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For a science fiction series, "The Twilight Zone" had an incredibly broad range of genres that it pulled from. War stories, space adventures, horror tales, post-apocalyptic sagas, and tons of other settings popped up in all five seasons of Rod Serling's acclaimed anthology masterpiece. The series also featured several prominent Western-themed episodes, each with a distinct "Twilight Zone" twist.

Serling seemed to have a soft spot for the cowboy genre. After "The Twilight Zone" came to an end in 1964, he quickly followed it up with a full-blown Western series called "The Loner," which premiered on CBS the next year. "The Loner" was short-lived, but it made clear the affinity Serling had for Westerns, and "The Twilight Zone" has plenty of stories to choose from set in the old American West.

While everyone has their favorite "Twilight Zone" episodes, these particular Western episodes have stood the test of time and...

Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone is one of television's evergreens, as pertinent today as it was when it premiered in 1959. Pop culture has changed a great deal since then, and the show cannot help but remain a product of its time as well as a classic that never gets old. Among its numerous fascinating qualities, The Twilight Zone provides a look at what people were watching in the early 1960s, which many of its episodes reflected as part of their commentary.

That includes a thick helping of Westerns, which were staggeringly popular at the time, and which dominated network television when The Twilight Zone originally aired. Accordingly, a number of episodes from the anthology series use Westerns as part of their storytelling. Most of them take on the aspects of a campfire ghost story, which lends itself well to tales of the Old West. A list of the 10 best Western episodes follows,...

Quick Links'Fatal Vision' Features One of the Most Celebrated and Disturbing Murder CasesThe Mystery of 'Fatal Vision' Is the MotiveGary Cole Plays Jeffrey MacDonald as If MacDonald Is Innocent

It doesn’t seem so long ago when original NCIS franchise star Mark Harmon left the series and was replaced by Gary Cole, whose run as Special Agent Alden Parker on NCIS presently encompasses more than 60 episodes and spans four seasons. Just as Harmon’s iconic portrayal of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS over 19 seasons redefined his acting legacy, Cole’s attachment to NCIS seems destined to overshadow his long and varied previous career.

Cole made his starring television debut in the acclaimed 1984 television miniseries Fatal Vision, in which he plays Jeffrey MacDonald, a real-life former Green Beret physician who was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters on a military base in 1970. The miniseries...

A fan-favorite Western film starring the iconic Burt Lancaster will arrive on Prime Video soon. 1971's Lawman will hit the streaming platform on December 1.

Directed by Michael Winner, Lawman follows Lancaster's Jared Maddox, a marshal from Bannock trailing five cowhands from Sabbath, who shoot up his town, leading to the death of an elderly citizen. Maddox demands Sabbath's Sheriff hand them over, threatening to murder them in cold blood if they fail to surrender to him in twenty-four hours. However, the culprits work for one of the town's wealthiest men, Victor Bronson, who attempts to pay off Maddox. The Bannock marshal cannot be bought, inevitably leading to an epic showdown only the best Westerns can deliver.

Related Patrick Swayze's Historic 40-Year-Old War Film Comes to Prime Video Next Month

Patrick Swayze's epic war film with Charlie Sheen and C. Thomas Howell will arrive on Prime Video next month.

Alongside Lancaster,...

The distribution company Kino Lorber recently launched an interesting Blu-ray line called Kino Cult, and so far they have released the 1985 sci-fi Western Alien Outlaw, the Bettie Page double feature Teaserama and Varietease, the 1985 horror film The Dark Power, the 1974 drama Drifter, the 1974 Jess Franco horror film Lorna the Exorcist, the 1973 Jess Franco crime thriller Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac, and the 1985 Clive Barker adaptation Underworld (a.k.a. Transmutations). Now our friends at Bloody Disgusting have learned that five more Kino Cult Blu-ray releases are set for August 20th, and there’s a theme to this batch: they’re all “nature run amok” horror movies! Most of them are movies I love to watch, too. Here’s the line-up: The Food of the Gods, Empire of the Ants, Frogs, Squirm, and Kingdom of the Spiders. Each one is available for pre-order on Amazon, and each of these...

