Steven Spielberg, under the auspices of his Amblin Entertainment, began producing this anthology series in 1985. Reflecting the influence of old horror and sci-fi movies, comic books, and even TV shows such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, the series was revolutionary both for its big budgets and for attracting A-list talent. Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, and Robert Zemeckis were among the directors who worked on the series, and the roster of stars included Kevin Costner, Kiefer Sutherland, John Lithgow, Charlie Sheen, and Tim Robbins, to name just a few. Although Amazing Stories ultimately failed to earn the ratings expected of it (and the show only ran for two years), Spielberg and company turned out many memorable installments. Highlights among the 24 collected here are “The Doll,” with Lithgow in an Emmy-winning role as a man strangely attached to his niece's doll; “Mirror, Mirror,” Scorsese's wry tale about a famous author of horror novels (Sam Waterston stars as a character modeled on Stephen King); and Spielberg's own “The Mission,” a gripping suspense thriller starring Costner, Sutherland, and Casey Siemaszko, and featuring a score by John Williams. DVD extras include 20 minutes of deleted scenes. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
Amazing Stories: The Complete First Season
Universal, 4 discs, 621 min., not rated, DVD: $49.98 Volume 21, Issue 5
Amazing Stories: The Complete First Season
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