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Director Paul Stanley's, COUNTERWEIGHT, is an odd,
psychological study of people under pressure.
As the episode begins, passengers begin an almost one year simulated
space journey underneath the desert. If anybody hits a "panic button,"
it will disqualify all the passengers from taking part in a real space
journey, to an alien planet in the near future.
Some of the characters on this simulated, space ship are quite odd.
At one point, an elderly botanist tells his plants, "I'm beginning
to hate you as much as you hate me."
Michael Constantine, who scored big a few years later, as the school
principal, on TV's "Room 222", is quite good as Joe Dix, a
loud and coarse building contractor. He is dynamic, passionate, and
difficult to takes your eyes off when he's on the screen.
The Teleplay, by Milton Krims, (Story by Jerry Sohl), contains good,
character-revealing dialogue. When a passenger asks what he'll do if
he encounters natives on the planet he plans to cultivate, Constantine's
Dix replies, "They go. You can't let savages stop the progress
of civilization."
Director of Photography, Kenneth Peach, delivers some good images. A
low angle shot of the alien/plant is fairly effective.
The music in this episode is haunting, sad, and soulful. Harry Lubin
is the composer.
My favorite scenes depict the alien, inside a plant "body,"
walking around and threatening people. The decent, stop motion photography
is courtesy of Project Unlimited Inc., and Van Der Veer Photo Co.
Project Unlimited Inc. takes credit for designing and creating the alien
plant "creature". The unconvincing alien has a tall, plant
"torso", glowing eyes, and jagged teeth with moss, or something,
hanging off them. Perhaps flossing is not an intergalactic custom!
COUNTERWEIGHT should be fairly watchable for most Sci-Fi fans. Those
interested in the potential stresses and strains of long term space
flight will be particularly entertained. COUNTERWEIGHT is worth putting
on the counter at the video store! BACK TO:
EPISODE
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