Her Claire is both hilarious and sad. Sometimes she stalks, sometimes she slithers through the movie, reminding one of a cross between a leopard and a cobra. She's obviously having a grand time.

Other Geraldine Page movies I particularly like are "Summer and Smoke", "The Trip to Bountiful" and "Sweet Bird of Youth". Great Ruth Gordon movies include "Harold and Maude", "Where's Poppa?" and, of course, "Rosemary's Baby".

Devilish fun!
Claire Marrable, a destitute widow, finds a way to keep herself living the good life by hiring a series of housekeepers whom she eventually murders, steals their life savings and buries them in her desert pine tree garden. An incredibly fun movie which derives pleasure from the lead actors. Geraldine Page (as Mrs. Marrable) and Ruth Gordon (as Alice Dimmock, the latest housekeeper who is actually trying to find out what happened to her friend who mysteriously vanished while working for Marrable) chew the scenery to the hilt and it is so much fun watching the interactions between the two. Watch Page's reaction when Gordon tells her the amount in her savings account - priceless! The film as a whole suffers somewhat from some dull supporting characters and a dreary romantic sub-plot involving Gordon's nephew and Page's neighbor. Still worth it for the acting dynamo of Page and Gordon and even Mildred Dunnock manages some nice moments in her few scenes. And you'll never forget the frenetic zither music score!

The quality of the dvd is very good. The picture is sharp and the colors are strong. The only extra feature is a trailer for the film which delivers the memorable tag-line - "Whatever happened to Aunt Alice is more terrifying than what happened to Baby Jane"!

Sheer brilliance
They do not make movies like this anymore. Geraldine Page plays a nutcase hell bent on murdering every housekeeper that comes to work for her. What makes it so memorable is how she discards of the bodies (I won't give anything away here). Also adding effect is the spectacular music. Ruth Gordon joins the cast as a housekeeper trying to catch her out. Bad move Ruth.
While this film might seem dated to many, no moviegoer can argue the brilliant acting and suspense. An all round favourite.

my take on WHATEVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE
I LOVE THIS MOVIE, IT IS HIGH CAMP, FUNNY AND BLACKLY HORRIFYING ALL AT THE SAME TIME. BOTH GERALDINE PAGE AND RUTH GORDON HAVE FUN WITH THEIR ROLES, ESPECIALLY THE FORMER, USING HER FACIAL EXPRESSIONS TO THE HILT, ROLLING HER EYES AND INFLECTING A SARCASTIC TONE INTO HER VOICE. RUTH GORDON, IF MORE RESERVED, IS JUST AS GOOD, AND VERY DIFFERENT THAN IN ROSEMARY'S BABY, SHE SEEMS REFRESHINGLY SANE IN THIS. THE PLOT MOVES ALONG AT A FAST BUT ENJOYABLE SPEED, WITH ONE OR TWO RED HERRINGS A LONG THE WAY. IF YOU LIKE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS, A WITTY SCRIPT AND GOOD ACTING, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE. I RECOND HITCHOCK WOULD HAVE ENJOYED IT TOO. ... Read more