Reviews

While I found this movie mildly distracting from the sad remembrances of 9/11, I found it quite astounding that "grandpa" garrison referred to grandma as just another "hole" and he was really in "love" with Mary Linson. Yet, when he travels across the country to finally see his lost love, she doesn,t remember him - at all! He is devastated and we are supposed to understand his pain and feel his angst. Uh, no, how do you like being diminished and marginalized. To Mary, you were just another body part to satisfy her one night, just a notch on her bedpost. Aaahhh, life,s a b*tch that way, isn,t it?!

I see many posters make the comparison of The Little People episode to God and religion. While that,s a logical consideration, I saw a greater connection to the concept of perspective. As humans we are quite myopic - we view everything primarily from how it relates to our human form. We look at the solar system and judge heavenly bodies based solely on what the human body needs to survive. If water is not there, oh well - no "life" can survive. No true consideration that perhaps, just perhaps, our survival capabilities may be different from the manifestation and evolution of other beings. Also, might we minimalize the cognizance of smaller beings (microscopic?) here on earth? We make ourselves the benchmark from which to judge all else. Perhaps others are doing the same to us!

I was wondering why I could not recall this episode. Went on to read this was out of syndication until 2016. Blown away by the acting - it really drew me in (enjoyed seeing a young George Takei). Some posters have been hard on this episode saying it did not incorporate the supernatural. Huh? Were they watching a different program? I think the serious drama threw them off. To me, the sword and its inscription "the sword will avenge me" indicated that the spirit of the slain Japanese warrior had indeed infiltrated that attic and pushed Taro and Fenton to do the unspeakable. That being said, rehashing the horrors of war and the glorification of toxic masculinity are not genres I generally find appealing.

Interesting episode what with the Western motif and making light of resurrecting the dead....but, first off, how is it that a beer costs a nickel, but the lowest fee to halt the "miracle" is $500! And they are all walking around with it (shouldn't it be stashed in their mattresses?!). On a more serious note, I don't think today we would be making light of domestic violence, i.e. the drunk,s wife Zelda breaking his arm six times. I found that distasteful, but I,m thankful that in 2019 such a situation would likely not be used for comic relief.

While the writing is heavy-handed and rather preachy, Bikel,s performance is superb insofar as you can watch him - in 20 minutes or so - sink believably into total paranoia. A good example of why one should always question the motives and mental health of a finger-pointer.

For me, in 2019, to watch contemporaneously the legends of yesteryear is a privilege and joy. Andy Devine was, excuse me, devine! Almost and perhaps as good as Buster Keaton in th TZ episode Once Upon a Time. Both were a thrill to see and I so enjoyed to experience their boundless talent!

Found this episode only superficially "romantic". Enjoyed seeing a young Marietta Hartley. Her interaction with Robert Lansing was touching and her sacrifice (as well as his) astounding. BUT, to me, true love spans lifetimes. While the O'Henry-esque ending is understandable and perhaps plausible, I don,t understand why a 40 year age gap would make one unlove another! Another poster mentioned how very 1950's this was - the man just dismissing the woman and her sacrifices while she just walks away without a word of retort! Why, there are many a romantic duo with 40 year age differences in Hollywood alone (think Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones)!

Some posters have been a little harsh in regards to this episode. Yes, the writing was a bit heavy-handed and the acting a bit over-the-top, but Serling,s amazing foreshadowing cannot be faulted. The current surge today of AI and its effect on both skilled and unskilled labor is reflected here whereby machines make decisions and perform routine chores. But few people have mentioned this episode,s seeing the future importance of technological security i.e. "built in electric eyes" that read ID cards. This crack down on security was only this obvious and necessary after 9/11 and it is amazing that Serling could have foreseen this explosion in security measures.

As written by a few posters here, we have seen this episode in our youth and now in our 60's our perspective has changed. Like Hitchcoc stated, do we actually want to go back to childhood? Was it really our happiest time? Growing older is natural; we grow older from the day we are born. Perhaps I would view Whitley as a nuisance as well. As a recently retired teacher, students would ask me about growing older and death. I would tell them not to fear it; as we near the end, we grow smaller and smaller until we fit in the hand of God. On the other hand, Whitley,s insatiable desire to recapture youth is contagious and his exuberance is attractive. The healthiest outlook is one of balance, I suppose - accepting the aging process while keeping healthy and living life to it,s fullest. I was intrigued by the fact that Truex,s real life son played his on screen son in an uncredited role. That his son put him out of the car due to his own responsibilities is an example that being more youthful does not make one happier or more compassionate.

I have traditionally binged watched The Twilight Zone during marathons. Made a decision to DVR them on Syfy, watch them more slowly, and research the episode and the actors in real time. I don,t recollect ever seeing this episode! Perhaps, though, watching it quickly during a marathon, I failed to understand its importance. Buster Keaton is a legend! To experience him reenacting the golden age of silent movies is a privilege even if only for a short episode. Other posters criticizing his not being on the top of his game are just being unrealistic and cruel. Is anyone at their peak at the end of their careers? Perhaps this is only the thoughts of the young. Watching his pratfalls and pranks and perfect timing was hilarious! And the insider joke about getting his finger stuck in the wringer as he dried his pants 👖 was a wonderful side wink as he lost the tip of his right index finger in such a manner as a child.

One of the main reasons I watch TZ is to see important actors in their youth (Robert Redford) or to see a final homage to a fading but still shining star 🌟 such as Buster Keaton! (And shout out to Jesse White in foreshadowing his lucrative maytag repairman stint!)