In today's story, a young drifter finds an old man dying by the side of a remote country road. Seeking help, he goes to a mansion he sees atop a hill, and, the inhabitants are surprisingly unhelpful. Except for a young woman there, the others seem mean-spirited and uninterested. As he tries to leave through the front door though, the drifter is forced backward and then goes upstairs guided by a mysterious compulsion. He discovers that the house is the lair of an amorphous, gelatinous alien being that is keeping the group of humans there suspended in time until it can comprehend the disposition of humanity!
This episode stars Geoffrey (HE GREEN HORNET) Horne, Nellie (BEWITCHED) Burt, Vaughn (JAILHOUSE ROCK) Taylor, Luana (PIT AND THE PENDULUM) Anders and Gloria (BLOOD AND LACE) Grahame.
Here's young drifter Wade Norton, he's speeding through the backwoods in his hot rod when he nearly runs over an old dude laying face down in the road! Looks like that'd really hurt too!
Wade notices a mansion on the top of a hill, so, he goes to see if the people that live there can help him with the situation...
Well, he's greeted by some very strange people that show little interest in his story.
Wade tries to leave but is prevented by a weird force that then lures him up the stairs and into one of the rooms. There, he sees a freaky sight!..
A floating blob communicates with him and gives him an explanation as to why it's there!
Wade tries to find a way out of the madhouse but there's just no exit!
The blob then gives a grandiose speech while in a vision of clouds, telling Wade that it did not think humanity was worth saving, based on the petty actions of the people it was observing at the mansion.
Tess, the good one, and Wade have fallen in love, she shows him the way to leave the place, but, she cannot go with him. She sacrifices her own life to show Wade why she can't go...
The blob tells Wade that the missing equation to its analysis was love, and that he should leave the mansion immediately.
The mansion disappears to reveal a giant brain!! Then, well, it diskapears! The remaining three just got a quick ride to Hell!.. So, hope you enjoyed the post, Eegah!! is back on the 1st to start another monstrous month, here, at The Dungeon!
Curtis Harrington was supposed to direct this one. Then Ol' Joe Stefano changed his mind and brought in somebody to whom he reportedly owed a directorship job favor. No doubt Harrington's initial involvement with this one is why the late great Luana Anders (a cast member of his film NIGHT TIDE) was cast. Just think how much better this episode woulda coula shoulda been with Curtis H at the helm, eh?
ReplyDeleteAnonymoose, taking a very short breather to recast his damned film. :(
This is one of the lesser episodes of THE OUTER LIMITS, imho. So many missed opportunities. And then the big brain reveal at the end? Naw...
ReplyDeletesuch a nice collection...
ReplyDeletehttps://hdmovieart.com/category/home/
Good review of a disturbing episode.
ReplyDeleteWhile Geoffrey Horne was in two episodes of the 1966 series The Green Hornet, it was Van Williams who played the main character.
Has anyone ever noticed the rather odd similarity between "the guests" and the Eagles hit song, "Hotel California?"
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that's one of the most interesting comments ever! Thanx!!
ReplyDeleteIt' so great to find those today who seem to get a lot of what this show had to offer-especially the first season; not that there weren't some real gems in the 2nd, albeit with different (but sometimes great) music and an even smaller budget. Posting comments and questions really keeps the show alive. Please continue doing so here. And also visit us here. http://wearecontrollingtransmission.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThe Eafles inspiration for Hotel California
ReplyDelete