ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

You gotta hand it to Science Fiction Theatre, they didn't let the fact that they only had 25 minutes stop them from telling a story that could have filled two hours.

This one bears any uncanny resemblance to The Thing from Another World -- both the source novella and the 1951 movie. Like the movie, it takes place at an arctic research station, it involves an alien spacecraft we never get to see, and it stars Kenneth Tobey.



Like the novella, the alien (also never seen) is telepathic. And like Star Trek, DeForest Kelly plays a doctor. How cool is that?

__

But unlike the movie or the novella, the men find themselves involuntarily reading each other's thoughts -- and they don't know why.

A psychic researcher and his attractive assistant are flown to the North Pole to find out why the men have suddenly gained telepathic powers. Tests are conducted and startling conclusions are reached.

__

I won't spoil the conclusion here, but if you really want to know, just sit quietly, concentrate, and read my mind.

Yes . . . yes . . . now you've got it!

Great ending, huh?

__________________________________

____________ Science Fiction Theatre - Y.O.R.D.


__________
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

You know what I'd love to see, Bud?

A brand new SF Theater anthology TV show.

The premise allows limitless story possibilities since it isn't locked into one concept such as shows about star ships, space stations, futuristic submarines, & so forth.

That was the beauty of The Twilight Zone (although it was more fantasy than sf), or The Outer Limits. The rebooted OL had some wonderful episodes &,as with any TV series, some not so wonderful episodes.

Hiring the finest writers, directors, actors, and crew for a revived SFT, along with today's state of the art Special/Visual FX & a lavish budget would be a dream come true.

[Bud Brewster]

Well . . . I'd love it . . . and you'd love it . . . but I'm not sure very many other people would. The original show is all about the concepts that drive the story, and nothing exciting ever happened.

Ever.

The folks back in 1955 weren't enthusiastic enough to keep it on the air, and many folks today complain about how slow paced it is.

How do you feel about the newer version of The Outer Limits? I love it, and it's just a little like Science Fiction Theatre. The stories explore semi-hard science concepts.

And it almost has exciting parts.
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I felt that the new Outer Limits did some very fine,thoughtful,powerful episodes just as its ancestor did in the 60s.

The new one had the benefit of much more sophisticated visuals. Although I'm sure they also suffered as the original show did from those 2 incessant enemies of television "Time & $$$".

I'm leery of remakes but the new OL remade 4 episodes from the original series. And I thought that they were all terrific. Yep, the new OL gets my 2 thumbs up.

I do believe that networks will never do an anthology TV show again for the reasons you outlined so well.
Some of the best TV was those anthology shows from the 50s.

Sadly, like the westerns, anthology TV shows have gone the way of the horse & buggy.

[Krel]

I thought that the NOL was okay for the first season or two when the had the Bears. Then they dropped the Bear angel, and started pushing their political view in the stories. Then the only thing the show had to offer, was nudity. The original had some episodes celebrating humanity, and some about lost chances. The NOL was about how bad people are.

When they announced the New, New Twilight Zone, I thought, okay. Then they proudly announced that they had hired the people from the NOL, and I knew the show was doomed. I didn't watch a single second of the show, not that it lasted long. The original New Twilight Zone lasted longer.

David.

[Bud Brewster]

[Brigz]

I was looking at that "new" set of "Science Fiction Theater" myself and that led me to your site here. I must say it's a very interesting site for me because I've been a SciFi fan all the way back to when I was six years old and watched Commando Cody every Saturday morning on TV. I also remember watching "Science Fiction Theater" too. At the time it was a bit over my head, but I watched it anyway. But I diverge from my reason for contacting you and those that post here...

I have a complete set of "Science Fiction Theater" but the DVD quality is terrible. I've been waiting for a better set to come along and it appears that this latest set is much better. Just so I can get a better idea of the quality of these new disks, I'd like to ask you to check a few things about them.

The worst episode on my disks is the episode about the baby mammoth - "24. Dead Storage" from the first season. The last five minutes or so are terribly distorted and barely viewable. I'd appreciate it if you could look at the last part of the episode on your new disks and tell me how it looks.

Also are the episodes about 25 minutes long or are they more like 20 minutes? If they are 20 minutes then they have been edited for commercials.

Thanks for any help you can give me. I want to buy this set but if they are too similar to the one's I already have, then I'll just wait and hope for a better set to come along.

Thanks, Dave B.

[Bud Brewster]

I have wonderful news for you, David.

I can tell from your description that the source of your old DVDs is exactly the same as my old ones -- and many of the episodes are so bad they're virtually unwatchable.

However, the new set from Shout Factory range from about the same quality as the best of the old set, on up to a quality much higher.

All pictures in the post above are screen grabs from my own DVDs. And if you click on the link below and then scroll down the thread, you'll find a shot-by-shot comparison of the quality between the old DVDs we've had to put up with and the new ones from Shout Factory.

http://www.allsci-fi.com/viewtopic.php?t=153

Like these two, for example.

Old Version



New Version!



Every episode is complete. Nothing is missing, even when the makers of the DVD's had to insert black-and-white or sepia-tinted sections for several minutes into a color episode to make the episodes complete. And they didn't have to do that very often.

In short, this is the box set we've waited for all these years. Fellow All Sci-Fi member Bulldogtrekker and I both own the DVDs, and despite the fact that we live in different states, we've watched every episode "together" by synchronizing our players and chatting about the episodes on Facebook.

But that's not the end of the good news, David.

A few months back, a very old friend of mine whom I hadn't seen in several years sent me a gift right out of blue -- a brand new box set of Science Fiction Theater. He and I had talked about the show for decades, both of us wishing the day would come when quality videos would finally be offered for sale.

Unfortunately, he was not aware that I'd already bought a set. After receiving his package, I called him up and we talked about what I should do with his gift, since I already owned the box set.

He decided that instead of asking me to mail it back, he wanted me to pass the set on to some fellow science fiction fan who remembered the movies and shows from 1950s as fondly we did.

I'm pleased to announce, sir, that you have passed the audition! Send me your mailing address by PM here on All Sci-Fi and I'll take them to the Post Office in the next few days.

Looking at those DVDs sitting on the shelf with the set I already owned has been bugging the crap out me for months! Thanks for solving my problem.

Bud
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Brigz]

Bud!!!! This is too good to be true. I think I have finally found the brother-hood (and sister-hood) of vintage SciFi that I always wanted to meet. I definitely do want you to send me the DVD's but I can't accepte them without payment. I have a PayPal account and I will send you money -- lets just say it is a donation to your operating expenses for this highly excellent web-site. And tell your buddy that he has found a friend through another friend.

This all reminds me of that famous quote initiated by C3P0 in the first "Star Wars" movie and repeated in I don't know how many other space-opera movies, but with a twist..."I've got a 'good' feeling about this!" (Can you tell that I'm a real Scifi nerd?)

But I blather too much. I'll send that PM with my address as soon as I post this.

Dave

[Bud Brewster]

Oh darn, I already mailed them before you had a chance to pay me for the box set which I got for free from a friend who told me to pass them on to a fellow fan.

Aw, shucks . . .

Well, you'll just have to work off this colossal debt by "blathering" a lot more here on All Sci-Fi. And your attendance is mandatory at our Friday Live Chats.

Furthermore, you're required to be brutally honest with your constructive criticism if you happen to read either of my two novels here on All Sci-Fi.

The Wishbone Express

The Hero Experience

Let this be a lesson to you, young man! Don't accept gifts from strangers!

Bud
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[orzel-w]

I applaud your choice of avatar, Brigz!
_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------

[Brigz]

[Brigz]

[Robert (Butch) Day]

[alltare]