I was too young to see OL episodes when they were first broadcast in 1963, but when I was six years old, I saw them as reruns on TV in Los Angeles back in 1968. After forty years, "Architects of Fear" still stands out in my mind as the scariest thing I ever saw. Why, oh why did my parents ever let me watch it? I'll never know. I can still remember sitting there on the front room floor covering my eyes with my hands when the monster appeared, occasionally peeking between my fingers. Why doesn't Hollywood create monsters like these anymore? I'm tired of the constant diet of little grey guys with the wide black eyes, or vicious dread-locked aliens dripping with saliva and multiple rows of teeth. Those don't scare me near as much as Robert Culp's monster did in "Architects of Fear". Outer Limits truly created aliens that were unique, weird and bizarre. The monster/aliens from other OL episodes like "Galaxy Being" and "Bellero Shield" are additional examples that freaked me out as a kid. I really would like to see some unique and ingenious aliens return to Hollywood. I'm tired of the same old aliens being dished up time and time again.
23 Reviews
The Outer Limits--The Architects of Fear
Scarecrow-883 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Extremely dark tale about a human subject chosen in a room of suits by drawing names from a box to be the unfortunate soul who must have his whole cell structure changed in order to frighten all the countries into peace by having them believe that a "monstrous enemy" threatens to destroy mankind if they all don't join together in unity for the same cause. The chosen one is Allan Leighton(Robert Culp) and he accepts his plight without offering up a fuss. There's a really impressive scene where we see something moving about underneath Culp's face skin. Like the pacifistic THE TWILIGHT ZONE, as evident in a previous OUTER LIMITS episode where a new Commander-and-Chief failed to wage war against the "great red threat"(he decided this would be inappropriate), THE ARCHITECTS OF FEAR has scientists joined together in a goal to halt the possibility of a catastrophic Atomic threat by creating an alien monster and ship which they hope and believe will force the enemies of Planet Earth to unify--and remain united--when faced with the prospect of total annihilation by something non-human, even more dangerous than we are against each other. Of course, it doesn't go according to plan. Fears give way to turning a man, with a loving wife and baby on the way, into some grotesque monstrosity. This idea seems so incredibly far-fetched--scientists grasping at straws, fingers crossed that their plan just might work. Every step of the way, the scientists face problems, and it's understandable considering they were fooling around with a man's physiology, gradually changing a human being into a hideous creature. There's one scene, in particular, that defines probable failure, Culp's hormones get out of whack and he reacts violently, spouting incoherent gibberish, little phrases and words mixed together while hurling tubes and flasks at the scientists. It's perhaps an ominous omen of future events. It's tragic in that a woman loses her husband--or thinks she does--only to discover that he was a victim of an experiment(albeit a willing participant)that possibly was doomed to never succeed to begin with. Perhaps the one problem plaguing this episode is the creature costume which might tickle your funny bone instead of give you the willies, but the scales and facial malformation make-up are rather impressive in how they make the skin crawl. Geraldine Brooks is Allen's wife, Yvette, who can feel something down deep inside that her husband wasn't dead as she had been led to believe. Leonard Stone is Dr. Phillip Gainer, the head scientist over the project to turn Culp into a monster. Gainer is bothered by Allen's resolve, and never appears to be comfortable with what they are doing..this is a last ditch effort to save mankind from itself. Some of Culp's best work came in the two episodes for which he appeared on THE OUTER LIMITS. A gesture of love between husband and wife comes into play at the end which reveals to Yvette that her man was taken from her, it's quite potent even if this revelation comes from someone in a rubber monster suit.
An elaborate attempt to cause chaos in The West.
Sleepin_Dragon23 February 2023
To cause an international stir, a random scientist from a group of ten is chosen to undergo a bizarre scientific procedure, to physically transform from human to Thetan.
I thought this was a quite terrific third episode, once again I am stunned by the originality of it, and the amazing variety that has been shown throughout the first trio of episodes.
It's another cold war storyline, and in a time where Balloons have been spotted in the sky, perhaps checking the weather, perhaps spying, who knows....
I thought for the age, the special effects don't look too bad, they made great use of what they had available at the time. The big reveal is quite a moment, I bet it had kids terrified.
Robert Culp is terrific as central character Allen Leighton, genuinely a character that undergoes a serious and shocking transformation.
I wonder how many films and television shows were inspired by what was seen here, this series truly was groundbreaking.
9/10.
I thought this was a quite terrific third episode, once again I am stunned by the originality of it, and the amazing variety that has been shown throughout the first trio of episodes.
It's another cold war storyline, and in a time where Balloons have been spotted in the sky, perhaps checking the weather, perhaps spying, who knows....
I thought for the age, the special effects don't look too bad, they made great use of what they had available at the time. The big reveal is quite a moment, I bet it had kids terrified.
Robert Culp is terrific as central character Allen Leighton, genuinely a character that undergoes a serious and shocking transformation.
I wonder how many films and television shows were inspired by what was seen here, this series truly was groundbreaking.
9/10.
Misguided Operation
a_l_i_e_n19 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
One of the best from the first season of "The Outer Limits", in "The Architects Of Fear", a group of scientists conspire to halt the nuclear arms race by giving the world a new enemy to unite against. Their plan is to alter a man through surgical means to make him look like an extraterrestrial from the planet Theta, and then have their "scarecrow" deliver a declaration of war to the Assembly of the United Nations.
