Son of a Glitch!

I stumbled across the following comment (left in response to my 1/08/2023 post):

Naturally I had to investigate.

First I had to rip all three distinct Blu-ray versions of "The Human Factor," to see if the file sizes were different between them (depending on the size of your screen, you may need to click on the image below to read the numbers):

Predictably, the Mediumrare file is identical to the Via Vision file (since the former used the latter's disc masters). The Kino file (the O.G. from 2018) is slightly larger, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. The technical specs (video and audio bitrates, etc.) are identical across all three (again, you may need to click on it to actually read it):

Step #2 required me to spot-check each file at the 40-minute mark in question (the target section was 39:59 through 40:10). First, the Kino version from 2018:

...which looked just fine. But when I checked the 2020 Via Vision file, my fears were confirmed: there is indeed a glitch at 40:03 that affects the lower quarter of the frame (right when the desk nurse starts to speak):

Not surprisingly, the same glitch is present in the 2022 Mediumrare file:

So... yeah, this kinda sucks. But to put things into a bit of perspective, this is one very minor error that only lasts a second or so (this is nothing like the "Soldier" audio debacle, which Kino ultimately fixed). If that's the only thing wrong with the Via Vision and Mediumrare editions (other than the gripes detailed previously in these pages), I'm not going to light a torch and storm the castle. I assume Via Vision did some sort of additional compression when they used Kino's masters (which may account for the slightly-smaller file size), which may have introduced the glitch (which then carried over to Mediumrare's release). But honestly---- I have no idea. This isn't exactly my area of expertise.

Thanks to "Anonymous" for bringing this to my attention.

Promotional Consideration

My friend John Scoleri (who was one half of the legendary We Are Controlling Transmission team... that's right, the ORIGINAL Outer Limits blog) found himself in possession of an interesting video item:

It's a promotional tape that MGM/UA sent to video retailers, pushing the 50th anniversary edition of The Wizard of Oz and the six Outer Limits episodes slated to be released in December 1989. John digitized the entire tape, and I excised the relevant portion. Check it out:

The episodes being advertised ("Corpus Earthling," "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork," "Tourist Attraction," "The Bellero Shield," "A Feasibility Study" and "Don't Open Till Doomsday") brought the total number of released episodes (at that point) to 24, exactly half of the entire run. Coincidentally, these were the final six tapes I bought. As I detailed in my article in the Spring 2021 issue of bare•bones (published by the aforementioned John Scoleri's Cimarron Street Books), I was 20 years old at the time, newly living sans parents and struggling to pay the bills... so pre-recorded videotapes really couldn't compete with necessities like food and electricity. So while I did eventually acquire most of the later 24 volumes through, ahem, unsavory means (mostly copying rented tapes, but I did snag some episodes from the TNT MonsterVision marathons too), these six mark the point at which my official licensed collection ended. Of course, I later amassed a complete collection with lots of duplicates (after starting this blog, in fact).

This video is actually quite similar to the one found on the VHS editions of "Demon with a Glass Hand," "The Zanti Misfits" and "Keeper of the Purple Twilight," which I posted as part of my "Demon" spotlight way back in October 2014 (!). I tried like hell to put a direct link to it here, but evidently my computer Kung Fu ain't what it used to be, so use either "Demon"-specific links earlier in this paragraph to check it out (you'll find it in the Home Video Releases rundown).

Thanks for the video, John!

THE OUTER LIMITS from Mediumrare: Well Done, or Half Baked?

Left: DVD (slipcase front). Right: Blu-ray (slipcase front).

Goodness, time's gotten away from me. I intended to post this back in early January... but my latest Blu-ray audio commentary project (for a feature film that I still can't mention) had a deadline, so I had to focus on that. I managed to get it done and submitted a couple of weeks ago but, as it turns out, my work on that particular release isn't quite finished---- I've been given the green light to produce a documentary featurette to accompany it (similar to the ones I produced for the Night Gallery Blu-rays). I've also got another classic TV commentary assignment coming up (which I also can't reveal yet). So... yeah, my March is gonna be busy. But for anyone out there who's been patiently waiting for details on Mediumrare Entertainment's Outer Limits DVD and Blu-ray releases from December... sorry for the delay. I'll, um... refund your money or whatever.

Left: DVD (slipcase back). Right: Blu-ray (Slipcase back).

First up---- the Blu-ray version. Happily, ALL of the content from the Via Vision effort from 2020 is here, including the exclusive content (detailed in my previous post). There's nothing new, however---- so that "Tourist Attraction" track that Dave Schow and I did, along with the new track for "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork" by Tim Lucas (both detailed here) will languish in silence... for now.

