ln63fkn@sdcc7.UUCP (PAUL VAN DE GRAAF) (10/08/85)
Watched the Twilite Zone on Friday, they've improved somewhat. The first segment with Robert Klein was sort of stupid. It had nowhere to go. So everyone is now speaking gibberish except him, big deal! One thing I did like was the execution. Do you have any idea how hard it is to say "Doorstop mango kazoo." and look like you know what you're talking about? I especially liked the scene in the hospital where the doctors are barking orders in gibberish. Execution was also good in the "A Little Peace and Quiet" episode last week. They must be paying out the wazoo for extras to stand still and spout gibberish. The second and third segments had much better writing than any of the others. They captured the old flavor of the old zones. The characters are put in a strange situation, and they make some attempt to make sense of it with some degree of intelligence while staying in character. This is the heart of the Twilite Zone mystique. Something I wish they hadn't copied from the old zone is the blinky light stuff. The sets are hokey and the technical dialog a joke. Does the shuttle ground control still say garbage like "Roger Wilco, gee whilickers, wiz-bang foo!" ? I half expected them to bring out the old spaceship set that they used about a dozen times in the old zone. Another annoyance is the habit that the directors have of putting in pregnant pauses. They appear to be saying "This concept should be really confusing to you, I'll give you time to think it over and you can watch the characters walk around looking perplexed." Maybe they are just filling time or trying to add "style". It bothers the hell out of me, and just slows down the story. I had high hopes for the new Twilite Zone, but if they don't shape up I'll switch to Hitchcock Presents. Paul van de Graaf sdcsvax!sdcc7!ln63fkn U. C. San Diego