The Outer Limits - New Series Collection (Aliens Among Us / Death & Beyond / Fantastic Androids & Robots / Mutations & Transformations / Sex & Science Fiction / Time Travel & Infinity)

Rating: NR

Distributor: MGM Home Entertainment

Release Date: June 21, 2005
Review posted: July 7, 2005

Reviewed by Jon Bjorling

SYNOPSIS

An anthology of science fiction stores looking at the human condition.

CRITIQUE

Watching the new Outer Limits series is interesting, especially when comparing the show to the original 1963 version. While the original show did expand beyond its “monster of the week” feel, it never strayed THAT far from it by still tapping into the xenophobic feelings of Cold War America. However, this new Outer Limits series goes above and beyond the original series. While stories that deal with racism, insanity, sexuality, and abandonment are nothing new, this series tackles them in ways that would never have been possible in the 60’s.

Each collection contains six 45-minute long episodes. The stories range from aliens using human bodies to procreate to doctors trying to find ways to revive comatose patients and everywhere in between. Some episodes, such as “Black Box” (about a psychologist who is trying to extract much needed information from a dying man who is now trapped inside his own collapsing psychodrama) are wonderfully written and directed. Other episodes, such as “Flower Child” (about an alien flower who is searching for the right human to help “pollinate” her) are best skipped.

The Outer Limits - The New Series is released as one six-volume set or six individually themed releases, which include:

Disc 1: Aliens Among Us episodes:

1) Quality of Mercy
2) Afterlife
3) The Grell
4) Relativity Theory
5) Alien Shop
6) Beyond The Veil

Disc 2: Death & Beyond episodes:
1) The Second Soul
2) The Other Side
3) New Lease
4) Essence of Life
5) Human Trials
6) Black Box

Disc 3: Fantastic Androids & Robots episodes:
1) I, Robot
2) The Hunt
3) Resurrection
4) The Camp
5) Glitch
6) Small Friends

Disc 4: Mutations & Transformations episodes:
1) The New Breed
2) Descent
3) The Joining
4) Double Helix
5) The Gun
6) The Inheritors

Disc 5: Sex & Science Fiction episodes:
1) Caught In The Act
2) Bits Of Love
3) Valerie 23
4) The Human Operators
5) Skin Deep
6) Flower Child

Disc 6: Time Travel & Infinity episodes:
1) A Stitch In Time
2) Tribunal
3) Gettysburg
4) Time To Time
5) Deja Vu
6) Patient Zero

THE VIDEO

The video quality of these DVDs is poor. Every episode is grainy, though the level of grain does change from episode to episode.

THE AUDIO

All three collections are mixed in Dolby Digital 2.0 surround. The mixes are really good, though, on a few episodes I wished there were 5.1 surround mixes.

THE EXTRAS

Each DVD contains a ”Origins of the Outer Limits” featurette, which discusses the creation of the show and talks a little bit about how this series differs from the original.

Each DVD also contains a documentary about the making of the episodes that are featured on each collection, however, in the case of the Sex and Sci-Fi Collection; this documentary is broken up into 6 parts by episode.

The Aliens Among Us Collection also differs from the others by having a making of the episode “Quality of Mercy.” All the documentaries are brief looks at the creation of the episode and, while informative, are still lacking in great info.

FINAL THOUGHT

The collections are pretty good. Each one showcases what this new Outer Limits series was capable of and rarely fails to disappoint.

VERDICT: RECOMMENDED

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