The Twilight Zone S1 E28: A Nice Place to Visit

When it comes to the original run of The Twilight Zone, I have many episodes that I consider to be my favorites. But if I had to pick just one episode to go back and watch for the first time all over again, it would have to be the season 1 episode “A Nice Place to Visit.” Not only is it a well done episode, I also feel like it has the most memorable “wham” line in the entire series (feel free to correct me if you feel otherwise). But I suppose I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s take a look at the episode.

“A Nice Place to Visit” is notable for starting off with a bang, literally, as the lead character, a hardened thief named Rocky Valentine gets shot and killed while fleeing a robbery. Soon after, Rocky meets Pip (Sebastian Cabot), who introduces himself as Rocky’s “guide” to this strange, new world he finds himself in. Larry Blyden is quite convincing as the hardened-beyond-redemption Rocky, playing the character in just such a way that you can’t feel any sympathy for him.

And where exactly is Rocky? Well, it takes the gangster some time to work it out, but he eventually does realize he’s not on Earth anymore (though you’d think being accompanied by a mysterious figure dressed in white would’ve been a big clue, but then again Rocky’s not that smart). Rocky then decides that since he’s dead and not burning up in flames, well then he must be in Heaven! You really can’t blame Rocky for jumping to this conclusion, as the gangster has found himself in very plush surroundings: he’s in the penthouse of a posh hotel and casino, he has beautiful girls waiting on him hand and foot, a brand new car to drive whenever he wants, and he always has the best luck at the gaming tables. It’s an absolute Paradise for someone like Rocky…or is it?

See, if you pay attention, there are clues seeded from the beginning that indicate Rocky isn’t where he thinks he is. For example, observe how Pip interacts with Rocky, particularly when he’s trying on his new clothes. While his “guide” is full of flattery, he’s not exactly sincere in his compliments. And then there’s the fact that no one else is in “Heaven” with Rocky. You don’t need a Masters in Theology to know that Heaven isn’t meant to be an empty place. There’s also the telling look at Rocky’s “file” in the Hall of Records (during the gangster’s brief doubts that he’s ended up in the correct place), where it’s revealed that Rocky had quite the sinful life, with no redeeming moments whatsoever. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how wonderful Sebastian Cabot is in his role as Pip throughout the episode. The way he plays the character, you can tell he’s more than happy to guide Rocky throughout his “domain” but he’s also visibly holding quite a deal back (as we’ll see shortly).

The biggest clue of all to what’s going on can be found in Rocky’s unnatural luck. What seemed to be a heavenly blessing is actually a curse, because try as he might Rocky can’t stop winning, no matter what game he plays! That might not sound so bad, but think about it: imagine you’re playing a game and all you do is win, time after time for DAYS at a time. That would get boring wouldn’t it? Well, after a month in “Heaven” that’s exactly what happens to Rocky; the gangster is bored out of his skull because he’s getting everything he ever wanted with absolutely no risk involved, an intolerable situation for someone like Rocky, who’s thrived on risk his whole life. Rocky can’t stand being in a place, no matter how nice, where there isn’t any risk to him.

As a result of this boredom, while Rocky still believes he’s in Heaven, he finally decides he’s in the wrong place after all, and asks to go to “the other place (Hell).” And that’s when it happens, that’s when Pip delivers the immortal line that turns everything you thought you knew about this story on its head:

“Heaven? Whatever gave you the idea you were in Heaven, Mr. Valentine? This is the other place!“

How I wish I could go back and relive the first time I heard that line over again, because it really is a game changer. The idea that such a nice place could really be “the other place,” it really blew my mind. I think of all the series’ twists, this is the one that hides itself the best, right until the end anyway. Of course, in hindsight, given The Twilight Zone’s known history of unexpected twists, maybe a lot of people saw it coming after all. Regardless of whether you expected it or not, Rocky’s reaction to finding out where he’s been all this time is priceless. It’s amazing how quickly you want to leave when you find out your “Paradise” is actually a gilded cage in the middle of Hell itself.

Let me know what you think of “A Nice Place to Visit” in the comments below and have a great day!

