Monthly Archives: September 2020

Science Fiction Theatre – Sound That Kills (09/28/56)

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Instant classic from Truman Bradley.  He picks up a tree branch . . .

Actual Introduction:  Ordinarily one wouldn’t think of a stick as a scientific instrument.  The primitive man who first picked up this branch to knock down a ripe apple or to smack a new wife into obedience was taking a giant step in the history of science.

Say what?  Somehow this evolves into the ability of man to hear beeps from transmitters 20,000 miles away.  Where the f*** are they?  You can never be more than 12,000 miles from any point on earth, and even Sputnik would not launch for another year.  I’ve read how this series was loved by 1950’s nerds but, my God, the stupidity is astounding.

The Association of Government Physicists is having their 4th annual convention.  “Since the top physicists in the nation are all meeting in one hotel, rigid security regulations were strictly enforced.”  I guess the physicists in private industry are dumb-asses.

Dr. Wissman goes to the front desk asking for Dr. Sinclair.  Security makes him open the box he brought which contains his new invention.  He says it is a device to direct Meson Beams.  Sinclair is outraged by this security.  He tells Security Chief Ed Martin, “There are more security men than scientists.  We can’t go to a drinking fountain without one of your men checking credentials.”  And, in 1956, credentials = skin color.

Left to right: white guy, white guy, white guy

Wissman goes to Sinclair’s room.  While they are talking, they hear a high-pitched scream.  The housekeeper has found Dr. Coleman murdered.  Dr. Sinclair says, “There is no sign of bullet holes or a struggle.”  Dr. Wissman notices a shattered light bulb,  a cracked vase, and a broken watch crystal — all signs of, you know, a struggle.

Dr. Sinclair concludes that Dr. Coleman was killed by supersonic vibration.  He walked past a clandestinely placed photo-electric cell that triggered the device that killed him when he tried to sneak a Snickers from the mini-bar.  Keep this amazing device in mind . . . the one that was just used to murder a prominent physicist . . . the one that is so pivotal that the episode is named after it . . . the one that could revolutionize everything from warfare to medicine.  Good luck remembering it, because that is the last time it will be mentioned in this show.

What follows is an excruciating mix of procedural nonsense, exposition, and more padding than a chair with a lot of padding.  Finally they get to the big reveal.

Wissman’s invention is a camera which can detect cracked pipes underground.  Oh, by the way, it can also take pictures in bright light or pitch dark, through any solid object, to a distance of 7 miles.  WTF?  You’re using it to find pipes?  How about finding oil reserves, or rescuing trapped miners and spelunkers and minor spelunkers?  Maybe finding treasure chests.  If they can finally get that Oak Island series off the air, it would be worth a Nobel Prize.  Dudes, give it up!

The footage he projects shows detectives (in negative) chasing a man through the building across the street.  This device is so amazing that it is also able to switch between camera angles and edit the footage.  Now this is what the episode should have been named after!

This is either a negative or Mike Pence.

Wissman is able to identify the killer by his gold teeth which the miraculous camera detected.  Hey, what ever happened to that fancy super-vibrating machine?  And, uh, that housekeeper?  Guys, don’t bust in next time you hear another high-pitched scream.

This is episode 24 of Season 2.  In a more sane time, that would be it; the season would be over.  In an insane time — say, now — it might have been over 11 episodes ago.  But no, these maniacs cranked out 39 episodes a year.  And this was before cocaine was invented.

I rate this zero decibels.  No, give it 2 decibels — photo negatives are always cool.  But that’s vs an AC/DC concert.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents – A Crime for Mothers (01/24/61)

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This is not their daughter — just a creepy doll.

Ralph and Jane Birdwell seem like a nice suburban couple.  He is a civil engineer and she is a civil mother.  Their daughter Eileen has just been sent off to school.  Ralph is getting ready for work when the doorbell rings.  Jane opens the door and a woman slurs, “Remember me?  Is the little girl home?”  I guess she doesn’t get the concept of going to school in the morning.  But to be fair, I think this is the first time this booze-monkey has been up before noon.

Ralph sees her and says, “You said you’d never bother us again.  What’s the big idea?”  Seven years ago, Mrs. Meade had given Eileen to the Birdwells for a few bucks and a pair of Beach Britches.  They could never track her down to formalize the adoption.  Although, if they didn’t post her picture on the back of a scotch bottle, how hard were they trying?  Now she wants the girl back.  But she’d be willing to accept $100/week payoff instead.  When Mrs. Meade threatens to sue, Ralph says the judge will see she is “a cheap, broken down drunk.”

