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Reviews
The Outer Limits: Cold Hands, Warm Heart (1964)
Nightmares, romance and much silliness at 20,000 feet
One of the sillier episodes of The Outer Limits it has to be said. As is usually the way in TOL, a top-notch cast play it completely straight however loopy the storyline or however many 'aliens' (men in cheap rubber masks) stagger into view. It also helps that the script is generally intelligent and transcends the woeful 'special effects'.
However, in this episode, you get the feeling the writers are having a laugh. Why else reference the classic William Shatner/Twilight Zone episode 'Nightmare at 20,000 feet' (which aired in the previous year) by showing astronaut Shatner having nightmares - you guessed it - at 20,000 feet? Admittedly, the crazy rag-doll-like alien has more in common with the later Twilight Zone - The Movie than the teddy-bear gremlin from the TZ TV show, but the encroaching menace and the face looming in at the spacecraft/airplane window is familiar in all three offerings.
In the fine cast, Geraldine Brooks (as the astronaut's loving wife) is particularly convincing. William Shatner does - well, William Shatner and gets his shirt off a few times.
There are many references to love, including the planet Venus, so it's no surprise emotions, devotion and the all-conquering power of love dominate the action. And while this is touching at first, it soon tips over into trashy soap opera territory.
A final, and silly, thought (for Brits and followers of the British royal family): The Shatner character is overjoyed when it's shown that he can sweat. I wonder if Prince Andrew would like to take that test... ?
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Hands of Mr. Ottermole (1957)
Cor blimey! Och aye, the noo!
After getting past the overripe 'cock-er-nee' accents and the 'what the... ?' moment when the police sergeant first opens his mouth and sounds just like Gregor Fisher in full Utter Hebrides Broadcasting Co mode (Scot/Brit ref), this episode delivers not a bad measure of suspense. Scots, and anyone else with an ear for regional accents, will probably spend a bit of time wondering how likely it was for someone from the Western Isles (or perhaps the Highlands) to be working as a police sergeant in London, in 1919? Possible, or maybe a literal joke as he was working for Scotland Yard? Actually, the accent was convincing and remained consistent (the actor in question Theodore Bikel, master of numerous languages, accents and dialects) so we can let that one go.
Another slightly jarring aspect is some of the weird non sequitur dialogue: 'Maybe the reason for there being no reason is that there is no reason' or 'How did the ham get into the sandwich? Because someone had to put it there' (that particular piece of philosophy bizarrely leading to the mystery being solved). Dostoevsky it ain't!
It appears to have the hands of Mr Hitchcock (as well as Mr Ottermole) all over it, so it was quite a surprise to see Robert Stevens directed. I was getting homage to the big man's early Blighty based catalogue which isn't a bad thing. Overall though, pretty much style over substance with a reveal that's been a staple of many a Hammer Horror/Ripper movie since. Way better than some of the other 'wackier' episodes in series 2 of AHP though.
**Lookalike corner* Anyone else think the murdered couple's nephew looked like a young Roger Daltrey?