Stranger Things Review

I didn’t expect to see this, as I don’t usually watch a lot of Netflix originals, but my wife decided to spend a full day binging this show. I didn’t hear anything about it until it started playing and realized that a lot of people online were talking about it. No one in my circle was, and I follow sites like Fangoria. Whatever the case was, this show pulled me in through the premise, and didn’t let go until the end credits of the final episode came through.

The premise of “Stranger Things” is simple. A 12 year old boy goes missing from an Indiana town. The boy’s name is Will and his mother, and friends go on a quest to find him. Along the way, the friends meet up with a young girl that has been the victim of science experiments in the facilities nearby. On the other hand, no one believes Will’s mother who swears the boy is alive. Along the way a skeptical sheriff fights back, the FBI comes through, and a nod to all things 1980s Hollywood and horror comes flying at you right away.

How much do you love horror? “Stranger Things” tests you in everything that you know about horror, meanwhile creating a new lavish scenario that is quite good. Every episode ties together so well, and the visual design flow from the credits through the actual events and story, remind you of something else. It’s a homage at times, it’s a rip off to others, it’s fascinating honestly. There are moments where you swear you’re trapped in an alternate universe where “Stand By Me” meets “Needful Things” and gets tossed around in “Alien” and “The Thing”. If you aren’t a horror fan, you will miss all of these things. There’s so much paid tribute to through the episodes that it’s almost as if the show is a love letter to horror movie fans that have been jaded by so many trivial releases.

“Stranger Things” puts on a showcase of creativity at every turn. The story of a young boy’s death or kidnapping is pushed through every emotional query. A science fiction element similar to “Creature” by John Saul is pushed forward too. There’s so much going on here, that you’ll be swimming in a sea of references that you either get, or you just don’t understand. Alone, this is a seriously good thriller and horror movie. However, the sum of its parts makes you feel that you’re reading a Robin Cook novel, let alone a television program that was made outside of the television landscape.

At the end of the day, “Stranger Things” puts you in the 1980s horror movie world. With a telekinetic girl, a group of friends coming of age, aliens, monsters, and even a little bit of “Signs” for good measure. I didn’t love ever single moment of this series. However, I loved enough of the parts to say that this is one hell of a show, and definitely worth your month’s subscription to Netflix. Color me impressed. Color me interested in seeing more. A stellar showcase, and yet, it feels all so familiar somehow.

The Twilight Zone Season 1 Episode 7 The Lonely

A Prisoner Falls In Love With A Realistic Robot? What is Love? 

One of my favorite movies from the past few years was “Ex Machina”. But did you know that the Twilight Zone explored this notion long ago? Seriously. On November 13, 1959 the notion of loving machine came into play, and it really shook things up. Rod Serling once again tapped into a very unique circumstance, and gets you thinking about the “What if” factors of what love is. Long before movies started to come into play with this, you are going to think about sex, love, and loneliness when it comes to robots, artificial intelligence, and the realities of loneliness in the seventh episode of the first season of The Twilight Zone.

The plot of this one is simple, as many are. A prisoner is cast off to a planet, alone. He wants to go back to Earth, but the powers that be won’t let him. The same time warp that was in “Interstellar” is described here, as a crew comes to the planet to check in on the prisoner. They say that there is no hope and he is going to stay put. He is given food, and supplies, and the crew leaves. Later a box arrives and in that box is a woman. A woman that is in fact a robot, but has all the elements of humanity, including synthetic skin, and anatomical elements, with an artificial intelligence that feels, cries, and more. It’s essentially a sex robot, come on. The prisoner doesn’t want her at first, but over time, learns to love this robot woman.

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The crew comes back. And our prisoner named Corry is allowed to go back to earth! However, they have to leave in 20 minutes, and that’s it. The crew that is there to pick him up only has room for him and a few of his things, and not the robot, whom is named Alicia. Corry screams and runs after the robot, and swears that he loves her, and that she loves him, only to find out that the world is a cold, cold place, with Alicia taking a gunshot to the face and dying.

What is love? Can you love a robot? The story here is fascinating, and it truly is epic in light of “Ex Machina” and the themes presented in that movie. There are only 5 people in this cast, and yet you get full emotion. Jack Warden and Jean Marsh put on a good performance, and you really start to feel for the lonely. But reality sets in and shakes you up. What is love? You’re left thinking as Rod Serling’s narration gives you a jolt.

“On a microscopic piece of sand that floats through space is a fragment of a man's life. Left to rust is the place he lived in and the machines he used. Without use, they will disintegrate from the wind and the sand and the years that act upon them. All of Mr. Corry's machines, including the one made in his image, kept alive by love, but now obsolete.”

And that my friends, makes for one of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone yet. It’s beyond good, seek it out. Buy the box set, holy crap. It’s an intellectual proponent that you can easily study as an academic, or at least enjoy as entertainment.

