Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 42

August 10, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst!

BEST: Sake Milkshake

WORST: Watermelon Feta Sandwich

And you?

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August 9, 2024: Third Round of Script Notes!

Thanks for the third draft of your script. I realize you must be thinking: “Why so many notes? This is Hollywood after all. Most of the stuff we put out is crap!” And while that may have been true of late, we’ve discovered that audiences have caught on to us and stopped watching. As a result, we are in the unfamiliar position of having to care about quality, so bear with us. Whereas in the past we were perfectly happy to release movies and t.v. shows in which fully 50-60% of the plot made no sense, we will now have to work to bring that number down to a more respectable 20-25% of utter nonsese. Unfortunately, your script is still hovering around the 70% mark. It seems like every time we give you a note to address certain plot issues, your fixes actually make things worse. Case in point, the shooter-on-the-roof sequence that continues to prove problematic. We asked you to come up with a logical reason for why security was not stationed on that roof and the best you could come up with was “It was too hot”! Too hot?!! How about, instead, we go with the marginally better idea you pitched us over the phone, that the forecast called for showers and they hadn’t brought their rain ponchos with them. In our last two sets of notes, we bumped on the fact that security waited so long to shoot the would-be-assassin. You have seemingly rectified this by actually having them shoot much earlier – but I’m afraid photos don’t count. We previously flagged the almost one hour that passed between when the shooter was first spotted and when he was finally taken down. With the introduction of these new text messages between law enforcement and the secret service, that hour has now become 90 minutes. When we said the original time lag was unacceptable, we meant it was too long, not too short! We like where you’re going with the whole google search history on the shooter’s laptop but feel you can be even more obvoius for those especially dense members of our audience. What you have there now, “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?”, is pretty good, but how about “If I was to shoot a Presidential candidate from a raised roof, how far would I need to be?” or “What kind of snacks should I pack for an assassination attempt?“. The revelation that the Secret Service turned down offers to deploy drone technology before the rally is a bit problematic as, if this was the case, they would surely have reacted to the shooter’s own drone flying over the site prior to the rally. Did they forget and assume it was one of their own… that wasn’t supposd to be there? In the scene where the local SWAT officer reveals his team had no contact with Secret Service until after the assassination attempt, could we come up with a somewhat plausible scenario for why there was no preliminary briefing and no communication. Did the two groups have a falling out over the previous evening’s episode of Blue Bloods? Did the Secret Service just forget they were there like they forgot about the fact drones shouldn’t be fllying over the venue prior to the rally? Does maybe the Secret Service liaison suffer from anterograde amnesia like Guy Pearce in Memento and is incapable of forming new memories which explains everything? This would be an interesting twist! The Secret Service request to have the Presidential Front-Runner discontinue outdoor rallies makes them look, not only even more inept, but lazy as welll. Speaking of which… The beats where requests for the counter-snipers are routinelly denied if they weren’t within driving distance of Washington D.C. will require a little more context. At present, it feels like they’re turning down the requests because they’re too lazy to commit to traveling longer distances. Surely, this is not what you intended. Let’s come up with a better excuse for why the Secrtet Service turned down these requests for increased security that turned out to be not only perfectly reasonable but incredibly crucial in retrospect. Was there, perhaps, a counter-sniper convention happening on the same day (CounSnipeCon!) to which they had already committed? Or were they already dspatched to protect someone the Secret Service prioritized over the Presidential Front-Runner like, say, the First Lady, a Democratic congressman, or Major Tuddy the mascot of the Washington Commanders football team? As a rule of thumb, you can only really have one bungling group of professionals in a script. In the earlier drafts, you clearly establishd the Secret Service as the monumental screw-ups but now you’ve added another layer with these three SWAT team members – one of who leaves to go home early, another who inadvertently locks himself out of the venue, and yet another who abandons his post to go let in the guy who locked himself out. Are we in some sort of Bizarro alternate universe where no one can do anyting right? A reminder that this script is NOT a comedy. The fact that there were no patrol officers around the area to potentially intercept suspects feesl pretty damn lax – but, to be fair, it’s in keeping with the careless security precautions demonstrated throughout and so, for consistency’s sake, we’l let this one go. The Clairton Sportsmen’s Club where the shooter purportedly trained is apparently frequented by regional police, sheriff departments, and officers from ICE and Homeland Security which further fuels the conspiracy theory that this kid was set up by elements within his own government. Could we go with a completely different sports club that, instead of being a regular hangout for the aforementioned law enforcement personnel, is frequented by Iranian diplomats, Chinese businessmen and the odd North Korean Swifty following the tour through town. On page 43 you have the News Anchor criticize the Presidential Front-Runner for saying the Secret Service did not protect him, calling him wildly irresponsible for doing so because his statement does not reflect reality. We’re confused. Is this character a holdover from an earlier draft or maybe an entirely different script because, in this version, the Presidential Front-Runner was saved, not by the Secret Service but by happening to turn his head a split second before the first shot was taken. As a consequence, this anchor character comess across as either dimwitted or a partisan mouthpiece. Possibly both? Given that he is a network news anchor, could we have him occasionally convey a modicum of journalistc integrity? Not too much to make it unbelievable but just enough so the audience buys in. Speaking of kooky anchors, this script certainly doesn’t want for them, from the aforementioned agenda-driven shill to the conspiracy-consumed, ear-obsessed loon. But the pompous buffoon who calls for the confiscation of an entire professional baseball team is top-level comical derangement. Absolute chef’s kiss! Finally, the political backdrop to the script continues to impress. The whole “border czar” schtick has a real Abbott & Costello Who’s On First? vibe. “She was!” “She wasn’t!” “We said she was but we didn’t mean it!” We also enjoyed the instances where some of the “news” websites went back and actually removed references and articles embarrasing to the candidate, while other sites simply restricted access to information. It all combines to deliver a surreal yet whimsical 1930’s Germany/2020’s Canada feel. So I guess the President character is going the way of Marcel, that little monkey from Friends who disappeared after season 1? Not even a guest spot where he comments on a world event or a cameo of him locking himself in a men’s room stalll? If that’s the case, might I suggest a scene where a little girl asks about him and her parents explain that the nice people at the DNC drove him up to their farm where he now runs free with all of the other ex-Presidents. It would be a nice button to his journey. Moving forward, is the plan for everyone to treat the VP as the defacto President? By the way, is she going to end up being the final candidate or will the tiny cadre of elite decision-makers hand-select someone else before the election? Wait! No spoilers! We can’t wait to find out! Looking forward to your next draft.