After a draw of names, the unlucky scientist chosen to undergo the transformation is Alan Leighton (played by Robert Culp in probably his finest performance for "The Outer Limits"). Being "refitted" to resemble something not human is difficult enough, but Alan must first leave his wife, Yvette, by faking his own death. The scenes establishing Alan's relationship with Yvette are quite affecting and make the emotional blow when later she reads the telegram informing her of Alan's "death" that much more impactive. Adding to the tragedy is the revelation that she is also pregnant with their first child.
The story then follows Alan's painful transformation from human into Thetan, and these scenes are fascinating in their well researched technical detail as the doctors discuss the how to's of "alienizing" their colleague. The makeup work showing the various stages of Alan's evolution is very effective, too for the mid-1960's; his skin becomes reptilian, his digits are grafted together to form 3 fingered hands, and even his mouth is reshaped.
In one startling scene, Alan suffers a psychotic episode due to the chemical changes to his system. As he rampages through the lab Alan announces, "I am Caliban...with a PHD!" Then making a run for the phone he is sedated by the other doctors as he tearfully demands to be able to call his unborn son.
Once his chemical imbalance is corrected, Alan undergoes the final surgical procedures and is turned into a startling bipedal creature with backward turned knees, gigantic cranium and eyelids that close from the bottom upward. Alan's lungs are altered to make him breath a methane environment through a SCUBA-like breathing apparatus. This also renders him unable to speak, so he then has to use a device that transforms his thoughts into electrical signals. Realizing he's at the point of no return, Alan looks for reassurance by asking with his mechanical voice, "Can it...really work?"
The scheme is to have Alan land a space craft at the United Nations and inform the assembly of nations that he is the scout ship for an attacking Thetan force. However, when Alan takes off into orbit, his ship goes off course en route to the UN and lands in a wooded area. Emerging from the wreckage he is shot by a party of hunters. With nowhere else to go, Alan limps back the lab- only to meet Yvette there. Through a vague psychic link that the two shared, she'd sensed throughout his ordeal that Alan was still alive. Ivette is at first terrified by the sight of the creature standing before her, but when it falls to the floor, the creature makes a hand signal 'for luck' that only she and Alan knew. Ivette then realizes who it is just before it dies of it's wounds.
It's a typically grim, downbeat ending of the type that "The Outer Limits" was famous for, and an undeniably powerful one, too. Lou Morheim's intelligent script superbly marries a tale of misguided efforts for the sake of good intentions, with a tragic, affecting love story. The episode is expertly directed by the great Byron Haskin who made the original film version of "The War Of The Worlds" in 1953, and the all-important makeup effects were way ahead of their time. Stuntman Janos Prohaska had to perform on stilts while in heavy makeup to affect the Thetan's unnatural walk. Nervous ninnies at ABC back then were so worried about the reaction to the creature's appearance they held back the last part of the show revealing the Thetan until after the news to avoid traumatizing any children watching.
A well acted, awesome episode that stands the test of time.
After a draw of names, the unlucky scientist chosen to undergo the transformation is Alan Leighton (played by Robert Culp in probably his finest performance for "The Outer Limits"). Being "refitted" to resemble something not human is difficult enough, but Alan must first leave his wife, Yvette, by faking his own death. The scenes establishing Alan's relationship with Yvette are quite affecting and make the emotional blow when later she reads the telegram informing her of Alan's "death" that much more impactive. Adding to the tragedy is the revelation that she is also pregnant with their first child.
The story then follows Alan's painful transformation from human into Thetan, and these scenes are fascinating in their well researched technical detail as the doctors discuss the how to's of "alienizing" their colleague. The makeup work showing the various stages of Alan's evolution is very effective, too for the mid-1960's; his skin becomes reptilian, his digits are grafted together to form 3 fingered hands, and even his mouth is reshaped.
In one startling scene, Alan suffers a psychotic episode due to the chemical changes to his system. As he rampages through the lab Alan announces, "I am Caliban...with a PHD!" Then making a run for the phone he is sedated by the other doctors as he tearfully demands to be able to call his unborn son.
Once his chemical imbalance is corrected, Alan undergoes the final surgical procedures and is turned into a startling bipedal creature with backward turned knees, gigantic cranium and eyelids that close from the bottom upward. Alan's lungs are altered to make him breath a methane environment through a SCUBA-like breathing apparatus. This also renders him unable to speak, so he then has to use a device that transforms his thoughts into electrical signals. Realizing he's at the point of no return, Alan looks for reassurance by asking with his mechanical voice, "Can it...really work?"
The scheme is to have Alan land a space craft at the United Nations and inform the assembly of nations that he is the scout ship for an attacking Thetan force. However, when Alan takes off into orbit, his ship goes off course en route to the UN and lands in a wooded area. Emerging from the wreckage he is shot by a party of hunters. With nowhere else to go, Alan limps back the lab- only to meet Yvette there. Through a vague psychic link that the two shared, she'd sensed throughout his ordeal that Alan was still alive. Ivette is at first terrified by the sight of the creature standing before her, but when it falls to the floor, the creature makes a hand signal 'for luck' that only she and Alan knew. Ivette then realizes who it is just before it dies of it's wounds.
