A product of their times, of course they are. But Pam Grier is outstanding in all of these films, truly outstanding.

The animation of this low budget 1954 British cartoon Film isn't in the same league as Disney's extravaganza's of the same period.
But what it lacks in polish it more then makes up for in substance.
~~~~
The long suffering animals of Manor Farm have finally had enough of farmer Jones's abuses,and launch a revolution.
Driving him out,and off the farm.
But for the animals this is the start of something much worse.
~~~~
George Orwell(a Democratic Socialist)and life long member of the Independent Labour party,wrote this Anti-Stalinist Allergory not as a satire against Marxism(Orwell agreed with many of Marx's policies,and respected Lenin.)but about the corruption of the Stanlinist years.
Millions of ordinary Russian's suffered and perished under his tyranny.
To Help people whom may have not read this excellent book.
Here's a list of the Main characters,and whom they represent.
Farmer Jones = Nicolas 2nd of Russia.
Napoleon = Stalin.
Snowball = Trotsky.
Napoleon's personal bodygaurd = The K.G.B.
Squealer = Pravda.
Boxer = A tragic Avatar of the Russian working class.
Benjamin = Russian Jews.
Old Major = A mixture of Lenin & Marx.
Mr Fredrick = Adolf Hitler.
Mr Pilkington = The UK & US.
~~~~
When Napoleon replaces the song,"Beasts of England" with the deliberately inane "Animal Farm",this is meant to reflect when Stanlin replaced
"The Internationale" with the "Hymn of the Soviet Union".
The ending of the film is much more upbeat then the Novel as it has the Animals revolting against Napoleon's regime.
But as what's happened to the Soviet Union since 1984,I'd say the Film is more accurate.
The royalties from the book gave Mr Orwell a comfortable living for the rest of his life.
First published UK 17/8/45,US 26/8/46.
Time Magazine has had this Novel in it's all time 100 best books since published.
A Good Film and Book.Strongly Recommended.

~~~~

At last, this seminal film is getting a quality release it's long deserved.

I still remember the tingle of apprehension I got the first time I heard Robbie say,

"Morbius, something approaching from the South West."

The eerie electronic score and sound effects also make this a film that stands out from the crowd of 50's Science Fiction,

and the design of Robbie the Robot is so good it's still an impressive sight now.

~~~~

The originality of this show is outstanding, it is the yardstick by which all other Sci-Fi Anthology shows have to be measured. Nearly every episode is an absolute Gem.
I can still remember as a child having to go out the room when "The Children of Spider County's","Bear" appeared. (Well I was a nervous child.)
Stefano was pressurised by "external forces" to include a monster of the week even when the story was strong enough not to need one.
One of those monsters the Zanti's have got to be THE most weird and wackiest aliens that have ever been shown on TV.
~~~~
This show had the guts to step outside the formulaic format and take risks.
(Example :~ comedy episodes like Controlled Experiment.)
Everything from the directing,the editing,the filming and the lighting are so stylishly done, you find yourself overlooking plot deficiencies.
This show is only worthy of praise.
~~~~
32 episodes,Originally broadcast:~16/9/63-4/5/64.
I have both Region 1 & 2 versions plus a few NTSC Videotapes.
On my region 2 version the 8 disc's are single sided.
I've also reviewed season 2.
THIS IS HOW TV SCI-FI SHOULD BE MADE!

Even though this season lacked the genius of Joseph Stefano,Leslie Stevens and Dominic Frontiere there are still some good stories.

"Demon with a Glass Hand" for all it's stagey stylized appearance is still in my eyes,"A work of art".

Come to think about it,it IS the stagey stylized look that makes this episode stand out.(If I could I would rate this story 5 stars alone)

"Soldier" is still very good.Where,"Terminator" got it's influence is pretty obvious.

My now Ex-2nd Wife who was not a Sci-fi fan sat glued to her seat during the Human interest story that was,"The Premonition".

And like most adult males, the little boy in me likes a good monster story and,"The Invisible Enemy" hits the spot.

(I always wondered how they got that monster sand shark to come out of the sand like that,and thanks to,"The Outer Limits Official Companion"I finally know,it's clever stuff.)

"The Inheritors" still brings a lump to the throat of this,"stiff upper lip" Britisher.(Especially part 2.)

~~~~

In summing up, a flawed set of some good some average stories, but at least this show was prepared to take risks in story format terms, and is still a hundred times better then the full of boreingly stereotypical characters and computer generated effects rubbish that is today's Sci-Fi shows!