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August 8, 2024: Cookie Monster movie review – A Quiet Place: Day One!

Dis be a movie about a cat who demonstrate quick-tinking, courage, and strong will-to-survive during alien invasion of Earth.

Cat taking bus, just minding own bizness, when aliens attack! Dey hunt by sound so cat very careful. He not meow. He not make noise. He walk around very light on his paws. Humans, meanwhile, clunk around, knocking tings over, and move in crowds so dat if one of dem shout, dey give away everyone’s position to make it easier for alien to kill dem. Cat try to steer clear of stupid humans, but stupid humans keep snagging cat like dey be doing it a favor. Anyway, cat story pretty riveting, but most rest of movie bogged down by boring human side stories.

SMH (Shake Monster Head). Cat not even in movie poster!

First movie in dis franchise be like friend buying you delicious ice cream sandwich you love. Second movie be like friend buying you another ice cream sandwich becuz you loved first one so much and you say “What de hell” and eat it but it not as good as first ice cream sandwich. Now DIS movie be like friend buying you one more ice cream sandwich becuz you liked first two and you be like “Hooboy!” but eat anyway and it not even as good as second sandwich and also contain frozen buttercream instead of aktual ice cream.

Yep. A Quiet Place: Day One be turd sandwich.

Verdikt: 2.5 out of 5 chocolate chippee cookies.

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August 7, 2024: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #1 – cover art by Mr. Garcin

Uncanny X-Men #1 – cover art by Mr. Garcin

Venom War #1 – cover art by John Tyler Christopher

C.O.W.L. 1964 #1 – cover art by Mike McMahon

Batman #151 – cover art by Gabriel Dell’Otto

Gotham Sirens #1 – cover art by Jee-Hyung Lee

Gotham City Sirens #1 – cover art by W. Scott Forbes

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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August 6, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 2, episodes 5-8!