It's a typically grim, downbeat ending of the type that "The Outer Limits" was famous for, and an undeniably powerful one, too. Lou Morheim's intelligent script superbly marries a tale of misguided efforts for the sake of good intentions, with a tragic, affecting love story. The episode is expertly directed by the great Byron Haskin who made the original film version of "The War Of The Worlds" in 1953, and the all-important makeup effects were way ahead of their time. Stuntman Janos Prohaska had to perform on stilts while in heavy makeup to affect the Thetan's unnatural walk. Nervous ninnies at ABC back then were so worried about the reaction to the creature's appearance they held back the last part of the show revealing the Thetan until after the news to avoid traumatizing any children watching.
A well acted, awesome episode that stands the test of time.
One of the best OL episodes, ever
brian-baker11 June 2007
When I remember this series from childhood, there are two or three episodes which come to mind; The Man with the Sixth Finger, Second Chance and the classic, Architects of Fear.
Robert Culp delivers a remarkable performance as the unfortunate "lottery winner" of a group of slightly misguided scientists who believe they can scare the world into "just getting along" His performance is all the more remarkable when you realize that one of the best scenes is delivered in the classic "rubber monster suit" so popular in the era before Industrial Light and Magic redefined forever, the cinematic vision of an alien.
Watching this again after more than 35 years, I see things I had forgotten; that his wife was pregnant, that a lung transplant took four seconds and that everyone seemed to be smoking....
If you were an OL fan growing up, it's well worth getting the series and re-acquainting yourself with some of the best science fiction drama ever produced on American Television BB
Robert Culp delivers a remarkable performance as the unfortunate "lottery winner" of a group of slightly misguided scientists who believe they can scare the world into "just getting along" His performance is all the more remarkable when you realize that one of the best scenes is delivered in the classic "rubber monster suit" so popular in the era before Industrial Light and Magic redefined forever, the cinematic vision of an alien.
Watching this again after more than 35 years, I see things I had forgotten; that his wife was pregnant, that a lung transplant took four seconds and that everyone seemed to be smoking....
If you were an OL fan growing up, it's well worth getting the series and re-acquainting yourself with some of the best science fiction drama ever produced on American Television BB
To Control by Creating Fear
lambiepie-210 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best (and in my view, THE best) original Outer Limits Episodes written and aired. This is one of those brilliant television moments you 'finally' get to look at later and wish you were around when this first aired. Here's a clarification, I existed at that time, but alas as baby so even though this could classify as shown "within my lifetime", I was not able to understand or view upon premiere airing.
But I did see this finally at 4 years old, and I was scared out of my skull. Sure, the 'monster' was scary for the limited funds of special effects and cinematography of that time (history tells that The Outer Limits TV show budget was next to null!); but there is more to this: an intelligent script one can still debate and discuss today, wonderful episodic music and excellent actors (The late Robert Culp as the lead and the late Geraldine Brooks as his loving, just as smart wife is excellent to witness). That's what makes episodic television stick with you. This episode is a perfect example of such a phenomenon and should be on every University's study list - in MANY category classes - 'till the end of time.
What one gets out of this episode will probably depend on what is known about the 'cold war' back the or what happening in current events or what one knows about those who wish to gain a control of world power at the time. Not to give too much away, for me it was obvious that the 'cold war' and the threat of nuclear arms war was first and foremost for this episode. But as I watched this over and over throughout the decades, the reasoning behind all of this it what chills you to the bone.
'The Architects of Fear' raises many questions such as: Who are these people? What makes them so smart to make decisions about my freedom? And the most important question: Could a group of men meet secretly to create a fear to bring that would bring the world together against a fabricated common enemy so we could stop fighting among ourselves?
The men in this episode were intelligent minds, highly educated, mature and sophisticated and driven towards their goal. But I think when one watches this one may see that the sociological implications behind that question could be horrific. But were these men acing for the good of the world, or for the kudos (now we'd probably see it as 'celebrity') of their brilliant plan? Was the outcome to bring the world together or a platform rule it themselves? (as in..if the experiment proved successful, this group can do better than the current world administrations!)
This is sci-fi at its best too, mixed with political commentaries and questions about who is in charge of the world future; and what would you do if asked to make a sacrifice to make the world safer? You can enjoy it that way...or see this as an early television dramatic program that was very effective for its time. Either way, this episode is astonishing; deserves several views and may be as relevant today as it was in the early '60's.
But I did see this finally at 4 years old, and I was scared out of my skull. Sure, the 'monster' was scary for the limited funds of special effects and cinematography of that time (history tells that The Outer Limits TV show budget was next to null!); but there is more to this: an intelligent script one can still debate and discuss today, wonderful episodic music and excellent actors (The late Robert Culp as the lead and the late Geraldine Brooks as his loving, just as smart wife is excellent to witness). That's what makes episodic television stick with you. This episode is a perfect example of such a phenomenon and should be on every University's study list - in MANY category classes - 'till the end of time.
What one gets out of this episode will probably depend on what is known about the 'cold war' back the or what happening in current events or what one knows about those who wish to gain a control of world power at the time. Not to give too much away, for me it was obvious that the 'cold war' and the threat of nuclear arms war was first and foremost for this episode. But as I watched this over and over throughout the decades, the reasoning behind all of this it what chills you to the bone.
'The Architects of Fear' raises many questions such as: Who are these people? What makes them so smart to make decisions about my freedom? And the most important question: Could a group of men meet secretly to create a fear to bring that would bring the world together against a fabricated common enemy so we could stop fighting among ourselves?
