Forgotten TV: The Outer Limits - 'Descent'

 As we work our way down the Bottom 10 Rated Episodes, do things get better...or weirder.

This is a Season 5 Episode with a notable 'That Guy' in it.
Does the Plot accidentally touch on some modern ideas?

Let's go ahead and take the...

In the Cold Open, we see these Quest For Fire-looking guys fighting over food.

We then see that a Doctor is imagining the Scene entirely while staring at a Display on Primitive Man.

The Doctor- a famous That Guy named Leland Orser- is experimenting with DNA and trying to create the Dominant and Submissive genes.

With a potion, he can- in theory- make someone more of either.

As you can probably guess, he doesn't take the Submissive formula.

He's already got too much of that, he thinks.

The first dose makes him more confident and more assertive.

It's not enough, however, and he takes a second dose.

That one makes him very aggressive, to the point where he attacks his Boss like it is the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey!

He also gives the female Doctor he's obsessed with a dose of the Submissive stuff when the Office is just all getting flu shots- as you do.

The combination doesn't work, however, and he regrets what he did by trying to force himself on her.

She agrees to help him, making an antidote while he regresses.

Unfortunately, he can't accept a normal life without her and gives himself ALL of the formula he had left over.

After being shot by Security, we see his final fate..

He's now on Display in place of the mannequins!
The End.

A fairly simple Episode, but a pretty effective one.

As a reminder, these kinds of Shows tend to be little Morality Plays.
This is definitely one of those.

Poor Leland learns that power comes at a cost.  At first, he's willing to pay it.
Eventually, he sees the error of his ways...right?

This one has a pretty tight focus, only giving us Leland, the Lady, a Male Coworker and a Boss to focus on.  It helps make this easy to follow.

While it is somewhat of a universal idea- see those old Ads about He-Men on the Beach-, this one does feel a bit topical with the Tates and others doing their things online about being 'real men' or being 'man enough.'

While it is Sci-Fi (and replayed on said Channel), it's a good lesson in going too far for the wrong reasons.
Take us away, reused Newspaper Prop!

Next up, we get to lucky #10 on the lowest rated Episodes.  In this one, crazy people under care may not end up being the ones who are truly insane!  See you then...

Tubi Thursday: In the Year 2889 (1969)

 On June 16, 1979, Svengoolie (then Son of) ran his first Episode.
He featured the 'classic' Film known simply as In the Year 2889.

On June 25, 2026, I watched said Film.

Nuclear War!

Survivors!

An old guy and his Daughter are hidden out in a Valley (sounds familiar) and survived.

Sadly, her Fiancee is dead, but they suddenly get lots of company in the form of 2 Brothers, a sneaky Couple and a drunk dude.

The Dad bonds with the non-irradiated Brother (who looks like Elvis' Stunt Double) and thinks that he can trust him.

He also wants him to bang his Daughter, but that comes later.

The drunk guy- who perved on the Daughter- and the creep- who first pulled a gun to blast open the door- are no help.

The former keeps going out to the yard for his jug of booze (why not put it in your room?) and the other guy lusts after the Daughter.

He's also no help.  At all.

The irradiated brother keeps wandering out at night and has weird urges (raw meat, but no water).

They learn that the radiation is making him evolve and, like everything in this Film, it takes forever!

The group is all worried that it will rain and bring down the radiation from the clouds.

That...doesn't sound like a thing.

Who cares- ladies in a pool!

It all comes down to them saying that a bunch of mutants- more mutated versions of the brother- are just outside of the fog surrounding the Valley.

We see one.

He carries the girl- in 1950's Cliche #27- and gets shot.
They all figure out that the water- being clean- can kill them.

The young couple walk towards the camera hand-in-hand.
The...Beginning?

A Film whose Plot has potential, but it never lives up to it.

For starters, the Title is a lie.  Here's the short version...

AIP optioned the Jules Verne Story of the same name...in 1961.  Years later, they hired Larry Buchanan to Remake a 1955 Film and just used this Title, since they already owned the rights.

