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[TV Review] Jordan Peele Ushers in the Perfect New “Twilight Zone” for Our Nightmare Reality

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With most revivals of beloved TV and film classics, the initial reaction usually falls somewhere between a cringe or a shrug. Rod Serling revolutionized television when he created the anthology sci-fi and horror show The Twilight Zone in 1959. A show that encapsulated the fears, prejudices, mistakes, questions, and dangers of the 50s and 60s, The Twilight Zone still looks just as well crafted and is as relevant today as it was when it first aired, so a remake to follow the underwhelming 80s and 2002 reboot and the lukewarm movie didn’t initially sound like a necessary idea.

But along comes Jordan Peele, a man who has been auditioning for the job since his days doing Key and Peele – seriously, go back and watch the show, there are some excellent Twilight Zone-esque skits with great twists and commentary. While some may have dubbed Black Mirror as a modern version of The Twilight Zone, Jordan Peele shows there is nothing like the real thing. Like Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal, Peele shows that you can pay respect to the original source material while also taking the show to a new age and add enough to put your own spin on the concept. The result is a personal, thoughtful, funny, intense and overall perfect installment of The Twilight Zone for the nightmarish times we live in.

In case you’ve never seen or heard of The Twilight Zone, in the words of the legend himself, Rod Serling: “You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination…” The 10-episode series is an anthology, which makes reviewing only the first two episodes a bit hard since the quality may very well vary a lot, but we’re off to an excellent start with “The Comedian” and “Nightmare At 30,000 Feet”.

In the first episode, a stand-up comic (Kumail Nanjiani) finds out mixing your personal life with your career to achieve fame has some unfortunate consequences, and in a remake of one of the most known episodes of the original The Twilight Zone (also the first episode I ever watched, starting a life-long fear of flying), a traveler (Adam Scott) discovers a podcast about the mystery of the disappearance of the plane he is currently on. To say anything else would be a huge spoiler, as part of the magic of stepping into the Twilight Zone is to discover all the twists and turns that each episode takes.

“The Comedian” — Pictured: Kumail Nanjiani as Samir Wassan of the CBS All Access series THE TWILIGHT ZONE available to stream on Monday, April 1st. Photo Cr: Robert Falconer/CBS © 2018 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

Right out of the gate, the passage of time becomes apparent in these episodes. Unlike the two previous reboots, which still adhered to conventional TV tropes and filmmaking styles of the time, Jordan Peele’s newest version takes this 1959 show into the era of prestige TV in the best way possible, not only in terms of image and sound quality, but in craftsmanship. “The Comedian” and “Nightmare At 30,000 Feet” look as different as Get Out does from Unsane, even if both episodes still feel like the brain-child of Jordan Peele. The former, despite being almost a full-hour long, is fast-paced and uses wide lenses to pull the audience right into its unsettling and increasingly terrifying tale of desperation. The newest version of Nightmare is barely over 30 minutes, yet it is more of a slow burn, using long takes to create a sense of mystery as the audience tries to figure out what the hell is happening to Adam Scott’s character’s flight.

The writing is top-notch. Like Us, or Get Out, the story is always one step ahead of the audience, especially during Nightmare At 30,000 Feet, which takes advantage of audience expectations for what the episode is going to be, and throws curveballs at you, showing a different side of the story than you imagine and making you doubt who is in the right, all while serving up some poignant social commentary. Also, keep an eye out for easter eggs to classic episodes, as well as some images or numbers that cross over from one episode to the next.

Of course, it wouldn’t be The Twilight Zone without some social commentary, and Jordan Peele and his writers have plenty to say about the current state of the world in these two episodes, commenting on technology; our abuse and dependence on it and on each other. While some of the technological references like podcasts or the style of stand-up comedy portrayed in the show could date the show poorly in years to come, the stories and messages are as timely as any episode from the original show while updating the themes to current times.

With The Twilight Zone, Jordan Peele proves that you can reboot a show and make it just as good as the original while updating it for a whole new audience. The Twilight Zone is back and, out of the gate, as good as it’s ever been.

The Twilight Zone premieres April 1st on CBS All Access.

“Nightmare at 30,000 Feet” — Pictured: Adam Scott as Justin Sanderson of the CBS All Access series THE TWILIGHT ZONE available to stream on Monday, April 1st. Photo Cr: Robert Falconer/CBS © 2018 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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