Mrs. Meade does go to a lawyer — hey, it’s Mayberry’s Floyd the Barber. [1] He tells her that her plan amounts to nothing more than blackmail.  Mrs. Meade later gets a visit from Phil Ames.  The solicitous unsolicited solicitor is a former lawyer who also had bar trouble, but not the the same kind as Mrs. Meade.  He is now a private investigator who heard of her case down where the lawyers hang out.

He informs her that the Birdwells never legally adopted Eileen.  However, he also states he knows that Mrs. Meade never showed any interest in the child until now and that she has a criminal record.  He says they should go for the big payday and demand $25,000 from the Birdwells ($215,000 in 2020 bucks).

Ames proposes that Mrs. Meade kidnap Eileen.  He says it will not be a crime since she is “only repossessing her own property.”  This was before OJ tried to steal back his Heisman Trophy so case law was sketchy at the time. [2]

Ames and Mrs. Meade agree that his cut will be 20%.  Now keep in mind that this low-life disbarred shyster who elbowed his way into this case, conspired with a drunken sociopath, is willing to break up a happy family, and will callously tear a little girl away from the only parents she has ever known — even this scumbag isn’t charging the 30% to 40% cut that attorneys routinely milk out of clients.

Mrs. Meade meets Ames drunk and early a week later.  He has been watching the Birdwell home for 3 days and has cracked the algorithm that Eileen goes to school in the morning and returns in the afternoon.  Since Mrs. Meade has not seen her daughter in 7 years, they drive by the school and Ames is able to point her out at recess.

That afternoon, Mrs. Meade intercepts Eileen leaving school.  She says she is the new governess and that her mom wants them to go shopping for new dresses.  Instead they go to Mrs. Meade’s apartment.

Ames comes by with his partner Charlie Banks.  Banks asks Mrs. Meade if this is the little girl she snatched.  She says, “Sure I did.  Why not?  I’m her mother.”  Except the girl says her name is Margaret.  Ames brought Banks, who has connections at the FBI, to be a witness.  Mrs. Mead just confessed to kidnapping a girl she is not related to.

Ames forcefully tells Mrs. Meade that he is actually a friend of Ralph.  She is to stay away from the Birdwells, and allow them to legally adopt Eileen!  Mrs. Meade breaks down in tears with the same saline to alcohol ratio as a dirty martini.

Viewers in 1961 might have thought this was like Summer Shade last week — there is a happy ending, but an innocent young girl was hijacked in order to achieve it.  Well, no — in the hallway, Margaret smiles as she climbs into Ames’ arms.  We learn that Margaret is his daughter and she had a ball helping her dad with this ruse; way more fun than when they infiltrated Epstein Island. [3]

It was nice to see Mrs. Meade shut down by Phil Ames for multiple reasons.  Foremost, of course, she deserved it — using a little girl to blackmail a family.  Second, Biff Elliot was phenomenal in the role — he single-handedly redeemed the name Biff in the American arts.  Third, Biff played a father in The Day of the Bullet who profoundly disappointed his adoring son.  It was heart-warming to see him so loved by his daughter here.  Even after he let a drunk psycho put her in a taxi and go back to her apartment.

This was kind of a “soft” episode like director Ida Lupino’s previous AHP gig, Sybilla.  There are no murders and a woman was at the center.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  The story was thin, but the twist was sharp.  If you can stand Claire Trevor as Mrs. Meade, I rate it 70 proof.

Other Stuff:

  • [1]  IMDb inexplicably states that Howard McNear is in the credits, but does not appear in the episode.  In fact, he has a prominent scene with Mrs. Meade.  How can you miss him?  C’mon, he’s Floyd the M*****f***ing Barber (as Gomer called him after he finished his hitch in the Marines).
  • [2]  A fact-check indicates that OJ Simpson was convicted of stealing miscellaneous sports memorabilia, but not his Heisman Trophy.  Wow, could I be wrong about his previous legal issue too?
  • [3]  I sincerely apologize for that disgusting reference.
  • AHP Proximity Alert:  Robert Sampson (Ralph) was just in The Changing Heart two weeks ago.  Hey, give somebody else a chance!
  • AHP Deathwatch:  Robert Sampson is also the only adult cast member still alive and even has a 2020 credit on IMDb.  Hey, give somebody else a chance!
  • As always, Jack at bare*bones e-zine is all over the source and production of the episode.
  • I don’t like categorizing people, but it is pretty cool that this was directed by a woman in 1961.  Ida Lupino directed dozens of other shows, including 9 Thrillers, a Twilight Zone, and 3 memorable Gilligan’s Islands.  Although, I guess if you saw them each 10 times as a kid, they’re all memorable.  Mary Anne was cute even playing Laertes; I heard as Caliban, she brought the hut down.