The men in this episode were intelligent minds, highly educated, mature and sophisticated and driven towards their goal. But I think when one watches this one may see that the sociological implications behind that question could be horrific. But were these men acing for the good of the world, or for the kudos (now we'd probably see it as 'celebrity') of their brilliant plan? Was the outcome to bring the world together or a platform rule it themselves? (as in..if the experiment proved successful, this group can do better than the current world administrations!)
This is sci-fi at its best too, mixed with political commentaries and questions about who is in charge of the world future; and what would you do if asked to make a sacrifice to make the world safer? You can enjoy it that way...or see this as an early television dramatic program that was very effective for its time. Either way, this episode is astonishing; deserves several views and may be as relevant today as it was in the early '60's.
Pretty good except...
robert37509 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The premise is interesting, and the episode has a good script and performances, but one aspect really bugged me. Why the HELL did they choose a married man, especially one whose wife was so in love with him and was eager to have children with him? Was it really THAT hard to find a man who was single??
Despite cheesy special effects, a very, very effective and original episode.
planktonrules27 September 2011
Mankind seems on the brink of self-destruction. Distrust and hatred combined with thermonuclear technology is making the possibility of an Armageddon seem more and more likely. As a result, a small group of scientists meet in private to discuss what can be done to avert disaster. The solution is to somehow unify mankind--unify them all in a common cause. The cause? Fear. Their plan is to take one of their members and subject them to a long series of bizarre operations in order to create an 'alien'--and one that is seen as a threat to mankind! Robert Culp (a frequent guest on this show) is volunteered for this awful mission. It's awful not just because of the pain involved with the surgeries but horrible because he'll lose his wife and past in the process.
While the special effects for the creature are pretty archaic due to the show having a very, very low budget, the episode gets extremely high marks for originality as well as a great twist on Cold War paranoia. Exciting and well worth seeing--and it's among the best and most memorable shows in the series.
While the special effects for the creature are pretty archaic due to the show having a very, very low budget, the episode gets extremely high marks for originality as well as a great twist on Cold War paranoia. Exciting and well worth seeing--and it's among the best and most memorable shows in the series.
The Alien Invasion
claudio_carvalho11 February 2018
A group of scientists conclude that people from Earth need to fear a greater threat to unite. They decide to raffle one of them to be submitted to surgeries to be transformed into an alien to threaten the governments as if there were an invasion in course and consequently join the world. The PHD physicist Allen Leighton (Robert Culp) is the chosen one and is submitted to surgeries. However his wife Yvette Leighton (Geraldine Brooks) jeopardizes the plan.
"The Architects of Fear" is another great episode of the original "The Outer Limits". Once again there is a paranoia of the Cold War entwined with the story. The conclusion is messy, with Allen not following the plan and Yvette entering the facility as if she was home. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Os Arquitetos do Medo" ("The Architects of the Fear")
"The Architects of Fear" is another great episode of the original "The Outer Limits". Once again there is a paranoia of the Cold War entwined with the story. The conclusion is messy, with Allen not following the plan and Yvette entering the facility as if she was home. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Os Arquitetos do Medo" ("The Architects of the Fear")
Might be Outer Limits' best
nickenchuggets24 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
If you've been paying the slightest amount of attention it might occur to you that the Outer Limits is one of the best tv science fiction shows ever crafted. The show would go on to give us many memorable episodes such as The Man Who Was Never Born, in which a time traveler from over a century into the future must go back in time to kill the parents of a scientist who will be responsible for creating a debilitating illness that lays waste to mankind, or Nightmare, where a group of spacemen fighting a conflict with an advanced civilization are mentally tortured in an alien POW camp. I think everyone will agree though that one of the finest episodes to ever come from this show is Architects of Fear. I can't possibly overstate its importance enough, and by the end of it all, you will get many answers, but also some new questions. The storyline is about a scientist played brilliantly by the great Robert Culp who is selected for a very special but grueling procedure. His fellow colleagues are working to turn him into an alien creature from the planet Theta because atomic weapons seem to threaten the earth's existence. In order to get people to stop fighting each other, the scientists will stage a false alien attack at the UN building in New York in order to make them focus on the alien threat instead. Scientist Allen Leighton (Culp) has his death faked later on, and his wife starts to suspect he's not really dead when she gets a call one day and nobody is on the other end. Meanwhile, Allen undergoes very frightening alterations to his body in order to get him to resemble a Thetan as close as possible, and he is also trained on how to operate his spaceship. As the scientists make their final preparations to put the invasion plan into action, they keep reminding Allen's wife that he is dead and that she has to accept it. The final minutes of the episode are without a doubt some of the most unnerving things ever put on a screen. Leighton, now transformed into a Thetan, is completely unrecognizable, as was the intention. However, he doesn't land at the United Nations building but lands close to the facility where he used to work. After some civilians with rifles wound Allen, he makes his way back to the lab, where his wife happens to be, but Allen doesn't get much further. Before he finally dies, he makes a sign with his hand that his wife knows well, and she comes to the realization that the alien was actually her husband. This is a rare episode of Outer Limits where I can safely say that everything is perfect about it. Culp's performance as Allen is terribly effective, especially the disturbing part where the scientists are trying to operate on him and he's saying all kinds of unsettling things while resisting them. Geraldine Brooks is great as his sympathetic wife, who is relentless in her belief that her husband is not, in fact, dead, and of course, the other scientists play their parts nicely too. The atmosphere of the episode is also great. It has a very dark look and feel to it that only Outer Limits can pull off. It can be mimicked, but not authentically. Overall, Architects of Fear is simply one of the best that the show has to offer, and your knowledge of film is not complete until you've seen it at least once.