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The Twilight Zone S5 E25: The Masks

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The Twilight Zone is noted for telling stories about a wide variety of characters, many of whom end up suffering a twisted punishment through bizarre means. “The Masks,” another 5th season episode, is an exemplar of this particular story-type. The story is set in New Orleans in the home of Jason Foster, a ridiculously wealthy, and notably blunt old man who is also dying. In any other story, you might think Jason was the one fixing to get what’s coming to him, but that thought disappears the moment you meet his relatives, who are all the very definition of “pieces of work.”

Let’s see now, there’s Emily, Jason’s daughter, who is an eternal hypochondriac (and unwitting hypocrite), always believing she is on death’s door suffering from some malady. There’s Wilfred, Emily’s husband, who only cares about money. And next to those two are the grown children Wilfred Jr., who apparently used to like torturing small animals if Jason is to be believed, and then there’s Paula. Paula is an interesting case because at first her only “sin” appears to be that she’s obsessed with her own appearance. Don’t let her fool you; later in the story she goes into a tirade about the miserable time she’s having waiting for her grandfather to die. In short, there’s little to no redeeming value in any of Jason’s kin, and the dying millionaire knows it.

Instead of simply cutting them out of the will, however, Jason decides to inflict his own punishment, perfect for the Twilight Zone. Since it is the night of Mardi Gras, everyone in the family must wear masks. But these aren’t any ordinary party masks. These are grotesque, disturbing things to look at. I often find myself wondering what color those masks were (since the episode was filmed in black and white it’s impossible to say for certain), since the colors might have added to their disturbing nature. But I digress…

You’ll also note Jason says they were made “by an old Cajun” which should be a big clue to the audience that something supernatural will happen eventually if you put them on. But Jason includes a fool-proof catch: if anyone in the family refuses to wear the masks, then all any of them will get from his estate is train fare back home. Jason knows full well his relatives are far too greedy to pass up on his fortune. So they all put the masks on (even Jason, he wears a death’s head), and they wait for midnight, when Jason says the masks can come off.

This next part is, for me, the saddest part of the episode, because as midnight approaches all of Jason’s family beg him to let them take the masks off, saying how stupid this is and how they can’t bear it. Jason then turns to them all and says:

“Have you all had your say?….is there nothing else you have to say to me?”

Having read between the lines, I’m convinced that Jason is giving his family one final chance to show him that they have at least one redeeming quality about them. If just one of them had shown some spark of caring, I really think Jason would have called it all off and let them take the masks off. But the chance is wasted on these people, and as midnight strikes, Jason finally passes away. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence he died at the stroke of midnight either. Earlier in the episode, Jason mentions that there’s a “ritual” to the wearing of the masks. While he describes it in some detail, I think he leaves a crucial detail out. I suspect, that for the ritual to take full effect, someone has to wear the death’s head and sacrifice their life at midnight. It makes sense if you think about it, most stories involving magic will tell you that powerful magic requires some form of sacrifice. And since Jason was dying anyway, it follows that he would choose a relatively quick death over suffering who knows how much longer. And if he can punish his relatives at the same time…so much the better.

And what a punishment! The reveal of what the masks have done make this one of my favorite episodes to this very day. And to those who might say “Well can’t they just get plastic surgery to fix their faces?” That’s just it, they can’t! You see, going for surgery would mean revealing their problems and flaws for all the world to see. And you saw how they all act, they’d never be able to do that. So they’re stuck with their punishment for the rest of their lives.

Let me know what you think about “The Masks” in the comments below and have a great day!

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The Twilight Zone S5 E27: Sounds and Silences

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The Twilight Zone is memorable, and rightly so, for creating an anthology full of memorable stories, nearly of which have a shocking twist at the end. For me personally, the reason I love this series so much is because Rod Serling proved to be a master of “watch this obnoxious individual get what’s coming to him.”

“Sounds and Silences,” produced late in the 5th and final season, is one such episode. The episode details the demise of Roswell G. Flemington, owner of a model ship company, and described by Serling himself as “two hundred and twenty pounds of gristle, lung tissue and sound decibels.” He’s not the worst character to get his comeuppance on this show, but he comes awfully close through sheer obnoxiousness.

