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An error has ocurred. Please try againI've opted to leave out any films from the same era (i.e. 50's and 60's) that are in color as "The Outer Limits" is remembered for its excellent use of it's black & white photography just as much as it's thrilling stories. TV series have likewise been excluded. Some honorable mentions that didn't make the list are "Quatermass and the Pit" (both the 1958 miniseries and the 1967 film) and the TV series "The Invaders" (1967).
This means that I've excluded excellent fan-favourite episodes such as TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise" and DS9's "In the Pale Moonlight" since these are predicated on knowledge of previous episodes and several ongoing character arcs.
PS. Star Trek the Original Series (1966-1969) is, as was the case of most old TV series of the era, designed to be watchable without any knowledge of previous continuity, meaning you can technically watch any episode of this series in isolation. None-the-less, I have tried to hand-pick a set of episodes that focus on the "challenge of the week" rather than blatantly character driven ones.
Reviews
The Black Cat (1934)
Misleading title. Great film.
You couldn't ask for a more perfect cast for a classic horror film, yet somehow this one has managed to slip between the cracks over time. This is likely because the film's connection to Edgar Allan Poe's short story 'The Black Cat' is tenuous at best, but the film deserves praise for what it managed to accomplished despite its origins as an attempted cash-in on the success of the much more faithful adaptation of Poe's 'Murders in the Rue Morgue' just two years before. Despite the fact that the original marketing promised Edgar Allen Poe, what we got instead (with hindsight) is a near-perfect amalgamation of the best elements of pre-code horror films.
The film does in many ways mirror James Whale's more famous 1932 film 'The Old Dark House,' albeit with a more "modern" spin, replacing the decrepit old house with a sleek and (then) modern house filled with strange contraptions that almost pushes the film into Sci-Fi territory at times. It is a setting that manages to touch upon a fear of the rapidly changing world of the early 1930s, a cold and sinister symbol of modernity literally built upon the site of a world war I massacre. 'The Black Cat' is a film with one foot firmly planted in classical gothic horror--a black cat stalking the halls, satanic rituals, etc.--while the other touches upon modern psychological themes that feels every bit as relevant today.
However, to be fair, when the plot is put under great scrutiny it can at times be a bit absurd, and there are certain details that go unanswered in the film's short runtime of just over an hour. But the it makes up for all of this with it's brooding and claustrophobic atmosphere, expressionistic cinematography, and the pitch perfect performances of its two stars. This was the first of many films to feature Karloff and Lugosi together and it is arguably the best.
The following year Universal released 'The Raven', another Poe-inspired horror film starring Karloff and Lugosi, though with their good & evil roles switched this time around. Both films last only about an hour and make for a highly recommended classic horror double feature.
The House of Fear (1945)
The Best film in Universal Studios' Sherlock Holmes series.
This is simply an excellent murder mystery. Every clue is laid out clearly, every suspect has a motive, and there is always a twist hiding around the corner to further complicate the plot the moment you think you've got it figured out, and yet, in the end it has a satisfying conclusion that wraps up every thread in a way that makes perfect sense.
Loosely based on the original Holmes short story 'The Five Orange Pips,' this is one of the rare instances, not only where the filmmakers decided to take inspiration from an original Doyle story, but one where the new story far exceeds the original. This is aided in no small part by a great cast of suspects that in many ways resemble an Agatha Christie novel more so than a Doyle story.
Universal's Sherlock Holmes series is well remembered for its moody film noir aesthetic, while 'The House of Fear' feels right at home alongside the studio's contemporary gothic horror films and is in many ways a Holmesian take on 'The Old Dark House'.
Basil Rathbone provides one of his last great performances before the slog of the series would drag him down in the latter entries. The film also features Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson at his best, and while he still provides much of the comic relief--alongside the ever-clueless Inspector Lestrade, he never comes off as stupid the same way he does in many of the other films. This is something which always separate the good entries from the lesser ones.
The supportive cast is too large to summarize in brief, but each of them has their own unique and memorable quirks that, alongside the film's incredible atmosphere and genuinely head-scratching mystery, contributes to what is arguably the best entry in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series.
The Pearl of Death (1944)
One of the best films in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series.
