Out of This World

Discuss releases by the BFI and the films on them.

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antnield
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:59 pm
Location: Cheltenham, England

Out of This World

#1 Post by antnield » Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:55 am

Also in October is Out of This World, the ground-breaking ABC series from 1962 which paved the way for Out of the Unknown. Containing the only surviving episode (the recently re-discovered ‘Little Lost Robot’, by Isaac Asimov), as well as reconstructions of other episodes, this DVD grants Sci-Fi fans the long-overdue opportunity to experience this historically important series for the first time since its original broadcast.

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antnield
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:59 pm
Location: Cheltenham, England

Re: Out of This World

#2 Post by antnield » Thu Jul 24, 2014 10:50 am

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GaryC
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:56 pm
Location: Aldershot, Hampshire, UK

Re: Out of This World

#3 Post by GaryC » Thu Jul 24, 2014 11:51 am

I know that U certificate is a placeholder, but I very much doubt that that's what the BBFC will give this set, given that it will include the controversial episode "To Lay a Ghost".

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RossyG
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:50 pm

Re: Out of This World

#4 Post by RossyG » Sun Jul 27, 2014 8:17 am

No it doesn't. That's the BBC's Out of the Unknown (also coming from the BFI); this is an ABC series, made a couple of years earlier.

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colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: Out of This World

#5 Post by colinr0380 » Fri Nov 21, 2014 6:15 pm

This set still got a PG certificate anyway (for "mild sci-fi threat"), along with a new cover.
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Here is the description and the extra features from the back of the DVD:
Designed as an offshoot of the legenday Armchair Theatre, Out of this World was devised by television colossus Sydney Newman (Doctor Who, The Avengers) and Irene Shubik (Out of the Unknown) in 1962. Hosted by veteran actor Boris Karloff, the series presented science fiction at its intelligent best, dramatising stories from the cream of contemporary writers including Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick.

This long-awaited release presents the only surviving episode, an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Little Lost Robot, starring Maxine Audley as the formidable 'robo-psychologist' Susan Calvin. Also included are a newly recorded audio commentary with producer Leonard White, an alternative presentation of Little Lost Robot which has undergone the VidFIRE process to recover the 'studio' look of the original broadcast version, audio recordings of two otherwise lost episodes and a downloadable PDF of the lost episode Dumb Martian.

Special features
• Digitally mastered presentation of Little Lost Robot
• Alternative VidFIRE presentation of Little Lost Robot
• Audio commentary with Leonard White and Mark Ward, moderated by actor-comedian Toby Hadoke
Cold Equations (Paul Bernard, 1962, audio only): Tom Godwin's suspensful tale featuring a very young Jane Asher and the impeccable Peter Wyngarde, with a screenplay by Clive Exton
Impostor (Peter Hammond, 1962, audio only): adaptation of a story by Philip K. Dick, dramatised by Terry Nation
Dumb Martian (1962): downloadable PDF of the script for the episode which heralded the series, adapted from a story by John Wyndham
• Illustrated booklet with essays by Oliver Wake and Simon Coward, and full credits

UK | 1962 | Black and white | English language, with optional hard of hearing subtitles | 52 minutes | Original aspect ratio 1.33:1 | DVD9 | PAL | Dolby Digital 1.9 mono audio (192 kbps)
It might be interesting to note that Impostor was made into a feature film in 2001. And here's a video about this VidFIRE process.

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colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: Out of This World

#6 Post by colinr0380 » Sun Nov 23, 2014 3:41 pm

Little Lost Robot is a nice sci-fi episode that deals with some very interesting ideas, particularly the use of robots as slaves and the usual Asimov idea of free will vs programmed directives, and robots being more sympathetic than the humans. It gets a little bit declamatory at times, and the robot suits are charmingly cheap looking (why with these monster suits of this era do they make it nearly impossible for the actor to walk about in them?), although if that allowed the production to 'mass produce' the look of the robots which is an important factor in the plot, then I was happy to overlook it. And many of the issues with the programme are only really those to do with TV productions of the era than the material itself.

The two audio recordings of otherwise lost episodes are interesting, though obviously a little is lost by there being no visual component (they're understandably not really optimised to work as pure radio plays). Both Cold Equation and Impostor are dark, twisty tales tackling respectively the pragmatism of space travel (poor Jane Asher! Though she brought it on herself!) and combating terrorism. The commentary with the 96 year old producer of the series was a nice addition and the booklet goes into detail about the other, now lost, episodes of the series which includes noting that two of the episodes from Out Of This World later got remade as episodes of the BBC series Out Of The Unknown.

Because of the single episode remaining of this series, and despite all of the valuable extra material on the disc to provide much needed context, it might be best to see this release less as a satisfying release in itself and more as a forerunner to the Out Of The Unknown boxset coming out soon. Perhaps this release could not have been commercially viable if not for the boxset enabling it, so I'm extremely grateful for what we got!

I'll add a few captures from the DVD below (this is from the non-VidFIRE version of the film):
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