WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:07.839 We yelling hate, pigment, light and ship, realism, surrealism, impressionism, 2 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.080 end those stories, an interest in the odd, quall ap preluntion towards 3 00:00:13.080 --> 00:00:17.760 the bisire. And this place is nothing if it isn't a bizarre There's no 4 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:23.399 admission, no requirement of membership, only a strong and applighting belief in the 5 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:27.719 dark at the top of the stairs or things that go abop in the night, 6 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:31.719 the name of there's a place that you would committed your accidentally out of 7 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:35.359 the ranks the night God. All right, welcome back, all right, 8 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:40.079 levers to Midnight Viewing the Night Gallery podcast, where we discuss Night Gallery Ron 9 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:44.280 Serling's follow up to The Twilight Zone. I'm father alone and with me here 10 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:49.200 in the gallery are Ranking on bass is Chris Statue. You're a yellow boy. 11 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:54.399 I remember you back when you were a side wonder. I love Old 12 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.679 West. I love the Old West, folks. It yields the best fake 13 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:03.840 accents of all time. And ranking on bassist Mike White. I am a 14 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:07.519 patient boy. I wait, I wait, I wait. Oh Now that's 15 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:11.040 so beautiful anyways, much better than anything we're gonna see it tonight. What 16 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:15.599 we are going to see tonight is Season two, episode eighteen, aired on 17 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.319 January twenty sixth, nineteen seventy two. This episode is split into two segments. 18 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:23.439 Those are The Waiting Room and Last Writes for the Dead Druid in a 19 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:29.560 twelve dollars and fifty cent pine box reposes the body of a frontier of Frankie, 20 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:34.840 armed but disarming, a victim of an old West philosophy that any man 21 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.840 with a good eye a limber finger in a well known trigger scirts the pastures 22 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:45.359 of immortality. But this chap found out the hard way that immortality is a 23 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:51.120 wish, a word, but infrequently your reality. You wait, your pleasure, 24 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:55.359 and a painting we call the Waiting Room. The Waiting Room was written 25 00:01:55.359 --> 00:02:00.400 by Rod Serling, directed by Jeanno Zwark, and stars Steve Forrest, Albert 26 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:05.079 Salmy, Jim Davis, Buddy Ebson, and Gilbert Rowland. They're throwing out 27 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:08.879 some blank as blank credits all of a sudden in the opening credits for which 28 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:13.400 I don't understand. This is the story of a gun slinger named Dicter who 29 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:16.840 stops into a saloon and encounters a literal murderers row of fellow out laws. 30 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:22.280 The problem is they're all dead. They are not Dictor. Oh, no, 31 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:24.800 anyone but Dictor. It would be hard to figure that thing out, 32 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:28.919 wouldn't it. What did you think of this one, Chris? You take 33 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:35.319 us back to that holy original episode of Tales from the Crypt. So what 34 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:38.680 was funny? Is season four episode A to Tales from the Crypt Showdown aired 35 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:43.199 in nineteen ninety two. That was not even an episode of Tales from the 36 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:45.680 Crypt. Father Malone, correct me if I'm wrong, but that was actually 37 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:49.479 a two fisted Tales segment that had been repurposed into a Tales from the Crypt 38 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:54.039 episode, which would explain why the theme almost doesn't match that show and almost 39 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:58.759 more matches this show, and as much as this show's theme is whatever the 40 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:02.039 hell it wants to be. Yeah, that segment is about a gun slinger 41 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:07.000 who wanders into a town where he's wait, I remember you. You were 42 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:12.080 Dusty Bill, you were dead on the I saw you get gunned down, 43 00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:15.039 and I swear to god, Buddy Edson's doing the exact same, this whole 44 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:20.439 thing. It's just that just oh, I remember where am I in hell? 45 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:23.360 Yes? You are in hell? And so am I for having to 46 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:27.439 watch this segment because it was just it was like I was having a flashback 47 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:30.199 to like Gnom, where I was like, oh, I've seen this before 48 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:32.560 and it was just as bad last time. Wow. Tales from the Crypt 49 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:38.439 is the equivalent of the Southeastern Asian Conflict of the late nineteen sixties. Okay, 50 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:40.840 Mike, what's you think of this one? I don't know if it's 51 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.840 the baddest NAM, but it definitely felt like it went on as long as 52 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:50.719 the Korean War did. In mash it was a very long, long segment. 53 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:53.479 I literally I looked down at one point, I looked back up and 54 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:55.879 I said, this is still going on? What's going on? What? 55 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:00.919 How can this be happening? You were dictor all of a sudden, Yes, 56 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:06.919 eight breaking minutes, and you feel every single one of them. But 57 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.080 you know what, Rob no longer had control at this point, and they 58 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:15.960 were doctoring his scripts when he wasn't looking. Oh right, sure, it's 59 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:19.160 too bad that they took steven additional minutes of them reminiscing out because boy, 60 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:24.879 I really missed that. Oh boy, good lord. It's just it's you 61 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:29.480 know what it is. It's almost the Blackout sketch again. And even the 62 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:32.079 Tales from the Crypt episode is the same way, if an old Western guy 63 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:36.399 wanders into town and the town looks deserted and there's a bunch of guys around 64 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:41.600 the table, I think everybody and their mother who has at least a inkling 65 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:45.800 of an idea of the tropes here would understand what's going on here. Yeah, 66 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.920 like most of Serling's loop episodes, which we've gotten quite a we got 67 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:51.800 a lot back in the Twilight Zone, but we certainly have had some here 68 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:56.319 as well, just recently. What is that clacking sound in the heavens? 