Awesomeness of the Horta

[JRoss]

It was a cheesy costume, I know, but how cool is it when a costumer goes into a producer's office with something he made in his spare time, asks for an episode to be written around a random alien and gets his wish?

 

[kkozoriz1]

I don't think it was cheesy at all. It was one of the best aliens ever done, not just on Trek, but on televised SF. It looked like nothing we'd seen before and was not a human painted a different colour or with a latex mask.

 

[scotpens]

The Horta costume was re-worked from the “giant germ” used in the final episode of the original Outer Limits, “The Probe.” The creature suit was designed and worn in both shows by the versatile acrobat/stuntman/creature player Janos Prohaska, who also appeared as the Mugato in “A Private Little War.”

I don't think it was cheesy at all.

More tomato-ey than cheesy. The Horta always reminded me of my mother’s meatloaf.

 

[Redfern]

The Horta always reminded me of my mother’s meatloaf.

Oh, I've got such a "zinger" for that, but it would read as though I'm insulting your mother, which is the last thing I want to do.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Therin of Andor]

It was a cheesy costume, I know, but how cool is it when a costumer goes into a producer's office with something he made in his spare time, asks for an episode to be written around a random alien and gets his wish?

How often does an office paperweight inspire an episode? The Kelvins' method for converting humanoids into little geometic objects owes its concept to the paperweight on one of the desks in the Star Trek Office.


Kelvined Andorian by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

Also, also did you know that a Tholian (TOS) and a Elasian warrior's armor are both made out of the same orange plastic placemats?

 

[Myko]

Did you know that the Horta was portrayed not only by Janos Prohaska, but also by stuntman Bob Hoy? Bob Hoy also appears in the teaser to the episode as the illfated miner Sam.

 

[Therin of Andor]

also by stuntman Bob Hoy? Bob Hoy also appears in the teaser to the episode as the illfated miner Sam.

Well all that means is that the horta ate him.

 

[Kelso]

I love the Horta!

Man, I'd really love to have that old After Dark Horta screen-saver again. Anyone remember that?

 

[Forbin]

The Horta costume was re-worked from the “giant germ” used in the final episode of the original Outer Limits, “The Probe.” The creature suit was designed and worn in both shows by the versatile acrobat/stuntman/creature player Janos Prohaska, who also appeared as the Mugato in “A Private Little War.”

And Andy Williams' bear! Don't forget Andy Williams' bear!

I love the Horta!

Man, I'd really love to have that old After Dark Horta screen-saver again. Anyone remember that?

Yes! I loved that goofy thing! I think I even still have the diskette.

 

[Maurice]

The Horta costume was re-worked from the “giant germ” used in the final episode of the original Outer Limits, “The Probe.” The creature suit was designed and worn in both shows by the versatile acrobat/stuntman/creature player Janos Prohaska, who also appeared as the Mugato in “A Private Little War.”

And Andy Williams' bear! Don't forget Andy Williams' bear!

This here bear!

 

[Commodore_Rook]

I love the Horta!

Man, I'd really love to have that old After Dark Horta screen-saver again. Anyone remember that?

Oh yeah!!! I remember that!!! I loved that thing!!

 

[M'Sharak]

The Horta costume was re-worked from the “giant germ” used in the final episode of the original Outer Limits, “The Probe.” The creature suit was designed and worn in both shows by the versatile acrobat/stuntman/creature player Janos Prohaska, who also appeared as the Mugato in “A Private Little War.”

And Andy Williams' bear! Don't forget Andy Williams' bear!

This here bear!

^ The very one.

With the exception of Dancing Bear on Captain Kangaroo (performed, iirc, by Cosmo Allegretti,) if you ever saw a bear, gorilla, mugato, horta, Excalbian or any other non-human creature of comparable size on a television episode produced during the 1960s or early 1970s, chances are pretty good that it was Janos Prohaska inside the creature suit.

 

[Nero's Shadow]

NO KILL I what a great line and what a great episode !!!!

 

[Botany Bay]

I don't think it was cheesy at all. It was one of the best aliens ever done, not just on Trek, but on televised SF. It looked like nothing we'd seen before and was not a human painted a different colour or with a latex mask.

Agreed

45 years later, our three year old loves the Horta, or "Pizza-monster", as he calls her.

Let's also not forget the awesomeness of Gene Coon, who wrote one of Star Trek's best scripts after seeing that demonstration in his office.

Some of Star Trek's defining themes, a great "monster", a thoughtful story with a few clever twists, great performances from the big three actors, and one of the better CGI remastering efforts - a seriously great episode.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

On my first ever computer (my family's, actually, bought in 1993), there were a few games, among which The Prince of Persia and something with Spock chasing the Horta or the other way around.

That was cool.

 

[plynch]

Wasn't the dancing bear on Andy Williams Christmas specials? I'm getting confused now, but I remember him making cameos.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Christmas time is once a year....

 

[spirklover95]

My friend compared the horta to a lasagna. I can never look at italian the same way again.

 

[kkozoriz1]

My friend compared the horta to a lasagna. I can never look at italian the same way again.

All the antacid in the world won't help you with that!

 

[Anji]

Devil in The Dark was one of the best Star Trek episodes written. Who cares about the cheesy costume? If that's all you're looking at in this show you're missing a lot.