Recently quite a few older television shows have become available to stream on netflix, and I've been able to see some amazing tv. I am a big sucker for supernatural / horror tv shows. For some reason, I'm not as interested in modern horror features, but I really enjoy horror tv. Maybe two hours is too long a time for me to spend in one horror story, maybe I'm just a big wuss, or maybe there is something in these old shows that is missing in most modern horror.
Either way, I've been mining netflix' television vault, and come up with some great stuff - like THRILLER (1960)
THRILLER aired on NBC, and has a very TWILIGHT ZONE feel, but is much darker in tone. Don't get me wrong, I love the twilight zone, but it has always struck me as a bit heavy handed on its message, much more about 50's politics and the cold war. Thriller is more focused on the stories themselves, and it's not afraid to bump off characters unexpectedly. Did I mention it is hosted by a wonderfully moody Boris Karloff?
I decided to check it out, being a child of the x-files, I'm always yearning for a little of the supernatural. I was shocked watching the first episode, "the twisted image," astonished that the dark tone of the story would have been allowed to broadcast in the early 60s. Amazing to see how THE PRODUCTION CODE was losing it's grasp on storytelling.
Each episode seems like a bit of fresh air, from the tired techniques used in horror today, which are much more about style over substance or story.
An example of today's schlock?
How about FEAR ITSELF (2008), which is also available to stream on netflix.
A short lived tv show, again on NBC. A few directors from "masters of horror" are here, but overall the show is so boring, the characters have zero depth, just puppets being yanked around by the plot. The cinematography is great, the production design is fine, but sadly the story was warmed over horseshit. Reminds me of the outer limits from the 90's, but without the heart. No suspense. No one to care about.
Replacing human curiosity with pornographic explicit violence. "What do you mean," you scoff?
A tangent. I think one of the main driving forces behind humans need for story is human curiosity. We are curious by nature, and are constantly trying to sort information, to make sense and see patterns. I love watching a story and being curious as to the fate of the characters, and that is the key to these great shows. They speak, they try to make sense of, they try to talk things out with each other, and we as the audience get to join in their thought processes. The problem with most modern horror, in my humbles, is that there is no character there to understand, and so no reason to be concerned about the story. In exchange they increase the gore, increase the screams, speed up the cuts, yank the camera around in a frenzy. Yawn.
I want to be connected to humans, I don't want to watch puppets get kicked around by a spastic writer.
If you're lucky enough to still have an attention span, why not use it from time to time?
Fun side note - several of the shows were scored by Jerry Goldsmith, who is one of my favorite film composers. Star Trek, Alien, Poltergeist, Total Recall, god damn CHINATOWN; The man was a genius.
Thriller episodes to watch:
The prisoner in the mirror
The twisted image
The terror in Teakwood
I haven't seen all of them yet, but I will!
Either way, I've been mining netflix' television vault, and come up with some great stuff - like THRILLER (1960)
I decided to check it out, being a child of the x-files, I'm always yearning for a little of the supernatural. I was shocked watching the first episode, "the twisted image," astonished that the dark tone of the story would have been allowed to broadcast in the early 60s. Amazing to see how THE PRODUCTION CODE was losing it's grasp on storytelling.
Each episode seems like a bit of fresh air, from the tired techniques used in horror today, which are much more about style over substance or story.
An example of today's schlock?
How about FEAR ITSELF (2008), which is also available to stream on netflix.
Replacing human curiosity with pornographic explicit violence. "What do you mean," you scoff?
A tangent. I think one of the main driving forces behind humans need for story is human curiosity. We are curious by nature, and are constantly trying to sort information, to make sense and see patterns. I love watching a story and being curious as to the fate of the characters, and that is the key to these great shows. They speak, they try to make sense of, they try to talk things out with each other, and we as the audience get to join in their thought processes. The problem with most modern horror, in my humbles, is that there is no character there to understand, and so no reason to be concerned about the story. In exchange they increase the gore, increase the screams, speed up the cuts, yank the camera around in a frenzy. Yawn.
I want to be connected to humans, I don't want to watch puppets get kicked around by a spastic writer.
If you're lucky enough to still have an attention span, why not use it from time to time?
Fun side note - several of the shows were scored by Jerry Goldsmith, who is one of my favorite film composers. Star Trek, Alien, Poltergeist, Total Recall, god damn CHINATOWN; The man was a genius.
Thriller episodes to watch:
The prisoner in the mirror
The twisted image
The terror in Teakwood
I haven't seen all of them yet, but I will!
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