Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Twilight Zone: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie Review

In Praise of Rod

Reviewed by Casey Broadwater September 8, 2011

One hundred and fifty six episodes later, we’ve come to the end. Thanks to Image Entertainment, it’s now possible to own the entirety of The Twilight Zone’s five season, 1959-1964 run on Blu-ray, where it’s been lovingly remastered in high definition from the original negatives. After half a century of fuzzy TV broadcasts, blurry VHS tapes, and so-so standard definition DVDs, the series now looks better than it was ever even intended to look. The italics are deserved. Usually when we talk about picture quality, we hold movies and TV shows to a standard that values faithfulness to the intent of the filmmakers; but here, we’re actually seeing The Twilight Zone in a way that’s cleaner and clearer than ever before possible. Show creator Rod Serling probably never anticipated that viewers could one day watch the series at home with a level of clarity that rivals—and maybe even bests—a 35mm theatrical presentation. That’s something. I’ve been continually impressed by the quality of these releases— not just the picture, but also the sheer amount of new bonus material that’s been crammed in—and season five is no different. While it’s not as consistently mind-melting as the first two seasons of the show, there are more than a few classic Twilight Zone episodes in this fantastic five- disc set.

Rod Serling, smoking on TV like a boss.

“You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension, a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.”

By the end of The Twilight Zone’s third season, and certainly by the end of the fourth, the “land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas” had been thoroughly mapped by that great cartographer of the strange and paranormal, Rod Serling, the show’s creator, showrunner, producer, narrator, and lead writer. I mean, of course, that Serling and his small team of likeminded sci-fi/fantasy scribes had largely exhausted their supply of original ideas and were starting to repeat themselves, producing variations on old themes and giving familiar premises new veneers. Serling alone wrote a whopping ninety-two of the one hundred and fifty six episodes in the series—understandably, he was most guilty of reusing motifs— and he later said, “I was writing so much, I felt I had begun to lose my perspective on what was good and what was bad.”

While Serling did pen a few outright clunkers in season five—like the dull lost-and-aging-in-space drama “The Good Morrow” and the obnoxiously acted “Sounds and Silence”—he’s also responsible for some of the best, along with Richard Matheson, one of the series’ most reliable sources of chills. (We’ll get to those in a second.) The most lackluster episodes largely come from the show’s stable of less-celebrated writers. Earl Hamner Jr. provided two solid scripts for season five—the underappreciated “Ring-a-Ding Girl,” which has a surprisingly dark twist, and the creepily desolate “Stopover in a Quiet Town”—but he’s also responsible for tensionless outings like alien biker takeover “Black Leather Jackets” and car-come- alive melodrama “You Drive.” The two weakest episodes are probably Anthony Wilson’s “Come Wander With Me”—which stars Bing Crosby’s son, Gary, as a wandering songsmith—and “Caesar and Me,” a dopey ventriloquism story that was actually written by producer William Froug’s former secretary, Adele T. Strassfield, at a time when the show was apparently desperate for scripts.

But let’s not dwell on the bad when there’s so much good this season. After a network-mandated experiment with hour-long programming the previous year—which didn’t really fit the show’s snappy short-story format—The Twilight Zone went back to its regular half-hour timeslot for 1963-64, a much-needed return to form. Leading the season off is Serling’s “In Praise of Pip,” a poignant episode about a father’s sacrificial love for his son, starring Jack Klugman and child-star Billy Mumy, whom fans will certainly remember from season three’s menacing “It’s a Good Life.” This is followed by the one-two punch of “Steel”—which seems to have inspired the upcoming robot boxing movie Real Steel—and one of The Twilight Zone’s most memorable episodes, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” which features a pre-Star Trek William Shatner as a man who has a nervous breakdown on a plane when he sees a shaggy, malevolent creature on the wing, fooling around with the engine cowling. Both were written by Richard Matheson—of I Am Legend fame—who also contributed two other excellent scripts this season. “Spur of the Moment” employs a clever time loop narrative, and “Night Call” is one of his eeriest entries, a short-on-plot but high-on-atmosphere chiller about an elderly woman who receives phone calls from beyond the grave. Serling’s other right-hand writer, Charles Beaumont, was suffering from an undiagnosed brain ailment by this time, but his ghostwriter Jerry Sohl submitted the creepy “Living Doll” on his behalf, a terrific episode about a chatty doll-come- to-life that says lines like, “My name is Talky Tina and you’ll be sorry.” Yikes.

Of course, it wouldn’t be The Twilight Zone if Rod Serling didn’t give us a few episodes that hide social criticism or moral parables inside the seemingly innocent guises of science fiction and the supernatural. In “The Masks,” a dying patriarch asks his wife and children to don grotesque Cajun masks that eventually reveal the true intentions of the wearer. “The Last Night of a Jockey” and “A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain” both carry a “be careful what you wish for” message, and “I Am the Night—Color Me Black” shows the effects of racism literally spreading like a dark cloud. Most of these seem quaintly didactic nowadays, a bit too over-obvious and self-importantly earnest. Still, at the time, Serling was pressing some hot-button issues and trying to make his audience think about the state of the world around them. That’s ambitious television.