Remember "Gilligan's Island?" Yes, the widely-loved American sitcom that earned massive popularity throughout its 98-episode run from 1978 to 1982, and featured an ensemble cast including Bob Denver, Natalie Schafer, Alan Hale Jr., and Russell Johnson. The show took the castaway trope and remolded it as a comedy in which seven castaways attempt to survive on an island after they're shipwrecked, which is further complicated by the shenanigans of the ship's first mate, Gilligan (Denver).

Among this cast of colorful characters is the Professor (Johnson) — the only level-headed person among the castaways, who uses his scientific background to create little devices to make their stay on the island more hospitable. While Johnson perfectly conveyed the subtle comedy inherent in his role (a running gag being his ability to create almost anything using bamboo and coconuts), the actor also embodied serious, dramatic roles in "The Twilight Zone," where he appeared in two separate...

Dragonslayer follows Galen Bradwarden, a young wizarding apprentice who must help a village that is being terrorized by a dragon. The king has been sacrificing young, virgin women to appease the dragon. Galen will find an unexpected wealth of courage and use the magical amulet that grants him powers to defeat the dragon.

Dragonslayer was released in theaters in 1981. Dragonslayer is directed by Matthew Robbins with a script penned by Robbins and Hal Barwood. Dragonslayer stars Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam, Peter Eyre, and Albert Salmi.

Related: Guillermo del Toro Has Already Found His Next Stop Motion Project

Screen Rant spoke with director Matthew Robbins about Dragonslayer being remastered and released on 4K Ultra HD. Robbins shares some of his favorite memories from making the movie and what it was like to create the new commentary for Dragonslayer with Guillermo del Toro. He also reveals some of the influences on the movie,...

Favorite director Bill Forsyth lends his knack for droll understatement to a screenplay by John Sayles, a crime tale that opts for keen character study and doesn’t stretch credibility. Burt Reynolds has a gem of a role as a career burglar doing his bit for the next generation, showing a ‘new guy’ the ins and outs of thievery; Casey Siemaszko is his thick-headed but resolutely faithful assistant on several outrageous heists. The criminal life almost doesn’t seem too terrible — except for the going-to-prison part. The disc commentary with Forsyth and Sayles is a great listen.

Breaking In

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1989 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date January 11, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Burt Reynolds, Casey Siemaszko, Sheila Kelley, Lorraine Toussaint, Albert Salmi, Harry Carey Jr., Maury Chaykin, Stephen Tobolowsky.

Cinematography: Michael Coulter

Production Designer: Adrienne Atkinson

Film Editor: Michael Ellis

Original Music: Michael Gibbs

Written by John...

Jack Garfein, who directed Broadway plays and Hollywood films and taught acting to the likes of James Dean, Ben Gazzara and Bruce Dern, died Monday of complications from leukemia, Playbill reported. He was 89.

The first director hired by The Actors Studio, Garfein collaborated with filmmakers including Elia Kazan, John Ford and George Stevens and guided Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Shelley Winters, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Ralph Meeker and Elaine Stritch on stage and/or screen.

According to the biography on his website, Garfein also discovered Dern, Gazzara, Dean, Steve McQueen, George Peppard, Doris Roberts, Jean Stapleton, Pat Hingle, Albert Salmi, Paul Richards and ...

Jack Garfein, who directed Broadway plays and Hollywood films and taught acting to the likes of James Dean, Ben Gazzara and Bruce Dern, died Monday of complications from leukemia, Playbill reported. He was 89.

The first director hired by The Actors Studio, Garfein collaborated with filmmakers including Elia Kazan, John Ford and George Stevens and guided Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Shelley Winters, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Ralph Meeker and Elaine Stritch on stage and/or screen.

