render@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (10/05/85)
I just saw Twilight Zone for the first time last night, and I must say I liked
it for the most part. Each of the episodes was well-acted, well-shot and
well-paced. The first episode (where Robert Klein's character realizes that
everyone around him is speaking gibberish) was particularly disturbing, though
the resolution was rather simple. How would you feel if you suddenly realized
that you could no longer speak or understand English? I think that it would
be difficult to say, "well, I'll just have to adjust." It was a nice play on
the opening, though, where Klein's character (a salesman) is trying to adjust
to a new line of equipment. Can YOU say "sphygmamonometer?"
The middle episode (with Meg Foster as a factory worker in the future) is an
old sf standby, though I admit I was kept wondering about the plot until the
scene in which she wakes up in the 'Dreamatron'. Interesting for TV, but not
very new, and another weak ending.
The last episode was clearly the best. It took two old themes (first contact
and shape-changing aliens) and put a fresh, new spin on the ideas. During
the course of the episode, I was often left anxiously waiting to see what
would happen next. The episode was fast, enthralling and excellently
written. And the human beings were, for a change, on top of the alien.
It hadn't even occurred to me to ask the wife-shape, "Where is your husband,
Kate?"
Harlan Ellison is listed as the creative consultant, and here's hoping he
can inject a little fire into the coming shows. The first thing they could
do to improve the show would be to make the individual episodes longer. An
hour or even a half-hour is a much better length of time to develop the plot
and the characters, which is the only way to present any really novel ideas.
I would be interested to hear any other thoughts on the show, as long as they
rise above the "Nah, it sucks" level.
"No matter where you go, there you are."
Hal Render
University of Illinois
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