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(More customer reviews)Aliens abound but appearance can be deceiving, as we learn in the two of the episodes of "The Twilight Zone" on Volume 8 in this DVD series. The other two visits both have to do with the end of the world as we know it. Three of the episodes found here are well above average and one of those is an outright classic (although I do not think it is the best episode of the four), which is good enough to make this one of the better volumes in this 40-plus volume set of DVDs collecting all of Rod Serling's classic television anthology series:
Episode 14, "Third From the Sun" (Adapted by Rod Serling from Richard Matheson's short story, First aired January 8, 1960), tells of scientist William Sturka (Fritz Weaver), who is convinced the world is about to end in a nuclear war. Along with test pilot Jerry Riden (Joe Maross), they escape with their families in a stolen experimental spaceship to a new planet. This is a rather pedestrian episode, where you have to get to the twist at the end to realize you are in the "Zone." In the familiar face department this one has Edward Andrews as Carling, a government type who tries to keep the characters from stealing the rocket ship.
Episode 89, "To Serve Man (Adapted by Rod Serling from Damon Knight's short story, First aired March 2, 1962), is one of the most famous "Zone" episodes with its "Soylent Green" ending (although it predates that Charlton Heston film by a decade). A Kanamit (Richard Kiel) has come to earth to create a golden age with the advanced technology of his race. Michael Chambers (Lloyd Bochner), a government decoding expert, learns to learn the true meaning of the title of the book left by the Kanamit. Is it just me or getting to a second edition of "To Serve Man" going to prove to be impossible once the cat is out of the bag? Just wondering.
Episode 90, "The Fugitive" (Written by Charles Beaumont, First aired March 9, 1962), features J. Pat O'Malley as Old Ben, an alien who befriends a lovely little girl named Jenny (Susan Gordon). As the opening narration of the episode points out, this one combines science fiction and fantasy. Old Ben has the ability to turn into anything from a mouse to a monster, which comes in handy since he is being pursued by a pair of men. But Jenny wears a leg brace and Ben wants to do something about that before he leaves the little girl who does not want to be left behind.
Episode 68, "The Shelter" (Written by Rod Serling, First aired September 29, 1961), is my favorite and the best episode on the disc. This is one of Serling's "preachy" scripts where he hits the mark perfectly. The neighborhood is gathering for a surprise party for Doc Stockton (Larry Gates), when the radio announces radar has detected what appears to be incoming missiles. Doc, his wife and young son go to the shelter he has built in his basement. His unprepared neighbors beg to be let it, but there is not enough room or supplies. That is when things get ugly. Some people consider "The Shelter" to be melodramatic, but I always found it rather chilling since it suggests that civilization will end before the bombs actually go off.
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