Flemington is a man obsessed with the Navy, to the point that his company office is modeled after the interior of a ship’s cabin. That, in and of itself, wouldn’t be so bad, except Flemington is also obsessed with noise. I’m not just talking about blaring records as loud as he can (which he does throughout the episode), I’m talking about slamming doors, stamping feet, and yelling whenever he talks. One harried staff member mutters aloud that “someday all of that noise is going to come back and bite him” and boy does it ever!

The downward spiral begins when Flemington’s wife of 20 years finally has enough and decides to leave him. The one part of this episode that I find difficult to accept is that a man like Flemington was able to find a wife at all! I absolutely love the scene where she tells Roswell off and proceeds to inform him, in no uncertain terms, that their marriage is over. This is also the scene that completely destroys any final scrap of sympathy you might have for this character, as Flemington describes, in sneering detail, how he had to put up with a hypochondriac mother and THAT is why he’s so obsessed with noise. You might feel bad for him, were it not for the fact that the man is clearly talking down to his soon-to-be-ex-wife. It’s made plain that this guy deserves everything he’s about to get.

It’s after Flemington’s wife leaves that the fun really starts. I have to imagine the sound people had a lot of fun with this episode, when they had to simulate Flemington hearing noises louder than they actually are. It’s slightly surreal, hearing all of the sound effects, but it goes a long way toward showing how Flemington is rapidly losing his grip on reality. In fact, the conclusion comes not long afterward, when Flemington, having convinced himself that all of this is “mind over matter” finds he cannot hear at all.

Now, I have two thoughts on the ending of this episode. On the one hand, it’s implied that Roswell simply took “mind over matter” too far and accidentally made himself deaf. On the other hand, when you spend day after day listening to records at ear-splitting decibel levels…really, he was bound to lose his hearing sooner or later. In either case, this is one of the most suitable punishments presented in the show. Flemington, a man obsessed with noise, is now forced to live in a world with none at all.

Let me know what you think about “Sounds and Silences” in the comments below and have a great day! From now on, I’ll be working in reviews of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, so I really hope you enjoy them.

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My Thoughts on: Airplane! (1980)

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Spoof movies have been made for years, and likely will be made in some form or fashion for years to come. Like any genre, some spoof movies are greater than others. But as far as I’m concerned, only one spoof movie can be called the best, and that honor belongs to Airplane!

Seriously, where do you begin with a film that’s so insanely funny? Well, let’s start with the basics. At it’s core, Airplane! is a spoof of airline disaster films that were fashionable around this time. Former fighter pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays) follows his on-again off-again girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty) onto a flight to Chicago, but ends up having to fly and land the plane after the entire flight crew is put out of commission due to severe food poisoning. It sounds like a straightforward plot, but believe me, this film takes a detour through every gag imaginable to get to the ending.

And when I say gags, I mean there are gags everywhere in this film. The team in charge of this film tossed in so many gags, instances of background comedy, etc., that to this day I’m still finding a new funny detail to laugh over.

This film is also notable for launching the comedy career of Leslie Nielsen. I knew he hadn’t always been a comedic actor, but I hadn’t realized that it all started with Airplane! In fact, part of what makes Airplane! so funny is that the directors cast actors known for their dramatic acting skills and placed them in the funniest parts, instructing them all to “play it straight.” Thus, Leslie Nielsen (the doctor), Peter Graves (the pilot), and Robert Stack (Captain Kramer), all previously known for their dramatic acting, all end up with some of the funniest lines in the film because they all say them like they’re completely normal things to say and that’s a big part of what makes this film so funny!

That’s not to say that the film has entirely aged well. There are a few jokes that do make me cringe when I hear them now (in particular, there’s a line about abortion early in the film that no one would even try if this film were made today). But for the most part, Airplane! remains an exemplar of spoof comedy that, really, hasn’t been matched since it came out.

Let me know what you think about Airplane! in the comments below and have a great day!