The Twilight Zone Season 1 Episode 6 The Escape Clause Review

The Twilight Zone Explores Immortality 

What if you could be immortal? Would you go for it? That’s the question posed with the sixth episode of the first season of The Twilight Zone. In this case, “The Escape Clause” is the title, and it stars David Wayne, Thomas Gomez, and several others. It was first aired in 1959, and it really does showcase an interesting premise. One that we have explored in horror literature and movies for quite some time. Often, it’s the werewolf or the vampire that lives forever, but what if you didn’t have to be either?

Walter Bedeker is always thinking he is sick; he thinks he’s dying. But out of the blue comes a rogue. The devil shows up and tells him that he can in fact make sure that he lives forever. There is of course an escape clause, and Bedeker can choose to die when he’d like. Simple enough, right?

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What would you do? I don’t know what I would do, it’d be insane. Bedeker in this case uses his immortality to try and collect on a lot of money. He throws himself into insane situations, and collects money from accidents. After he gets bored of all of this, he ends up losing his wife to a fall off a roof. He admits he murdered her, hoping to go the electric chair and surviving, but nope. He gets life in prison and that’s where he asks for the escape.

And that’s that. It’s not a huge twist, but one that got me thinking yet again. This is a morality tale at heart, and one that asks what you would do with immortality? I don’t know what I would do. I can’t imagine living forever, unless I had a bit of money. I guess that’s the big deal here. Money. One has to live, right? And forever? What a cost! Oh well. This is just an example of how great Serling’s mind was. There is only one Rod Serling, and this morality play showcases that. I loved it.

The Twilight Zone The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine Season 1 Episode 4 (1959) Review

Just when you thought I had thrown in the towel, I come up with a new review for you 2 readers left. This time around, I managed to watch an episode of The Twilight Zone from 1959, the first season. This one came to me right after watching Hot Tub Time Machine 2, which can be easily one of the worst sequels ever made. Regardless, this episode of the pivotal television showcase came out on October 23, 1959, and it starred Ida Lupino, Martin Balsam, Jerome Cowan, and Ted de Corsia.

Four Episodes Into The First Season 

“The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine” is the fourth episode in the first season of the series, and it hinges on what many Hollywood stars must go through. An aging actress is watching old movies of her performances, and wishes that she could go back to a place where she was wanted, adored, and the likes. As her days go on, she is in the darkness, drinking, and just doesn’t really go out. When an opportunity to star in a new movie comes about, she jumps at the chance, but recoils when they ask her to play someone more her, “age”. She goes home and is depressed. In her depression, she decides it’s better to go into the screen and live with the past. Well, in The Twilight Zone, anything is possible, and that’s what happens. Barbara Jean Trenton jumps into the screen, and that’s where she stays forever.

Do Actors Wish For This? 

This television showcase is an interesting one. It reminds me a lot of what many older people go through. I met a lot of aging rock stars in my day, and a lot of them act the way Trenton acts. They want that old glory, but they don’t want to admit they are old. The same goes for action sports. A lot of professional skateboarders are dealing with issues of this type. It’s a sad state, but it’s a true state. It got me thinking. What about me? Will I be there? I’m already there, who am I kidding. I used to own a record label. I used to have a huge record collection. I had a lot going for me, and now, I’m battling anxiety and depression on a regular basis, without any health insurance. The struggles of a writer are real.

Oh, the episode! My bad. Overall, this is an interesting episode. It features that nostalgia of past experience, mixed with the present realities. What if you could escape? That’s the premise. Would you live in your greatness and that’s it? I don’t know. The escapism attached to former glory is incredible, even if you only tasted it for a second. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to get a second chance at being a record label owner. Then again, I’m a writer. I can dream up a lot of things for myself. But as far as this episode, it’s a good one. It has good acting, clever pacing, and that classic twist you’d expect from Serling and company.

Ida Lupino Is Quite The Actress

Is it my favorite thus far? No. It’s only 4 episodes into the first season. I do like the camera work, scripting, and acting. At one point Ida Lupino behaves drunk, but ever so slightly. You’ll have to watch how she plays it in the agent’s office. There’s a subtly to her movements and it’s stellar acting. Ida Lupino died in 1995, but man did she have a beautiful face in 1959. Such a good actress, and famous too. Anyways, this is a good episode, and I enjoyed it. You may like it too.

Order the complete Twilight Zone on Blu Ray by clicking here, please.