No, really.

The concept- again- is not a bad one.  The Acting is just alright.  The Budget is super low.  The Pacing is really bad.  The payoff is not great.

The Film is dated in so many ways.  That is what happens when you do a line-for-line Remake of a 1955 Film in 1969.
It is like how I Eat Your Skin was dated in 1971, since it was made in 1964.

I really like to either find a hidden gem or give a new shine to an old Film like this.
No such luck- it's just kind of dull and generic.

Why can't we just get THIS instead?

A Film that is historic as Svengoolie's first Film and for being played so often.  That said, it kind of sucks.

Forgotten TV: House of Frankenstein (1997) (Part 2)

 After a big debut, let's return to...

Here's a Recap for you...

A Dracula guy has been killing people in Los Angeles.
A Werewolf guy was attacking people.
The rich guy also brought the Frankenstein Monster to the City.

A Detective worked the case and denied the reality, until it became too real.

A lady got turned into a Werewolf by the bad done.
Not Dracula killed the guy Werewolf and kidnapped the lady after her transformation.

Back in the City, the Frankenstein Monster is in police custody after the Vampire killed his friend.

They want to lay all of the killings on him.
That makes it easy!

Pasdar's Detective finally goes to CCH Pounder after seeing Polo transform and the Vampire in its full form.

She drops a crazy bomb on him- Vampires like Dracula guy are Fallen Angels!

Dr. Frankenstein leads a Police Station breakout for the creature, which includes him sliding a cab along the road and a car chase.

The Dracula guy inadvertently kills Pasdar's Partner and everyone is sad.

In a twist, Dr. Frankenstein was actually turning the creature over to the Dracula guy!

The Doctor is never seen again.

The Dracula guy wants to seduce Polo, but she resists his charms.

He tries to kill Pasdar and Pounder (they're Lawyers!), but that just ends in the CSI lady being staked.

Plan B- sic the Creature on them...or else she dies!

The Creature, of course, doesn't do it and instead sides with our heroes.

With his henchmen dead and the Staff gone, Dracula guy is ripe for the picking.

Of course, he still turns into one of those '70s Gargoyles on steroids, so he's no pushover.

We finally reach my sense memory of this Film when the Creature and Dracula guy fight.

The former actually stakes the latter.

Pasdar takes the wounded Polo- who he shot while she was transformed- but then Dracula guy no-sells the stake and chucks the Creature into the fire place.

Time to kidnap Polo- again!

Pasdar survives the attack- while Pounder plummets- and goes to the Club, the last vestige of the Vampire.

His fellow Cops all join him and a Vampire vs. Cops battle breaks out to Smashing Pumpkins.

Pasdar goes to save Polo, who is now worthless to Dracula guy since her wolf side died (don't ask).
When she rejects him yet again, the Vampire drops to his fiery death.

Wow, so much for my big moment.

In the aftermath, this TV Mini-Series does some massive Sequel Baiting!

Pounder is alive and turning into a Werewolf.
The Creature survived being burned and is escaping the city.

...and the happy couple talk about how they are safe while Dracula guy's helper is revealed to be a Vampire himself and watching them!

There is no follow-up.

A decent climax to the events, even if some of the confrontations felt rushed.

This one is tricky because it is the culmination of all of the story beats and Plots.
As such, you expect certain things.

For instance, the battle between Dracula guy and the Frankenstein Creature is very abrupt and the rematch is even more so.
Likewise, the final confrontation between Pasdar and the Vampire is just kind of...oh, that's it?

The makeup work here is really darn good.  They used CGI sparingly and that was a good thing.

The Acting is also good too.  The whole thing doesn't feel cheap, especially for at TV Movie/Mini-Series.

As of this writing, no DVD, Blu-Ray or Streaming options for this exist.  I got a digital copy, since, well, nobody is trying to sell it.  It's worth a look if you remember it vaguely or just want something different.

Now...is that Svengoolie?

