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(More customer reviews)No matter how many DVDs they put out with episodes of "The Twilight Zone," they cannot put out one with better episodes that Volume 2. This is not just because it has the quintessential "Zone" episode as the first one on the DVD, but also two of the other three episodes are outright classics and the final one is still an above average episode from Rod Serling's celebrated television anthology series. That is why when I started picking up choice volumes in this collection to own forever Volume 2 was number one on my list.
Episode 8, "Time Enough at Last" (Written by Rod Serling from Lynn Venable's short story, First aired November 20, 1959), stars Burgess Meredith, in what was surely his most recognizable role, plays Henry Bemis, a mild-mannered, myopic bank teller who only wants to read, but can never get away from this shrewish wife and demanding boss. But then Henry has the fortune of being in the bank vault reading a book when the world is destroyed by a nuclear war. Directed by John Brahm, no "Twilight Zone" episode ever backed a more unforgettable ending. I am even more impressed by the fact that this classic was such an early first season episode. Meanwhile, Burgess would appear in three more "Zones," although lightning never struck twice for him.
Episode 22, "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" (Written by Rod Serling, First aired March 4, 1960) finds neighbors turning on each other as unexplained events fuel their fear that human-looking aliens have infiltrated Maple Street (filed on MGM's "Andy Hardy" street). Claude Atkins as Steve Brand and Jack Weston as Charlie head a strong cast that features Anne Barton as Mrs. Brand and Burt Metcalf as Don. Sheldon Allman and William Walsh are the aliens having fun with the human test subjects. This one is an excellent example of a first season morality play from Serling.
Episode 123, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (Written by Richard Matheson based on his short story, First aired October 11, 1963) stars William Shatner as poor Bob Wilson, who has left a sanatorium only to take a plane flight where a gremlin keeps trying to sabotage the engine. Of course nobody believes Bob when he tells them what he sees on the wing of the airplane, and he has to doubt his own sanity. But what if he is right? (a recurring question in the series). "Nightmare" was directed by Richard Donner, who went on to be a film director of some note. Shatner is best remembered for this particular "Zone," but I have to say that I think his "Nick of Time" is even better. The episode was the final chapter of "Twilight Zone: The Movie" in 1983, dircted by George Miller and with John Lithgow in the Shatner role, now renamed John Valentine.
Episode 54, "The Odyssey of Flight 33" (Written by Rod Serling, First aired February 24, 1961) is the only sub-classic episode on this disc. The story is about an airplane that picks up a freak tail wind that sends it back in time. John Anderson as Captain Farver leads the excellent cast that makes this rather far-fetched idea utterly believable. I remember reading once that Serling researched the talk in the cockpit and that it got points with real pilots for being so accurate. Final note: the sequence with the dinosaurs is from Jack Harris' 1961 film "Dinosaurs."
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