One Step Beyond – The Devil’s Laughter (03/31/59)

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We open in with John Marriott in prison, so we know this is another episode set outside of the United States where assault, looting, vandalism, and arson are now legal.  Before I digress there, let me digress here:  This is now 5 out of 11 OSB episodes that are set overseas.  Am I missing something?  I didn’t catch-on that Ray Bradbury Theatre had moved production to New Zealand until I noticed 2 Orcs in the 3rd season credits.

Also, I notice that the foreign locations (which will be 6 out of 12 next week) are always in Western Europe.  No paranormal activity in Africa or Asia, fellas?  Even host John Newland tries to come off like a Brit, pronouncing “human record” as “human hhre-KORD“.  John, dude, you were born in Cincinatti! [1]  Give it up!

Anyhoo, Marriott is scheduled to be hanged in London that afternoon.  I’d like to think his trial was that morning.  From his cell, he can see the gallows being prepared for the big event.  No, wait, I hope his trial was yesterday so the hammering kept him up all night.  Marriott is nervous and jumpy about the hanging which is in about half an hour.  In a very obnoxious few minutes, he describes his life and crime.  He ends up crying and screaming, “I don’t want to die!”  

The good guys enter the cell and waste a swig of brandy on him.  They walk him up the stairs of the gallows, and put a sack over his head to prevent COVID-19.  Then the noose is tightened around his neck.  The trap door is opened, and his body falls through, thus ending the comedy portion of our program.  Sadly the rope has broken, and more sadlier, he has survived the fall.

Marriott wakes up in the infirmary instead of Hell.  The warden, my kind of guy, is ready to try again right away.  Marriott says, “You’re wasting your time, guvnuh.”  He confidently tells the men they can’t kill him no matter what they do.  Inexplicably they let him eat breakfast before the next try.  At least they don’t waste any more brandy.  

Once again, they escort Marriott through the prison, but this time he is arrogant in his certainty that he will not die.  He even does a little dance.  They march him up the steps to the high platform.  They put the noose around his neck, and he tells them they are wasting their time.  The executioner pulls the switch, but the trap door is stuck.  Marriott laughs at them.  Loudly, mockingly, jeeringly.

Throw him off the side!!!  It’s really high — just throw him off the side!!!

But no, they take him back to his cell, and the House of Lords decide to release him.  He is even more emboldened and obnoxious after his 2nd reprieve.  He later explains that when they put the sack over his head, he had a vision; or maybe it was that garlic omelet. [2] “The devil himself” told Marriott that he would “die at the feet of a lion”.  Even when his murder victim’s brother tries to shoot him in a pub, the gun jams.

Inexplicably, except for being extremely drunk, Marriott goes to the zoo.  He goes directly to the lion’s cage and begins taunting the beast.  The zookeepers chase him off and he falls down a long flight of steps.  The camera pans up to show a statue of a lion above him.

As always, this is a fantastic-looking show.  The shot of the gallows through Marriott’s window is magnificent. [3] My other frequent comment about the weakness of OSB stories doesn’t really apply here.  This feels more like an urban legend.  It is served up with the requisite three incidents to establish it, and even throws in little twist.

Alfred Ryder as Marriott is excruciating, though.   Whether Panicky Pierre [4] in the beginning, or laughing maniacally at his luck, or hamming it up arrogantly in later scenes, he is brutal to watch.  Most others, including John Newland, think this is one of OSB’s best, so I’m willing to blame my own general misanthropy.  

I rate it 7.5 steps beyond.

Other Stuff:

  • [1] More likely it is a Transatlantic Accent.
  • [2] Advice to future pandemic survivors:  Don’t have chili dogs for lunch and plan on wearing that same mask all afternoon.
  • [3] Two words I have never spoken aloud: Fantastic and Magnificent.  If I ever even write “marvelous”, just shoot me (unless referring to Marvin Hagler.)
  • [4] I thought this was London.  Forget it, he’s rolling.
  • Alfred Ryder (Marriott) was in the first episode of Star Trek.
  • My Marriott memories.

Tales from the Crypt – Confession (07/01/96)

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Note to director . . .