So should you spring for it? Well, it's a helluva lot cheaper than the Via Vision version (not to mention much easier to acquire), and it's the only game in town if you want those exclusive commentaries and stuff. However (and this is a fairly critical however)--- you must be multi-region equipped, as Mediumrare's set is locked to Region B. I bought my first multi-region player about 10 years ago, and lemme tell ya--- it was life-changing. There are a couple of other caveats, which we'll get to in a bit.

On the standard-definition side of things, Mediumrare's DVD release is... well, interesting. The first 13 discs essentially mimic the Via Vision and Kino releases, but then they throw in a 14th disc with lots of extras that are otherwise only found on the Blu-rays (including some of those Aussie-exclusives you won't find on the domestic releases). Also on that 14th disc are Please Stand By (the original pilot) and The Unknown (the alternate version of "The Forms of Things Unknown") along with their attached commentaries. In fact, with this DVD edition, you get everything except the three exclusive Blu-ray commentaries and:

Cliff Robertson – Full TNT Interview (36:00)

Joanna Frank – Full TNT Interview (21:02)

Casting Director Meryl O'Loughlin - TNT Interview (23:44)

Interview with Writer Anthony Lawrence (9:13)

It's that 14th disc that pushes Mediumrare to the front of the pack on the DVD front. However, its packaging is by far the most disappointing: a flimsy cardboard slipcase and one big fat plastic inner case (with those horrific hinged stacked-disc page-flippers inside). I wasn't surprised by this, truth be told... but I was shocked to discover that their Blu-ray (which again matches Via Vision's in terms of content) has THE IDENTICAL SHITTY PACKAGING. In fact, it's even the exact same size, but the sleeve art is smaller because apparently the Blu-ray logo has to be visible due to some Draconian BDA (Blu-Ray Disc Association) requirement.

Left: DVD (inner case front). Right: Blu-ray (inner case front).

One more gripe, if you'll permit me: there are NO booklets to be found in either edition. All you get is a basic list of the episodes on the reverse of the case insert... which means you have to take several discs out just to see it (or I guess you can just jimmy out the insert--- like I did; see below--- but who wants to do that every time?). And even then, there's no way to know who's providing commentary on which episodes... you have to load up the disc to find out for yourself. Boo. I'm still planning on posting a comprehensive list of everything at some point... just gotta find the time.

But it's what's inside that really counts, yes? What Mediumrare has done is made the contents of the unobtainable Australian Blu-ray available to the world, and bested all the other DVD releases at the same time.... that is, if you've got a multi-region player (or live in Region B). Other than the cheap packaging (and the region-locking, and the lack of booklets), they do deserve some measure of kudos.

But for me, Via Vision's Blu-ray set (in that glorious hard box) is still the one to beat. I've said it before: 2023 is the show's 60th anniversary, so there's still time for any of these three labels---- or perhaps some fourth as yet unknown entity--- to do something even more spectacular. Dave Schow and I (and our Commentary Crew cohorts) still have lots to say in the form of audio commentaries, and I'd love the opportunity to put together a video featurette on the home video history of the show too.

Persistence of (Via) Vision

I now have the UK-exclusive Outer Limits Complete Series (both Blu-ray and DVD) sets from Mediumrare Entertainment in hand; however, that's not what today's entry is about. Before we explore those, I want to back up a step and give the 2020 Australian releases from Via Vision a bit more attention.

As previously reported, the Via Vision Blu-ray improves on Kino's 2018 effort in terms of both content and packaging. Let's hit the packaging first: The set is comprised of two Blu-ray cases (one for each season) and a lavish booklet, nestled rather tightly inside a gorgeous hard outer box.

'Rather tightly' is an understatement. It's SUPER tight in there. But look at that box! There are obviously more iconic aliens/monsters to choose from, but given how brilliantly successful this turned out, I don't mind seeing Ikar there at all. It's a classy job through and through. Sorry Kino, but those clunky digipacks can't touch this.

But it doesn't end there. Via Vision's effort includes all the bonus content from Kino's releases and augments the package with a number of new, exclusive extras:

Audio commentary on "The Hundred Days of the Dragon" by Tim Lucas

Audio commentary on "The Architects of Fear" by David J. Schow

Audio commentary on "The Man Who Was Never Born" by Craig Beam

THE UNKNOWN UNKNOWN audio essay by David J. Schow (regarding a newly-discovered early draft of Joseph Stefano's "The Forms of Things Unknown")

The First Control Voice (early radio spots by Leslie Stevens)

Season Two original ABC commercial spot

Seasons One & Two photo gallery

60 PAGE BOOKLET featuring essays by David J. Schow and episode guide

The booklet, which is essentially both the Kino Blu-ray booklets smooshed together.