Season 2, Episode 5 “The Howling Man”

Initial telecast November 28, 1960.

This was the first episode of the show’s second season not written by Rod Serling. “The Howling Man” was a Charles Beaumont adaptation of his own short story of the same name originally published in the November 1959 issue of Rogue magazine. In the original short story, rather than witness Satan’s tranformation, David Ellington only discovers the truth years later when he spots a newspaper photo of a Nazi commander – and realizes it’s the same man he released. Beaumont had originally envisioned the monks keeping the Howling Man captive by placing a cross against the front of his cell door, but CBS objected and, despite Beaumont’s protestations, the cross was switched to the “staff of truth”.

Beaumont and director Douglas Heyes battled over the devil’s reveal. According to actor H.M. Wynant who played David Ellington: “When I allow the devil to escape…this is where director Douglas Heyes and writer Charles Beaumont began their disagreement about the script and how it was [to be] done.  Charles Beaumont always wanted the devil to come out as this bedraggled man, and run and be chased by this traveler, David Ellington, and as he goes over the wall he’s supposed to reach up and grab his foot, which is a cloven hoof.  And that indicates the fact that he is the devil, and you never see him.  But Doug Heyes says that he promised the audience that he was going to show them the devil, therefore he’s going to show them the devil.” While watching the episode, I honestly expected the cloven hoof reveal – and was pleasantly surprised with the decision to go the other way.

The establishing short of the monastery was footage of the detailed miniature of the burnt out Manderley estate from Hitchcock’s 1940 Oscar-winning Best Picture Rebecca.

John Carradine, who plays Brother Jerome in this episode, was a highly prolific actor who earned the nickname “The Master of Horror” for his many onscreen appearances in genre films. He played Dracula in four movies but missed out on two huge roles, the original Dracula (1931), which went to Bela Lugosi, and Frankenstein (1931), which went to Boris Karloff. Playwright Tennessee Williams wrote the part of Big Daddy in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” with Carradine in mind. On February 8, 1960, Carradine was awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to oldest son David Carradine, following his father’s death in 1988: “… we carted the coffin over to our house and opened it up. I looked down at him, and the undertaker had put a demonic, artificial grin on his face–like nothing I had ever seen him do in real life, except in a horror film. I reached out and, using the sculptural skills I had learned from him, I remodeled his face to be more naturally like him. Then I poured half a bottle of J&B scotch, his favorite, down his throat, and we had a wake”.

Said actor H.M. Wynant (David Ellington) of his Twilight Zone experience working with Carradine: “Basically The Twilight Zone is schduled for five days – two days of rehearsal and three days of shooting.  Now, we had John Carradine in this cast, so the two day sof rehearsal was a quick read-through of the script, and John Carradine, for the next two days, telling stories.  It was the best time of my life.  He was fabulous because he had stories about John Barrymore, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, all of these people – ”

Wynant, who enjoyed a solid career on both stage and screen, explained how he landed the role of David Ellington: “This was 1959, I think, and there was a kiddie park on Beverly Boulevland and La Cienega, with pony rides and little dodge ‘em cars, and a small little roller-coaster, and muy kids were on the rolller-coaster and next to me was Doug Heyes, and we said hello to each other.  And the next day, I got a call that I have this job…”

This reminded me of Don S. David (Stargate’s General Hammon) and his tale of landing the role of Major Briggs on Twin Peaks. He apparently went to the audition and, while waiting his turn, ended up chatting with David Lynch. They hit it off and wound up conversing for almost an hour about fly fishing after which Lynch excused himself and left. Don inquired with the desk about his audition but was told Lynch had gone home for the day and the auditions were over. Don returned home, annoyed and disappointed he hadn’t gotten the opportunity to audition – only to receive a phone call from his agent informing him he’d landed the role.

This one I liked a lot! It’s rare The Twilight Zone actually leans into horror (free of comical trappings), but when it does, it’s at its most effective. Love the early shot compositions that, according to director Heyes, are intended to convey the sense of delirium affecting our protagonist. Very reminiscent to me of Farscape that used the same visual approach to equally successful effect. Loved the gothic atmosphere and the final reveal of the devil, as well as the framing sequence that delivers one final twist at episode’s end. My only quibble with this episode is Ellington’s decision to go run errands and entrust his prisoner to the cleaning lady. I think it would have been much more effective, and made much more sense, to have him incapacitated, maybe on his death bed, about to be moved to a hospital. He protests and tells them the tale, only to be led off at episode’s end, leaving someone to test the door…

After a bumpy start to season 2, finally a Top 10-worthy episode!