17, 50 minute episodes.

Originally broadcast:~19/9/64-16/1/65.

My region 2 version consists of 5 discs.(single-sided)Which play perfectly.

I also have the Region 1 releases of both seasons but I no longer play them as they've started to crack.

(See also my review of season 1.

~~~~

TRIVIA:~The actress who play's Consuelo Biros in "Demon with a Glass Hand"(Arlene Martel),three years later played the part of Mr Spock's wife to be,T'Pring in the Star Trek episode,Amok Time.

A COLD WAR BACKGROUND.

Most shows in the Sci-fi genre are either pure Science Fiction,Science Fantasy or Sci-Fi/Horror.

But this show takes the less used path of Sci-Fi/Spy Thriller.

And it's blend of Science-Fiction and Thriller elements are done to perfection.

The format has a vein of cold war paranoia running through it,(at the time it was made, 1960's, that's not surprising.) it could have worked equally well with East European enemy agents instead of Alien Invaders, but I prefer the Sci-Fi element in it.

One element of the show I could criticize though,is,if these aliens were capable of making Spacecraft that can traverse Solar Systems,why could they not make a mutated free little finger.Which a few of the Invaders exhibited.

I realize it was a plot-device used by the writers solely for dramatic purposes, it just seemed a little too easy for me.

~~~~

CHARACTERS.

Roy Thinnes hit's all the right notes as the frightened and intimidated architect David Vincent, leading a one man crusade against the Invaders.

As this was a Quinn Martin production some critics compared it to QM's other long running show;

"The Fugitive",and in some respects there was a degree of similitude.

(Both Heroes crossing and re-crossing the Country in search of their quarry).But there was one big difference.

Kimble in the end got his man. Vincent,no matter how many Invaders he got,he could never get them all on his own.

In season two he meets Edgar Scoville,and a group of like minded people called "The Believers",who provide cash and connections in which to help Vincent in his fight.

This is one of the better Science-Fiction shows of the late Sixties.

And I intend to purchase it,that is, WHEN it's eventually released!

US premiere:~10/1/67(ABC)

UK premiere:~21/1/67(ITV)

(Only got a UK network run in 1984 on BBC 2)

~~~~

List of episodes:~43 in total.

Season 1:~

Beachhead

The experiment

The mutation

The leeches

Genesis

Vikor

Nightmare

Doomsday minus one

Quantity:unknown

The innocents

The ivy curtain

The betrayed

Storm

Panic

Moonshot

Wall of crystal

The condemned

~~~~

Season 2:~

Condition red

The saucer

The watchers

Valley of the shadow

The enemy

The trial

The spores

Dark outpost

Summit meeting (part1)

Summit meeting (part2)

The prophet

Labyrinth

The captive

The believers

The ransom

Task force

The possessed

Counter-attack

The pit

The organization

The peacemaker

The vise

The miracle

The life seekers

The pursued

Inquisition.

~~~~

OPINION.

A good show that (Like 1966 Batman)should be on sale NOW.

I only do reviews on programme's I have, and nearly always try to give a balanced and favourable review but I'm afraid where Irwin Allen shows are concerned it's always going to be a NEGATIVE one.This show is an total travesty of sci-fi tv shows.I have this season in my rapidly expanding DVD collection but apart from the first 5 stories which are So-so I wish I hadn't bought it.

Even though I was only Eight or Nine when it came on British TV I can still remember thinking "This is rubbish".

I only bought it because I thought my memory of it had been overly critical, but no, oh no it hadn't been.

Most of the stories have no form of resolution to them,a monster appear's and wrecks havoc for forty minutes then just leaves,...er...Why?

In the first episode Smith is portrayed as a slick cold hearted spy/saboteur by episode five he's a spineless gibbering coward,

thats what I call good character development how on Earth can ANYBODY take this character seriously?

~~~~

Why after the first Five stories is every story the same? Smith, Will and the Robot wander off and meet an unconvincing "Alien" or alien artifact

Smith scream's and faints. (He does this EVERYTIME it is so annoying)

Then he spends the rest of the episode scheming with the alien's to "do the dirty" on the Robinson family. And those idiots the Robinson's forgive him! that is until next week when the same sorry things happen all over again.

Save your money and buy the magnificent "Outer limits"

(original series),thats REAL Sci-Fi with a gothic twist.

THIS IS REAL JUNK.

WARNING,WARNING TAKE HEED OF MY REVIEW TITLE....OH THE PAIN THE PAIN