The Twilight Zone

I honestly don't understand why someone would give a negative review for this show. To say it was "garbage" -as one commenter stated- is very inaccurate. I watched this show as a child...in fact, I grew up on it. The story lines were dark and original. The acting was actually pretty good in my estimation. Especially in comparison to the overabundance of bad acting in that day. The stories were so eerie and unique that they stayed in my head decades after I saw them. I actually had the pleasure of watching several episodes at a friends house recently and loved the nostalgic feelings they brought back. They were even more enjoyable now that I am older. I was able to pick up on the stuff that I had missed as a kid. My faves are the one about the man that was court ordered to be "invisible" for a year, the woman that had a magic necklace and could freeze the world by saying "shut up!", the woman that got offered a box with a button in it...and if she pressed the button she would win a large sum of money...but then a stranger had to be killed and SO many others!

Here's hoping that the 1985 and 1986 versions of The Twilight Zone will one day be released on DVD as it was an outstanding series with well written episodes. The beginning titles have a half-second animation of Rod Serling in them as a salute to the originator of the series. The episode "Nightcrawlers" was directed by William Freidkin and is brilliant. One episode called "Shatterday" features the TV debut of Bruce Willis. There is also a small budget third season which was made after cancellation to make up the numbers for syndication,but it's budget was small and apart from one good episode,where a man is possessed by what looks like Christ,it is a poor third season. But the first two seasons are brilliant.

This show is another relic from my childhood and it's my fourth favorite anthology horrors and TV shows of all time. At the time I never even knew about the original Twilight Zone, so in a way this show was my way to it. Some would say that this show is not as good as the original but lets face it, the original is a tough act to follow. What makes this version stand out for me is that it's not trying to, it's trying to do it's own thing but at the same time stay true to the spirit of it's predecessor.

The effects are solid, well OK not all but effects for me aren't what make this show but really the storytelling and there are lots of great stories in this show that are great editions to the Twilight Zone mythos. I really love the theme opening which is another one of my favorite themes, it's also one of the creepiest one's I've ever seen up there with the openings of "Tales from the Darkside" and "Are you Afraid of the Dark" as we see some globe come through a window and there are some random bizarre images along with really creepy tunes from a carousel horse, a creepy looking doll, a nuke explosion. But that opening perfectly set the tone for the anthology where anything can go and anything is possible.

This show also had a lot of well known directors and writers whom have contributed to this show. Directors like the late great Wes Craven, Joe Dante, etc. Down to some writers like one of my favorite sci-fi writers "Greg Bear" if you can believe that, J.Michael Strynski, Steven King, etc. These facts make watching the show all the more interesting just to see their imput/contributions to the Twilight Zone mythos.

There are plenty of memorable stories a few of my favorites are "Matter of Minutes" which is a bizarre story that really tackles a very interesting concept about time. "Profile in Silver" this story predates Steven King's "11/22/63" as both uncannily have the same plot line about a man traveling back in time to prevent the assassination but comes back with mixed results. "His Pilgrim Soul" which was written and directed by Wes Craven is a really bittersweet tale that can really tug at your heartstrings. And of course my favorite "Dead Run" which is thrilling and really takes some turns you'd never see coming.

The 80's Twilight Zone is a dimension worth visiting.

Rating: 4 stars

I'm a big fan of the original Twilight Zone, and just as big a fan of this reworking of the 1960's anthology series. My family was thrilled in 1985 that the series had been resurrected. We watched it faithfully every week, no matter what strange day or time slot CBS moved it to and they moved it around to a new time slot each and every week it seemed. It was not a retread of the original show but an updated, modern incarnation that stood on its own. It featured amazing shows which were adaptations of short stories by acclaimed writers.

In the wasteland of 80's TV it stood out for its ingenuity and originality. Alan Brennert's "Her Pilgrim Soul" was, for me, the single best episode produced for weekly series TV since the original went off the air. For my husband it was "Profiles in Silver", a "what if?" for JFK fans. "Nightcrawlers" was a true imaginative nightmare that no one forgot once they watched it. "A Message from Charity" is the second favorite episode for most of the people I talk to. But with the network moving the show around to different days it became hard to find in the listings, and people gradually stopped looking for it because it was too difficult to keep track of. In short, CBS never gave this series the chance it deserved, and it sank into oblivion where the final insult was badly butchered episodes thrown into a syndication package. But despite this the series refused to fade away in fans' memories.

Finally, the first two seasons and the syndie third season (which for the most part is completely forgettable) are out on DVD. They are virtually uncut; some music has been replaced, and there are a few other anomalies. These wonderful stories haven't been seen in their entirety since the series aired over 20 years ago, until now. There are commentaries by Alan Brennert, Harlan Ellison, Phil DeGuere, actors, directors, writers, etc.

This is a must-have for all fans of the Twilight Zone no matter what incarnation, and Night Gallery as well. In many respects this show is a blend of the spirit of the original Twilight Zone and Night Gallery; it uses quality stories by many of the classic sci-fi and horror writers of the past forty years. TV in this new millennium is a wasteland of garbage and nauseous reality TV, and we could use stories and writers like this today. The 1980's Twilight Zone deserves to be seen as the classic it is, and this DVD release does it justice.

Rod Serling's series is resurrected and given new sparkle as these episodes were released in the mid-80's. They still capture the twist and intensity that the original Twilight Zone offered. Using a strong cast and many new names, at the time, the stories were able to keep viewers on the edge of their toes.

Season 1 has currently been released on DVD. Nostalgic enthusiasts who remember the show well may strongly be interested in adding this to their collection. Great stories like 'Button, Button', 'If She Dies', 'Kentucky Rye', and 'Nightcrawlers' have won fans over for the series.

I feel that in it's day, the people who set up the program schedules didn't really give it a chance. Though this is personal opinion, I believe that they had done that with several shows with strong potential. Great collection to add for any Zone Fanatic.