Season 2, Episode 6, “Eye of the Beholder”

Initial telecast November 1, 1960.

According to writer Rod Serling: “This is one of those wild ones that I came up with while lying in bed and staring into the darkness.  Nothing precipitated it beyond the writer’s instinct as to what consistutes an interesting story.  Also, as is often the case on The Twilight Zone, I would like to make a thematic point.  “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street “was a parable having to do with prejudice.  “Eye of the Beholder” on the other hand made a comment on conformity.  No audience likes a writer’s opinion thrust down their gullet as simply a tract.  It has to be drmatized and made acceptably palatable within a dramatic form.” (Wish more writers and producers working today would follow this advice).

Prior to going to camera, CBS expressed concern that the depiction of the nurses might offend the Nursing Association. They were assured that the nurses featured in the episode were not representative of any nursing group in existence. Another dumb network note requested that “the abrupt close ups of the nurses faces will not be played for shock”. No no. Of course not.

Director Douglas Heyes described the casting process for this episode: “I had the idea that the voices of these monster people would be very sympathetic.  Rod was surprised at that.  He had not intended them to be that way, but he liked it.  So I interviewed the actors for that show without ever seeing them.  I sat in a room with my back to the door.  They’d come in, and I’d read the part with them and listen only to their voices.  I picked the people with the most sympathetic voices I could get.  If we are going to believe that these people are the norm, then they have to sound like nice people.” In casting the role of Janet Tyler however: “The opposite is also true.  Under the bandages, I wanted a voice that suggested it could belong to an ugly person.  I wanted a voice with character, harshness, and timbre.  So we used a radio actress named Maxine Stuart, a marvelous actress, and she played the part of Janet Tyler under the bandages.  Later, when we unwrapped the bandages, Donna Douglas emerged, so the part was actually played by two actresses.”

The original plan was to have Stuart dub Douglas’s dialogue for consistency but Heyes was surprised: “When it came time to do the unwrapping scene, she [Douglas] had learnd the vocal intonations and did her own dialogue sounding just like Maxine Stuart.”

TV Guide ran a four page feature titled “Anatomy of a Script” that featured the first few pages of the script for this episode. The issue dropped the same week “Eye of the Beholder” aired.

Shortly after it aired, The Hollywood Reporter had this to say about the episode: “The biggest reward for that evening was a Twilight Zone that should rank as one of Rod Serling’s best scripting efforts.” An early 1988 issue of Cinescape Magazine named “Eye of the Beholder” the sixth best science fiction episode of all time.

The threat of a lawsuit by GE Theatre that was using the “Eye of the Beholder” title for one of their own episodes forced production to rename the episode to “A Private World of Darkness”. It has aired and been released to DVD and home video under both titles.

The creature features were compliments of makeup department head William Tuttle who had just done the Morlock creatures for MGM’s The Time Machine (1960).

According to Maxine Stuart who played the bandaged Janet Tyler: “I could not see anything with the bandages around my face, so the cast or some – I can’t remember – helped me move about.  I had to go to the bathroom once and it was embarrassing!”

William D. Gordon who played the doctor/surgeon in this episode was last glimpsed playing George in “Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room”.

Donna Douglas, who played the unbandaged Janet Tyler at episode’s end, is perhaps best known for her role as Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. A true southern belle, she grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she won the crowns of both Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans. A self-descrbied tomboy and animal lover, she became best friends with Hillbillies co-star Max Baer Jr. who played the role of Jethro. While the show was in production, Douglas and co-star Irene Ryan (Granny) would host an annual Christmas party for the show’s crew and family. Later in life, Douglas enjoyed a second career as a gospel singer and, later, a real estate agent in Beverly Hills.

Director Heyes’ own wife, Joanna Heyes, plays the part of the nurse at reception. Douglas Heyes explained: “When she came on the set with the full outfit on, all the makeup and everything, I glanced over and said, “Hi, honey, shouldn’t you be in makeup?”  The day did not go well from that point afterward.”