According to the biography on his website, Garfein also discovered Dern, Gazzara, Dean, Steve McQueen, George Peppard, Doris Roberts, Jean Stapleton, Pat Hingle, Albert Salmi, Paul Richards and ...

April 16th will see the release of both The Manitou and Superstition on Blu-ray and we have new details on both titles straight from Scream Factory:

"Horror enthusiasts and classic movie collectors rejoice! On April 16, Scream Factory™ is proud to present the 1978 supernatural cult classic The Manitou Blu-ray and horror classic Superstition Blu-ray. Produced and directed by William Girdler and based on the best-selling novel by Graham Masterton, The Manitou stars Tony Curtis (Spartacus), Michael Ansara (I Dream of Jeannie), Susan Strasberg (Scream of Fear), Stella Stevens (The Silencers), Burgess Meredith (Rocky), Jon Cedar (Death Hunt), and Ann Sothern (The Whale of August). Directed by James Roberson (The Giant of Thunder Mountain) and produced by Ed Carlin (Battle Beyond the Stars), Superstition stars James Houghton (The Colbys), Albert Salmi (Caddyshack), Lynn Carlin (Faces), and Larry Pennell (Bubba Ho-Tep).

A must-have for collectors, The Manitou Blu-ray boasts new 4K scan from...

A town's witchcraft past comes back to haunt it in violent fashion in Superstition (aka The Witch), and to follow up on their Blu-ray announcement of The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, Scream Factory has now revealed that they'll also bring Superstition to Blu-ray this April.

From Scream Factory: "We’re feeling lucky this spring as we unleash the 80s supernatural gory horror film Superstition (also known as The Witch in some circles) on Blu-ray for the first time! Street date is planned for April 16th.

Something horrible is happening at the old house on Mill Road. A series of ghastly accidents has occurred near the site where a witch drowned centuries earlier. But when an alcoholic minister and his family move into the cursed residence, an idealistic young priest (James Houghton) and a cynical police detective (Albert Salmi) start their own investigation into the unexplained violence. Has the...

Gregory Peck slips into vengeance mode full-tilt, riding down a quartet of blackhearted knaves: rapist Stephen Boyd, ambusher Albert Salmi, sneaky Lee Van Cleef and inscrutable Henry Silva. The action direction and scenery in this late ‘fifties Big Sky western are excellent; Joan Collins and Kathleen Gallant put in good performances as well.

The Bravados

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date September 18, 2018 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95

Starring: Gregory Peck, Joan Collins, Stephen Boyd, Albert Salmi, Henry Silva, Kathleen Gallant, Barry Coe, George Voskovec, Herbert Rudley, Lee Van Cleef, Joe DeRita, Andrew Duggan, Ken Scott, Gene Evans, Beulah Archuletta, Robert Adler.

Cinematography: Leon Shamroy

Film Editor: William Mace

Original Music: Lionel Newman

Written by Philip Yordan from a novel by Frank O’Rourke

Produced by Herbert B. Swope Jr.

Directed by Henry King

The Bravados is just the kind of western America liked in the late 1950s,...

Shelf sitters aren’t always bad news in my eyes; take for instance Superstition (1982). This Canadian curiosity was filmed in ’81, released abroad in ’82, and finally washed ashore in North America in early ’85; it is by turns goofy, gory, dumb, and creative in its kills, and is a great addition to a sub-genre I’m just going to call Italiadjacent, where films from this side of the pond look to that side for aesthetical inspiration and end up with nonsensical storylines. And while Superstition tries to keep it together, it can’t help but let loose and summon up its inner Argento from time to time.

Also known as The Witch, Superstition was part of the U.K.’s notorious early ‘80s Video Nasties scene, but landed on the non-prosecutable Section 3 list, which I guess were films still really bad for you, but not “go to jail” bad for renting or selling them.