Oddly enough, one of the most characteristically Twilight Zone-ish episodes of season five wasn’t originally a Twilight Zone episode at all. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” based on the Ambrose Bierce story of the same name, was an Academy Award-winning short film by French director Robert Enrico, and Twilight Zone producer William Froug bought the rights to air it on television as part of the series. While the cinematography is more lush than normal and the episode almost entirely dialogue-free, all of the Twilight Zone touchstones are here: an unusual premise—a captured Civil War soldier sentenced to die—a gripping dramatic buildup, and a twist ending that happens so fast it might snap your neck.

The Twilight Zone: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

If you've been following our reviews for the previous seasons, you'll find nothing significantly different about the picture quality for season five, and that's a very good thing. It would be nearly impossible to improve on the fantastic work Image Entertainment has done with these Blu-ray season sets. Using original 35mm negatives, all-new 1080p/AVC-encoded transfers have been struck for each episode—framed in the standard 1.33:1 TV aspect ratio—and the results are unanimously gorgeous. As I mentioned in the previous reviews, I'm not sure if the source materials were near-pristine to begin with, or if these new masters required extensive restoration work, but regardless, the prints display no damage whatsoever and no substantial debris aside from a few scattered white specks. (They're also untouched by DNR. The grain structure is rich and stable.) The only oddity I noticed was that the first two shots of Black Leather Jackets look more grainy and soft than the rest of the episode, almost as if it was sourced from a different print. Season five displays the same level of exemplary clarity as its predecessors, revealing details that you've probably never noticed before, especially in some of the low-budget make-up effects. The show's producers probably never expected that it would ever be watched at home at nearly full analog film resolution. The textures of the actors' faces, the fibers of Rod Serling's suits, the details of the props—everything is refined and clear, without showing any signs of edge enhancement. Just as importantly, inky blanks, bright but not overblown whites, and a smooth gradient of a gray tones come together for an image with real depth and presence. Image deserves real praise for the quality of these transfers.

The Twilight Zone: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Continuing the custom established in the previous seasons, there are two audio options for each episode of season five, both sourced from the original magnetic soundtracks. Each episode defaults to a newly restored and remastered Linear PCM 2.0 mono mix that has been digitally cleaned up and optimized. The results are solid; the dialogue is perfectly reproduced, the various sound effects are clean and even dynamically punchy on occasion, and the scores —where the audio really shows its muscle—sound wonderful. For comparison, you can also select the original, unmastered audio, which is a bit murkier, with slightly muffled dialogue at times and a low tape hiss that can be made out if you listen carefully. The remastered mixes are preferable in my opinion, but it's great that Image thought to include the untouched audio as well. Each episode also includes white, easy-to-read English SDH subtitles, which are aligned with the lower left corner of picture.

The Twilight Zone: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Like each of the previous sets, Image has loaded up this season with a wonderful collection of special features, most notably twenty-seven commentary tracks—many of them newly recorded for this release—from the likes of Twilight Zone expert Marc Scott Zicree, influential fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, director Richard Donner, Coast to Coat AM host George Noory, and many of the episodes stars', from Billy Mumy to Mickey Rooney. (Make sure you listen to Rooney's semi-incomprehensible track—it's a doozy.) There are also audio recollections, video interviews, sponsor billboards, isolated scores for most of the episodes—presented in Dolby Digital 2.0—and some great ephemeral bits and bobs on the fifth disc, including a vintage Serling interview with Mike Wallace, excerpts from one of Serling's college lectures, and even a clip of Serling pitching the show to a network in the Netherlands. The only thing curiously not ported over from the DVDs is the excellent "Submitted for Your Approval" documentary, which Image might be keeping in their pocket for the inevitable complete series box set. Here's a by-episode breakdown of everything that's included:

#121 - In Praise of Pip

• Interview with Billy Mumy
• Audio Commentary by Bill Mumy
• Audio Commentary by Neil Gaiman and Marc Scott Zicree
• Isolated Score by Rene Garriguenc
• Sponsor Billboards

#122 - Steel

• Marc Scott Zicree Interview with Richard Matheson
• Audio Commentary by Bill Warren and Marc Scott Zicree
• Isolated Score by Van Cleave
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Louis Gossett, Jr.

#123 - Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

• Marc Scott Zicree Interview with Richard Matheson
• Audio Commentary by Richard Donner and Marc Scott Zicree
• Rod Serling Lecture at Sherwood Oaks College (1975)
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring John Schneider

#124 - A Kind of a Stopwatch

• Audio Commentary by Martin Grams, Jr.
• Isolated Score by Van Cleave
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Lou Diamond Philips

#125 - The Last Night of a Jockey

• Audio Commentary by Mickey Rooney
• Sponsor Billboards

#126 - Living Doll

• Interview with June Foray
• Audio Commentary by June Foray
• Audio Commentary by George Noory
• Audio Commentary by Gary Gerani
• Isolated Score by Bernard Herrmann
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Tim Kazurinsky

#127 - The Old Man in the Cave

• Audio Commentary by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Adam Baldwin

#128 - Uncle Simon

• Audio Commentary by Martin Grams, Jr.
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Peter Mark Richman and Beverly Garland

#129 - Probe 7, Over and Out

• Audio Commentary by Ted Post and Marc Scott Zicree
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Louis Gossett, Jr.

