The Twilight Zone: Vol. 14

Movie / Show Details

Amazon.com

Volume 14 of The Twilight Zone on DVD is a wall-to-wall tribute to series creator Rod Serling. All four TV episodes represented here are original ideas scripted by Serling himself, with his strengths–and some of his weaknesses–on display. “One for the Angels” was the second episode broadcast in the series and demonstrates Serling’s sentimental streak: an aging street peddler (former vaudevillian Ed Wynn) is confronted by Death (Murray Hamilton, bearing a curious resemblance to Serling), but strikes a clever deal to forestall his demise. Ah, but there’s always a catch… “The Man in the Bottle” is a variation on the old genie-in-a-magic-lamp number, except that this time the elegant genie comes out of an ordinary wine bottle. Luther Adler plays a bitter antique store owner who learns his lesson in four short wishes. Not much of an episode, really, but the punch line to the third wish is one of those startling twists that stuck in the collective imagination of Zone fans everywhere. The eerie “Arrival” indulges Serling’s fondness for aviation stories, as a DC-3 pulls into a hangar with not a soul aboard–not even the pilot. Like many of Serling’s tales, it follows the theme of regret, which also hangs heavy in “In Praise of Pip,” the opening episode of the series’ fifth and final broadcast year, 1963. A two-bit bookie (Jack Klugman) reflects on his wasted life when he learns that his son is near death on a Vietnam battlefield. Although the episode is derivative of Serling’s previous efforts on the same topic, this one does provide a glimpse of two actors who appeared frequently on the Zone, Klugman and kid actor Billy Mumy. Klugman’s anguished aside about Vietnam (“There isn’t even supposed to be a war going on there, and my kid is dying”) may well be American popular culture’s first, hesitant questioning of a war that would soon bloom into a national nightmare. –Robert Horton

Product Description

This classic series ranged from comedic to tragic, and never fell short on twists. Often featuring memorable guest appearances from stars such as Martin Landau, Burgess Meredith, Adam West, and many others, this series ushered in a new era of sci-fi television. Episodes: “One for the Angels” (Ep. 2, October 9, 1959) – A salesman (Ed Wynn) cleverly eludes Death. But if he lives, a little girl must die in his place. Only the salesman’s greatest pitch can save her! “The Man in the Bottle” (Ep. 38, October 7, 1960) – A discontented curio shop owner thinks he’s finally found happiness when a genie he discovers in an old bottle grants him four wishes. But be careful what you wish for. “The Arrival” (Ep. 67, September 22, 1961) – A plane lands safely, but all its passengers, pilot and crew are missing! When a veteran FAA investigator is called upon to solve the mystery, his own past provides the answer. “In Praise of Pip” (Ep. 121, September 27, 1963) – An alcoholic bookie (Jack Klugman) regrets that he wasn’t a better father to his son, Pip (Bill Mumy), critically wounded in South Vietnam. A visit to an amusement park gives them both a second chance.