"The Outer Limits" (Revival, 1995-2002) - Broadcast on Showtime (1995-2000) and Sci-Fi Channel (2001-2002)

[Toogs]

On 12/11/2013 at 6:04 AM, DonRocks said:

If you haven't seen it already, you will *love* "The Galaxy Being" - the first episode of The Outer Limits (September 16, 1963).

You can see the entire episode (it's an hour long) on Hulu. This episode just celebrated its 50th birthday.

You're welcome. 

I'd like to say the 90's revival of Outer Limits was better than it was, but "The Sandkings" (Season 1, Episode 1), starring Beau Bridges and Helen Shaver, Special Guest Appearance by Lloyd Bridges (just three years before he passed), is worth watching. The story is even better, by George RR Martin before Game of Thrones took over his life and he developed writer's block.

[DonRocks]

As with "The Galaxy Being," you can see the entire episode (90 minutes long) of "The Sandkings" on Hulu.

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ETA: Thank you *so much*, Toogs, for having introduced me to this series which I didn't even know existed. (Those of you who don't know me, and even those who do, may not realize something: I virtually never watch television, and in fact, I basically stopped watching sometime in the 1980s which probably partially explains why I'm so socially disconnected and out-of-touch. It's also why I *love* watching TV when I do - it's actually something I look forward to in later life.

This episode, "The Sandkings," is gripping, and incorporates so many different techniques of what made early movies great, that I can't even go into them.

Do not, repeat, do not watch it if you are in the least bit squeamish about creepy-crawly things.

(Spoiler Alerts Follow, Watch it before reading these off-the-cuff, on-the-fly remarks)

Beau Bridges as Icarus, SandKings biting the hand of the "God" that feeds them

Very much of an "X-Files" feel (X-files ran from 1993-2002 - coincidence?)

If you like the X-Files, and haven't seen this, you'll love this.

Halfway through the episode, I said to myself, aloud, "Oh my God, I cannot believe there's another 45 minutes left."

Not in a bad way; in a good way. This was thrilling, suspenseful, and curl-up-with-your-honey scary.

Cowboy. Poor Cowboy.

When she didn't get the job, there was a Shining-like apathy from Simon. Disengagement with reality.

The music, the first time the (X-files-like agent drove away in his BMW) was a brief nod to the music in The Galaxy Being.

Just Simon walking into the room (when Cath broke the glass) was again, Shining-like, dream-like, of course.

The gargoyles are Exorcist symbolism, almost surely.

The "red vs. white" conflict was a low, made-for-TV moment, bordering on being gratuitous.

The tortured, younger son, feeling like he has something to prove to his mean old dad.

This poor man, devolving into madness as his wife, son, and father look on.

Of course, the bite and the resulting infection had a lot of do with it, but the seeds were sown

The second coming of "God" - what an allusion. Man is not God.

Even aspects of "The Mummy," granted, gratuitous, towards the end.

What a sad, cautionary tale of both universal truth, and familial loss.

A Teminator 2 Ending - this TV show wrapped many, many movies into one episode.

Thank you, Toogs, for introducing me to the strange disquieting, world of "The Sandkings."