Ikar's head extends to the top of the case. Adorable.

In 2020, the Via Vision Blu-ray release was far and away the single greatest release of the series in the history of home video. I never bothered to get the DVD edition (despite my pathological completist nature), an oversight that I finally rectified about a month ago. I assumed that it would come in a similar hard outer box (though it certainly wasn't advertised as such), so the flimsy slipcase that greeted me when I opened the package was admittedly a bit of a disappointment. It's the same exact design, which I do like, but... it still feels cheap (I guess Ikar's head isn't nearly as impressive if you can't pull it off).

The real shocker for me was the discovery that all that exclusive content found on the Blu-ray edition (including my new commentary for "The Man Who Was Never Born") is NOT present on the DVD version. Further, all the Blu-ray content that Kino didn't include in their 2018 DVD* is also missing here (so, basically, this is a clone of Kino's DVD effort). While Kino included a booklet with both the Blu-ray and DVD releases of Season 1, only the Season 2 Blu-ray came with a booklet (and, as previously reported, their 2022 Blu-ray reissues omit the booklets entirely). The Via Vision Complete Series DVD is similarly lacking a booklet, so no proper episode guide is included. The episodes are listed on the reverse of the case inserts, so at least you can see where to find each episode, and asterisks are employed to denote which episodes feature audio commentaries... but that's it. Who did the commentary for "Nightmare," you ask? You'll have to load up the disc to find out (spoiler alert: it's not me, and his initials are DJS). 

Left: spines. Right: Um... the other side. The opposite of spines. Anti-spines?

Hey! I just thought of a hilarious idea: they should've used the image of one of Ikar's soldiers on the DVD to further differentiate the two. It's especially appropriate since, like the DVD version, the soldier is taller and dumber.

So while Via Vision's Blu-ray edition is (or at least was, in 2020 when it was released) the gold standard of The Outer Limits on home video, their corresponding DVD edition is unfortunately... well, nothing special. Via Vision's efforts represent both ends of the spectrum: the best Blu-ray, and the worst DVD. You'd be better off just getting the Kino DVDs from 2018, since at least you'll get a booklet with Season 1.

But c'mon. It's 2023. Why buy DVD at all when you can enjoy the series in high definition on Blu-ray? It boggles my mind that DVD is still a thing, especially since it's been superseded by superior formats twice (Blu-ray and, more recently, 4K UHD). But apparently DVD is *still* the highest-selling home video format.

This is particularly bizarre since virtually ALL televisions sold are either high definition (1080p) or 4K. A helluva lotta people are either still using 20+ year-old TVs or they just don't care how things look. 

What REALLY kills me is that the Via Vision Blu-ray (again, the single greatest home video release of the series ever) was strictly limited to 1,500 units, and they sold out pretty fast (I tried to track down a second backup copy recently, and I couldn't find one anywhere---- not on eBay, not on Australian eBay, not on Australian Amazon, not on Via Vision's website, nowhere. They're just gone, baby, gone. There are rumors that they may be doing a second run at some point this year (which would make it a 60th anniversary release, so hopefully they present it as such if it happens), but for right now---- if you don't have the Australian Blu-ray, you're outta luck.

Shortly after Kino released their 2022 Blu-ray reissues (which deleted the booklets but switched from digipacks to standard cases), UK-based Mediumrare Entertainment announced that they'd be releasing a Complete Series Blu-ray and DVD of their own in December 2022. With the Via Vision Blu-ray out of print and unattainable, the immediate and obvious question was: would the UK release simply replicate the original Kino effort, or would it include the exclusive Australian content? And, perhaps even more importantly, would it include anything new?

I guess I already answered that last question in a previous entry (no, there's no new content). But as to the content that is there.... well, stay tuned. Will the Brits dethrone the Aussies? All will be revealed... soon.

* I don't think I've ever mentioned in these pages that Kino's Season 2 DVD is missing several bonus features found on the corresponding Blu-ray. I'm planning a comprehensive post detailing ALL of the bonus features across all the various home video releases soon.

In die Nachtgalerie...

Kids, let me tell about the time I almost got to do a Blu-ray audio commentary for Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Almost. 