The horror of when man can't control what he creates!
b_kite5 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Episode 3 starts with A small group of American scientists decide to surgically alter one of their
own into the shape of a horrific alien. The plan is to fake an oncoming alien invasion
in hope that all the governments of the world will join forces to stop the problem
and make peace with one another. Allen Leighton (Robert Culp) is the unfortunate
man who draws his name for the experiment. Allen is slowly transformed into a
alien creature and descended from earth to return. However when he does things go
horrible wrong.
Its no surprise that the third episode of this series tackles the subject of man trying to create what he can't control. The idea of all of this is a creepy one but also so ludicrous that any of these men thought this was actually gonna work was crazy, but I guess that's what happens when you get desperate. There are two creatures here one which is never shown only in a silhouette shot. The other is the creature which Robert Culp turns into which looks like the typical b movie monster rubber suits that you would see from the time. There's a nice cast as well with Culp as said, Leonard Stone, Geraldine Brooks, and a short appearance from Billy Green Bush. All in all its a creepy portrait of man doing something he has no business doing out of being desperate and the consequences that some face for it. Nice watch.
Its no surprise that the third episode of this series tackles the subject of man trying to create what he can't control. The idea of all of this is a creepy one but also so ludicrous that any of these men thought this was actually gonna work was crazy, but I guess that's what happens when you get desperate. There are two creatures here one which is never shown only in a silhouette shot. The other is the creature which Robert Culp turns into which looks like the typical b movie monster rubber suits that you would see from the time. There's a nice cast as well with Culp as said, Leonard Stone, Geraldine Brooks, and a short appearance from Billy Green Bush. All in all its a creepy portrait of man doing something he has no business doing out of being desperate and the consequences that some face for it. Nice watch.
Science fiction love story... ALL TIME BEST EPISODE!!
joey_isham17 May 2021
Although many will disagree, I think this is THE BEST episode of season one. Science fiction and love story come together. Well acted, well produced and directed. Music score A+. If there is a flaw in the episode, maybe drawing names out of a bowl for such a dangerous, painful and deadly mission was a bit bizarre. Otherwise, you do not want to miss this episode!
Nice Idea, I Guess
Hitchcoc1 January 2015
A pretty good "what if" episode that flew pretty well when I first saw it in college. The problem is the premise that a small group of men who are merely concerned about the nuclear arms race could somehow change the course of history. The decision is made to create an alien whose appearance would cause the nations of the Earth to join forces against a common enemy, thereby calling off their aggressive stances against each other. But how do you do this? Instead of creating the false threat, you decide to turn one of your own into an alien. The guys draw lots and poor Robert Culp becomes (with his permission) the odd man out. He is methodically changed physically and physiologically into a monster. Why this one mess of a being would have the desired effect, I don't know. All those guys say a sort of unified oops. I know one shouldn't take these things too seriously, but the ultimate malfunction in the plan leads on to think that maybe a better strategy could have been employed.
Not a classic.
westernone6 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The problem with too many Outer limits stories is pretty obvious here, and that's that unexplained things go on. The scientists have (yet another) bizarre creature in a box, this time a small monstrosity that is apparently the model for the monster-to-be. But wouldn't we like to know more about it? After Culp has a violent psychotic episode during the transforming process, it's dismissed as expected, and all over. But did it or did it not have something to do with his subsequent behavior? Or was it just something to cut out when the series goes into syndication? Most frustrating is indeed the turn he takes after he's launched. Why did he sabotage the mission and return instead to the laboratory? Why did his wife return there, at that moment? and why did he laser-zap a parked car for no reason whatsoever, instead of more likely targets like a hunting dog that went after him, or the three guys with rifles? Maybe they needed something exciting for the "teaser" for this episode the week before. The Monster Culp becomes is also embarrassingly bad. It's a rubber mask, with nonmoving, painted on eyes. Too many illogical,unexplained things going on.
A thoughtful episode about fear and love
kyyankee8 April 2020
Robert Culp appeared in 3 Outer Limits shows, and all are high quality. In this one he is a volunteer to undergo a complete modification of his body to frighten the world uniting in an effort to repulse a supposed invasion from another planet. His new body is modeled on something in a box which we never see, and which apparently came from another world without much explanation. It's Culp's usual underplayed hero that keeps the episode focused.
A time that hopefully doesn't come again, yet I do fear it might
talonjensen28 February 2018
I'm just barely old enough to remember school drills in case of nuclear war, hiding under our desks. As if that would make any difference, but the fear was very real for a young child. Our home even had a root cellar to store food that was where we were told to go in case of an attack.
Understanding this background is very relevant to this episode because it is all about replacing that fear with the fear of aliens to unite mankind. A very simple plan for such supposedly erudite scientists, but not the craziest thing I've read or heard.
I enjoyed this episode and even overlook the horrible special effects which were really not bad in hindsight given the times and tiny budget. Passable enough that they didn't detract from the story. There is even some decent background info such as a new alloy for the spaceship unknown to others of the time.
Better than average acting by the husband and wife, I could feel the loss both of them felt of their family.
