Twilight Zone Hall of Fame Recap
Well, seeing as we're near the end I'd like to briefly recap the episodes nominated like I intend to do with every Hall of Fame. This particular Hall of Fame has been interesting - I've enjoyed everyone's reviews - but it was hard to keep up with current conversations because I avoided reviews (and discussion) of episodes I hadn't seen yet like the plague. The Twilight Zone is so spoiler-sensitive and spoiler-centric that coming in blind is certainly the only way to watch it - everything apart from the Season 1 and revival episodes I hadn't seen before, and even then there were some Season 1 nominations that had departed my memory.
I hope another Twilight Zone Hall of Fame trundles along one day (soon) - there are more great Jack Klugman performances hidden amongst all the episodes it seems. He was great in A Game of Pool, but Jonathan Winters in a straight role stole the episode from him, where we learn that becoming the best at something has a particularly crushing burden - even in the afterlife. I liked it. Most of us liked A Passage for Trumpet a great deal, and while Klugman's performance in that was absolutely terrific (possibly the best performance in all the nominated episodes) the story itself let me down a little. There was a conversation about why he was the living man amongst ghosts, and I think it was to point out that as sad a character as he was, he was truly alive because he had a passion in his life - while others, perhaps happier, nevertheless sleepwalk through it. A Nice Place to Visit was another piece showing us the downside of wish fulfillment. Just imagine, Henry Francis 'Rocky' Valentine is still there to this day, trying to figure a way to con the Devil into allowing a little danger and chance back into his now empty existence. Middle of the road Twilight Zone for me. A Stop At Willoughby had a conclusion that is all kinds of awesome - did Gart know that he was going to die by visiting this quaint old town with it's name borrowed from his eventual undertaker? And just how many Twilight Zone characters are named Gart? We went through a few just in this nominated bunch. I liked A Stop At Willoughby a lot. The After Hours swings from spooky and chilling to warm and feel-good with a bit of humour to cap it off with - it has always stuck in my memory from the first time I saw it. An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge is a great short film, and is certainly unique as a kind of "adopted" episode. I think it will still do well. And When the Sky Was Opened is quintessential Twilight Zone, not to mention gripping science fiction. Definitely got a tick from me. The Encounter seemed to be the most controversial pick, with most people agreeing that apportioning guilt to Arthur by having his father participate in the raid on Pearl Harbor a mistake. It was certainly a dark episode. The Invaders was incredible - a classic episode that everyone seemed to enjoy - I loved it, while It's a Good Life I consider to be the best episode of The Twilight Zone ever made - I'm cheering it on and hope it wins and makes it into the Hall of Fame. The Midnight Sun impressed in it's unnerving 'end of the world' manner, while The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is recognized as a classic and emblematic of the era it was made in. There's Nothing in the Dark but Robert Redford - the perfect disguise for Death when he comes to take reluctant old ladies away. I've warmed to that episode since I saw it. I really enjoyed Murray Hamilton in One for the Angels as Death, who always attracts the best actors it seems. Time Enough At Last is perhaps the most remembered episode from the original series. I think it's okay, and I'm curious to see how it does. Walking Distance taught us all not to pine for a return to the past, and Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? was by far the most light-hearted episode nominated. Only one 1985 revival episode was nominated and going by everyone's comments it doesn't measure up to the original series and will be last on most ballots and dead-last in the count.
That was longer than I anticipated...
Well, seeing as we're near the end I'd like to briefly recap the episodes nominated like I intend to do with every Hall of Fame. This particular Hall of Fame has been interesting - I've enjoyed everyone's reviews - but it was hard to keep up with current conversations because I avoided reviews (and discussion) of episodes I hadn't seen yet like the plague. The Twilight Zone is so spoiler-sensitive and spoiler-centric that coming in blind is certainly the only way to watch it - everything apart from the Season 1 and revival episodes I hadn't seen before, and even then there were some Season 1 nominations that had departed my memory.
I hope another Twilight Zone Hall of Fame trundles along one day (soon) - there are more great Jack Klugman performances hidden amongst all the episodes it seems. He was great in A Game of Pool, but Jonathan Winters in a straight role stole the episode from him, where we learn that becoming the best at something has a particularly crushing burden - even in the afterlife. I liked it. Most of us liked A Passage for Trumpet a great deal, and while Klugman's performance in that was absolutely terrific (possibly the best performance in all the nominated episodes) the story itself let me down a little. There was a conversation about why he was the living man amongst ghosts, and I think it was to point out that as sad a character as he was, he was truly alive because he had a passion in his life - while others, perhaps happier, nevertheless sleepwalk through it. A Nice Place to Visit was another piece showing us the downside of wish fulfillment. Just imagine, Henry Francis 'Rocky' Valentine is still there to this day, trying to figure a way to con the Devil into allowing a little danger and chance back into his now empty existence. Middle of the road Twilight Zone for me. A Stop At Willoughby had a conclusion that is all kinds of awesome - did Gart know that he was going to die by visiting this quaint old town with it's name borrowed from his eventual undertaker? And just how many Twilight Zone characters are named Gart? We went through a few just in this nominated bunch. I liked A Stop At Willoughby a lot. The After Hours swings from spooky and chilling to warm and feel-good with a bit of humour to cap it off with - it has always stuck in my memory from the first time I saw it. An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge is a great short film, and is certainly unique as a kind of "adopted" episode. I think it will still do well. And When the Sky Was Opened is quintessential Twilight Zone, not to mention gripping science fiction. Definitely got a tick from me. The Encounter seemed to be the most controversial pick, with most people agreeing that apportioning guilt to Arthur by having his father participate in the raid on Pearl Harbor a mistake. It was certainly a dark episode. The Invaders was incredible - a classic episode that everyone seemed to enjoy - I loved it, while It's a Good Life I consider to be the best episode of The Twilight Zone ever made - I'm cheering it on and hope it wins and makes it into the Hall of Fame. The Midnight Sun impressed in it's unnerving 'end of the world' manner, while The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is recognized as a classic and emblematic of the era it was made in. There's Nothing in the Dark but Robert Redford - the perfect disguise for Death when he comes to take reluctant old ladies away. I've warmed to that episode since I saw it. I really enjoyed Murray Hamilton in One for the Angels as Death, who always attracts the best actors it seems. Time Enough At Last is perhaps the most remembered episode from the original series. I think it's okay, and I'm curious to see how it does. Walking Distance taught us all not to pine for a return to the past, and Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? was by far the most light-hearted episode nominated. Only one 1985 revival episode was nominated and going by everyone's comments it doesn't measure up to the original series and will be last on most ballots and dead-last in the count.
That was longer than I anticipated...
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We miss you Takoma
We miss you Takoma
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