A sci-fi classic was brought back to television in 1995 when The New Outer Limits appeared on television. Much like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits was an anthology series, but the show focused on science fiction. MGM has put together themed releases containing episodes from the 7 year run of the new series. This DVD, "Sex & Science Fiction" includes episodes which combine science fiction and sexual situations.
The 6 episodes are on one double-sided disc, packaged in a keep case.
Disc 1, Side A (2:56:58)
Caught in the Act (44:17)
Hannah Valesic (Alyssa Milano) has a killer body. literally! When the formerly chaste beauty is taken over by a sinister force, her appetite for men becomes insatiable- and murderous! Can her loving boyfriend put an end to her killing spree?
Bits of Love (44:13)
Earth's only survivor, artist Aiden Hunter (Jon Tenney), has created a beautiful hologram, Emma (Natasha Henstridge) for companionship. But when Emma expresses an urgent desire for a baby, will she sever his cord to reality?
Valerie 23 (44:17)
Can a little jealousy be a good thing? Not for Rachel Rose (Nancy Allen), a physical therapist whose life is threatened when she comes between her paraplegic patient and his amorous robotic companion who is programmed to remove any obstacle that stands in her way.
The Human Operators (44:11)
Like other Star Fleet vessels, Ship (voice of Malcolm McDowell) has evolved and now controls the only human (Jack Noseworthy) aboard. But the relationship takes a dramatic turn when man fights machine in a desperate bid for freedom!
Disc 1, Side B (1:28:00)
The Human Operators (44:11)
When a prototype image enhancer allows Sid Camden to transform himself into a handsome co-worker (Antonio Sabato Jr.), he quickly begins enjoying the life his average looks denied him. But he soon discovers there's more to his new reflection than meets the eye.
The video for this release is presented in the original full frame (1.33:1) aspect ratio. There's a lot of noise in the image - more than I was expecting. Earlier episodes, such as "Caught in the Act" and "Valerie 23" are a bit worse than the others, but even later episodes contain a great deal of noise. It's not throughout the entire episode, but I'd say roughly 40-50% of the scenes have varying degrees of noise. There isn't a "play all" option, but there's a chapter placed after the opening of the episode. MGM is inconsistent with the "play all" option, since they include it in the bonus material area, but not for the episodes.
Audio
This is a bit lacking for a stereo surround track. There's very little going on with the rear speakers, though they are used. There are some interesting panning effects, which are welcome in any sci-fi series. There aren't any subtitles, but the episodes are closed captioned.
The Outer Limits Story (12:22)
Pen Densham (executive producer), Joseph Stefano (original series co-creator and writer) and Mark Stern talk about adapting the 1960s series to the 1990s.
Episode Featurettes (36:05)
People involved with the episodes discuss them.
Caught in the Act (6:13)
Bits of Love (5:44)
Valerie 23 (6:08)
The Human Operators (6:35)
Skin Deep (2:24)
Flower Child (9:01)
The Outer Limits of Sex and Science Fiction (5:21)
Mark Stern and Pen Densham talk about the theme of the DVD, and how episodes were selected.
Summary
I remember catching a few of these episodes when they first aired, and I enjoyed the show, though it wasn't a "must see" show for me. I watched the Canadian version, which didn't include the nudity the US versions had. I remember watching "Caught in the Act" and wondering if Alyssa Milano had filmed nude scenes, and now I know she did! Most of the episodes on the set contain nudity, which isn't surprising since it's a sex-themed release.
I prefer season sets over theme-based releases, but these are pretty good. There's a decent amount of extras, and some good episodes. Yes, there are season sets (or partial season sets) in Canada, but those are the Canadian cuts of the episodes. Maybe Sony can be convinced to release season sets now that they control the MGM library.
