The Zanti Misfits

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.

The Zanti Misfits is directed by Leonard Horn and written by Joseph Stefano. It stars Michael Tolan, Olive Deering, Robert F. Simon, Claude Woolman and Bruce Dern. Music is by Dominic Frontiere and cinematography by John M. Nickolaus Jr.

Season 1 - Episode 14

The planet Zanti requests Earth to provide a penal colony for its misfit criminals, the ship must not be in anyway interfered with or Earth will face dire consequences. Ceding to the demand, the ghost town of Morgue, California, is set up to receive the criminals, but just as the penal spaceship lands, a fleeing bank robber and his girlfriend put everything on red alert...

The Zantis of the title are a grotesque creation, unsettling in appearance and audible sounds. It may now be true to smile at the rudimentary primitive effects work, but the impact the creatures have remains to this day capable of raising the gooseflesh on your skin. Horn directs some smart set-pieces once the Zanti have been unleashed, all building up to a terrific final reckoning.

Once the episode reveals its hand, with a caustic observation on the human species, we end up with easily one of the best and most memorable episodes from out of the entire Outer Limits catalogue. 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

Even by 1963 standards, the audience must have laughed much at this episode. instead of guns, guys, didn't the air force (SAC) issue you boots?

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.