Search - The Twilight Zone: 40th Anniversary Gift Pack on DVD

Man Does Not Live by Bread Alone

gobirds2 | New England | 04/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rod Serling was a man of great literary and social intellect and integrity. Ahead of his time and somewhat less respected because of the genre he worked within and made him famous, he is now recognized as one of the great pioneers into the realm of sophisticated storytelling combing intellect and emotion. His great vision and realization, "The Twilight Zone" remains a testament of his contribution to the Arts and Humanity. It has been said "Man does not live by bread alone." This 40th Anniversary Gift Set is very representative of "The Twilight Zone" television series. There are 19 episodes included. They are not all classics but they do show the diversity of the series held together by a common theme and I think that is what strengthens this set. The 90 minute feature, "ROD SERLING: Submitted For Your Approval" which I originally viewed on Public Television is also included. It is one of the best biographical documentaries I have ever seen. Of the 19 episodes included there are some truly great titles such as "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," "Kick the Can," "Night of the Meek," "Two," "I Sing the Body Electric" and "Walking Distance" and "The Lonely," both with heartfelt and endearing Bernard Herrmann scores. This is a good way to start collecting "The Twilight Zone" on DVD. These transfers are excellent and truly have to be seen to be appreciated."

Some mediocre, but mostly good -- worth it.

CranstonShenir | Albuquerque, NM USA | 01/02/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I agree that the selection of episodes in the gift pack (as is also true of the regular DVD releases of TZ episodes) represents more of a random sampling than an only-the-best selection. Nonetheless, I'm quite pleased with the overall quality of the included episodes. While segments like "Probe 7--Over and Out" are mediocre at best, the collection still includes classics like "Time Enough at Last", "A Game of Pool" (with terrific performances from Jack Klugman and Jonathan Winters), and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." Of the 19 episodes, I find 15 of them to be well worth owning--not a bad ratio. I'm also impressed with the Rod Serling documentary included in this set. Rather than an insipid fluff piece about how wonderful TZ is (which is unfortunately the more common type of "documentary feature" usually included in DVD products), this is a satisfyingly in-depth look at Rod Serling's entire career which aired on PBS as part of the "American Masters" series. A nice bonus.I do agree that the packaging is sub-par. No liner notes, and all discs are crammed into 2-CD jewel boxes. This is unimpressive for an "anniversary tribute" set. These drawbacks are purely cosmetic, though, and do not detract from my enjoyment of the set. The transfer is generally well executed, capturing the contrast and detail of the often striking black-and-white cinematography. At its best, TZ is like classic film noir distilled into 24-minute doses. The two episodes originally shot on videotape instead of film for budgetary reasons ("Night of the Meek" and "Long Distance Call") fare less well, but this is to be expected.So: Overall, a good sampling of episodes with a satisfying bonus documentary. I thoroughly enjoy it."

The Twilight Zone - 40th Anniversary - Major Disappointmen

Robert F. Johnson | Rancho Mirage, CA United States | 10/20/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I cant believe how cheaply they packaged this set. I have a twilight zone collection and each volume is packaged in a classy DVD cover. I was expecting 5 volumes that had the similar package.......WRONG......They have put these DVD's in a cheap plastic CD holder that is a totally different size and look than the rest of the collection. I would rather pay the difference and get the volumes individually. WHAT A CHEAP WAY TO PACKAGE THIS PRODUCT. ESPECIALLY WHEN MOST OF US BUY THEM TO COLLECT. TALK ABOUT DISAPPOINTMENT!"

Not intended for the serious collector

E. Knowles | The Amazon | 01/28/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a serious collector -- or if you are shopping for a gift for a big fan of this show -- then you really should investigate the "Twilight Zone Collection" box sets. The entire series is available in a total of 5 sets. This 40th Anniversary Gift Pack is not comprehensive enough for a serious collector. It contains exactly the same material as Vol 1-5 of "Collection 1," which goes beyond that, all the way to Vol 9."