We were in another dimension.

Skipping a run to the local Family Video, Courtney and I decided to take in an HBO broadcast of:

Since this was a travel down memory lane for me, I wasn't about to let Courtney know what she was in for. As we sat nestled into the couch and chair with blankets covering us to keep the foreboding words of Burgess Meredith at bay, we began our journey into the Twilight Zone.

Now for those of you who may not have had a chance to see this film, it is a series of short stories instead of on continuous plot. All are remakes of earlier television releases so there isn't a real surprise for those who've seen the original programing.

The first segment was titled "Time Out" and outlines a bigot who's angry at being passed over for a job promotion. In his anger, he lashes out at the ethnic communities that he feels is at the root of his troubles. As our bigot leaves the bar in which he was voicing his disdain only to find that he's passed into a realm where he lives-briefly-as the cultures that he's maligned during their darkest torments. In the end, our bigot is locked away on a rail car and disappears into the Twilight Zone.

Segment two is aptly listed as "Kick the Can". In this short story, we find ourselves at a rest home where a new addition to the resting party has found his way into the midst of the long term residents. All who reside at this facility reminisce of times gone by and regrets that may have turned their lives in some way. It is at this moment that the newest addition to the residential body talks of reason why they "can" do what they'd like. as he pulls a shinny can fro his pocket, he encourages the house mates to join him in a game of Kick the Can. Within the confines of the game, the time is turned backward for those that play. They drink from a cup of youth and for a time and do the activities that they'd wanted to do for ages. As the game draws to a close, all of the players can chose to do what ever they would like with their new found zeal. Some decide for a pause, some decided to go on as before. But in the Twilight Zone, decisions can be anything that one decides.

Three is called "It's a Good Life". This one is the most cautionary of the all. As the sequence unfolds, a woman is drawn into a life controlled solely by a young boy who can manifest all of his desires. The home that this boy has created is populated by abducted people who play the roles of his immediate family. Viewing the events in this remake is quite chilling and surreal since the child is able to manifest cartoon characters in the real world as he sees fit. One can understand and empathize with the hostages and clearly see the fear that they experience as every request may turn out to be their last. Ultimately, the latest abducted convinces the young boy to abandon his desire to control with fear and find another way to channel his gift.

Last, but not least, is "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet". By far my favorite remake of the movie, this one chronicles a man who suffers from aviophobia during a flight. As the frightful passenger begins to loose a grip on his fear, he begins to see something outside the aircraft. Thinking this is just a figment of his imagination, he tries hard to convey his concerns to the flight crew. As the airplane staff dispels his inquiries as nonsense, our passenger is again affirmed of his vision. Once the vision of the external stow away is pressed against the glass in front of our aviophobic, he takes actions that draw him face to face with his fear of possibly dying in flight at the hands of an otherworldly circumstance. This script-for me-is the creepiest of the film since John Lithgow executes an alarming sense of fear that's coupled with a note of someone not being able to escape from that fear. Sorry William Shatner, I know you did a good job in the original version, but, Mr. Lithgow knocked this one out of the park with his frenetic fright.

For those who love segmental movies like; Paris Je T'Aime(Paris I Love You), New York I Love You, Pulp fiction, and even Vantage Point, this one may be right up your ally.

This group of still shots gets a solid 5 out 10 temporal clocks-Because of all of the stories that Rod Surling hosted, there could've been better choices.

On your next rainy day, make a trip into the Twilight Zone.