The Twilight Zone, Vol. 38
The wonders and perils of childhood form the framework for this excursion to the middle ground between light and shadow. All three episodes are second-string efforts that hint at the creative downward spiral the series would take in the third season."The Gift": A mysterious gift bestowed upon a young Mexican boy by a dying space traveler is discovered too late to have miraculous powers. The episode, originally written prior to filming the show's pilot episode, travels the same thematic path as Serling's "The Shelter" and "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," but to lesser effect. Vladimir Sokoloff's empathetic performance and a score by classical guitarist Laurindo Almeida are highlights; future director Paul  Mazursky appears as a military officer."Young Man's Fancy": A newlywed (Phyllis Thaxter) struggles to overcome the influence--and spirit--of her husband's dead mother. Despite Thaxter's finely pitched performance, this is a muted effort from writer Richard Matheson, who disliked the end result."The Incredible World of Horace Ford": Based on a Studio One production byTwelve Angry Menauthor Reginald Rose, this hour-long episode from the fourth season follows an immature toy designer (Pat Hingle), whose visits to the neighborhood of his youth teach him that childhood nostalgia is often far from the truth. Hingle is alternately moving and grating, which blunts his final lesson, but Rose's script (which originally had a more downbeat ending) is affecting and dramatic.As with the previous volumes, Image's DVD also includes episode commentary and a history of the series byTwilight Zonehistorian Marc Scott Zicree.--Paul Gaita