Understanding this background is very relevant to this episode because it is all about replacing that fear with the fear of aliens to unite mankind. A very simple plan for such supposedly erudite scientists, but not the craziest thing I've read or heard.
I enjoyed this episode and even overlook the horrible special effects which were really not bad in hindsight given the times and tiny budget. Passable enough that they didn't detract from the story. There is even some decent background info such as a new alloy for the spaceship unknown to others of the time.
Better than average acting by the husband and wife, I could feel the loss both of them felt of their family.
The premise is laughably idealistic and preposterously stupid.
fedor821 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The basic premise is intriguing but extremely far-fetched. I am not even referring to the scientific aspects of it, which are fine because this is sci-fi after all, but the incredibly naive Disney-like assumption that one damn alien is going to accomplish what nobody could ever do, and something nobody WON'T ever do: unite all of mankind.
One of those "It's A Small World After All" laughably idealistic set-ups. (In case you don't know, this is the title of a goofy, catchy children's song that was played at Disneyland and/or Disneyworld way back when. I suppose you could call it the proto-anthem for Cultural Marxism, devised to brainwash impressionable dumb kiddies. Dumb 'em down while they're still young, that always works...)
The STUPID Disney-like assumption that nations fight each other out of boredom or because they have nobody else to fight but each other, is awfully ignorant, child-like even. It's ignorant of the very plain facts that territorial concerns (i.e. Limited space on this planet), limited resources, political power, vital energy sources, and other financial concerns will always be constants, i.e. Will always be key factors in human existence hence in international relations, which is why there will always be armed conflicts. No damn silly fake alien could ever change these realities.
At best, an outside threat (and I mean a REAL threat including 100s of UFOs hovering above cities) could unify humans for a certain time period, but after a while things would go back to normal (providing we beat the alien invaders), to where they always were and always will be: competition. Whether it be humans, animals or plants, all living creatures are engaged in a perpetual, hellish game of survival which involves competition, among themselves and against other species. Anybody who actually believes that this natural order of things could be changed in some Utopian-like quasi-artificial future must be a gullible, stupid left-winger. And the fact that Marxist Hemingway, of all people, gets quoted here, says it all really about the intelligence and political affiliations of this run-of-the-mill Hollywood writer.
After a promising start, the plot suddenly starts crawling at a snail's pace. I found myself bored with the detailed metamorphosis and the soapy drama that accompanies it. Way too pathetic, sentimental and preachy for me. Once the plot finally resumes, things got so dumb I simply lost interest, once again.
This sort of bizarre, silly story would be ideal for "Astounding Stories" or any other old sci-fi comic-book serial, but it cannot translate to the screen because way too absurd and dumb.
What's that monkey-like gremlin thing they used to turn Culp into an alien? Where did they find it? And why is Culp's wife somehow connected ESP-wise to him? How is it that she can simply waltz into these "secret" labs whenever she feels like it? How the hell did Culp manage to drag his clumsy alien self from the crash site all the way to the lab - and while mortally wounded?! Why would the crash-site be so closely located to the labs? The story is full of nonsense, which I guess is why it got a high rating by TOListas.
This "genius" team of noble but laughably deluded scientists concocted this incredibly complex, risky, far-fetched plan, only to be screwed over by a couple of random hunters! This should have been a comedy. Just delete the pathetic, moral speeches and you're halfway there.
Check out my TOL list, with reviews of all the episodes.
One of those "It's A Small World After All" laughably idealistic set-ups. (In case you don't know, this is the title of a goofy, catchy children's song that was played at Disneyland and/or Disneyworld way back when. I suppose you could call it the proto-anthem for Cultural Marxism, devised to brainwash impressionable dumb kiddies. Dumb 'em down while they're still young, that always works...)
The STUPID Disney-like assumption that nations fight each other out of boredom or because they have nobody else to fight but each other, is awfully ignorant, child-like even. It's ignorant of the very plain facts that territorial concerns (i.e. Limited space on this planet), limited resources, political power, vital energy sources, and other financial concerns will always be constants, i.e. Will always be key factors in human existence hence in international relations, which is why there will always be armed conflicts. No damn silly fake alien could ever change these realities.
At best, an outside threat (and I mean a REAL threat including 100s of UFOs hovering above cities) could unify humans for a certain time period, but after a while things would go back to normal (providing we beat the alien invaders), to where they always were and always will be: competition. Whether it be humans, animals or plants, all living creatures are engaged in a perpetual, hellish game of survival which involves competition, among themselves and against other species. Anybody who actually believes that this natural order of things could be changed in some Utopian-like quasi-artificial future must be a gullible, stupid left-winger. And the fact that Marxist Hemingway, of all people, gets quoted here, says it all really about the intelligence and political affiliations of this run-of-the-mill Hollywood writer.
After a promising start, the plot suddenly starts crawling at a snail's pace. I found myself bored with the detailed metamorphosis and the soapy drama that accompanies it. Way too pathetic, sentimental and preachy for me. Once the plot finally resumes, things got so dumb I simply lost interest, once again.
This sort of bizarre, silly story would be ideal for "Astounding Stories" or any other old sci-fi comic-book serial, but it cannot translate to the screen because way too absurd and dumb.