Next up, I take a look at a forgotten part of the Batman-Superman Series.  Is this long-delayed Superman follow-up worth the $3.18 I paid for it?  Stay tuned...

Streaming Standard: Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025)

 I only know the Games based on YT Videos and reputation.
I wasn't wowed by the first Film.

So how do I feel about the Sequel?

Let's find out...

As a reminder, a bunch of kid ghosts were trapped in animatronics not at all based on Rockafire Explosion.

They turned on their captor- Matthew Lillard- but the events haunted those affected by it.

About 2 years later, the girl at the center of it- Abby- wants to save the spirits in the machines, but her older brother Mike won't do it.

She eventually runs away to the Restaurant (somehow still not demolished) and gets a device to 'talk' to Freddy Fazbear.

A bit later, a bunch of random dead meats go to a SECOND Freddy's location.
Yes, there was another one like 4 miles away the whole time.  Duh.

McKenna Grace runs afoul of an especially dangerous and new animatronic with a backstory laid out in the Cold Open. 

The new one- Marionette- is possessed by the spirit of a DIFFERENT kid spirit (think of it like a Japanese Rage Ghost) and is mad at Emily for the sins of her and her Father.

Speaking of her Dad, Lillard appears in random flashbacks/dreams throughout.

Abby has an ongoing issue with her Teacher- Wayne Knight- and he runs afoul of Toy Chica, the definitely evil version of the animatronic from the other Restaurant.

Can you name a Film in which Wayne survives?  I can't.

The Marionette wants Emily dead.

The Toy Animatronics want everyone dead.

Who will win?
Will this actually do more than just set up a third Film?

To find out, stream it now.

A bigger, bolder...but not better Sequel.

Positives first.
The Animatronics look great, courtesy of the Henson Company.
Really impressive stuff- no question.

There are some good visuals overall here.

That said, the Plot really dives into the convoluted lore of FNAF, thanks to its Creator writing the Script.
We've got two sets of Animatronics, a Marionette, a brand-new villain, a 2nd restaurant that was somehow always there, a Fazz Festival that never pays off and more.

Furthermore, these big, metal robots can shake the floor with each step...or be deathly silent when the Plot demands it (see image below).  Sure!

I watched this only a few days ago and I'm already struggling to remember huge chunks of it.  The Film also features random guests as Voice Actors that you can't even recognize.  Money well spent.

Oh and I didn't even mention the essentially pointless Cameo by Skeet Ulrich, part of two Films that nostalgia baited Scream fans.  The pair are never seen together.

If you're a fan of the Series and lore, you'll be able to ignore the nonsense- you're already all in.
For everyone else, you can watch it if you're really curious.

A Film that spent more money in many good ways.  Too bad they didn't make the Film for everyone and not just hardcore fans/theorists.

'Deep Blue Sea' Moments: Hell Night (1981)

Besides being a better-than-expected Slasher, the Film also allowed me to bring back an old Concept.

Someone, yet again, spoke too soon about their chances of surviving.

In Hell Night, Seth gets past the gate to get help.

When he gets back, he's attacked by a crazed killer and takes him out.

He goes to the Manor (sans help) and they are happy to see him.  Especially after he says...

With gun in hand, he tells them the great news!

They are still nervous, of course, at the top of the stairs.

He continues...

...only to be grabbed and killed!

Plot Twist- there are TWO killers.
Suck it, Scream!

This guy did more than anyone else up to that point.

He did take out a killer.

Sadly, he didn't celebrate in a safe place and congratulated himself too early!

You almost saved us all, buddy!

Tubi Thursday: Without Warning (1980)

 I was going to promote this, but, you know...

This is definitely a Cult Classic and somehow escaped my attention until today.

Let's jump right into the terror that is...

In the Cold Open, a Hunter- Cameron Mitchell- is out with his Son- who is a dead ringer for William Smith.

He's attacked by...something that throw alien creatures onto its neck and it seems to kill the son as well.

