The Twilight Zone: Season 2

(1960) **** Unrated
749 min. CBS. Cast: Burgess Meredith, Cliff Robertson, William Shatner, Art Carney, Don Rickles.

/content/films/3876/2.jpgWhat is "the Twilight Zone"? According to The Twilight Zone's creator, televisionary Rod Serling, it is the edge of reason: the border of belief and disbelief, sanity and insanity, past and present, dream and reality. It is a place where the mirror always has two faces, forcing us to us face up to whom we are as opposed to whom we think we are. For five seasons on CBS (1959-1964), rapt audiences experienced science-fiction and fantasy stories that, more often than not, reflected back greater truths about the human condition than the more realistic dramas that were The Twilight Zone's contemporaries. Perhaps a better question is "Where is 'the Twilight Zone'?" Answer: within the human mind.

The series' narrator and sometime on-screen host, eight-time Emmy winner Serling was also the series' head writer, penning 92 of 156 episodes. The Twilight Zone emerged from Serling's censorship fatigue as an acclaimed writer of teleplays for anthology series (Serling's most famous, Requiem for a Heavyweight, won a then-unprecedented Peabody Award for a one-off TV script). Correctly reasoning that "genre" storytelling could subtly impart allegorical messages about important social themes, Serling used The Twilight Zone to advance the notion that, despite the fragility of human character, the dignity and self-determination of the individual should always be paramount. In the series second season (1960-1961), Serling tackled themes of totalitarian governments, capital punishment, alcoholism, racism, PTSD within the military, and witch-hunt paranoia, the latter still a sore spot (perhaps especially in Hollywood) from the era of McCarthyism. Season finale "The Obsolete Man" offered a bluntly political dystopian allegory influenced by Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and seemingly an influence on the '60s TV classic The Prisoner: under the thumb of a smug "Chancellor" (Fritz Weaver), librarian Romney Wordsworth (Burgess Meredith) receives a death sentence, to be carried out on live television (nice bit of industry self-satire, that). The government can burn books, ban religion, and run a surreal kangaroo court, but they can't break Wordsworth's spirit.

Meredith—whose career highlights spanned from playing George in 1939's Of Mice and Men to the Penguin on TV's Batman—was one of Serling's favorite players; just ten episodes earlier, he played the comic lead in the episode "Mr. Dingle the Strong" (opposite Don Rickles). Among Season Two's many other guest stars are William Shatner (Star Trek), Art Carney (The Honeymooners), Agnes Moorehead (Citizen Kane), Robert Cummings (Hitchcock's Saboteur and Dial M for Murder), Franchot Tone (Mutiny on the Bounty), Buddy Ebsen (Breakfast at Tiffany's), Dennis Weaver (Touch of Evil), Shelley Berman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), John Hoyt (Star Trek's "The Cage"), John Astin (The Addams Family), Edward Platt (Get Smart), Dick York (Inherit the Wind), Jack Elam (Gunfight at the OK Corral), Stafford Repp (Batman), and Oscar winners Cliff Robertson (1968's Charly), Dean Jagger (1949's Twelve O'Clock High), and Art Carney (1974's Harry and Tonto). Actors always got juicy, imaginative material from Serling and script contributors Charles Beaumont (twenty-two scripts over the series' run), George Clayton Johnson (roughly eight scripts), and I Am Legend author Richard Matheson (fourteen scripts).

/content/films/3876/3.jpgSeason Two included on-camera intros for Serling—still the best part of each episode—and permanently installed Marius Constant's terrifying theme song as a replacement for Bernard Herrmann's original theme (legendary screen composers Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith continued to contribute scores). The season remains best remembered for Serling's "Eye of the Beholder," an atmospheric tale masterfully directed by Douglas Heyes in the series' trademark chiaroscuro style. In the tradition of short story writers Guy de Maupassant and O. Henry, The Twilight Zone favors late-breaking narrative "twists," often of the karmic variety. The stories could skew to horror ("The Invaders," in which Moorehead fends off tiny aliens), wistful fantasy (radio-days drama "Static" and theatrical ode "The Trouble with Templeton," both about the trap of nostalgia), or comedy that ranged from wry (psychic adventure "A Penny for Your Thoughts") to kooky ("Mr. Dingle the Strong"). Even The Twilight Zone has its Christmas episode in "The Night of the Meek"; Serling pulls it off with the help of Art Carney in one of the all-time-great TV guest-star spots, as an alcoholic department-store Santa who gets his fondest wish. Without a drop of blood, the show could stoke legitimate scares: Matheson's "The Howling Man," with its "is he or isn't he the Devil?" plotline; "Long Distance Call," in which a boy's dead grandmother uses a toy telephone to tempt him to kill himself; and psychological horror tales dealing with maddening dreams, like "Twenty-Two" and "Shadow Play."