Although there were many entertaining previous entries in the Universal Studios Sherlock Holmes series this is one of the first that feel like a proper mystery, freed from the often ham-fisted propaganda elements of the former films that pitted Holmes against Nazi spies rather than the more familiar murderers and master thieves of the London underworld. Not only is it a proper mystery, but, despite still being set in the then contemporary setting of 1940's London, it feels very much like a genuine Holmesian mystery--aided in no small part by the fact that its one of the few films in the series to borrow it's core plot points from an actual Arthur Conan Doyle story.
Rathbone shines in this film and it is clear that he was still very much enjoying his tenure as Holmes at this point in the series (unlike the latter films). Nigel Bruce's Watson is also far less of a comic relief here compared to other films in the series, something which is always a hallmark of the better entries. He is still quite silly at times, but he never comes off as stupid like he does in some of the films.
The antagonist, the criminal mastermind Giles Conover is a great, almost Moriarty-esque, foil for Holmes, and his menacing henchman; 'The Creeper', has an appropriately pulpy quality to him as he stalks about in the shadows that feels right at home in the film's noir atmosphere
'The Pearl of Death' is one of those stories where you will genuinely scratch your head trying to make all the pieces fit together, and like all the shards of bric-a-brac that serves as clues for Holmes throughout the film they eventually come together in a comprehensible and very satisfying conclusion that makes this one of the best entries to Universal's Sherlock Holmes series.
The Vampire Bat (1933)
A cheesy but enjoyable cult classic, especially if you're a fan of Gothic Horror
A pretty interesting low-budget pre-code horror film which is retroactively most notable for it's unique cast of actors known for their work in more famous classic horror films such as 'Dracula,' 'Frankenstein,' 'The Old Dark House,' and many, many more.
Now, this is not a great film. Nor is it a bad film. What it is-at least if you're a fan of classic horror-is an entertaining film. If dark castles, pitchfork-wielding villagers and vampire bats is your kind of thing then you can do a lot worse then spending an hour watching this cheesy but enjoyable cult classic. And it's in the public domain so you should easily be able to find it online.
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
A classic thriller rarely talked about, but often imitated.
Now, you've probably seen this basic story at least a few times before as it's become something of a cliché in certain genres, but this is where it all started. The idea of hunting men for sport must have been quite an unpredictable and shocking idea in 1932, and although this film takes a fair bit of its runtime to get to the big reveal, once it gets to the chase (literally) it becomes one of the most exciting thrillers of its era. The film features some unusually dynamic camerawork for its time and is an early example of a fully scored film, a rare things in the early days of the talkies.
Another unique aspect of this film is it's fascinating production history. For a film with such a simple plot it has an incredibly high production value, something which was made possible due to the fact that all the jungle sets were primarily made for King Kong (which was released the following year in 1933). Wanting to put the sets, and even some of the cast, to good use, the studio had a separate crew shoot this film during the nights after the Kong crew had wrapped for the day. Now, normally when you hear stories like this the end results are usually as creatively cheap as the money-pinching production would suggest, but not this one. Although somewhat forgotten nowadays, The Most Dangerous Game has had a long lasting legacy that's almost as far reaching as it's more famous sibling-film.
The Most Dangerous Game is now in the public domain so finding it online should be quite easy if you're interested in giving it a watch.
Star Trek: Spectre of the Gun (1968)
One of the most unique, original and visually striking episodes of the series.
It's always been strange to me how season 3 of Star Trek is often referred to as "the bad season" as it features some of the most stunning cinematography of the entire series, and 'Spectre of the Gun' is one of the most visually striking and creatively shot episodes of the entire series. It's such a shame that the show got cancelled shortly after this as you can already see some of the experimental energy that defined the 1970's starting to creep in.
The minimalist and "half-finished" Western town set featured in this episode is, in my opinion, one of the stand-out settings of the entire series and greatly complemented the intended surreal feel of the story--a great example of how budgetary restrictions can encourage creativity. Likewise, I think the Melkosian is one of the coolest and eeriest alien designs, not just of the series, but in Sci-Fi in general. Like the rest of the episode it is a testament to how greatness can be achieved out of necessity.
The plot itself is clever and wholly original. The idea of an illusionary reality has of course gone on to become quite popular in recent decades in the form of virtual reality stories like 'The Matrix'--a digital era interpretation of the core idea explored in this episode. Like so many things, Star Trek did it first.
