Essential to Your TZ DVD Collection!
Dane Marvin | Omaha, NE | 01/04/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The 3rd and 4th installments of Image Entertainment's Twilight Zone DVD "Collections" hit the shelves January 7th, with the 5th and final one due February 25th. In case you are wondering about cost you figure to save by purchasing these over the individually-sold volumes. But for the casual fan who only wants certain episodes, individuals are still the way to go.Collection 3 contains 9 more volumes of the original DVD releases (this time Vols. 19-27 are collected) in more compact and efficient (but also cool) cases. These are housed in a keepsake box that makes for easy storage. The stand-outs from Collection 3 include...--A Most Unusual Camera: A camera that snaps pictures of the future? Certainly qualifies as unusual...--Five Characters In Search of An Exit: Why have five characters (a soldier, a jester and a ballerina, among them) awoken to find themselves in an empty room with no doors or windows??? One of the single coolest episodes in the series!--People Are Alike All Over: Roddy McDowall plays an astronaut who, while stranded on an unknown planet, learns just how much this episode's title rings true!--Elegy: Indescribably cool!This Collection, does however, contain many of the episodes that fans universally consider to be clunkers (namely Black Leather Jackets, He's Alive, Spur of the Moment and The Big Tall Wish), but this doesn't harm the overall quality of the Collection. It is as essential, in my book, as the other four."
As excellent as the other Twilight Zone collections
paul_howard | San Ramon, CA United States | 09/12/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The streak of brilliance that turned depictions of the paranormal to explain man to himself into a true American classic is as evident in this collection as in the others. The excellent DVD reproductions enhance the pleasure of watching it. TZ is uncanny in many ways, including in its ability to focus one minute on the distinctive bond between man and dog, and the next on the danger, ever present then as now, of nuclear annihilation. Seriously consider this item as a gift for those who "have everything" or are hard to buy for. If you like, see also my further comments on TZ collection 1 as they apply here, too."
Now Entering...The Nostalgia Zone
khouse1960 | Ayase, Japan | 06/08/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise! Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the geyeballh version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting. Each collection has its ghitsh and gmissesh, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked."
The Price is Right
Margaret Jaggard | Wisconsin | 11/08/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Even though CBS released the "definitive" edition with even better picture and sound quality from the 35mm masters, and with extras, this set isn't bad for the price. In other words, you pay a few dollars more to get more, but if you are more interested in price then grab this box set.
One small note: I definately agree with other reviewers. THE TWILIGHT ZONE: UNLOCKING THE DOOR TO A TELEVISION CLASSIC by Martin Grams is 800 plus pages includes "everything" about the classic series and is a wonderful companion with the DVDs. The book details Serling's writing career on radio, early television and Twilight Zone is well researched and highly detailed. Exclusive interviews with cast and crew and behind-the-scenes trivia will floor you. What you do is watch an episode and then read up on it in the book and you'll discover a wealth of trivia that makes this worthy of appreciation. Both the DVD set and the book is on Amazon.com so check it out (samples are available on Amazon's review page). Do yourself the favor and get both. You'll thank me for it."