March 2021: word came down that a Blu-ray release of the complete Kolchak was in the works (the two telefilms that preceded the series had already been released by Kino Lorber in 2018, so this release would cover the 20 regular series episodes that followed). I was alerted by David J. Schow (who’d already been tapped to contribute) that Kino was commissioning audio commentaries for all twenty episodes... and there were a few still available. To say I was elated would be an understatement, as I assumed my commentary work on the Outer Limits Blu-rays represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  

But here’s the thing--- whenever Kino notifies its usual stable of commentators that a new TV release is brewing, a mad flurry of emails is unleashed in which everyone voices their assignment preferences. As I recall, I was a bit slow to respond because--- I’m a bit embarrassed to admit--- I wasn’t that familiar with the show, so I had a brief argument with myself regarding whether or not I could actually deliver something worthwhile. By the time I’d thrown caution to the wind… all the episodes were spoken for. We’re only talking a couple of hours here… these things play out like a shark frenzy when a drop of blood hits the water. So I missed my shot, which was admittedly disappointing. I had no time to mourn the loss, however, because that same day, Kino told me that they would be tackling Rod Serling’s Night Gallery next… and that I would be welcome to participate. 

Many of you are aware that I was a Twilight Zone fan(atic) long before I discovered The Outer Limits... in fact, I think of it as my classic TV first love. The thought of actually contributing to Blu-ray releases of the next best thing (remember, it’s the closest thing to a Serling-created sequel that TZ would ever get) was positively mind-blowing. Yeah, I forgot about the whole Kolchak thing real quick. 

Night Gallery’s first season is short--- just the pilot movie and six episodes--- so the most I could hope for would be one episode (remember, the show was an anthology-within-an-anthology, so each episode contained multiple stories). I immediately requested the season-ender that contained Serling’s “They’re Tearing Down Riley’s Bar,” certain that I had no shot given its iconic status (it may be the single best-remembered episode in the entire series or, at the very least, equal in stature to immortal classics like “The Caterpillar” and “Cool Air”). I mean, it’s not like I had anything to lose, right? The worst that could happen is that they’d laugh hysterically and give me “Make Me Laugh” (one of the crappiest installments of the season; hell, of the entire series). On the other hand--- I (li’l ol’ me) had already covered multiple immortal Outer Limits classics (“O.B.I.T.” and “Demon with a Glass Hand,” not to mention “The Man Who Was Never Born” for the Australians), so... who knows? 

Kino gave it to me without batting an eye. I celebrated for about five seconds before the crushing weight of responsibility rested firmly atop my shoulders, its insistent claws digging into my flesh. “Tim Riley” isn’t just a high point for Night Gallery--- it’s the final piece of a tapestry of autobiographical works examining nostalgic longing that Serling started way back in his live TV days. I--- me, Yours Truly, this caveman right here--- would have to somehow craft something worthy of such an important work. And then the icy chill of abject panic set in. I’m pretty sure I got drunk that night, just to settle my nerves (not the first time, and definitely not the last). And that seemed to do the trick... things flowed pretty well once I finally forced myself to start writing, and soon I had well over 52 minutes of material (which is the best problem to have when you have a finite amount of time to fill; cutting is infinitely preferable to padding). And I think it turned out pretty decent overall---- and I did get a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award nomination for it (didn't win, alas).

One of the more fascinating aspects of Night Gallery’s history was the bizarre treatment it received when it was prepared for syndication after its network run aired. I’m not going to recount the whole thing here, but I will give you a thumbnail sketch (or smear, as the case may be): it was an hour show, but was downsized to thirty minutes in its third and final season. The subsequent syndication package was mandated to contain ALL half-hour episodes, which meant significant editing was done to several segments. For the show’s first season, the single most edited (i.e., cut down) segment was “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar" (which was slashed from 40 minutes to 24). As unfortunate as this was (and still is), the tele-butchery at least provided a plethora of talking points for my audio commentary. As a rudimentary study guide of sorts, I created a split-screen video of the complete segment, synched to the hacked-up syndicated version, so I could see where all the holes were. 

I did this purely for my own research purposes… but it got me thinking about the effect of the syndication edits on the series as a whole, and what an important piece of the Night Gallery story they represent (since those syndication versions are STILL in circulation, while the unedited originals are only available on home video). I approached Kino about the viability of including my split-screen video on the Blu-ray set… and to my surprise and delight, they went for it. They provided me with an uncompressed master of the episode (which, if you’re curious, is around 60 gigabytes in size!), and I rebuilt my video in high definition. My initial intent was to simply preface the video with a couple of text screens explaining what the viewer was about to see, but I quickly realized that I could make it prettier than that, with a few graphics and maybe some music… 

Things exploded exponentially from there. My “rudimentary study guide” mutated into a full-fledged Ken Burns-style documentary featurette, examining all the syndication changes to the first season episodes, complete with clips, music and motion graphics (and yes, voiceover narration by Yours Truly). 