The Story proper involves a pair of couples going out to the same Woods.

Greg- a 70s TV Star that never broke out- is the real lead, but that is also a young David Caruso in his Film Debut.

I bet he wishes that it was First Blood.

We also get a long setup involving a Boy Scout Troop led by F-Troop's Larry Storch.

It leads to him being killed and they run away.
That's it.

The duos go swimming.  Our Heroes leave when Caruso and the lady start to make out.

Good call.

They wander back and the pair are gone.
They wander around until they find a shack and they find...

They drive to Town- after the unseen creature attacks the van- and run across the creepy guy from earlier- Martin Landau.

He believes their claims, but nobody believes him.

It all comes down to Jack Palance- who owned the Gas Station- and things don't go well.

The creature finally makes himself known when the duo hide out at a nearby House!

Early Kevin Peter Hall here to 'Serve Man.'

Greg is sadly killed, so our Final Girl must run away.

Fortunately, Palance and Landau (whose salaries were half of the Budget) are here for the big climax.

To see how it all plays out, stream it now.

A Film with really good moments, but boy does it take way too long between them.

The basic idea- an Alien comes to Earth to hunt Humans- sure is a good one.  Maybe you could get a big, Action Director like, say, John McTiernan to do it.
Hell, keep Kevin Peter Hall.

Oh, right.

The make-up work with the discs look good.  The effect of them flying...not always great.
Think of them less like frisbees and more like a creature throwing face huggers.

The Alien looks great.  More of it please.

If you can deal with the slower pace, this Film- which is close enough to the 1970s to be a '70s Film- has good moments of effects and action.

Now let's play a Game called Where's Alien?

A Greydon Clark Film that could have been really good.  If you can accept the slow pace, it's worth a watch as a Cult Classic.

Forgotten TV: 'The Outer Limits' - 'Seeds of Destruction'

 Are we sure that these are really the *worst* Episodes of the Show.

Number 7 on the list is the tale of Science, Farmers and- gasp- corporate greed!

This is...

An old farmer keeps finding dead birds and the like in his cornfield.  
I blame the Clowns!

They appear to be growing extra limbs/tissue and then dying.

A local Vet is trying to solve the case, as it also seems to be involving humans.

Kids are developing cancer, as well as other animals like cats.
Also, the Farmer dies too.  Aw.

While she is trying to solve this, she is torn between two lovers.

Her Husband is a Lawyer for the Company that made GMO Seeds that saved the Town's economy.
Her lover is a representative of, well, that same Company.

He also once played Nixon!

Things are getting worse as more offscreen kids are sick, a teenager's make out session is interrupted by sudden onset scoliosis and...

Well, this Plot has the woman raising her Nephew, who is mentally challenged.
If you wanted to see 'Christopher Titus' playing someone with a severe developmental disorder, this is your Episode.

Anyhow, he gets really sick after crossing through the field.

He's mercifully never seen again.

The lover plays along- after being combative- and helps them prove that the stuff in the corn didn't cause the deaths.

No, it was actually the stuff in the corn AFTER it went to the Milkwood that did it.

He tries to kill her and the old Country Doctor, but is stopped before he can succeed at the former.

The crops are burned...but is the crisis over?
The End. 

A decent Episode that doesn't exactly feel like an Outer Limits story.

Don't get me wrong- it is Science Fiction to a certain extent.
It is much more like Erin Brokovich.

If you're expecting stuff like Aliens, mutants or any of that, it's not here.

This is a good Episode, but maybe it is not for the right Show.

There's an obvious throughline in the Series about 'Science gone wrong' but there's also usually more to it than 'people grow tumors.'

I do recommend the Episode, but just know that it is more of a weird Drama (odd flashbacks for the young version of our Lead) with GMOs.

That might explain why the 2 Doctors posed like this is Diagnosis Murder and not The Outer Limits...

Next time, a tale of transformation and terror.  We are back in Season 5 and with a recognizable That Guy in the Lead.  See you then...