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My Thoughts on: Avatar-The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

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As a lifelong fan of animation, I’ve seen a lot of cartoons and animated series. And trust me when I say that after all this time Avatar: The Last Airbender remains one of the greatest animated series I have ever seen. Even though the series concluded 11 years ago, it still holds up today as one of the all-time greats.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a world where people known as “benders” can be born. A bender is someone who can manipulate one of the four classical elements: Water, Air, Earth, and Fire. The only being who can manipulate all of the elements at once is the Avatar, a figure that is endlessly reincarnated throughout time, though each incarnation comes from a different background (for example, the last three Avatars before Korra went Earth-Fire-Air). The world is loosely organized into nations/tribal areas according to these elements as well. There are the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, the Air Nomads, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation. However, everything changes when the Fire Nation sets out to conquer the world.

100 years after the Fire Nation begins its conquest, the main story follows Katara (a water-bender) and her brother Sokka as they discover the long-lost Avatar Aang, the last airbender in the world. To fulfill his destiny, Aang must master all of the elements and put the world back into balance. But it won’t be easy, since Aang and his friends are closely pursued first by Prince Zuko, an exiled Fire Nation prince, and then a host of other villains, including the psychotic Azula (Zuko’s sister).

Considering it’s an animated series, and meant for children, Avatar: The Last Airbender contains some very adult themes. There’s references to genocide (the Air Nomads are annihilated), murder, torture, abuse, just to name a few of the darker examples. That being said, the story Avatar tells is a beautiful one, and you’ll quickly find yourself immersed in Aang’s adventures as he seeks to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar. I really found myself identifying with Toph along the way, particularly when she breaks away from her stifling family in order to make her own life.

One of the things I like best about the world of Avatar is how real it feels. The way bending is presented in every day life, it feels like something that does and could exist. I freely admit, during the show’s original run, I wished I could be a bender (preferably a Water bender but knowing my luck I’d be an Earth bender like Toph).

If you haven’t seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, I highly recommend going out and picking up the complete series on Blu-Ray. I emphasize blu-ray because the regular DVD version of the box set has some….issues…that tend to ruin the viewing experience. Take my word for it, the Blu-Ray version of the set is worth it.

Let me know what you think about Avatar: The Last Airbender in the comments below and have a great day!

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My Thoughts on: The Muppet Movie (1979)

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I’ve been a fan of the Muppets since before I can remember (for that matter, even before I knew what a Muppet was). Be it Sesame Street or The Muppet Show, if it had Muppets in it, I watched it. That’s why I was so excited to get the opportunity to watch the original Muppet movie, The Muppet Movie, in theaters, the way everyone got to see it forty years ago when it originally came out.

The movie presents itself as something of an origin story for how Kermit and the other Muppets first met and ended up becoming rich and famous in Hollywood. What starts off as Kermit the Frog’s journey to audition for a movie studio, quickly balloons into a tale of close-knit friends following their collective dream to become famous entertainers. Along the way, Kermit picks up Fozzie Bear, Gonzo (and his chicken), Miss Piggy (who instantly falls in love with Kermit), Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Dr. Honeydew and Beeker, and Rowlf the Dog. Along the way, this growing cast of characters have to elude the obsessed Doc Hopper (Charles Durning), who’s determined to make Kermit his spokesman for a chain of frog legs-serving restaurants (Hopper fails to see why a frog wouldn’t be keen on promoting restaurants that serve frog legs).

Along with the story, which is charming, fun, and never gets old, one of my favorite things about The Muppet Movie is the never-ending stream of celebrity cameos. Seriously, they’re everywhere, and you never know who is going to show up next. I can’t list them all, there are just too many, but some of my favorites include:

Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy: The world-famous ventriloquist shot his cameo not long before his death. Ignore the fact that you can see his lips moving, that scene is perfect just the way it is.
Steve Martin: He’s hysterical in that scene he appears in.
Mel Brooks: Probably my favorite cameo of the bunch. Mel Brooks, as you might expect, owns the scene from the moment he appears. I have no idea how anyone kept a straight face while Brooks was in character.
Orson Welles: Yes, I said Orson Welles, the same Welles who starred in Citizen Kane and a whole bunch of other things. He only has the one line, but it’s a great line (I genuinely believed for a number of years that “the standard rich and famous contract” was an actual thing.)