Typically, the stories are morality plays, serving out just desserts to criminals ("A Most Unusual Camera," "The Rip Van Winkle Caper"), the arrogant ("The Silence," "The Mind and the Matter") or corruptible Everymen (genie story "The Man in the Bottle"). Some stories are thin, clunkily staged, or dated by repetition (the science-fiction episodes "The Lateness of the Hour" and "The Odyssey of Flight 33" come to mind), and the demands of weekly television could make the show a bit cannibalistic (season opener "King Nine Will Not Return" plays much like a remake of series opener "Where is Everybody?"). The series excels in existential reflections on the nature of reality and human nature, with some of the most interesting episodes teasing the supernatural but ultimately suggesting it's in our heads. Matheson's brilliantly ambiguous "Nick of Time" examines superstition, and Serling's capital-punishment tale "Dust" uses a similar vehicle to explore the human capacity for hatred and, on rarer occasions, mercy. The Twilight Zone remains a hot property (movie star/producer Leonardo DiCaprio has another big-screen adaptation in the works); eerie and endlessly entertaining, it's a bona fide TV classic.

Share/bookmark: del.icio.us Digg Facebook Fark Furl Google Bookmarks Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Yahoo! My Web Permalink Permalink
Bluray

Aspect ratios: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 4

Audio: LPCM Mono

Street date: 11/16/2010

Distributor: Image Entertainment

Image Entertainment has given The Twilight Zone the deluxe treatment on home video for some years now, but this Blu-ray reissue is unbeatable. These shows have always seemed well-preserved to me, but in high-definition, they look well-nigh flawless: transferred from the original camera negative, the 35mm episodes have impeccable contrast and detail, not remotely looking their fifty-year age. The six Season Two episodes shot on videotape don't hold up as well, but don't get me wrong: they have never looked better than they do in these faithful presentations. Image has faced some blowback on its Season 1 set, with some users reporting playback issues, and there are already some rumblings filtering out about the Season 2 set possibly having similar issues. I can report that I watched every minute of every episode on this set with no playback issues (on a PS3). Each episode gets a restored, uncompressed PCM Mono track and an original Dolby Digital Mono track: I recommend the former, which is expertly cleaned up for maximum clarity and minimum aural distraction (hissing or popping now being things of the past).

Though a few bonus features from the Definitive Edition DVDs seem to be casualties of rights issues (Rod Serling on The Mike Wallace Show, Tell it to Groucho, and The Jack Benny Show), this debut Blu-ray set includes everything else previously issued and a whole lot more. I was astounded at the volume of new bonus features (though the packaging misleadingly suggests that the fifteen Twilight Zone radio dramas previously heard on The Definitive Edition DVDs are exclusive to Blu-ray). Chief among the new extras are twenty-five new audio commentaries, most including series expert Marc Scott Zicree (author of the invaluable The Twilight Zone Companion); among the participants are series writer George Clayton Johnson, comic book writers Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, author/film historian Gary Gerani, author/music historian Steven C. Smith, author/film & TV historian Martin Grams Jr., writer/music historian Jon Burlingame, writer/producer Joseph Dougherty, writer/director Michael Nankin, and authors/historians Scott Skelton and Jim Benson. These are terrific tracks, affectionate and thoughtful in examining the themes of the shows, with Zicree and others providing behind-the-scenes information. (Returning from the DVDs are audio commentaries with Don Rickles, Donna Douglas, Bill Mumy & writer William Idelson, Cliff Robertson, Dennis Weaver, and Shelley Berman, though be forewarned, the Rickles commentary humorously runs only three minutes and nineteen seconds.)

Also new to Blu-ray are interviews with actors Joseph Ruskin and H.M. Wynant. Likewise, the fourth disc in the set contains three new bonuses: vintage audio interviews with director of photography George T. Clemens and makeup artist William Tuttle, and Serling's single Suspense episode "Nightmare at Ground Zero" (29:27, SD), in its home-video premiere.

Here's an episode-by-episode rundown, including the wealth of previously issued bonuses like isolated music scores:

"King Nine Will Not Return": audio commentary by Martin Grams, Jr., Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Buzz Kulik from 1978, Isolated Music Score by Fred Steiner, Sponsor Billboards for Sanka and Halo Shampoo.

"The Man In The Bottle": interview with Joseph Ruskin, isolated music score, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Ed Begley, Jr.