Police detectives find another girl with her head cut off.  Kudos to this frequently dreadful season giving us a little gore.  Unfortunately, they squander that goodwill with the line,  “I can see the tabloids now — headless girl in topless club.”  C’mon, that is a blatant rip-off of the classic 1983 New York Post headline “Headless Body in Topless Bar“. [1]  Very cheesy, guys.

Warhol (I’ll ignore that appropriation since it seems utter pointless) Evans, the alleged head-chopper-offer, is quickly caught in an alley.  The officers send for Jack Lynch to do the interrogation.  He is known by all to be the bestest detective ever.  They find him also in an alley, doing a few lines — bowling I mean.  He comes to the station still carrying his ball-bag in his hands (hee-hee!).  

Lynch begins interviewing Evans.  He immediately denies the charges and tells the detectives they “will be drinking a shit shake through a crazy straw.”  More plagiarism as I believe McDonald’s trademarked this phrase years ago.  Evans seems to think he’s a big-shot because he wrote an episode of Tales from the Crypt.  No, seriously, that is in the episode.  Can you appropriate from yourself?

Lynch aggressively accuses Evans of being a serial killer despite a complete lack of evidence.  He had been nabbed washing his hands in the vicinity of the last murder.  If that is considered an extraordinary event in London, then God help their COVID-19 stats.  

. . . it is now possible to put 2 actors in the same frame. Did the SJWs decide a “master” shot was racist?

Evans arrogantly refuses to call in a lawyer.  He says he has written scenes like this, so knows exactly how it will go.  He even magnanimously offers to find the real killer, lifting a ploy from OJ Simpson.  Lynch notes that last night Evans purchased a book entitled The Satanic Scriptures — a lazy way to invoke the murder-scare associated with The Satanic Verses. 

Evans says it was just research.  He is working on a script about a satanist who is reincarnated as a serial killer who — wait for it — only kills other serial killers.   Let’s be charitable and call this an homage to Dexter.

Evans does go on a pretty good (and original) analysis of crime scene photos.  He believes the killer might be frustrated at having been passed over for promotions — like Lynch.  And having a strong right arm from tossing a bowling ball and carrying it everywhere with him — like Lynch.  Good stuff.

Lynch discovers a massive amount of pornography at Evans’ flat, which also seems very familiar to me.  I just can’t place where I’ve seen such a cache of . . . oh, yeah.  However, Evans also has books on how to make pipe-bombs and land-mines, and Antifa for Dummies.  Again, Evans says it is all for research.  There is also mention of him assaulting a little girl years ago.

For the big finish, Lynch puts a satchel from Evans’ closet on the table.  He opens it to reveal a misshapen head in a large glass jar.  OK, hold the phone — this is a direct steal from Ray Bradbury’s The Jar which was adapted for Ray Bradbury Theater, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, the 1980s revival of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. and a very special episode of Benson.  [2] Evans says he bought it at freak show because he thought it was funny, but he knows he’s screwed.

SPOILER

Lynch has proven Evan’s guilt to everyone’s satisfaction.  He is again hailed as the bestest detective ever.  He goes home, and unzips his bowling ball bag.  Nothing in there but a ball.  However, he lifts the top off the hollow ball and pulls out the dead woman’s head.  He puts it in the fridge with 2 others and has a beer.

There seemed to be a lot of references to other stories, and not in a winking Scream-like way.  More in a Joe Biden campaign speech way [3].  Other than the brief scene where Evans does his analysis, there’s not much going on.  This should have been released as a movie.  Not because it is good, but because it feels 90 minutes long.

By coincidence I saw Eddie Izzard (Evans) in Get Duked! yesterday.  That would be a much better use of your time.

I rate it 4 out of 10 frames.  However, Get Duked! earns a respectable 8 frames.

Other Stuff:

  • [1] Great as this is, they will never top “Bezos Exposes Pecker“.  It has more levels than Amway.  Just retire the trophy now.
  • [2] To be honest, I’m not sure it was explicitly a head in Bradbury’s jar.  But, c’mon, what else would it be?  BTW, the AHP episode was directed by Tim Burton.  What?
  • [3]  The big news in that link is that Newsweek still exists.
  • Very timely:  This episode is directed by the director of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.
  • Ciarán Hinds (Lynch) was Mance Rayder in 5 episodes of Game of Thrones.  He was the white guy with the beard.  [UPDATE: I finally Googled him, and he seems to be just about the only guy other than Bran without a beard.]