What's that monkey-like gremlin thing they used to turn Culp into an alien? Where did they find it? And why is Culp's wife somehow connected ESP-wise to him? How is it that she can simply waltz into these "secret" labs whenever she feels like it? How the hell did Culp manage to drag his clumsy alien self from the crash site all the way to the lab - and while mortally wounded?! Why would the crash-site be so closely located to the labs? The story is full of nonsense, which I guess is why it got a high rating by TOListas.
This "genius" team of noble but laughably deluded scientists concocted this incredibly complex, risky, far-fetched plan, only to be screwed over by a couple of random hunters! This should have been a comedy. Just delete the pathetic, moral speeches and you're halfway there.
Check out my TOL list, with reviews of all the episodes.
"Some scarecrows don't even scare crows."
classicsoncall17 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I thought this was a lamebrain idea right out of the gate. Who in their right mind would agree to be turned into an alien reptile, even if it meant a shot at saving humanity? I guess when I put it like that it's not so farfetched. But even when there's only a ten percent chance of being selected for this mission, it winds up being a hundred percent disaster for the unlucky 'winner'. The reptilian makeup effects for Allen Leighton (Robert Culp) were pretty decent for the era, but the final outcome had a decidedly goofy look, and not at all like the captured Thetan the scientists had caged in their lab.
Say, did you notice when Yvette Leighton (Geraldine Brooks) walked down the steps of the research facility to follow up an intuitive link with her husband? It looked to me like she cast a shadow of being pregnant even though she wasn't showing yet. If that was intentional, I'd give the filmmakers a bonus point for a neat visual sight trick. Go back and take a look, and see if it wasn't a case of me seeing things. I rewound the scene and that's what it looked like to me.
In any event, I just couldn't accept the idea of a group of scientists on their own deciding to undertake a monumental project affecting the entire planet like this. In Rod Serling's episode of The Twilight Zone from a year earlier titled "To Serve Man", he took the opposite approach by having an alien race similarly arrive at the United Nations with a message for mankind. The Kanamits brought the nations of the world together with wonderful inventions and technology that made life more enjoyable and productive for everyone. It's one of the few Twilight Zone episodes where you never see the twist coming the first time you watch it, making it one of the very best shows of that series.
Say, did you notice when Yvette Leighton (Geraldine Brooks) walked down the steps of the research facility to follow up an intuitive link with her husband? It looked to me like she cast a shadow of being pregnant even though she wasn't showing yet. If that was intentional, I'd give the filmmakers a bonus point for a neat visual sight trick. Go back and take a look, and see if it wasn't a case of me seeing things. I rewound the scene and that's what it looked like to me.
In any event, I just couldn't accept the idea of a group of scientists on their own deciding to undertake a monumental project affecting the entire planet like this. In Rod Serling's episode of The Twilight Zone from a year earlier titled "To Serve Man", he took the opposite approach by having an alien race similarly arrive at the United Nations with a message for mankind. The Kanamits brought the nations of the world together with wonderful inventions and technology that made life more enjoyable and productive for everyone. It's one of the few Twilight Zone episodes where you never see the twist coming the first time you watch it, making it one of the very best shows of that series.
Timely, oddly familiar
toddholmes-8888320 May 2021
With the recent spat of supposedly authentic videos of anomalies which seem to indicate advanced UFOs being reported by the U. S. Navy, (As reported on 60 Minutes) I am inclined to think that something very similar to The Architects of Fear is being orchestrated in our own time. For what purpose, I don't know. But it seems odd that the U. S. Military who for so long denied the existence of alien vechicles is suddenly changing their tune.
Alien Hoax
AaronCapenBanner10 March 2016
Robert Culp stars as Allen Leighton, who is a scientist that is a member of an elite and secret group of scientists who have decided to do something about the precarious global situation by using DNA from a captured baby alien called a Thetan, to transform Allen(whose name was picked by lot) into an Adult Thetan in order to scare the nations into uniting against a common enemy when a space capsule carrying him lands in a city, but sadly the plan goes tragically wrong, especially concerning his pregnant wife Yvette(played by Geraldine Brooks)... Thoughtful story with a fine performance by Culp, though the alien itself may now seem comical, outcome obvious, though still effective.
Not one of the best, but when viewed in a certain context, it still works
crystallogic8 January 2018
This is only my second Outer Limits viewing. Since there's no series continuity, I'm basically picking the episodes at random. The other night, this one came up, and my girl and I watched it in the late hours.
Well, they don't waste any time here telling us exactly what is going on. To be frank, it's totally absurd. Surely these learned men can come up with a better plan than this? What kind of dream are they living in anyway? They want to turn one of their own into a monster so they can give the world something to unite for and fight against. As we say almost every time we watch a Frankenstein (or similar) film, and the scientist makes his strident speech about how he's going to make the world better, "WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?!?!?"
So things go about as well as you'd expect, and the ending is kind of sad. That said, there is some poignant stuff here. Still, once his lungs have been taken out and he looks like a ridiculous thing with a giant head that can no longer speak without electronic assistance, he grates out hesitantly, "will it work?" Should have thought about that before you agreed to this, buddy.
But ok, it's easy to be hard on this. I don't think it fails to work because it's old or dated or anything like that. I just feel the episode might, perhaps, have functioned on a more entertaining level if the absurdity of the situation were played up a bit and the material treated as satire. I think there's some of this here already, but it's so understated and everyone plays it so grim that it's hard to make that reading of the episode without a bit of a mental stretch. I can see some parallels. For example, it wasn't much later that people started accusing the US government of performing experiments on its citizens. I'm not going to sit here and argue about whether that did or didn't happen to any great degree, but the fact is that it was in the public consciousness, and that made it important enough to talk about. Those conducting experiments on their own people would naturally feel that they were in the right, and that they were doing a good thing; not something for personal gain but rather to better the human race, get the country (or hell, even the world) to band together, and so on.