Producer Buck Houghton said: “I think that Eye of the Behlder is the most difficult director’s job that ever came down the pike.” And director Douglas Heyes truly rises to the occasion.

This episode’s slow, suspenseful-burn, its dynamic camera work, its clever blocking, and its memorable twist land it in my Top 10 Twilight Zone episodes of all time. Simply superior television.

Season 2, Episode 7, “Nick of Time”

This episode originally aired November 18, 1960.

Writer Richard Matheson adapted his original short story, “The Fortune Teller” for this episode. According to Matheson: “As for the inspiration behind this terrific episode.  My wife and I went to a movie in the north part of the Valley and there was a machine like that in the coffee shop where we were eating.  It answered yes and no questions.  And I just decided that that would make a good story, which it did, and William Shatner was wonderful in the episode and he was wonderful  in Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.“

The Devil’s head on the fortune-telling machine wasn’t in the original script but was added by the show’s Art Department.

“Nick of Time” is the first Twilight Zone episode to feature a future Star Trek star in William Shatner. More would follow including James Doohan, Leonard Nimoy, and George Takei.

Apparently, the confusing title was a pun on the couple’s last minute escape as well as the name “Old Nick”, being a term for the Devil. Matheson held that he also considered the title to mean that time keeps “nicking” (i.e., cutting) into each of us as we live our lives. I suppose that’s as good an explanation as any…but I still don’t get it.

Canadian-born William Shatner who played Don Carter in this episode needs no introduction.  Best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk on Star Trek, he has enjoyed a long and storied career, receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983, and becoming the oldest person to fly in space in 2021 at the age of 90.

Actress Patricia Breslin’s performance as newlywed Pat Carter so impressed Richard Mateson that he lobbied for her to guest opposite Shatner again in the episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”. To no avail.

Actor Stafford Repp, who played the mechanic in this episode, is perhaps best known for playing the part of Police Chief O’Hara in the Batman television series (1966).

Another great episode, this one more of a psychological thriller than a full foray into the supernatural. The ambiguous Devil fortune-telling machine reminded me of the Magic 8-Ball we kept in the Stargate production offices and would consult as we neared the end of every season to learn whether or not the show had been picked up. I wonder whatever became of it.

Season 2, Episode 8, “The Lateness of the Hour”

This episode originally aired December 2, 1960.

This was the first of six episodes to be shot on tape as a cost-cutting measure by CBS. Programming Chief and reputed asshole James Aubrey was, apparently, not a fan of the show and forced the experiment on them – which turned out to be a complete failure. As a result, we have this episode (for starters) that looks like an instalment of Playhouse 90 or a dated soap opera. Also as a cost-cutting measure, the production left the visually-pleasing MGM backlot for the drab and echoey confines of the CBS Studio Center, contributing to the debacle.

Inger Stevens, who played Jana, delivered a much more memorable performance as Nan Adams in “The Hitch-Hiker” in the show’s first season. J

ohn Hoyt, who played Dr. Loren, was one of a handful of actors to appear both in the original Star Trek (1966) and the original Battlestar Galactica (1978). He was part of the doomed cast of The Conqueror (1956), many of whom passed away from cancer due to the radioactive soil where the film was shot, the location of a former nuclear test site. Rather than face the same fate as many of his fellow castmates, Hoyt took his own life in 1991.

I liked the premise even though the final twist was pretty predictable, even by early 1960’s standards, but the production quality was abysmal and, to be honest, the dialogue and performances felt over-the-top. Also, another seemingly arbitrary title on the heels of “Nick of Time”. I wasn’t too fond of this one and wonder how my opinion may have differed with proper production quality and direction.

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August 5, 2024: Sharky’s hospital visit!

We were just finishing up our final walk of the evening last night when Sharky suddenly reacted to some invisible something, literally jumping a good foot in the air and – presumably – landing awkwardly.  He could not longer put any weight on his left back paw so Akemi carried him home.  Once we were back inside, we noticed that he was barely able to walk, putting hardly weight on the injured foot.  He was trembling and refused all treats – a rarity for him.