Star Trek: That Which Survives (1969)
A simple but haunting episode
Season 3 of Star Trek is a mixed bag, delivering some of the best episodes of the series, some of the worst, and also some of its weirdest. "That Which Survives" is hardly weird or bizarre in the conventional sense, but it is one of the more unusual episodes of the series, and very much a product of the strange and off-kilter sci-fi of the time. And you know what? I kinda love it for that.
The plot is simple; Kirk and a landing party investigate a planet that defies scientific explanation, the Enterprise is flung far away from the planet by an unknown force, and both the ship and the landing party find themselves--for lack of a better word--haunted by a mysterious woman. It feels almost like a ghost story in space, but without falling into any supernatural cliches. This is entirely a science fiction story, but one which doesn't get bogged down in techo-babble. It allows some mysteries to remain unexplained while explaining just enough at the end to make it seem plausible. Mood and atmosphere is a priority here, two cinematic virtues that defined season 3 but rarely get the attention it deserves (though admittedly other episodes did it even better).
I guess I can't fully articulate why exactly I think this is an underrated episode other than that it manages to be intriguingly different without feeling out of place from the rest of the series. It has less of a clear plot than f.ex. 'Spectre of the Gun'--another off-kilter and atmospheric episode from season 3 (and another favorite of mine)--but I'm completely hooked by this episode every time I watch it.
Star Trek: The Empath (1968)
A Criminally Underrated Episode
Season 3 gets a bad rep due to a couple of really goofy episodes and a painfully lackluster conclusion (though not intended as a conclusion I might add), but people often forget that this season also gave us some of the best episodes of the series and it was undoubtedly the most risk-taking phase of the entire show since the very beginning in season 1. This episode was a risk; it had a bold story and a minimalist setting done on the cheap, and perhaps that is why it has never received its just dues.
The fact that this episode wasn't aired in the UK until the 1990s definitely didn't help its reputation much either. Apparently the BBC deemed it not fit for broadcast as it dealt with "unpleasant subjects", a bit ironic as Star Trek is generally lauded for dealing with controversial and difficult subjects through the lens of science fiction.
As of the writing of this review in January 2022 this episode holds a rating of 6.6, a criminally low rating for what I feel is one of the boldest and most unique episodes of the entire series.
"The Empath" is an unusually intense and mature episode for the time it was made, and features no action, very little humor, and has none of the adventurous feel often associated with early Star Trek. And this is probably why it is so often overlooked. But Star Trek is generally not remembered as a mere fun romp through space, and serious episodes like "City on the Edge of Forever" and "A Balance of Terror"--both pretty dark and borderline bleak in their conclusions--are remembered as timeless classics. I personally have always wondered why "The Empath" is not considered to be among them, as it is every bit as bold and poignant as either of those classic episodes. But if you won't take my word for it, then take it from Bones himself as it was stated by DeForest Kelley in the 1980's that "The Empath" was his favorite episode of the whole series.
Stargate SG-1: Window of Opportunity (2000)
A perfect blend of Sci-Fi, comedy and drama.
If you're a Star Trek fan you might experience some déjà vu yourself with this episode, BUT where SG-1 surpasses the former time-loop plot of Star Trek TNG's "Cause and Effect" (though I love both) is by altering one little plot point that changes everything; that being that Jack O'Neill and Teal'c are aware of the day repeating itself. This simple but effective change takes an interesting, but kind of dry concept, and manages to make it both funny and frustrating as we get to experience it along with two of the characters.
"Window of Opportunity" is also one of those rare TV episodes where not a single line is wasted and not one shot is arbitrary. Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie delivered a tight script that manages to be both complex and coherent at the same time, while director Peter DeLuise once again manages to tickle your funny bone while simultaneously tug at your heartstrings. And although I'm personally not a huge fan of Richard Dean Anderson's more comedic take on O'Neill (something he started doing after the first couple of seasons and really committed to later in the series) it works wonderfully here.
It is for a good reason that this is considered one of the best episodes of the series. TV series episodes rarely come together this flawlessly.
Stargate SG-1: The First Ones (2000)
A simple premise but a great episode
This episode could have easily have been a boring lore-dump explaining the origins of the Goa'uld and the Unas but instead they managed to make what I think is one of the most fun and memorable Daniel Jackson-centered episodes of the series.
Director Peter DeLuise had a talent for balancing humour, drama and action and this is a great example of that despite the simple premise of the episode.
It might not be one of the most "important" episodes of the show (or even this season), but it has always been a personal favourite of mine.