An interesting alternative take on a similar kind of situation was suggested by writer Theodore Sturgeon in the 1970s. He wrote a story called "Ockham's Scalpel", in which a dead industrialist was made to resemble an alien lifeform; one that breathed an atmosphere that would have been toxic to humans. The plan was to make it look like he was preparing the way for an alien invasion, and finding ways to make the Earth more habitable to his kind. This was done to explain the reasons for his destructive, anti-ecological campaigns and attempts to supress environmental concerns. It was just a short story, but I thought it was a more clever and reasonable application of the sort of idea presented by this episode. Odd that one of the few episodes of the show which doesn't involve aliens turns out to be one of the least ... "believable", but there you go.
Well, they don't waste any time here telling us exactly what is going on. To be frank, it's totally absurd. Surely these learned men can come up with a better plan than this? What kind of dream are they living in anyway? They want to turn one of their own into a monster so they can give the world something to unite for and fight against. As we say almost every time we watch a Frankenstein (or similar) film, and the scientist makes his strident speech about how he's going to make the world better, "WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?!?!?"
So things go about as well as you'd expect, and the ending is kind of sad. That said, there is some poignant stuff here. Still, once his lungs have been taken out and he looks like a ridiculous thing with a giant head that can no longer speak without electronic assistance, he grates out hesitantly, "will it work?" Should have thought about that before you agreed to this, buddy.
But ok, it's easy to be hard on this. I don't think it fails to work because it's old or dated or anything like that. I just feel the episode might, perhaps, have functioned on a more entertaining level if the absurdity of the situation were played up a bit and the material treated as satire. I think there's some of this here already, but it's so understated and everyone plays it so grim that it's hard to make that reading of the episode without a bit of a mental stretch. I can see some parallels. For example, it wasn't much later that people started accusing the US government of performing experiments on its citizens. I'm not going to sit here and argue about whether that did or didn't happen to any great degree, but the fact is that it was in the public consciousness, and that made it important enough to talk about. Those conducting experiments on their own people would naturally feel that they were in the right, and that they were doing a good thing; not something for personal gain but rather to better the human race, get the country (or hell, even the world) to band together, and so on.
An interesting alternative take on a similar kind of situation was suggested by writer Theodore Sturgeon in the 1970s. He wrote a story called "Ockham's Scalpel", in which a dead industrialist was made to resemble an alien lifeform; one that breathed an atmosphere that would have been toxic to humans. The plan was to make it look like he was preparing the way for an alien invasion, and finding ways to make the Earth more habitable to his kind. This was done to explain the reasons for his destructive, anti-ecological campaigns and attempts to supress environmental concerns. It was just a short story, but I thought it was a more clever and reasonable application of the sort of idea presented by this episode. Odd that one of the few episodes of the show which doesn't involve aliens turns out to be one of the least ... "believable", but there you go.
This Was Probably Better In The 1960s...But Okay Now
StuOz25 June 2014
Robert Culp has a strange operation that turns him into a muppet-like creature!
I first saw this in the 1980s when Hollywood could do better creature costumes than this! However, Limits is about scripts, acting, direction, music, etc, and the hour is okay on those levels.
Guest star Geraldine Brooks would go on to appear in one of the very best episodes of QM's The Fugitive titled - The Ivy Maze (1967) - and guest star Leonard Stone would go on to appear in two of the very silly Lost In Space episodes where he would play a colourful (or gay?) space circus owner.
I first saw this in the 1980s when Hollywood could do better creature costumes than this! However, Limits is about scripts, acting, direction, music, etc, and the hour is okay on those levels.
Guest star Geraldine Brooks would go on to appear in one of the very best episodes of QM's The Fugitive titled - The Ivy Maze (1967) - and guest star Leonard Stone would go on to appear in two of the very silly Lost In Space episodes where he would play a colourful (or gay?) space circus owner.
The Architects of Fear
Prismark1019 February 2023
Another episode that reflects the 1960s paranoia of impending nuclear doom.
A group of scientists have an idea to unite the nations of the world. By sending an alien to Earth based on an actual alien that has been held captive by them.
They draw lots and Alan Leighton (Robert Culp) is the unlucky scientists who will be transformed after a series of operations.
He has to say goodbye to his loving wife. While he undergoes the transformation, he becomes violent as a result of the possible alien DNA inside him.
However Alan's love for his wife is never far away as the scientists plans goes awry.
You have to overlook the alien costume at the end. It is very B monster movie territory. I thought the who story was cheesy and morally suspect.
A group of scientists have an idea to unite the nations of the world. By sending an alien to Earth based on an actual alien that has been held captive by them.
They draw lots and Alan Leighton (Robert Culp) is the unlucky scientists who will be transformed after a series of operations.
He has to say goodbye to his loving wife. While he undergoes the transformation, he becomes violent as a result of the possible alien DNA inside him.
However Alan's love for his wife is never far away as the scientists plans goes awry.
You have to overlook the alien costume at the end. It is very B monster movie territory. I thought the who story was cheesy and morally suspect.
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