The Twilight Zone Mr. Denton on Doomsday (1959) Review

Mr Denton Contemplates Fate

Back to our regularly scheduled program, we have been discussing The Twilight Zone from start to finish, and here I am with another edition. This time around, we are at episode 3. This episode originally hit the airwaves in 1959. It stars Martin Landau, Jeanne Cooper, and Dan Duryea. It’s well acted, streamlined, and hits you right in the “what if” cycle of life. There are some interesting puns used for this episode, and things really get through to a whole different wavelength then the previous two episodes of the series. This is a serious mind numbing episode, because if you’re like me, you are a bit anxious about your own abilities. The story is interesting, set in the wild west, a drunkard is made to dance and sing for his drink. There is a group of bullies that continually tease and cause him to dance and drink, and he hits rock bottom. Jeanne Cooper here is absolutely beautiful, as she comes out of the saloon to talk to Denton and encourage him for to change. Denton being the drunk.

The Twilight Zone One For The Angels – Season 1 Episode 2 (1959) Review

Twilight Zone - Episode 2: One For The Angels - Blu Ray Here

The second episode of the mighty Twilight Zone series was definitely a serious one. It hit me hard as I watched it again for the purpose of a review for this site. This one written by Rod Serling, is a powerful, and moving story of a man that meets up with death. Ed Wynn plays Lou Bookman, and Murray Hamilton plays “death”. When a man is approached by death himself, he starts to panic, and tries to get out of dying, as he wants to continue staying alive. It’s his time though, but Bookman, finds a way to get a little more time, thinking he has outsmarted death this time around, and therefore puts on a showcase, only to find out that if he doesn’t go, someone else just might. It’s there that the morality play starts and ends, in my opinion.

The Twilight Zone Where Is Everybody – Season 1 Episode 1 (1959) Review

Where Is Everybody? Episode 1 Season 1 of The Twilight Zone

As promised, here we go, talking about all things Twilight Zone. We start with the first episode entitled “Where Is Everybody”. Going back to see this one, my wife and I were guessing as to the plot twist. Knowing full well that Rod Serling twists and turns in his writing, we each had different ideas as to what was going on with the character.

In this episode a man finds himself alone in an empty town. He has a lot of dialogue, and yet he isn’t talking to anyone. He keeps looking for people and eventually gives up. When a phone rings, he figures he has found someone and can call for help. It’s to no avail. As he goes through the empty city, there are signs of life, but he starts to panic. As panic keeps setting in he eventually realizes that he’s alone, and perhaps he may be the last one. The direct symbolism that is shown with the books “The Last Man On Earth” really comes through as our hero runs into mirrors, tries to figure out what is going on, and just can’t seem to figure out what is going on and why he is stuck.

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Earl Holliman here does a great job. He plays it straight before going into a deep madness. When he thinks it’s all over, we see a group of men sitting in a room watching. They are from the Air Force, and it’s revealed that our hero was stuck in a sensory deprivation, virtual reality room. It took him 484 hours and 36 minutes to finally panic from the isolation. As the press rushes in they question the Air Force, and it is revealed that they were testing to see how long a person can last alone, traveling in space, and that Mike Ferris was able to go 484 hours, ample time to get to the moon and back without going insane.

With the Twilight Zone’s first season, you really got a sense for the series. Earl Holliman should be praised for his acting skills in this one. He plays it well and then goes insane over the course of a half an hour. The writing is crisp, even though it was originally aired in 1959. Rod Serling has a way of writing very well, with good overall music by Bernard Hermann, and cinematography by Joseph La Shelle.

This episode made me question isolation myself. How long could you go without human interaction? I work solo, as a writer. I haven’t had a coworker since 2009. I wonder how long it will take me to crack? Until then, this is a great episode of this classic series.

The Twilight Zone Complete Season 1 is available here on Blu Ray. You can also see it via streaming  media, but if you want to collect this, go for it, and get the box set by clicking here. It’s well worth your time, if I do say so myself.

5 Compelling Reasons We Need A New Twilight Zone Series

Is It Time To Revive The Twilight Zone? (click here)

There’s something great about the moment you hear Rod Serling speak before an episode of his iconic series, “The Twilight Zone”. When you hear his pragmatic, stoic voice, you know that you’re going to enter a world where the rules of this world start to bend and become out of focus. In modern television, there’s not a lot of showcase of the type of science and fiction that came through the iconic series. Even though several different decades featured updated programs with the same name, it’s time to reenter the world Serling and others created. There are 5 reasons why you may agree with this notion, and they may surprise some readers.

There’s A Lot of Great Ideas Out There

Even though some will say that there’s nothing really new under the sun, there are some tremendous ideas floating around. Every day someone tells a story to their children, to their coworkers, or just write things down in a journal. These stories become compelling devices that could very well become great television. Yet they live and die in conversation, in writing, and they never see the light of day. These could be ground breaking, if only someone would give them a chance.

