Posts Tagged ‘TV Reviews’
My Favorite:
There’s just something so wholesome yet unsettling about the “small town with a secret” motif. It has long worked wonders when implemented well, and the 1992 show EERIE, INDIANA, is a standout example of the ominous motif in action.
The series introduces viewers to Marshall Teller, a teenage boy who relocates to the titular town with his family. The Indiana town is small, quiet, and desolate, and what commences is nothing short of bizarre. We’re talking about a town that’s comprised of some weird people and phenomena. What kind of weird? How about extremely intelligent dogs planning world domination, a crazy tornado hunter, Bigfoot sightings, and Elvis Presley himself, alive and well. There are so many ideas at work in the show, it is a shame that it didn’t run for more than one season.
Well, maybe or maybe not the absolute favorite, but lots of fun. Or more to the point, for an “unwholesome” Friday, this is one in THE-LINE-UP’s special listing of 13 SCARIEST TV SHOWS EVER MADE, by Michael J. Seidlinger. Or more accurately, TV series. And one thing more in EERIE’s favor (so maybe some others too), the frights were/are leavened in places with humor. Others include, for instance, TALES FROM THE CRYPT and KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER (remember these?). Or perhaps more serious, THE X-FILES, UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, and AMERICAN HORROR STORY, not all of which, necessarily, aren’t still being shown now. And one must not forget what some might consider the best (or at least, the “father”) of them all: THE TWILIGHT ZONE. (In days of yore, the student Science Fiction Society in my undergraduate college put out a mimeographed — who remembers “mimeo”? — newsletter called THE TWILIGHT ZINE. Yes, it’s that far back.)
And six more are included: BLACK MIRROR, CHANNEL ZERO, THE EXORCIST (these are three I’ve not even seen myself, though of course not all series may be/have been available in every region). ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK, GHOST HUNTERS. DEADSET — does that add up to the whole thirteen?
In any event to see the list in its entirety, including brief descriptions of all, just give a press here. And remember, Triana the Goth cat says, “A happy Friday the Thirteenth to all!”
The name of the series was ‘WAY OUT, with an apostrophe, and, yes, it didn’t last very long, but for CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY fans (or better yet, the superior 
earlier movie version with Gene Wilder starring and WILLIE WONKA in the title), children’s author Roald Dahl actually did host a spooky adult TV show way back in 1961. The hell of it is, though, it’s never been made available on DVD, one reason why you (or anyway, I) may have never heard of it. But for some information, check out “Roald Dahl’s 1960’s Version of ‘Twilight Zone’” by Trisha Leigh Zeigenhorn on 
DIDYOUKNOWFACTS.COM, via “Discover Roald Dahl’s Dark Side in His Creepy Twilight Zone-like Show, Way Out” on THE-LINE-UP.COM (or, the magic of serendipity strikes again!), by pressing here. And with that all may be no longer lost — scroll down to the very, very bottom and there’ll be a link to see at least some of the episodes on YouTube.
So, still reeling (sorry) over the post on Horror Movie Dances (see April 4), are we ready for something now for the children? Ah, the internet! To 
bridge the generation gap then, let us consider “8 Dark Kids Shows You Can Watch With Your Little Weirdos,” courtesy of Jinx Strange on DIRGEMAG.COM. I still remember Billy and Mandy (the latter of whom, in a way, helped inspire a story of mine called “Dead Girls, Dying Girls”) and INVADER ZIM, and perhaps local goth cat Triana might also like to meet COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG. But there are some others that look interesting too, so let us peruse them together by pressing here!
jamesdorrwriter 