Horror on TV: The Twilight Zone 5.3 “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Wow. It’s hard to believe that is going to be my final televised horror of the year. (Though I imagine this feature will return in October of 2016 — just in time for election season!) Well, let’s get right to it!

For our final televised horror, I have selected a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. In Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, William Shatner is a man who, though being scared of flying, finds himself on an airplane. And guess what he sees out on the wing?

This episode was written by one of Arleigh’s favorite writers, the great Richard Matheson. It was directed by Richard Donner and originally aired on October 11th, 1963.

Enjoy Nightmare at 20,000 Feet! And here’s hoping that all of our readers have had a wonderful, safe, and happy Halloween!

Horror on TV: The Twilight Zone 3.14 “Five Characters In Search Of An Exit”

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Tonight’s episode of The Twilight Zone is another one of those existential stories of dread that I love so much. An army officer wakes up to find himself trapped in a cylindrical room. He has no idea how he got in there. He can’t even remember his name. All he knows is that 1) there doesn’t appear to any way out and 2) he’s trapped with four others; a hobo, a clown, a bagpiper, and a ballet dancer.

The officer wants to escape but, as his fellow prisoners explain to him, existence is pain.

This episode originally aired on December 22nd, 1961.

Horror On TV: The Twilight Zone 5.5 “The Last Night of a Jockey”

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

For tonight’s episode of The Twilight Zone, we present to you The Last Night of A Jockey. In this episode, Mickey Rooney plays a jockey who has just been banned, for life, from horse racing. The self-pitying jockey is offered the chance to change his life with “one wish.” He wishes that he could be a “big man” and, unfortunately, he gets his wish.

This episode is basically a one-man show for Mickey Rooney and he makes the most of it. I almost feel like I have to share this episode, just in case my earlier review of The Manipulator inspired anyone to see that misbegotten film. Needless to say, Rooney is a lot more impressive in Last Night Of A Jockey than he was in The Manipulator.

This episode originally aired on October 25th, 1963.

Horror on TV: Baywatch Nights 2.22 “A Thousand Words”

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

For tonight’s journey into the world of televised horror, we present to you the last ever episode of Baywatch Nights. In this episode, David Hasselhoff and Angie Harmon investigate a haunted restraunt. Then Angie disappears and the Hoff has to rescue her!

And you know what?

If you’ll remember, the only reason I started posting these episodes of Baywatch Nights was because Hulu went back on their word as far as free episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer were concerned. If not for Jeff and his amazing memory, I wouldn’t have even know that Baywatch Nights had ever existed. But, even if Baywatch Nights was not exactly my first choice of shows to highlight this Halloween season, it’s really not that bad of a show. From the episodes that I’ve seen, it definitely had a goofy charm and anything involving David Hasselhoff doing the full Hoff will always have some definite curiosity value. Plus, I think he and Angie Harmon had a likable chemistry.

So, I have to admit, there’s a part of me that’s sad knowing that this was the last ever episode of Baywatch Nights. As silly as the show may have been and despite the fact that the cameraman was always drunk, it was a fun show. Who knows? Maybe, someday in the future, I’ll do an in depth series of reviews on this series.

Hmmmm….maybe. Actually, right now, I’m just looking forward to finishing up 2015.

But, anyway, here’s the final episode of Baywatch Nights!

Horror on TV: Baywatch Nights 2.21 — “The Vortex”

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On tonight’s horror on TV, we present the next-to-last episode of Baywatch Nights. In this episode, David Hasselhoff and Angie Harmon visit a Native American fortune teller (Floyd “Red Crow” Westerman) and end up entering a vortex that sends them into the future. They then watch as their future selves investigate something weird that happened on a ship that’s just arrived from the Amazon.

This is a very weird episode and it originally aired on May 9th. 1997.

Horror on TV: Baywatch Nights 2.20 “Hot Winds”

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On tonight’s episode of Baywatch Nights, the wind is making people in California go insane! Could it because the wind is hot and annoying? Or is it that there’s a Satanist doing something evil out in the desert?

Don’t worry, California! David Hasselhoff and Angie Harmon are on the case!

This episode originally aired on May 3rd, 1997.

Horror on TV: Twilight Zone 5.28 “Caesar and Me”

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Tonight’s episode of The Twilight Zone might remind you of a previous episode entitled The Dummy. Once again, we have a story about a ventriloquist (Jackie Cooper) and a dummy who appears to have a mind of his own. (In fact, the same prop dummy was used in both episodes.) However, Caesar and Me is an even darker take on the conflict between puppet and puppeteer.

Seriously, don’t mess with Caesar.

This episode originally aired on April 10th, 1964.

Horror on TV: The Twilight Zone 1.3 “Mr. Denton on Doomsday”

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On tonight’s episode of The Twilight Zone, Al Denton (Dan Duryea) used to be a notorious old west gunfighter. Now, haunted as the result of killing a teenage boy, Mr. Denton is just the town drunk. However, a salesman subtly named Henry J. Fate (Malcolm Atterbury) comes into town and gives Denton the chance to once again be great. Of course, it all comes with a price and a lesson.

Originally aired on October 16th, 1959, Mr. Denton on Doomsday is one of the earlier episodes of The Twilight Zone. Today, it’s perhaps most interesting for its message of anti-violence. Myself,I just like it because I went to college in Denton, Texas.

Horror on TV: Twilight Zone 3.24 “To Serve Man”

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I shared this episode of The Twilight Zone two years ago for Halloween but the YouTube video has since been taken down. So, here it is again!

There’s a lot I could say about To Serve Man but really, all that needs to be acknowledged is that it’s a classic and features one of the best endings ever.

To Serve Man was written by Rod Serling and directed by Richard L. Bare. It originally aired on March 2nd, 1962.

Bon appetit!

Horror on TV: The Twilight Zone 2.18 “The Odyssey of Flight 33”

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Remember how this morning’s movie — Robot Monster — featured dinosaurs?

Well so does tonight’s episode of The Twilight Zone! In The Odyssey of Flight 33, a commercial airline flight somehow flies straight into the past, where they see …. dinosaurs! Now, I’ll be honest here. These are not dinosaurs like the dinosaurs in Jurassic World. But I imagine for 1961, those dinosaurs were pretty impressive!

And this episode holds up as well. I especially love the ambiguous ending.

The Odyssey of Flight 33 originally aired on February 24th, 1961.