The television series The Twilight Zone was created by Rod Serling in the late 1950s as a response of sorts to the problems he encountered working on other television series. A frequent problem was the input of the sponsors and network censors, which killed any ideas that they felt might be controversial. Serling had an idea that if he couched his social and political commentary in a science fiction setting, they would let it slide, not always getting the point he was driving at. He was correct in that regard, which speaks to the fact that both Serling and his audience were likely smarter than the network censors.

The other way this series benefitted was that its anthology format lured actors to it who were already famous or who weren’t yet famous but didn’t want to be tied down to a television series. In this DVD, actors who appear include Martin Milner, Vera Miles, Ed Wynn, and William Windom.

When I began reviewing this series of DVDs, one issue I had was the way they were cobbled together. Instead of issuing them in the order they were aired or in season-long boxed sets, the studio issued them in volumes of four episodes surrounding a central theme of sorts. I wondered if as the numbers rose, it would be harder and harder to find a central theme. This has proven to be the case as it seems that there is less and less that binds the episodes together.

In this case, one episode has a woman seeing the image of herself in the mirror and an apparent doppelganger talking to the same people as she does, creating confusion. The second episode has a peddler selling dust he has taken from the ground in a dry western town as magic dust, and the result is as surprising to him as it is to those who are following the story. The third entry has five people from a variety of backgrounds trapped in a room with only one way out – up. Finally, the last episode is the story of an old man who believes that if he lets a grandfather clock wind down, his life will end.

These stories are good and fall into the central theme of The Twilight Zone, where there is a supernatural or science-fiction twist at the end. Being able to view these stories uncut and uninterrupted is worth the time invested in watching them. The stories hold up over the years, which is a testament to the writing and production quality that went into these episodes. My children all enjoy watching them, and their grandparents were teenagers when this show was on the air.

I also have no complaints about the transfer. The picture quality is good, especially for a black and white production. There is no snow or interference in the picture throughout the DVD. The sound turned fuzzy a couple of times, but it wasn’t to the point where it really interfered with viewing it or understanding what the characters were saying. Overall, the technical quality is a plus.

The other thing that hurts this DVD production is the lack of DVD extras. What is here is a repeat of everything that’s been on other discs. Some parts have been fine-tuned for the episodes contained on this DVD, but a good bit of it is exactly the same.

If you want to check out these episodes, it’s worth renting the DVDs. I wouldn’t buy them because I don’t think it’s worth investing in 40-ish volumes of DVDs that really make it difficult to find particular episodes and don’t have a good amount of extras.

Mirror Image

Millicent Barnes is waiting for a bus to Cortlandt, which is late. The weather isn’t good, and the depot clerk tells Millicent it will be there when it gets there. He tells her she’s asked about the bus every fifteen minutes, but she swears it’s the first time she’s asked about it. Millicent spots a suitcase that looks just like hers.

She goes to the restroom, where the attendant also makes a comment about her having just been in there. She argues with the woman, then spots an image of her sitting on the bench in the waiting room in the mirror. When she ventures out, no one is sitting there.

Millicent is becoming increasingly agitated. Another passenger waiting for the bus, Paul Grinstead, tries to calm her down. When they go out to get on the bus, Millicent runs away, having spotted a woman on the bus who looks exactly like her right down to the clothes she is wearing. The woman on the bus appears quite satisfied with herself.

Dust

A peddlar, Sykes, enters a western town that appears to be fast becoming a ghost town. The remaining residents are familiar to Sykes. There’s about to be an execution by hanging of Gallegos, who killed a little girl beneath his wagon-wheels while drunk. Sykes sells the sheriff rope for the hanging.

Gallegos’ father comes to town and begs for his son’s life while professing his sorrow over the little girl’s death. Sykes sells the man a vial of dust that he tells him is magical. It will turn hate into love and stop the execution. Of course, he is scamming the man and getting a good laugh out of it as well. That is, until the rope breaks.

Five Characters in Search of an Exit

A major lands in what appears to be some sort of circular room. He is greeted by a clown. The major cannot remember who he is or how he got there. The clown points out “the rest of us,” which includes a ballerina, a Scotsman with bagpipes, and a hobo. All of them have no memory of how they got there or what happened before they arrived there.

The major asks who gives them food or water and is told no one. He panics about starving to death until the ballerina points out that none of them feel hungry or thirsty. Their discussion is interrupted by a loud noise similar to a gong.

I would have sworn the clown was portrayed by Cesar Romero as it’s quite similar to his portrayal of “The Joker” on the Batman series.

Ninety Years Without Slumbering

Sam Forstmann lives with his granddaughter, Marnie, and her husband, Doug. Sam has a grandfather clock that he keeps in meticulous condition and calls “my friend”.

Doug wants Sam to visit a psychiatrist. Sam tells the story of the clock being given by his father to his mother on the day he was born. He does admit that he believes if the clock stops ticking, so will he. The psychiatrist diagnoses Sam as having an unnatural obsession with the clock and says they should get rid of it.

While having the clock moved, the pendulum stops moving for a few seconds, and Sam keels over. In a fit of anger, Sam agrees to sell the clock. Carol, a neighbor, takes it, allowing Sam to go take care for it as needed. When she and her husband go away for the weekend, he knows the clock will wind down, and there is nothing he can do about it.


INSIDE THE TWILIGHT ZONE SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Rod Serling Bio
• Season by Season
• History of the Twilight Zone
• Reviews and Credits