Okay, so they still haven't put the series in chronological order. Don't wait -- this will probably never happen. It's an anthology series and there is no continuity here that absolutely demands you have the episodes in order. But what Image has done is put 9 volumes in each box set (Vols. 1-9 are contained in Collection 1) and made the cases a little more compact. These are great cases, by the way, and the box isn't just something to throw away either. The episodes in Collection 1 are among the most memorable: "To Serve Man", "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", "Time Enough At Last", "The Lonely", "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street", "The Invaders", and "It's A Good Life", to name only a few of the 35 episodes.

Quite simply, these releases (meaning not only Collection 1, but the 4 others) mean that you'll be able to own the series on DVD for [much less money than]it would cost you to buy the volumes individually...


OUTSTANDING!!   December 22, 2003
 54 out of 55 found this review helpful

I don't know what your favorite TV show is but mine has ALWAYS been "The Twilight Zone". It bothered me that for years we could get "Gilligan's Island" re-runs but there were never any of "The Twilight Zone". I hadn't seen an episode for over 35 years so I finally decided to check out their availability on DVD (after all, my teen-age daughter has all of the episodes of "Friends" on DVD). The price was a bit steep but I came into some extra money and took the plunge. I have been completely satisfied with this package of 36 episodes on a set of 9 DVDs. After I ordered it, I talked them up to my 11 year old son who looked forward to watching them with me. He was impressed as well. I mention that because today's youth seem overly focused on modern technology and these episodes left a lot to your imagination.

"The Twilight Zone" was a unique TV series that mixed excellent writing (mostly by Rod Serling, himself, in the early seasons), good acting, challenging social issues, and stories that were unsettling if not downright scary. Many of those episodes stayed with me decades after I had seen them; far more than from any other TV show. I watched "Outer Limits", "The Alfred Hitchcock Show" and others. They were very good as well but "Twilight Zone" was always a notch above. Even now, knowing how many of these episodes would turn out, I was impressed by the quality of the product. What surprized me was how excellent they all were. There were some that were in a class by themselves but all were worthwhile. "Monsters are Due on Maple Street" was always my favorite and it is in this collection along with such all-time favorites as Burgess Meredith's classic "Time Enough at Last", William Shatner in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", Jack Warden in "The Lonely", "To Serve Man", and Billy Mumy in the haunting "It's a Good Life". However, my favorite episode now is "Walking Distance" in which Gig Young discovers why you can't go home again. Many of the messages in these stories are timeless.

I saved up some money and am ready to order the next set. My son is as anxious to see them as I am.


Now Entering...The Nostalgia Zone   June 8, 2003
 31 out of 34 found this review helpful

Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the geyeballh version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting.

Each collection has its ghitsh and gmissesh, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked.


A blockbuster collection!   April 2, 2003
 29 out of 32 found this review helpful

For all Twilight Zone fans, you've hit the jackpot with this outstanding collection of episodes in the first installment.

Featuring 35 episodes over 9 discs, it is a true gem of a deal and certainly worth the money. There are Twilight Zone sets that can be purchased that are in chronological order but if you're not that picky, you only have to look this far to be completely satisfied. Each program is digitally remastered and reveals an impressive video quality considering this material is more than 2 decades old. Very few digital artifacts are present and detail is excellent.

The DVD set has some nice special features offered also which adds to the enjoyment including: Rod Serling Biography, Twilight Zone history, Episode reviews, Cast Information, and Season by Season commentary. There are 4 other collections that complete the entire set and give you every episode ever done (156 total I think). They all have the special features too and are wonderfully done.

Even if you are not a Twilight Zone fan but are intrigued by science-fiction, fantasy, the unknown, the uncanny, or whatever else, you will probably find yourself immensely pleased with the content offered here. A very highly recommended collection that is exceptionally well done at a nice price. Enjoy!


savings?   October 11, 2004
 22 out of 30 found this review helpful

I have just purchased my fifth and final set, with over $400.00 invested now, and then I see this product at Wal-Mart at an everyday low price of $48.23. I thoght Amazon was more competitive than that. Major, major RIP-OFF!!!