And then there’s the many great songs throughout the film, including “The Rainbow Connection”, “Movin’ Right Along”, and my personal favorite “I Hope That Something Better Comes Along”, just to name a few. To this day, I love singing along with each and every one of those songs.

Seeing The Muppet Movie in theaters brought back a lot of happy memories, and I’m glad I was able to go see it again. Let me know what you think about The Muppet Movie in the comments below and have a great day!

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Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

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My Thoughts on: Slayers Revolution (season 4) (2008)

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*This is my 600th post!

My oh my, how the time can fly. Who’d have thought that after the conclusion of Slayers TRY, that over ten years would pass before the adventures of Lina Inverse would continue. That’s right, Slayers Revolution didn’t arrive until 2008, and by then the world of anime was very different from what it had been in 1997. The fourth season is now drawn using digital animation, but don’t worry, everyone is still recognizable, and thankfully most of the original voice actors have returned (Xellos, however, has been noticeably recast and I’m not a fan of that change).

Slayers Revolution starts with an absolutely hilarious story, so funny that I have to share it. The season starts with Lina finding herself under arrest for the crime…of being Lina Inverse! And what makes it even funnier? Every time Lina gets arrested for this “crime” she turns to find Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia huddled together secretly agreeing that there’s no arguing with this “evidence” much to Lina’s growing frustration.

That humorous interlude aside, the real plot of season 4 finds Lina in conflict with a mysterious creature named Pokota (he reminds me of a Pokemon), who is far more than what he appears to be. However, the surprises of who and what Pokota really is don’t compare to the other bombshell this season drops. Out of nowhere, the story brings up none other than Rezo the Red Priest (you know, the villain of season 1?) Of all the characters to choose from, I never thought to hear Rezo’s name again.

I like Slayers Revolution for the most part, however something about it bothers me. Late in the season we’re introduced to something known as “Zanaffar Armor” something that hasn’t been referenced in the series before now, and yet I get the feeling that everyone acts like we (the audience) should know exactly what that armor is and what it does. Let’s just say I was confused for a couple of episodes before certain things were explained. I just feel like that plot detail could have been handled better. Otherwise, I really do like Slayers Revolution. It’s a shame there’s only one more season to talk about after this one.

What do you think about Slayers Revolution? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

My Thoughts on: Slayers NEXT (Season 2) (1996)

My Thoughts on: Slayers TRY (season 3) (1997)

My Thoughts on: Slayers Return (1996)

My Thoughts on: Slayers Great (1997)

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My Thoughts on: Slayers TRY (season 3) (1997)

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After several false starts, I finally made my way through Slayers TRY, the third season of Slayers overall. As with the first two seasons, Slayers TRY follows the ongoing adventures of Lina Inverse and company, now making their way into the outside world in the wake of Lina’s defeat of Hellmaster Phibrizzo at the end of Slayers NEXT. But of course, this being Lina Inverse, adventure and intrigue is simply going to seek her out whether she wants it or not.

Our cast of heroes is joined this season by Filia, a priestess of the Fire Dragon King who also happens to be a dragon herself (she appears as a human for most of the season, but a running gag will have her tail showing at inopportune moments, she also favors a HUGE mace for a weapon). I found myself liking Filia, she’s clearly the audience surrogate in this story (if her reactions to Lina and company are anything to go by), and it’s interesting to watch how her character evolves from the beginning to end of the season.

I freely admit that Slayers TRY is not quite as good as Slayers NEXT, but it does tell a good story. One of the big things in this story, unless I completely missed the point, is that the question of who is good and who is evil is somewhat addressed (Gourry openly asks the question late in the story arc). When the story begins, you think you know who the good guys and bad guys are; but as the story progresses, it starts to emerge that maybe things aren’t as black and white as we thought they were.

