"The Outer Limits" The Borderland (1963)

Voti degli utenti:

6.1/10   

Regista:

Leslie Stevens

Sceneggiatore:

Leslie Stevens (writer)

Serie TV:

"The Outer Limits" (1963)

Original Air Date:

16 dicembre 1963 (Season 1, Episode 12)

Genere:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Alternative Reality | Portal | Theremin | Laser | Supernatural

Recensioni degli utenti:

An Irwin Allen-Minded Review

Cast

Philip Abbott	...	Lincoln Russell
Gladys Cooper	...	Mrs. Palmer
Nina Foch	...	Eva Fraser
Barry Jones	...	Dwight Hartley
Gene Raymond	...	Sawyer
Peter Mark Richman	...	Professor Ian Fraser (as Mark Richman)
Alfred Ryder	...	Edgar Price

Durata:

51 min

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Bianco e nero

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sonoro:

Mono

Company:

Villa Di Stefano

An Irwin Allen-Minded Review

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Episode two in production order (not screening order), scientist Mark Richman ("It's better to live two weeks as a tiger than a whole lifetime as a lamb") is experimenting with getting into another dimension and contacting the dead while bitchy Alfred Ryder (with oddball Mrs Palmer by his side) feels the experiments are wrong and sets out to destroy them.

The Borderland is like a fish out of water in the Limits series. No monster and much less concerned with any deep message (which some will not like) and more concerned with an epic-look consisting of a massive power station and concluding with some of the most spectacular effects ever seen in this series.

Any epic needs epic stars and, to me at least, guest stars Mark Richman and Alfred Ryder both have star quality that would surface later in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-68). Poor old Richman is really only given one great line - "It's better to live two weeks as a tiger that a whole lifetime as a lamb". Richman is too lamb-like in this hour (and in Limits episode The Probe) and his tiger-like wildman days on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (two episodes) were mostly what made the guy a star, to me.

As for Alfred Ryder and Mrs Palmer, well, these two characters are gems. The direction of those bits in the power station, with these two characters in the shadows making nervous plans are so well done and so well scripted. I guess my Irwin-Allen-tragic mind is comparing Ryder to Dr Smith in Lost In Space in these scenes? My Irwin-mind is also comparing the whole hour to Time Tunnel's pilot episode Rendezvous With Yesterday (1966). Think about it, the massive complex with blinking light hardware, a scientist being forced into actions because of time and money. Then trouble starts...I think we even hear the Tunnel's "warming up" engine sound effect in the plant??

Please be warned about the closing narration from The Control Voice. Granted, many of these narrations are corny, but The Borderland's narration goes beyond corny into full on painful. I would even consider pressing the "mute" button the moment Mr Pretentious starts talking at the end. Other Irwin-tragics like me should also watch Limits episode - Nightmare - to see Whit Bissell do his Time Tunnel character before Tunnel was made. Once again, let me remind some that you will get little deep thought from this movie-like hour, but the Irwin Allen cross overs come so thick and fast that all Irwin-tragics will be jumping with joy over The Borderland.