And so, to play it safe, we bundled him up in his taxi (sherpa carrier) and caught an uber to the emergency veterinary clinic where, upon arrival, he seemed to be doing somewhat better.  Still, to be on the safe side, we had him examined.  We passed on the $800 x-ray (figuring if the obvvious discomfort persisted), that we’d just take him to his regular vet and get it done for half the price.  Anyway, one hour, a blood test, some prescribed meds, and $550 dollars later (!), we headed home.

The vet advised us to keep him penned up and only take him out long enough for him to do his business and come back inside.

Well, this morning Sharky was up and at ’em – and back to his old self.  No limp.  No trembling.  Absolutely no hint that he was ever injured.

Except for my missing five hundred and fifty dollars.

 

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August 4, 2024: Sharky Sunday!

According to Pug Nation of L.A., Sharky used to always park himself by the speakers at the rescue and take in the music.  We notice the same thing when we go out for a walk.  He will always stop by a speaker and seemingly get into the music.

At his most relaxed when hanging with mom…

Scratch!  Quail foot!

Sharky loves the drumstick!

Getting into it…

ASMR…

 

 

 

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August 3, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 2 episodes 1-4!

Season 2, Episode 1 “King Nine Will Not Return“

This episode was first telecast September 30, 1960.

This was the first episode to feature the classic Marius Constant theme.

Rod Serling appears onscreen to introduce the episode, a new wrinkle in the show format. According to Martin Grams Jr. in The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to A Television Classic: “Serling was nervous when standing in front of the camera, tensing up when filming for the episodes commenced.  While he looked tall on the screen, his height was five foot five and with nothing on camera of a specific height to purposely compare him with, much of the television audience was unaware of this fact.  “I really don’t like to do hosting.  I do it by default.  I have to,”Serling explained to a reporter from the United Press International in August of 1963.  “If I had my druthers, I wouldn’t do it.  If I had to go on live, of course, I’d never do it.”

This episode was based on the true story of the American B-24 bomber Lady Be Good that disappeared in 1943 and was discovered 16 years later in the LIbyan desert. The crash site was well-preserved but the bodies of the plane’s crew were missing. The remains of eight of the nine crew members were eventually recovered the following year. The incident also inspired the 1970 MOW Sole Survivor that focused on the ghosts of the fallen crew.  The 1964 novel Flight of the Phoenix avoided supernatural elements in favor of focusing on the quest for survival.

A military surplus B-25 was purchased for the shoot at a cost of $25000. The plane was disassembled and reassembled on site.

Portions of this episode were shot at Edwards Air Base in California on a 110 degree day.

Robert Parrish was initially scheduled to direct this episode but, for some reason, Buzz Kulnik ended up behind the camera. Kulnik would go on to direct another eight episodes of the show while Parrish would not return. Kulnik’s directorial crown jewel would be 1971’s Brian’s Song.

Actor and comedian Robert Cummings, who played Captain James Embry, enjoyed a successful acting career, first in film and later in television where he headlined The Bob Cummings Show (1955) and My Living Doll (1964). He was the star of the original Studio One live 1954 production of Twelve Angry Men, a role later made famous by Henry Fonda in the 1957 film version. Cummings was a USAF flight instructor and health food fantastic who purportedly carried a suitcase full of vitamins with him wherever he went. His final role was a 1977 episode of The Love Boat after which he retired from acting.

Actor Gene Lyons, who played the psychiatrist in this episode, is perhaps better known for his portrayal of Ambassador Fox in the Star Trek’s “A Taste of Armageddon” (1967).

I’m quite surprised they elected to kick off the show’s second season with this episode. It’s almost 20 full minutes of our protagonist aimlessly wandering about, hallucinating, questioning his sanity – all buttressed by a lengthy (but admittedly necessary) inner monologue. When we finally cut back to the hospital, I considered this episode as an inferior version of the show’s pilot episode, “Where Is Everybody?”, and then with the nonsensical twist at episode’s end – the sand in the shoe – I honestly didn’t know quite know what to make of it. Overall, a massive disappintment for me.

Season 2, Episode 2 “The Man in the Bottle”

This episode was first telecast October 7, 1960.

Rod Serling had an alternate ending planned in which the bottle is picked up by a homeless man who walks off with it, presumably to experience his own wish-filled adventure. It’s unclear why it was changed.

