The Zanti Misfits

Here are some little-known but unverified facts about this episode :)

* The given name for the Planet Zanti is Zant; Zanti is actually a nickname. Zanti was chosen as the planet's name to make it less than obvious that the planet was named for an ant. It's also because it rhymes with "auntie", as in "Zanti Mame". The large mounds of earth and rock near the Zanti spaceship are known as "zanthills".

* The inspiration for the humanoid faces on the Zantis was the 1958 horror film "The Fly", which featured, near the end of the film, a fly with the head and arm of a human being (Al Hedison). However, the fly even sounded human ("Help me! Help me!"), having exchanged atoms with a scientist, whereas the Zantis only buzzed, disturbingly so. "The Fly" then evolved, or de-evolved (either word is correct depending upon your point of view) into the 1986 film version, in which the entire scientist becomes a hybrid of a fly and a human being.

* Ben Garth, the Bruce Dern character, didn't use the gun in the glove compartment to attack or defend against the Zanti Misfits, because he knew it wasn't loaded.

The US military must deal with insect-type aliens.

I like this episode a lot but the effects are not up to the standard of other episodes.

However, the nice contrast of alien insects, the US military and the drop out character played by Bruce Dern make this hour fun to watch. Also, the plot is very interesting.

The music is well matched to the hour and the location filming is pleasing to the eye.

If you like Bruce Dern in this I would consider tracking down QM's The Fugitive series as Bruce Dern appeared in that show FIVE times. I would be curious to know if Bruce Dern has ever commented on the Outer Limits over the years or if he even remembers doing it.

The Earth is forced to take a small number of Xanti criminals, and house them in Morgue, California, a small patch of desert land is allocated to them, and an instruction given, not to approach them.

Joseph Stefano wrote what I would call a classic with The Xanti misfits, it's definitely science fiction, but it has a true horror element thrown in, and decades on, it's still an unsettling watch.

There are so many great themes and ideas, the best of all I thought being The Earth held to ransom by The Zanti. You just know things are going to go wrong, if The Zanti can't deal with their own criminals, it was obvious they were going to cause chaos.

The Zanti really were very well designed and realised, lots of people hate bugs and creepy crawlies, so I can imagine this one unsettling many viewers.

Well acted, well paced, this one is a classic.

9/10.

"There is nothing wrong with your television set…"

In the appropriately named ghost town of Morgue, California, the "historian of interplanetary events" known as Prof. Michael Tolan (as Stephen "Steve" Grave) meets stone-faced Maj. Claude Woolman (as Roger Hill) to prepare for a penal spaceship from the "perfectionist rulers of the planet Zanti." Personnel at the military base hope the top secret landing will be peaceful, but the Zanti are not giving Earthlings any choice in the matter; refusing to allow "The Zanti Misfits" landing without incident will result in the "total destruction" of Earth...

Gen. Robert F. Simon (as Maximillian R. Hart) assures the Zanti they may land, but the aliens suspect trouble. "Do not betray us," they warn. However, boozing bank robber Bruce Dern (as Ben Garth) and his tightly-wound lover Olive Deering (as Lisa Lawrence) crash into the scene, with a wad of stolen money and an overheated car. Imaginatively directed by Leonard Horn and intelligently written by "Outer Limits" producer Joseph Stefano, with a wonderful soundtrack and one of the most memorable alien life forms ever seen on television...

"We now return control of your television set to you…"

********** The Zanti Misfits (12/30/63) Leonard Horn ~ Michael Tolan, Olive Deering, Robert F. Simon, Bruce Dern

I first watched this when I was 8 years old and had nightmares of Zanti Misfits crawling up my bed. This upset my Mother no end !

So if you are very young and/or of a nervous disposition I recommend avoiding this one.

Otherwise watch this and try to stay calm.

Love this episode and it still gives me the creeps.