It’s the one saga of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that puts Western legend into proper perspective as to the nature of money, power and the law: Edward Anhalt’s vision is of a gangland turf war with sagebrush and whiskey bottles. James Garner is a humorless Wyatt Earp, matched by Jason Robards’ excellent Doc Holliday. It’s one of John Sturges’ best movies.

Hour of the Gun

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1967 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 101 min. / Street Date September 19, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95

Starring: James Garner, Jason Robards, Robert Ryan, Albert Salmi, Charles Aidman, Steve Ihnat, Michael Tolan, William Windom, Lonny Chapman, Larry Gates, William Schallert, Jon Voight.

Cinematography: Lucien Ballard

Art Direction: Alfred C. Ybarra

Film Editor: Ferris Webster

Original Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Written by Edward Anhalt

Produced and Directed by John Sturges

Producer-director John Sturges’ Hour of the Gun was a dismal non-performer in...

The legendary Lost in Space turns 50 years old this year and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will celebrate the occasion this September by releasing the complete series on Blu-ray, with over six hours of bonus features included.

At Comic-Con, Daily Dead was honored to take part in roundtable interviews with Lost in Space cast members Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Angela Cartwright, and Bill Mumy, who reflected on their favorite Lost in Space memories, the show's legacy, the upcoming Blu-ray, and much more.

The cast reflects on their favorite memories of working on Lost in Space from 1965–1968:

Mark Goddard: My moments are always the fun that I had with Bill [Mumy] on the show. I'm a prankster, and Billy came along with me during my pranks because I had to have him with me because I might get in trouble. If I had Billy with me, I wouldn't get in...

Teresa Wright and Matt Damon in 'The Rainmaker' Teresa Wright: From Marlon Brando to Matt Damon (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright vs. Samuel Goldwyn: Nasty Falling Out.") "I'd rather have luck than brains!" Teresa Wright was quoted as saying in the early 1950s. That's understandable, considering her post-Samuel Goldwyn choice of movie roles, some of which may have seemed promising on paper.[1] Wright was Marlon Brando's first Hollywood leading lady, but that didn't help her to bounce back following the very public spat with her former boss. After all, The Men was released before Elia Kazan's film version of A Streetcar Named Desire turned Brando into a major international star. Chances are that good film offers were scarce. After Wright's brief 1950 comeback, for the third time in less than a decade she would be gone from the big screen for more than a year.

Starring acclaimed television and film actors Clint Howard and Dennis Weaver, relive the final season of the classic, family-friendly series when Gentle Ben: Season Two arrives on DVD February 18. Gentle Ben centers on the inspirational relationship between a boy (Howard) and his 650 lb best friend Ben.

Based on the children's novel of the same name, Gentle Ben follows the adventures in the Florida Everglades of a game warden, Tom Wedloe (Weaver), his wife Ellen (Beth Brickell), their son Mark (Howard), and Mark's tame bear Ben. Gentle Ben: Season Two also includes guest appearances from Ron Howard, Rance Howard, NFL football legend Bart Starr and Albert Salmi.

DVD Basics:

Street Date: February 18, 2014

Price: $36.00

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 11 hours, 52 minutes...

After four years in Obama's America, with its knee-jerk political correctness and diversity initiatives, it's downright refreshing to see a film with a jovial, good-natured attitude towards sexual slavery, being raped at gunpoint, and what can only be construed as Stockholm Syndrome. All of those things are present in Something Big, a genial western comedy starring Dean Martin and Brian Keith, and all are treated with the same gravity as Martin's easy-going antics. It's an otherwise insignificant film made horrifying by its comedic detours.

All his life, Joe Baker (Martin) has wanted to do 'something big' (a phrase repeated no less than 12,000 times over the course of this movie). He's decided that this big thing involves a gatling gun (still a rare commodity in the west), but the only way to get one is to buy it from Jonny Cobb (Albert Salmi), and the only payment he'll accept is a...