List Price: $29.97You Pay Only: $13.99 You Save: $15.98 (53%)Prices subject to change.
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0013138950086
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Region Code: 1
Release Date: August 05, 2008
Running Time: 264 minutes
Sales Rank: 19536
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
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Product Description:
From the very beginning, we have struggled to understand time, matter and the infinite universe; who we are, where we are headed, and if we are alone. Great minds — and some of the genre’s most legendary writers and directors — have now imagined the most wonderful and terrifying answers to these questions. Join host Professor Stephen Hawking for these six expeditions into the outer realms of scientific imagination, starring such award-winning actors as Sam Waterston, Judy Davis, Anne Heche, Malcolm McDowell, Clifton Collins Jr., Terry O’Quinn, Elisabeth Röhm, John Hurt, Sean Astin, James Denton, Brian Dennehy, James Cromwell and more.This collection features all six episodes of the acclaimed series, including the two ‘lost’ episodes — Little Brother and Watchbird — never broadcast during its original network run.
Amazon.com:
A wealth of Hollywood talent brings to life six thought-provoking short stories by legendary authors of science fiction in this criminally underrated anthology series. Produced by the same team who brought Masters of Horror to television, Masters of Science Fiction takes a decidedly literate route with its stories--though production values are top-notch, it's the material, and the message behind them, that drives the episodes. The moral complexities of war are examined in Robert Sheckley's 'Warbird' (one of two episodes on the set making their debut on this DVD) and 'The Awakening,' by Howard Fast, while Robert Heinlein's 'Jerry Was a Man' and Harlan Ellison's 'The Discarded' challenge the definition of humanity. Elsewhere, Walter Mosley explores justice in a draconian future ('Little Brother'), while Nebula winner John Kessel's 'A Clean Escape' delivers a Twilight Zone-style sting with its story of a psychiatrist (Judy Davis) attempting to uncover a truth hidden in the mind of her patient (Sam Waterson). The cast in the latter episode is indicative of the level of talent in front of and behind the camera for Masters of Science Fiction; among the other players are Terry O'Quinn (Lost), James Cromwell, Brian Dennehy, John Hurt, Anne Heche, Malcolm McDowell and Sean Astin, while directors include Mark Rydell, Harold Becker, Michael Tolkin and Jonathan Frakes, and scripts are penned by Ellison, Mosley, and Hugo winner Sam Egan. The emphasis on strong and evocative stories and performances over special effects does much to draw parallels between Masters and such classic genre anthologies as the aforementioned Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits; it's unfortunate that the program wasn't given more of a chance to develop an audience during its brief network run. Equally disappointing are the lack of any supplemental features in the two-disc set. --Paul Gaita
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - From J. Kaye's Book Blog
Hosted by the voice of Stephen Hawking, Masters of Science Fiction began on American television as an anthology series from the same creators who brought us Masters of Horror. The show debuted on ABC in August of 2007, but was cancelled after four shows. On the DVD, you can view all six of the original shows scheduled to air.
The shows include the following:
A CLEAN ESCAPE is from a 1986 play by John Kessel. It features a dying psychiatrist attempting to cure the President of the United States of his amnesia in order that he can be held accountable his role in the world's nuclear holocaust.
JERRY WAS A MAN is based on a 1947 short story by Robert Heinlein. It's a futuristic setting that centers on the worlds seventh richest couple and an anthropoid named Jerry. It deals with civil liberties and equal rights.
THE AWAKENING, originally called, The General Zapped an Angel, is based on a short story by Howard Fast. In this episode, two U.S. soldiers outside of Baghdad discover a mysterious casualty, only no one can identify as human.
LITTLE BROTHER written by Walter Mosley is set in the future. The courtrooms exist without human judges or juries. In its place is a computer that decides the fate of the convicted.
WATCHBIRD is based on the short story by Robert Sheckley. A corporation creates a robotic machine originally to assist with our wartime soldiers. When it saves lives the government uses it to fight crime in the ... Read More
Rating:  - Masters of Agitprop
The idea behind MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION is, on the surface, a good one: Draw from some of the best literature of the genre, commission scripts from some of the best screenwriters in the genre, and turn those scripts over to some talented filmmakers. Good idea, true, but just as with Dr Frankenstein's infamous experiment, the stitching together of these various parts has produced a horrible monster.
Instead of delivering thought-provoking, cutting-edge speculative SF or subtle cautionary tales wrapped in the trappings of SF, these "Masters" of Science Fiction offer up ham-fisted, blatantly biased socio-political sermons. What's more, they can't even keep their politics straight, with at least one of the episodes (to wit, "The Awakening") preaching the spiritual beliefs of the Religious Right at the same time that it stands on the complete-disarmament soapbox of the ultra-left. That's a stitched-up wreck of a Frankenstein monster if there ever was one!
Now, lest you accuse this reviewer of being politically biased, let me state right now that I am a dyed-in-the wool liberal and actually agree with some of the political stances presented in this show. But I've also been a fan of SF practically since birth, and I can certainly appreciate a dystopian cautionary tale. Indeed, two of my favorite SF novels are George Orwell's NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR and Ayn Rand's ANTHEM, one of which was written by a disillusioned socialist and the other by a staunch laissez-faire capitalist. ... Read More
Rating:  - Not as good as it could have been
Some of the stories could have been better concidering the writers. It is still a good collection to add to a Sci-fi library, to be viewed again.
Rating:  - Solid, if unremarkable
Steven Hawking as Rod Serling introducing and providing a coda for each episode of semi-science fiction. Like TZ, a few had interesting twists to them, but despite good talent, most come off unsatisfying.
"A Clean Escape" - *** - Ep had potential but a sloppy ending drops the rating a star.
"The Awakening" - ** - A nonsensical rehash of The Day the Earth Stood Still
"Jerry Was A Man" - *** - "What makes a man a man" with a hugh serving of goofiness. Tongue firmly in cheek. Scenery chewing all around.
"The Discarded" - ** -Another dose of goofiness, the twist telegraphed well in advance. Good cast is wasted here. The series blew its budget on foam rubber for this one.
"Little Brother" - ** - Dytopia a la THX-1138/Logan's Run et al. Weakest of the bunch. Again, a good concept and some good dialogue poorly assembled and executed.
"Watchbird" - *** - A "Who watches the watchers" ep with villians that all but twirl their mustaches while laughing evilly.
Overall, worth renting, but I likely won't watch these more than once or twice so I can't recommend a purchace.
Rating: - Not bad for a "B" series
Some were better then others, but all in all a very decent effort. If you are a lover of B films, then you will appreciate these. Nothing extraordinary to be sure, but worth watching.
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