#130 - The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms

• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Richard Grieco

#131 - A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain

• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Adam West

#132 - Ninety Years Without Slumbering

• Interview with Carolyn Kearney and George Clayton Johnson
• Interview with George Clayton Johnson
• Isolated Score by Bernard Herrmann
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Bill Erwin

#133 - Ring-a-Ding Girl

• Interview with Earl Hamner
• Audio Commentary by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson
• Sponsor Billboards

#134 - You Drive

• Marc Scott Zicree Interview with Earl Hamner
• Audio Commentary by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson
• Sponsor Billboards

#135 - The Long Morrow

• Audio Commentary by Mariette Hartley
• Audio Commentary by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Kathy Garver

#136 - The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross

• Audio Commentary by Martin Grams, Jr.
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Luke Perry

#137 - Number 12 Looks Just Like You

• Audio Commentary by Marc Scott Zicree
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards

#138 - Black Leather Jackets

• Interview with Michael Forest and Earl Hamner
• Sponsor Billboards

#139 - Night Call

• Marc Scott Zicree Interview with Richard Matheson
• Audio Commentary by Michael Nankin and Marc Scott Zicree
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Mariette Hartley

#140 - From Agnes, With Love

• Radio Drama starring Ed Begley, Jr.
• Sponsor Billboards

#141 - Spur of the Moment

• Interview with Richard Matheson
• Isolated Score by Rene Garriguenc
• Sponsor Billboards

#142 - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

• Conversations with Rod Serling (Part 1)
• Isolated Score by Henri Lance
• Sponsor Billboards

#143 - Queen of the Nile

• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Kate Jackson

#144 - What's in the Box

• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Mike Starr

#145 - The Masks

• Audio Commentary by Alan Sues
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Stan Freberg

#146 - I Am the Night -- Color Me Black

• Interview with Terry Becker
• Sponsor Billboards

#147 - Sounds and Silences

• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Richard Kind

#148 - Caesar and Me

• Audio Commentary by Robert Butler and Marc Scott Zicree
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Jason Alexander

#149 - The Jeopardy Room

• Audio Commentary by Martin Landau
• Audio Commentary by Richard Donner and Marc Scott Zicree
• Sponsor Billboards

#150 - Stopover in a Quiet Town

• Interview with Nancy Malone and Earl Hamner
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards

#151 - The Encounter

• Audio Commentary by George Takei, Robert Butler, and Marc Scott Zicree
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards

#152 - Mr. Garrity and the Graves

• Audio Commentary by Ted Post and Marc Scott Zicree
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Chris MacDonald

#153 - The Brain Center at Whipple's

• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Stan Freberg

#154 - Come Wander with Me

• Isolated Score by Jeff Alexander
• Sponsor Billboards

#155 - The Fear

• Audio Commentary by Ted Post, Peter Mark Richman, and Marc Scott Zicree
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Jane Seymour and James Keach

#156 - The Bewitchin' Pool

• Interview with Earl Hamner
• Audio Commentary by Earl Hamner and Marc Scott Zicree
• Isolated Score
• Sponsor Billboards
• Radio Drama starring Karen Black

Additional Bonus Features

• Conversations with Rod Serling, Parts 2 and 3 (SD, 13:25 and 10:08)
• The Mike Wallace Interview, September 1959 (SD, 21:01)
• Netherlands Sales Pitch (SD, 4:33)
• Excerpt from Rod Serling's Sherwood Oaks Experimental College Lecture (SD, 12:34)
• Alfred Hitchcock Promo (SD, 2:15)
• George Clayton Johnson's Home Movies (SD, 2:13)
• Mar Scott Zicree Interview with George T. Clemens (audio, 32:02)
• Additional Sponsor Billboards (1080p, 00:47)

The Twilight Zone: Season 5 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

And so it is finished. In almost exactly a year, Image Entertainment has released all five seasons of The Twilight Zone on Blu-ray, and I don't think fans could be more satisfied. Not only do we get every episode of the show in stunning high definition—and you will be stunned by the picture quality—but Image has also loaded up these sets with a fantastic array of extras, including literally dozens of new commentary tracks by series stars and the world's most foremost Twilight Zone experts. The fifth season can't quite compare to the show's first two years on the air, but there are several classic episodes here, from the pre-Star Trek William Shatner terror of "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" to the facial- disfigurement morality tale of "The Masks." If you haven't been snapping up these releases, you're missing out. Highly recommended!