Movies - TV
12
Underrated
Episodes
Of The
Twilight
Zone
By ERIC LANGBERG
The 16 MM Shrine
Many episodes of "The Twilight Zone,” like “The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine,” about a film star unable to cope with the fact that she is aging out of the starlet roles, are underrated. Actress Ida Lupino brings a wonderful gravitas to the role that carries the character through the end of this surrealistic, depressing episode.
Judgment Night
A World War II-themed episode that centers on Carl Lanser, a man on a ship, gripped by the unshakable feeling that a German U-Boat stalks them through the open ocean. A rare episode that doesn't have a twist, per se, but parcels out its clues early, with the tension coming from the fact that we realize what is happening long before the main character does.
And When The Sky...
“And When The Sky Was Opened,” is based on a short story written by Richard Matheson, best known for classics like "I Am Legend,” and feels like it could have been ripped straight from the pages of EC Comics. Rod Taylor also turns in an excellent performance that is a live-wire of anxiety and terror.
Mirror Image
This episode is "The Twilight Zone" at its very best — neatly-plotted, always intriguing, and ultimately transcendent. The beauty of "Mirror Image" is its simplicity, as it’s a story that takes place primarily in one room, with only a handful of actors, and is a confusing puzzle that keeps the viewer intrigued all the way through.
The After Hours
A woman insists that she just purchased something on the ninth floor of a department store... a floor that, according to everyone else, doesn't exist. Many of the show’s horror-themed episodes seem quaint today, but the climax of "The After Hours" remains genuinely chilling.