"Nervous Man In A Four Dollar Room": audio commentary by Gary Gerani, audio commentary by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson, Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Douglas Heyes from 1978, isolated music score by Jerry Goldsmith, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Adam Baldwin.

"A Thing About Machines": audio commentary by Len Wein and Marc Scott Zicree, isolated music score, sponsor billboards.

"The Howling Man": Interview with H.M. Wynant, audio commentary by Gary Gerani, Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Douglas Heyes from 1978, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Fred Willard.

"The Eye of the Beholder": audio commentary by Donna Douglas, audio commentary by Joseph Dougherty and Marc Scott Zicree, audio commentary by Steven C. Smith and Jon Burlingame, audio commentary by Gary Gerani, Marc Scott Zicree interview with Maxine Stuart and Douglas Heyes from 1978, isolated music score by Bernard Herrmann, Alternate End Title, Rare Color Photos, sponsor billboards.

"Nick of Time": audio commentary by Matthew Weiner and Marc Scott Zicree, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Marshall Allman and Jamie Brown Allman.

"The Lateness of The Hour"
: original production slate, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Jane Seymour and James Keach.

"The Trouble With Templeton"
: Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Buzz Kulik from 1978, isolated music score by Jeff Alexander, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Michael York.

"A Most Unusual Camera": Isolated music score, sponsor billboards.

"The Night of the Meek": audio commentary by Len Wein and Marc Scott Zicree, audio commentary by Gary Gerani, original production slate, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Chris McDonald.

"Dust": Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Douglas Heyes from 1978, isolated music score by Jerry Goldsmith, sponsor billboards.

"Back There": isolated music score by Jerry Goldsmith, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Jim Caviezel.

"The Whole Truth": original production slate, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Henry Rollins.

"The Invaders": audio commentary by Michael Nankin and Marc Scott Zicree, audio commentary by Gary Gerani, audio commentary by Jon Burlingame and Gary Gerani, Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Douglas Heyes from 1978, isolated music score by Jerry Goldsmith, sponsor billboards.

"A Penny For Your Thoughts": audio commentary by George Clayton Johnson and Marc Scott Zicree, Marc Scott Zicree interview with writer George Clayton Johnson from 1978, isolated music score, sponsor billboards.

"Twenty-Two": original production slate, isolated music score, sponsor billboard.

"The Odyssey of Flight 33": audio commentary by Gary Gerani, Marc Scott Zicree interview with Robert Serling from 1978, isolated music score, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Daniel J. Travanti.

"Mr. Dingle, The Strong": audio commentary by Don Rickles, audio commentary by Martin Grams, Jr., isolated music score.

"Static": Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Buzz Kulik from 1978, isolated music score, original production slate, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Stan Freberg.

"The Prime Mover": audio commentary by George Clayton Johnson and Marc Scott Zicree, audio commentary by Martin Grams, Jr., isolated music score, sponsor billboard.

"Long Distance Call": audio commentary by Billy Mumy and William Idelson, original production slate.

"A Hundred Yards Over The Rim": audio commentary by Cliff Robertson, audio commentary by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson, Marc Scott Zicree interview with director Buzz Kulik from 1978, isolated music score by Fred Steiner, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Jim Caviezel.

"The Rip Van Winkle Caper": audio commentary by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson, isolated music score, sponsor billboards.

"The Silence": audio commentary by Marv Wolfman and Marc Scott Zicree, sponsor billboard, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Chris McDonald.

"Shadow Play": audio commentary by Dennis Weaver, isolated music score, sponsor billboards.

"The Mind and the Matter": audio commentary by Shelley Berman, isolated music score, sponsor billboards.

"Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?": audio commentary by Marc Scott Zicree, audio commentary by Gary Gerani, isolated music score, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Richard Kind.

"The Obsolete Man": audio commentary by Matthew Weiner and Marc Scott Zicree, isolated music score, sponsor billboards, The Twilight Zone radio drama starring Jason Alexander.

The case also includes a foldout illustrated booklet with this breakdown of episodes and extras, original airdates, and plot descriptions (unfortunately, it doesn't list screenwriters and director credits).

This is a fantastic set that will thoroughly please old and new fans of The Twilight Zone.

Review gear:
Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 55" Plasma 1080p 3D HDTV
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver
Pioneer SP-BS41-LR Bookshelf Speaker (2)
Pioneer SP-C21 Center Speaker
Pioneer SW-8 Subwoofer

Share this review:
Share/bookmark: del.icio.us Digg Facebook Fark Furl Google Bookmarks Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Yahoo! My Web Permalink Permalink
Sponsored Links