Night Visions

The premise for this show is simple. You take a pinch of "The X-Files", blend it with some "Amazing Stories" and throw in a dash of "Tales From The Crypt" and voila, you have a fresh new series based on the supernatural and unexplained with guest actors, guest directors and a creepy host (well, that is if you consider Henry Rollins to be creepy).

But alas, this is probably about the 5000th TV show to hit the air since television was invented and just about everything about this show seems either unoriginal or enters the 'been there, done that' territory because so many shows before it has dabbled in the same subject matter.

Unlike "Tales From The Crypt" where the host was the fun and always hilarious Crypt Keeper, here we have a sombre and straight-to-the-point Henry Rollins (of the Rollins Band) presenting each story with a quick foreword. Each story blends mystery, suspense and most of the time, death, together to make for a half hour episode of fun. Unfortunately, most of the stories are extremely predictable and the endings don't always come as a surprise. But still, it makes for good Summer filler, and seeing guest actors meeting a sorry demise at the end of each episode is always fun.

FOX - Keep this one on the air!

I knew when Fox started airing this show that they'd already decided not to make any more episodes of it, but I figured they'd at least air the ones they had and I could tape them. I missed one and then Sept. 11th happened before they could air the last three. When the schedule finally returned to normal, Night Visions was nowhere to be found. I kept hoping that they'd finally air them eventually and then I heard the Sci-Fi Channel had picked it up.

I happily started checking the schedule each week to see if it was an episode I needed and finally the one I missed was going to be on. It wasn't, they played repeats of The Dead Zone instead. I figured that they'd play them eventually, even if it was in a lousy timeslot. Now they've done something so low, I have trouble expressing how angry I am.

Tonight SFC aired a supposedly original 'movie' called Shadow Realm. I then discovered that this was nothing more than 2 episodes of Night Visions with the original titles and intros removed and SFC's name plastered on it.

This is a bald-faced *LIE*. SFC had absolutely nothing to do with this 'movie' other than hacking up the episodes and slapping their name on it! I consider this outright theft. They'd probably argue that since they bought the rights to it, they can claim it to be an original, but how many people would accept it if I were to buy the Mona Lisa and proclaim it to be my original work? No, I'm not comparing Night Visions to a priceless work of art, but the principle is the same and it deserves to be seen the way the creators intended.

Because of this, you can be sure that you will never see those two episodes (Patterns/Maze, Harmony/Voices) in their unedited form, because that would show the SFC to be the liars they are. That's not just an opinion, it's a fact. They lied about creating this 'movie'.

I hope that the IMDB approves this comment because I think it's important for fans of this show to be aware of just how low the SFC really is.

I caught a Sci-Fi Channel marathon of this series, and was very pleasantly surprised. If you are a fan of The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Night Gallery, Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt, and the like... this is a must see. With many of these types of compact suspense series, it's often hit or miss with each story - sometimes highly satisfying, sometimes disappointing. But, I found each episode in this series extremely entertaining, and well acted. It's no wonder with the consistent caliber of cast, including: Bill Pullman, Brian Dennehy, Bridget Fonda, Aidan Quinn, Natasha Lyonne, Lou Diamond Phillips, Chad Lowe, Jerry O'Connell, Sherilyn Fenn, Randy Quaid, Jay Mohr, Jamie Kennedy, Cary Elwes, Luke Perry, Pam Grier, Jack Palance, Stephen Baldwin, and MORE. The only unappealing portion of the show is Henry Rollins' hosting. Even as a fan of Henry, I found him to be ineffectively uptight and out of place in this role. There are 26 thirty minute episodes, each edition featuring two episodes. It's a shame this didn't last - I think it could have had a pretty good life!

You will find a short review by me under another moniker here. I mainly focused in that one on brief descriptions of a half-dozen of the 20 or so episodes. The series is once again running on CHILLER, and you should be sure to catch it. It is a cross between THE TWILIGHT ZONE and OUTER LIMITS, and clearly was put together in response to HBO's TALES FROM THE CRYPT. If I had to pick the single best episode, it has to be the one with Bill Pullman as an Army major who must deal with a window into another world. The window abruptly turns up in the middle of the desert, and it reveals a bucolic setting, possibly an Amish farm. Pullman becomes a man obsessed, to his ultimate regret. Keep your eye not only on the finale but the epilogue, which will send chills up and down your spine. You will swear you are watching a movie, not a low-budget TV show. The series comes highly recommended from a guy who grew up with the original TWILIGHT ZONE, which is The Beates of TV fantasy anthologies.

Night Visions was a much underrated show shown on the Sci-Fi network. This was one scary show, much better then the remakes of Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. This show was more in line with the old Twilight Zone/Night Gallery episodes. Not all of the episodes were great, but each had its own charisma. I was hooked on the first episode featuring Bridget Fonda. At a time when I had almost given up on the new horror shows, this one broke new ground and gave me new hope. It's a shame that it did not last. I haven't been this captivated since the Ole Dark Shadows series. I love a good scare, and this show delivered. Great actors, great writing, and great directing. Night Visions is a must see.