Science Fiction Writing Is Still Thriving

Look at any bookstore today, and you’ll find that there are a lot of science fiction novelists churning out work left and right. They are doing so with the notion that they are one day going to get a shot at the television or movie world. Some fade into obscurity. Others get their work published again and again, and some get adapted to movie and television, albeit in watered down frameworks. The point is, there is a lot of thriving fiction out there, and you can easily twist it to fit the format of anthology television.

Neil Gaiman Could Probably Write Up Some Great Stuff

Have you read anything from Neil Gaiman? He has the notion of fantasy on lock, and you could possibly get him to create a grand display of iconic science fiction. He’s prolific, creative, and quite the charming dude. Ok, perhaps this is a bit reaching, but Gaiman is no stranger to this genre, and could very well put together something on par with Rod Serling’s creative talents.

There Is No Great Anthology Science Fiction Series

Right now, television has a lot of programs that feature anthology story telling. However, none of them have the moniker that “The Twilight Zone” had. Just by that admission alone, there should be something that moves along in this framework. There are more networks than ever before, so it’s not too far out of the reach of many to produce and distribute a show of this type. With a hole in the market, why not fill it with something compelling?

It’s About Time To Go Back Into The Twilight Zone

If the reasons above seem too out of left field, then at least consider that we are about due. There’s been revivals of horror and science fiction before, but in modernity, we have far more financial resources and creative cinematography. It’s just time to go back into a world that is beyond sight, and sound. One that is of mind. It’s due, a new production would be grand.

For those that are nostalgic about all things "The Twilight Zone", make sure that you get the FULL Blu Ray Collection, which collects extra features, interviews, and every episode of the series in full Blu Ray format. You can do so by clicking here. 

American Horror Story Freak Show Made Me Tear Up A Little

I hate the term binge watching, but I did it recently. I once again fell for the Netflix plan. I picked it up and it was fine, but I don’t love Netflix. That’s for another day. I did manage to have it in time to see all of American Horror story Freak Show. I won’t go into a lot of details or try to review every single episode. Instead, I’m going to talk about 5 major points that I liked and possibly didn’t like about it. It’s not a perfect showcase, and it’s not my favorite of the series. My favorite so far was “Coven”, but this time around there were a lot of elements to like about it. I would even go as far as to say that I wouldn’t mind getting it on blu ray, and that’s very rare for me. I don’t buy a lot of blu ray, but I do admire those that have good collections. I’m just not a collector any more, at least not like I once was.

The Characters

The characters involved with “Freak Show” are amazing. I loved them all in their own unique ways. I even loved Jessica Lange. I loved her portrayal, and the compassion that she had at times for her “freaks”. I thought Sarah Paulson was absolutely amazing too. Every character and actor that was in this show was grand, and I loved every little nuance about it. The characters had charm, they had a sense of belonging, and just held a lot of great elements overall. I liked the way each one was portrayed, and each one had something to love about them.

The Costume and Lighting

The visual design flow of “American Horror Story Freak Show” is bar none some of my favorite design ever. The design flow that was done here was fabulous. From the lighting changes, to the fish eye lens changes, the colors used, and the prominent changeover of lighting and set pieces. I loved the costumes, I thought each puzzle piece fit the theme very well and that’s something that I don’t usually pay attention to.

The Overall Horror Themes

There are some stark themes here. The homosexual “Strong Man” story really hit hard. The “lobster boy” connection was heavy handed too. I loved the killer clown concept, and I love the throwback to “Houdini” at one point. The overall horror themes here run all over the place. They pick up on all sorts of fears, and just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the ending wraps up the insanity of the show. I loved it. I loved the pieces and the continual storytelling.

Neil Patrick Harris

There was a lot of hype about this. I read a lot about Neil Patrick Harris jumping into the show. I didn’t see it air, but when he showed up for 2 episodes, holy crap. This guy can really act, and the creep factor that was involved with his character rose to all new levels. I loved the sensuality of the story he was in, and the overall colors, themes, and psychosis involved is absolutely brilliant. That made the show for me, and they certainly chose a great point to throw him into, in my opinion.

The Tipping Point (Crying)

Few shows get me. Few movies get me. However, when the ending started to showcase the true nature of the larger story line, I teared up a lot. I teared up with the connections to the “Asylum”, and I teared up when the “Freaks” were treated as disposable figures. I couldn’t help it. Maybe I’m a freak? I don’t know. It was heavy handed. But the revenge angle and the finale was great in my view, and I liked how it was all wrapped up. I also loved the musical cues from Lana Del Rey to David Bowie, the sound design was absolutely great in the series.

“American Horror Story Freak Show” is perhaps the best of the series. I am now watching “Hotel” and I am not as fascinated. I don’t care about vampirism. I don’t care about Lady Gaga, and I sure as hell do not care about Los Angeles. I highly recommend “Freak Show” however. I can’t wait to dive into the Blu Ray and see it again.

If you're going to pick up "American Horror Story: Freak Show" do so HERE.