Speculative Fiction (New Weird) Author
I loved this show!
It, along with the Twilight Zone, were some of my favorite TV series, but, alas, try to find a rerun for Night Gallery on satellite TV! Luck is with the land lines, however, as Me-TV is coming to other, terrestrial providers.
Night Gallery is also available on Hulu.com, so I gave the site a try and watched the episode, “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar.” What a great episode!
Today I’m guest blogging at Chiseled in Rock.
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek” is a 1962 French short film (La rivière du hibou, directed by Robert Enrico and produced by Marcel Ichac and Paul de Roubaix) that was based on a story by Ambrose Gwinett Bierce, aka “Bitter Bierce.” The story was originally published by the The San Francisco Examiner in 1890, and was first included in Bierce’s 1891 book Tales of Soldiers and Civilians. The story, set during the Civil War (during the war, Bierce served as a First Lieutenant, in the Union), is about the execution of a spy by hanging. Very creepy atmosphere—love it!
I recommend watching the 28-minute short before reading the wiki link, since it gives away the ending.
This episode was incorporated into the Twilight Zone compendium, in Season 5, episode 22, on Feb 28, 1964, apparently, from what I can find, as-is. Well, with the addition of Rod Serling doing his usual monologue. According to Wikipedia, “…this episode’s introduction is notable for Rod Serling breaking the fourth wall even more than usual, as he explains how the film was shot overseas and later picked up to air as part of The Twilight Zone.”
So, enjoy—it’s packed full of cool, creepy, Civil War atmosphere!
Well, I’ve been putting this off for years, but after visiting some recent Twilight Zone-related blogs (here and here) and being asked the question–and seeing an actual list from one of the sites—I decided, okay, I really should put down a list of my favorite episodes. So, here they are—in no particular order (except the top 4 really are my top four):
I’m a fan of ATMOSPHERE, which can clearly be seen in some of my selections, like Judgment Day, Lady Anne, Martian, etc., and there are some others missing, like I Am The Night, Color Me Black. And in my review of episodes, I think I actually found one I have never seen: An Occurrence At Owl Creek. How did I miss this? Must also be another rare episode. I mean, thanks to Shadow & Substance, but I even caught the rare George Takei episode, The Encounter, a powerful and polarizing episode rarely aired. But you can also see the ex-military side of me, and my love of ships, subs, and aircraft. But I also love the reincarnational and paranormally weird. But, hey, I’m a Twilight Zone fan, right?
Will this list change? Just like the Twilight Zone is a state of mind, so this list is a result of my state of mind at any one moment in time….
But, oh, how these bring back such wonderful images, emotion, and atmosphere!
Related Article: John-Boy Wrote For The Twilight Zone
I just read an article about the novel, Cloud Atlas, being released as a movie this October, by the Wachowskis. I love what I’ve seen of the Wachowskis’ work, and with the premise of Cloud Atlas’s plot, I’m really look forward to this movie. In fact, I’ll have to try to read this book before the movie’s October release. There is just so much out there I want to read, but packing any more into my own timeline seems near impossible. It may not sound like a lot, but I’m working on a novel series idea (have the three synopses written, and am now writing the actual first manuscript), and also trying to finish up the final Hunger Games novel. Throw into that THE SUMMER, a day job, and any of a number of other “living life” items (like working out, sleeping, and eating…), and the daily timeline is packed.
But I’m not complaining!
I’d rather be busy than “bored” (of which I can’t ever remember being, though my mom tells me as a child I had a moment or two, but then just went and found something else to do….).
So, with the the Wachowskis at the helm for this movie, I’m really excited about the outcome. I love how the Wachowskis think. According to Wikipedia, Andy Wachowski is quoted as saying, “We think movies are fairly boring and predictable. We want to screw with audiences’ expectations.”
Love that!
I love the quirky and the thinky, the multilayered, and to be honest, I haven’t seen many films the past couple years, because of the lack of quality I’ve found being output. There may be something to be said for movies fraught with explosions and toilet humor, but I really prefer a little more well-constructed depth to my movies.
Just found this article on new developments in the Amelia Earhart disappearance. Fuzzy photos and skeletons….