What is it? The Twilight Zone, complete series, 156 episodes on 24 Blu-ray discs from CBS DVD
When? Now
How much? $126.99
Isn't that show creepy? Creepy, thought-provoking, occasionally funny, sometimes downright terrifying. This anthology series, created and hosted by Rod Serling, ran from 1959 to 1964.
Stories include:
• Children escape their unhappy home life when they find a secret world in their swimming pool.
• Soldiers (Elizabeth Montgomery and Charles Bronson) on opposite sides of a war run into each other in the deserted remains of a ruined city.
• A woman (Agnes Moorehead) is terrorized by miniature creatures.
• A 6-year-old (Billy Mumy) with special powers controls and terrorizes everyone in his town, banishing anyone who displeases him to a cornfield, where they disappear forever.
• When aliens land on Earth, they claim to be benign, but as the aliens ingratiate themselves more and more with their human hosts, cryptographers work to decode an alien book with a dark secret.
It's pretty old. Isn't it dated? In some ways, yes. But ultimately, it's still very much relevant and continues to have a cultural impact thanks to its success as entertainment and as a commentary on society and humanity.
The stories are haunting and can stay with you even years after viewing them. Just try to forget bookworm Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) or Janet Tyler (Maxine Stewart and Donna Douglas), the woman who tries to become "normal" by getting plastic surgery.
There's a wealth of material here for people looking for something deep, engaging and enlightening. But it's also a fun show.
One should also be sure to look for aging stars (Buddy Ebsen, Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell) and the then up-and-comers (Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, Carol Burnett).
Are there bonus features? Definitely. Every disc has something, including a long list of commentary tracks, interviews, radio versions of episodes, original and remastered audio and isolated music scores. Basically, there's enough here for big fans to fall down a deep rabbit hole.
New this week: Archer, Season 7; Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, complete series; Broad City, Season 3; Homeland, Season 5; Mr. Robot, Season 2; Star Trek: Enterprise, complete series.
Next week: 12 Monkeys, Season 2; Grimm's Fairy Tales and Storybook Series, Classic Storybook Collection; I Love Lucy, Superstar Special No. 2; The IT Crowd, The Internet Is Coming; The Love Boat, Season 3, Volume 1 and 2; NYPD Blue, Season 12; Rizzoli & Isles, Season 7 and complete series; Scarlett, miniseries; Shetland, Season 3.
Style on 01/08/2017