I created similar featurettes for the second and third seasons (which can be found on their corresponding Blu-rays, the third of which just dropped a couple of weeks ago). And I’m not gonna lie--- I’m super proud of ‘em. It’s one thing to write and record an audio commentary---- imagine having the entire multimedia spectrum at your fingertips. And honestly, viewers are way more likely to click on a documentary featurette (which can be viewed) versus an audio-only supplement.

The lesson here? If you want something in life, just fucking ask for it. The worst that can happen is that you’ll get turned down (okay, I suppose you could get laughed out of the room in the process). But dammit, sack up and take the risk, because you might get exactly what you want. Fortune favors the bold, somebody somewhere said once (I think, anyway; it sounds vaguely familiar). Just by proposing an idea, just by asking---- I set a chain of events in motion that led to professional gig work. Plus, I can now stop referring to myself as a podcaster-slash-blogger and instead identify as both a film and television historian AND a documentary filmmaker. Pretty cool, right?  

Oh, here’s one more example of fortune favoring the bold (or whatever the damned saying is): just a couple of weeks ago, Kino announced that they’re releasing a classic science-fiction B-movie from the late 1950’s on Blu-ray in 2023, so I immediately emailed my contact and offered my commentating services. And y’know what? I’ve now got my first theatrical commentary gig (don’t ask me what the movie is; I’m not authorized to say yet). So yeah, kids, nut up and just ASK when you want something. 

This is my life in the glow of The Outer Limits---- I never dreamed that this little blog would lead to so many opportunities, but here we are. It’s crazy. 

In case you're curious--- I contributed a total of five audio commentaries for the three Night Gallery Blu-ray sets: 

1x06    "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar"

            "The Last Laurel"

2x01    "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes"

            "Miss Lovecraft Sent Me"

            "The Hand of Borgus Weems"

            "Phantom of What Opera?”

2x14    "The Different Ones"

            "Tell David..."

            "Logoda’s Heads"

3x03    "Rare Objects"

3x09    "She'll Be Company For You"

Glow and Behold...

Longtime readers of my Twilight Zone blog may recall that, several years ago, I acquired a TZ pub light sign which mimics those glorious neon beer signs that adorn the walls of every single bar and tavern I've (and presumably you've) ever been in. Wow, that was almost 13 years ago. This thing has been with me ever since, in and out of boxes through multiple moves, and it's still going strong. It currently resides on the wall directly behind the theater recliner in my home office, right under a trio of 11x17" movie poster replicas (Forbidden Planet, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner). But if I'm being honest, the dead space around it has been bugging me for a while. It... needs something next to it, not just to take up blank wall space, but to compliment it.

It was my birthday last week, and my wife Teresa gave me a really cool gift that resolved the issue:

Pretty cool, right? These are actually pretty easy to acquire---- just hit Amazon and search for "custom LED bar sign," and you'll find several sellers who will make one for you. This one is way cooler than its TZ predecessor, since it can glow in several different colors (or cycle between them)... but c'mon. Blue will always be THE Outer Limits color. Now my two favorite TV series of all time are equally represented, side by side, casting an eerie blue glow over my favorite seat in the house.

Meanwhile, across the pond...

Since a number of sites have these listed for pre-order, I guess it's safe to publicly unveil another Complete Series Blu-ray release (and DVD too, for those permanently stuck in 1998), this time from Mediumrare Entertainment in the UK, coming December 12th (that's 2022, for future readers).

My understanding is that Mediumrare is basing their effort on the Australian edition released by Via Vision in 2020 (sans that gorgeous hard box packaging, sadly; the above are slipcases). So hey, if you missed out on that, this may be an approximate solution. I should mention that there are NO NEW SUPPLEMENTS--- which is a shame, since there are two audio commentary tracks currently looking for a home (which I detailed last time). But, as I've stated elsewhere, 2023 is the 60th anniversary of the series, so I'm still hoping against all logic and reason that there'll be some reflection of that milestone on the home video front. 

One interesting (i.e. confounding) observation: All the Blu-rays releases across the board have 11 total discs each. However--- the combined DVD sets from Kino have 13 discs. The Via Vision complete series DVD set also has 13. This new complete series DVD offering from Mediumrare has FOURTEEN. But I'm told there are NO NEW SUPPLEMENTS. What does it all mean?

Naturally, being the psychologically-imbalanced fool that I am, I ordered the Via Vision DVD set (which I don't already have, oddly enough) and pre-ordered both Mediumrare editions... which is to say: I'll report back when I know more.