Luther Adler, who played shop owner Arthur Castle, was the only Jewish actor to have played Hitler three times.

Vivi Janiss, who played Arthr’s wife Edna, was once married to actor Robert Cummings who appeared as the downed bomber pilot in the previous episode.

Joseph Ruskin, who played the diabolical genie, played Galt in Star Trek’s: “The Gamesters of Triskelion” (1968). He was one of only five actors to appear in both Star Trek (1966) and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001).

Olan Soule, who played the IRS agent, was a busy character actor and the first to voice Batman in an animated feature. He also appeared in both the radio and t.v versions of Captain Midnight, in the former as Agent Kelly, SS-11; in the latter as the scientist Tut.

Two episodes in and we’re back with another “Be happy with what you have” episode – in this case “what you have” being a mountain of debt and impending backruptcy. A riff on The Monkey’s Paw, this episode is a complete misfire although I did find it pretty funny when the IRS agent calculated the taxes owing on the million dollars at roughly 900k. A 90% tax rate! What is this? France?! And the moment when our protagonist realizes he is Hitler is so ridiculous, his performance so over-the-top, that it bordered on parody. I thought Ruskin as the genie was suitably creepy, but found his nefarious laughter – which seems to have been dubbed in after the fact – also pretty OTT. Two episodes into the show’s second season and I feel like I’ve already got two candidates for my Top 10 Worst Episodes of Season 2.

Season 2, Episode 3 “Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room“

This episode originally aired October 14, 1960.

The script called for Serling to step in front of a freeze frame of actor Joe Mantell to deliver his opening intro, but director Douglas Heyes elected to film the introduction from the ceiling in such a way that allowed Serling to step out in front of a rear projection and effectively walk on the wall.

In discussing his approach to having the character of Jackie Rhoades interact with his alternate self, Heyes explained: “…instead of doing it with a split screen or over another actor’s shoulder the easy way, I wanted to do it the hard way – with rear projection.  First, we photographed every part of Joe Mantell’s performance that was in the mirror, and then later he played against [his own perfromance projected onto the mirror during the take].  So when we were photgraphing the mirror stuff, we also had another actor playing out front who was maing Joe’s moves, so that Joe in the mirror was actually looking in the direction where Joe the actor would be later, when I photographed it for the second time.”

Apparently, the production received two pitches for stories with somewhat similar plots about an individual fighting an inner battle with an alternate version of himself who appears in a mirror. TWO PITCHES! But at the time prep was well underway on the episode and Serling decided to forge ahead. P.S. This is why writers won’t read other people’s ideas! A similar plot is used in season 5’s “The Last Night of a Jockey” starring Mickey Rooney. In the 1980’s Twilight Zone Revival, Bruce Willis plays the lead in a similar story, “Shatterday”.

The Jackie Rhoades characters utters the line “You talkin’ to me?” at his reflection 16 years before DeNiro’s Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976).

The name George is said 56 times in this episode, 20 times in the opening two minutes.

Actor Joe Mantell, who played Jackie Rhoades in this episode, was a prolific character actor on Broadway, and later film and television. He received an Oscar nomination for the role of Angie, best friend to Ernest Borgnine’s Marty in the movie Marty (1955). Mantell also has the distinction of uttering one of cinema’s most memorable final lines in 1974’s Chinatown: “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown.”

Honestly, not a bad episode. Better than the season 2 opener, and certainly a huge improvement over the preceding entry. Mantell does a great job here as the desperate Jackie, delivering a credibly frenzied performance despite, at times, some pretty hammy dialogue. Although the ending holds the promise of a bright new future for Jackie, I can help but think that, in the real world, George would get his payback much sooner thanlater. Finally, Kudos to director Douglas Heyes for the inspired composition of that Serling intro.

Season 2, Episode 4 “A Thing About Machines”

This episode was first broadcast October 28, 1960.

Rod Serling on the inspiration for this episode: “This one I got trying to shave with a razor during a given morning when those appliances in my house gave out.  A washer, a dryer, and a television set.  It occurred to me how absolutely vulnerable we are to gadgets, gimmicks and electronic jim-crackery.”

In the original draft, Finchley is pursued into his garage and backed up against a wall as the car bears down on him. The next morning he is found, slumped against the wall, presumably dead of a heart attack.