One funny moment that I have to share comes early in the season. Filia gives Lina a letter from her older sister Luna Inverse (who was originally meant to be the main character of the story before Hajime Kanzaka realized Lina was far more interesting). We’ve never actually met Luna, but Lina’s reaction to the note (telling her sister to take the job “or else”) tells us everything we need to know. Lina’s over-the-top freakout includes assembling a pyramid, building a tomb and sarcophagus inside before sinking the pyramid into the earth and screaming hysterically that her sister is going to kill her! It’s a scene that makes me laugh every time I watch it.

If you’ve enjoyed the first two seasons of Slayers, then you will likely enjoy Slayers TRY as well. It keeps the adventure going, and it has a really sweet ending.

Let me know your thoughts on Slayers TRY in the comments below and have a great day!

My Thoughts on: Slayers NEXT (Season 2) (1996)

My Thoughts on: Slayers Return (1996)

My Thoughts on: Slayers Great (1997)

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My Thoughts on: The Butterfly Effect (2004)

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*This film was initially picked by a Patreon subscriber, however…it didn’t quite work out

Oh my goodness gracious, where to begin with The Butterfly Effect…first of all, if you’re not familiar, the story is about college student Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) who can go back in time and change the past simply by reading his childhood journals. These changes have a profound effect on his life when he comes back to the present.

I was already nervous about this film to begin with. I’d read the plot overview and parts of the plot were already bothering me. But when the time came to actually watch the time traveling segments, I got to one scene in particular and I just couldn’t watch any further. Put simply, the plot of this film is f*cked up, and I mean that in the worst way possible. There’s stuff in here that I am just not comfortable watching. I know as a film blogger that I should try and go outside my comfort zone, but this is too far for me.

That being said, I do agree with the criticism the film gets that says the “butterfly effect” in the film doesn’t go far enough. The overall idea is that one minor change can have huge consequences for everyone and everything. In the film, these changes appear to be limited to Evan and his friends. I can understand why the film would minimize the changes due to budget constraints, it’s not really a true “butterfly effect” is it?

I’m sorry I couldn’t get all the way through this film, this is just a film that doesn’t work for me, on any level.

Let me know what you think about The Butterfly Effect in the comments below and have a great day!

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My Thoughts on: Flubber (1997)

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*This review was requested from a Patreon subscriber as part of his monthly reward

I first watched Flubber years ago (I don’t think I saw it in theaters, but it was still pretty new when I did see it), and I was excited at the chance to get to see it again.

For those who haven’t seen it, Flubber is actually a remake of The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), a film starring Fred MacMurray as the titular professor who discovers “Flubber.” The remake starred the late Robin Williams as Philip Brainard, a brilliant if absent-minded professor who is trying to save the college he teaches at while also trying to hold on to some semblance of a social/romantic life with his long suffering fiancée Sara (Marcia Gay Harden). His life changes when he discovers the miraculous (and seemingly sentient) substance he dubs “Flubber.”

Considering the film is 22 years old, the CGI for Weebo (Brainard’s floating robot assistant) and especially for Flubber holds up extremely well. Even though Flubber is only a digitally created ball of green stuff, there’s so much life imbued in its movements, that I at least had no problem accepting that it was real, both then and now. And Weebo…I knew there was a reason I remembered that character so much. Weebo (voiced by Jodi Benson no less) is just awesome, and baby Weebo? Melts my heart every time.

That’s not to say that all of the effects held up as well as I remembered. The last fight, for example, where Brainard uses “sprayable Flubber” wasn’t quite as good as I remembered, though I’m not sure how seriously we were supposed to take it. However, one of the things I still found immensely funny was all of the things that Flubber allowed you to do, everything from jumping unnaturally high to helping cars to fly. And Flubber is such a mysterious substance that you really can believe that it can do all of these things.

As much as I enjoyed this film as a child, and still do, it was bittersweet watching Robin Williams do what he did so well, playing a brilliant part and making me laugh as only he could. It’s been almost five years, but it still hurts that he’s gone.

Overall, Flubber holds up as a fun Disney film that you should definitely see if you haven’t already. A big shout-out to @reaperofdarkn3s for requesting a review of this film. Let me know what you think about Flubber in the comments below and have a great day!

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