All I really remember from the original was that it seemed really cheesy, but I was real young when I saw them. I’m glad this version is attempting to be a little more dark and realistic when it comes to the personal struggles and whatnot.
I’m watching the Twilight Zone as one does, and man, this show was so wild for the early 60’s. Just saw the one where an Anglo-looking space alien crash-lands in a small Mexican town There are some very, very explicit references (and some subtle references) to the story of Christ. I mean, Space Jesus comes to Mexico to save humanity, okay that must have been crazy shit for viewers back in the day. Rod Serling was smoking more than just Chesterfields, that’s what I’m saying.
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Rod Serling’s wikipedia page is a pretty excellent read. The big takeaway is that he went though a whole lot of horrible shit during WWII and he channeled his demons into telling incredible sci-fi. A lot like Vonnegut in that respect. Seems like corporate media was constantly trying to shut Rod down and he just said fuck it.
Frustrated by seeing his scripts divested of political statements and ethnic identities (and having a reference to the Chrysler Building removed from a script sponsored by Ford), Serling decided the only way to avoid such artistic interference was to create his own show. In an interview with Mike Wallace, he said, “I don’t want to fight anymore. I don’t want to have to battle sponsors and agencies. I don’t want to have to push for something that I want and have to settle for second best. I don’t want to have to compromise all the time, which in essence is what a television writer does if he wants to put on controversial themes.”[2]
Serling submitted “The Time Element” to CBS, intending it to be a pilot for his new weekly show, The Twilight Zone . Instead, CBS used the science fiction script for a new show produced by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, in 1958. The story concerns a man who has vivid nightmares of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The man goes to a psychiatrist and, after the session, the twist ending (a device which Serling became known for) reveals the “patient” had died at Pearl Harbor, and the psychiatrist was the one actually having the vivid dreams.[2] The episode received so much positive fan response that CBS agreed to let Serling go ahead with his pilot for The Twilight Zone .[2]
There was an entire generation of men psychologically traumatized by the war, but you wouldn’t know that from the TV shows at the time. Clearly, there was an audience for that sort of thing, but my man Rod was the only one brave enough to go there and tell a story about PTSD among Pearl Harbor survivors. Who else was bringing it to you like this in TV shows of 1958?
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Wish someone would make one of these for Primer.
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The Speed Cubers is a really nice short documentary released on Netflix recently. Nice story about the struggles of autism, friendship, and solving rubik’s cubes like you’re a computer. Really nice little shot of optimism and uplifting to watch during this shit time.
Umbrella Academy Season 2 is up on Netflix.
I happened across the movie a few months ago and didn’t hate it. YMMV
rewatching original series twilight zone and s2e17 they’re in an airport and one of the extras is wearing a tuxedo. he’s probably looking scornfully at the men wearing only suits and thinking, “we used to dress up for air travel… these guys look like shit.”
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The gf and I also really enjoyed “Little Fires Everywhere,” we were basically enthralled from the get go. It reminded me a lot of the Sopranos, in that it shows you exactly what characters are feeling and why they’re feeling that way, and then has then has other characters be completely oblivious to why the first person is pissed off. Seems like every character was well fleshed out while, yea, almost none of them were likeable.
Mark, I see ya finding and giving the proper love and respect to You’re The Worst.
Good man.
Good man.
My wife and I love this show but put off watching the last season, finally started a few nights ago, that first ep threw us for a loop!
Please post thoughts on the finale when you get there. I have it as an almost perfect series finale
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Just watched Our Godfather on Netflix.
Good stuff, especially if you’re into the mob and true crime documentaries. Depressing as hell.
I just finished Season 4 this evening.
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Thoughts so far?
I’m enjoying it, even as the characters become increasingly more unlikeable.
I thought Paul’s transformation after the divorce felt like the writers were trying too hard to be clever.
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I can see that. He was also a product of the times. I think S4 was written at the end of 2016, so it makes sense that he becomes a card carrying RWNJ.
New season of Last Chance U. on Netflix is out. This season takes place in Oakland, CA, and the coach is refreshingly different from the nut cases in the previous seasons.
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Lady Bird was delightful
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The final episode of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark aired last night.
Incredible. 100% should watch if you have any interest in documentaries, of any type. 17 bags of popcorn.
If you have any access to HBO, watch it asap. Its beautiful, haunting, devastating and uplifting.
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