Many fans found the alternate ending confusing and the production received many letters from viewers wondering why Finchley’s body did not float and is found at the bottom of the pool.

Looking back, Serling was not a fan of the episode. Said Serling in one interview: “Mr. Finchley drowned in his swimming pool.  Upon reflecting, I wish I had before I wrote the bloody thing.”

Stephen King has stated that part of the inspiration for his book, Christine (1983), came from this episode’s final sequence.

Actor Richard Haydn, who played Bartlett Finchley in the episode, started his show biz career as a ticket seller and unsuccessful comedian. He became the overseer of a Jamaican banana plantation but, when it was wiped out by a hurricane, he returned to acting, finding early success on radio. He parlayed that success into a solid career playing comical roles in features and voicing cartoon characters. Onscreen, he is perhaps best known as Max Detweiler, the von Trapp family’s friend and promoter in The Sound of Music (1965) Haydn was a recluse and avid horticulturist – so much so that his friend and neighbor, David Niven, once said Haydn only took roles so he could pay for his garden.

Actress Barbara Stuart, who played Finchley’s secretary Ms. Rogers, was a casting agent who would occasionally cast herself. She is perhaps best known as Sgt. Carter’s girlfriend, Bunny, in Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964).

Actor Barney Phillips, who plays the t.v. repairman, makes his second (of four) Twilight Zone appearances here.

This was a middling episode. Better than the first two. Not as good as the last one. While I enjoyed Richard Haydn’s scenery-chewing performance, I did wonder (as I often do while watching the “funnier” episodes) if this story might have been better served with a darker tone. Then again, I can’t imagine a genuinely nefarious version of that killer electric shaver coming down the stairs.

So, what did you all think?

The post August 3, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 2 episodes 1-4! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

August 2, 2024: Cookie Monster movie review – Thelma (2024)!

Dis a movie about seemingly weak individual who, after a phone scam, go out to get payback, avoiding people trying to stop dem, getting hurt but getting back up again, and finally facing dose responsible and meting out deir own brand of justice.

Sound familiar? Yes! Dis be plot of De Beekeeper Cookie Monster review a few weeks ago. Thelma rip off Jason Statham!

Of course, Thelma producers not stoopid and not want to get sued so dey change just enuf. Make main charakter old lady. Lose aktion sekwences. And tack on uninteresting side story about mundane family issues. Also, no bees!

Udderwise, dis movie play out pretty much as you expekt –

Quirky old lady charakter get scammed and embark on journey?

Check!

Enlist help of reluctant friend?

Check!

Scooter chase?

Check!

Almost stopped?

Check!

Friends have falling out?

Check!

Friend comes back and helps Thelma when she at her lowest?

Check!

Confront bad guy?

Check!

Thelma not a bad movie. It just all feel a little obvious, like people who made it did just de bare minimum to hit dese story beats tinking having quirky lady as main charakter would be enuf. And it almost is…but not quite.

Thelma be de type of movie critiks want to love but Monster hate becuz if Monster want to be emotionally manipulated, he just go back to dating Grover’s sister.

Verdikt: 2.5 on 5 chocolate chippee cookies.

The post August 2, 2024: Cookie Monster movie review – Thelma (2024)! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

August 1, 2024: Sis’s Birthday Bash!

I’m chronically dehydrated.

I’m washing my hair with bar soap.

I’m sleeping on a 50 year old mattress from my childhood.

I feel like I haven’t eaten a proper serving of vegetables in over a week.

But tomorrow, I head home!

First though, we celebrate my sister’s birthday with dinner at Damas, a top-notch Syrian restaurant in Montreal.

Mom peruses the various dips: red pepper, eggplant, and chickpea.

Mom and sis and the grilled shrimp and octopus.

The kibbeh and the rack of lamb (mom’s favorite).

Sis blows out the candle on her birthday candle before moving on to our dessert medley: pistachio ashta ice cream with Syrian cotton candy, chocolate halva ice cream with kataifi, and cheese kanafa.

A good time was had by all.  Tomorrow, it’s pork chop lunch and then a 1:50 flight back to – if the weather reports are to believed – rainy Toronto.  But I’ll take it!

The post August 1, 2024: Sis’s Birthday Bash! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.