Demon with a Glass Hand
- Episode aired Oct 17, 1964
- TV-14
- 51m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Continuance of the human race against alien invaders depends on a man with an incomplete glass computer hand and no memory of his past.Continuance of the human race against alien invaders depends on a man with an incomplete glass computer hand and no memory of his past.Continuance of the human race against alien invaders depends on a man with an incomplete glass computer hand and no memory of his past.
Arlene Martel
- Consuelo Biros
- (as Arline Martel)
Vic Perrin
- Control Voice
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
10ml2348
This one I liked - from the very first time it was viewed. It has power - with powerful actors & actress. You "feel" the force of the episode - and brace for the surprise ending. When first viewed - it held me spellbound -all the way to the end. We just sat there & thought about it. It was awesome that people could's imaginations could bring this to the screen with such skill. It made me jealous - how they could dream this up & I couldn't. This episode endeared me to the "Outer Limits" forever. It's really incredible they could find just the "right people" in the right scenes with just the "right lines" - When VCR's came out - saw my chance to watch these episodes over & over again - and never tire of them. But - I still remember that night in the early 1960's - when we were held spellbound by this episode - a standard by which other episodes should be judged - absolutely loved it. Thank very much for the privilege of letting me comment.
Michael ml2348@att.com
Michael ml2348@att.com
One of the advantages of watching the science fiction videos before the power of inserted special effects took over is that the plot and dialog make the story, not eye-popping action. That is true of every story in "The Outer Limits Series," including this one.
Robert Culp plays Trent, a man sent back through time in an attempt to save humanity from the Kyben, a species from another planet that is determined to wipe out all of humanity. Several of the Kyben have also come back through a time portal in an attempt to kill him. Trent's only advantage is a powerful computer that resides in his glass left hand.
However, the computer is incomplete, as not all the fingers are present, which limits its processing power. While there are many Kyben, they are vulnerable to the bullets in Trent's gun and they can be forcibly and violently sent back to the future against their will.
Written by science fiction giant Harlan Ellison, this story is largely an installment of the legend of the hero that never dies, a protector of humanity that will take on all threats, domestic and extremely foreign in origin.
In this tense story, lighting, shadows, facial expressions and the quality of the set are used to develop the story rather than CGI. While this form does have weaknesses, the viewer runs no risk of overload of their visual apparatus. One can consider this story as a predecessor of the "Terminator" series.
This is by far the best piece of 60's television that I have ever seen... and not only in the genre of sci-fi(sorry, Harlan, "fantasist") or episode of the original The Outer Limits. You can tell that it is by Ellison, and the part this(and the almost as good Soldier) played in inspiring The Terminator is impossible to ignore; I am a fan of Cameron, and I doubt he intended to plagiarize. The story is compelling, engaging, has stunning twists and turns and is smart without being convoluted or difficult to follow. This has amazing pacing, moves fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, not overstimulating you at any point. The action is incredible, and this is exciting, suspenseful and tense throughout it. This has a chilling and unforgettable ending, and in spite of when this was made, nothing looks silly. The effects are rather well-done, and this was ahead of its time in its concepts and the way it explores them. This has excellent cinematography and editing. The acting is marvelous, and Culp, as well as everyone else, is spot-on. There is a bit of disturbing content in this. I recommend this to any and all fans of science fiction. 10/10
Robert Culp with an oddball hand is chased by oddball villains.
Please don't "not useful" me for saying this, but for decades I hated this hour! The look of the guys in masks, the hand, some story elements, it just turned me off!!!!!!!!!! But now I love it!!
I will never know why some Limits shows require added screenings before they really grow on you??
Yes, I agree with the other posters, this is a knockout and one of the best episodes of the series. Too bad the writer was not totally pleased with the end product, but who cares, I love it, and so do most others. Perhaps the best thing Robert Culp ever did.
Please don't "not useful" me for saying this, but for decades I hated this hour! The look of the guys in masks, the hand, some story elements, it just turned me off!!!!!!!!!! But now I love it!!
I will never know why some Limits shows require added screenings before they really grow on you??
Yes, I agree with the other posters, this is a knockout and one of the best episodes of the series. Too bad the writer was not totally pleased with the end product, but who cares, I love it, and so do most others. Perhaps the best thing Robert Culp ever did.
10conono
An astonishing episode. I've seen dozens of Outer Limits eps and really had no idea one could be as intriguing, profound, and even tragic as this. I've now watched it a second time and the plot was as gripping as the first, plus a lot of details stand in clearer relief now. It certainly doesn't lack for atmosphere either!
No need to belabor the details of the narrative (others have completed that task) but in my view this ep redeems the entire series. It's made with the quality and care one normally associates with motion pictures, and the storyline and theme stand the test of time quite well, unlike so much sci-fi and fantasy-fi from the era.
A pleasant surprise, highly recommended.
PS: Don't read any spoilers!
No need to belabor the details of the narrative (others have completed that task) but in my view this ep redeems the entire series. It's made with the quality and care one normally associates with motion pictures, and the storyline and theme stand the test of time quite well, unlike so much sci-fi and fantasy-fi from the era.
A pleasant surprise, highly recommended.
PS: Don't read any spoilers!
Did you know
- TriviaA portion of this episode was filmed in the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles, the same building used as J.F. Sebastian's home in Blade Runner (1982).
- GoofsThe glass hand tells Trent that the future Earth has been contaminated with a radioactive substance that has a 99-year half-life, and that the radiation will dissipate within 200 years. This is a complete misunderstanding of the nature of radioactive decay. Half of a radioactive substance will decay in the time period called a half-life. When another half-life passes, half of the remaining substance will decay, and so on. It would take many millennia for a substance with a 99-year half-life to decay to the point of being virtually radiation-free.
- Quotes
The Glass Hand: Stay alive. Above all, stay alive. Destiny is in your whole hand.
- ConnectionsEdited into Historias para no dormir: La Mano (1966)
Details
- Runtime
- 51m
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
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