69 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.319 To be honest with you, the first twenty minutes or so of this segment, 70 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:03.160 not twenty, but like ten, I was actually totally intrigued. I'm 71 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:06.040 a sucker for the supernatural. I'm a sucker for the old West. Put 72 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:12.360 him together, I'm on board. And the performances are solid uniformly. Yeah, 73 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.319 Buddy Epson's fucking great. He's awesome. He's so good. He can't 74 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:20.199 even salvage how bad this segment is. And it's shot beautifully. The problem 75 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:25.920 is, as soon as the first gunfighter steps outside, all lingering doubt of 76 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:30.800 what's going on here dissipates, and that's within seven or so minutes of the 77 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:33.639 episode. Beginning and now we've got twenty one to go. It should have 78 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:39.040 remained as oblique as possible, because when it was oblique, when it was 79 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:42.720 unclear what was happening, I was really into it. I was intrigued. 80 00:05:42.759 --> 00:05:46.079 I wanted to be I wanted it to be really mysterious and not, oh 81 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:48.199 my god, they're not just going to go to the most obvious place possible. 82 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:53.279 At the same time, if I had the unfortunate luck of living in 83 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:57.040 pioneer times in the Old West, I hope that I would at least have 84 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:02.720 Steve Forrest's sense of style. That fucking stripe suit and that really tasteful kerchief 85 00:06:03.079 --> 00:06:08.199 just read just around the throat and a wide brim chapeau. But not to 86 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:13.480 overstand it. I liked it. There is a recent movie, The Cohen 87 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:16.240 Brothers balland of Buster Scrugs. They have the final segment in that called the 88 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:23.800 Mortal Remains. Oh yes, first time, Yeah, that exactly that. 89 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:28.399 That's what this should have been and could have been. Unfortunately, all we're 90 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:33.160 saddled with is a moron of a lead character who everyone keeps telling him their 91 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:36.680 story. This is how I die. He already knows. He mentions it 92 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:40.800 himself like, oh heard you got gunned down by so and so and such 93 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:44.560 and such. Yes, that did happen. I'm that guy. And here 94 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:46.920 you don't understand though, how did it happen? I don't get it? 95 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:51.040 How are you here now? It's like, dude, put one, one 96 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:55.160 and two or next to each other. There is nothing else in between it. 97 00:06:55.279 --> 00:07:00.240 It's you're dead. You're dead, you're dead. Tell me what is 98 00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:03.879 he? But and I love that. It even does the thing where it's 99 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:09.480 like, do you remember how you got here? I don't even remember how 100 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:13.480 it got here? Did we never leave? We never left, We're still 101 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:16.959 there. It's like that, it's so again, this is seventy two, 102 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:20.319 so we're not. It's still It was used then, but it's over used 103 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:27.000 now. Maybe it's our twenty twenty three sensibilities peeking through. But it doesn't 104 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:30.800 even feel a It feels so wrote it. The roteness of it gets in 105 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:33.240 the way of it even attempting to be entertaining. And then you saddle that 106 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:38.120 with it being four times as long as it needs to be, just that 107 00:07:38.279 --> 00:07:42.879 they kept doing it over And I love a good groundhog Day type story, 108 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:46.839 a time loop story is great, but not this way, not that we 109 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:51.319 get to hear every single person every time, just over and over, like 110 00:07:51.560 --> 00:07:57.079 please just figure it out. The other thing I liked quite a bit it 111 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:00.680 was the second gun fighter, the gun the gunfighter who's it and closest to 112 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:03.879 Buddy Ebson. He's the second one to get up and go. That guy's 113 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:07.199 performance was fantastic. That's Albert Salmy. I knew I knew him from somewhere. 114 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:13.319 He's Noonan's dad in Caddyshack. Whose child is this? Well, how 115 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:20.600 many cokes did you have? That guy was that fucking fantastic Western character here 116 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:24.399 in the war really sticks it to Steve Forrest too. He's like, I 117 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:26.519 don't want to be your brother, and I would never be related to some 118 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:33.080 vulture like you. It's like, jeez, Christ's Him and Buddy Ebson are 119 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.720 turning in real, like blistering performances in this. I appreciate that they showed 120 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:39.879 up and they were like, we know what you're asking us to do. 121 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:43.240 Lean into this really hard, and they do. Like, I appreciate the 122 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.600 commitment to what they You're needed, It's just like you don't need it this 123 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:52.080 much. Yeah, because the tone demands the performances those guys are giving that 124 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:56.679 first opening sequence when we're unsure as to what's happening here. It's it needs 125 00:08:56.720 --> 00:09:01.080 a level of seriousness to bolster everything else. And that's what's good about the 126 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:05.720 episode. That can I just ask you, guys, because I was unclear 127 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:09.360 on this the opening and closing shot of him riding up to the hanged man 128 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:13.039 which turns out to be him. Was that day for night or was that 129 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:16.679 night? And they just had a really hard light on the hanging man and 130 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:22.480 Steve Forrest or his stunt double. It looked like a hard light to me 131 00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:26.000 anyway. Yeah, in the opening the first time I started, I went, 132 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.080 that's gotta be day for night. And then at the end I was 133 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:31.720 like, no, it really looks like a light. So and I'm with 134 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.399 you, by the way, when it comes to horror mixed with Westerns, 135 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:39.960 I'm sucker for Bret Hart. And yeah, this had so much promise of 136 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:45.399 oh cool and old West segment. We haven't had one of those before even 137 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:48.919 what was it? What was the Star Trek episode like Day of the Gun 138 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:52.639 or whatever that was shot? So yeah, just the amazing like big red 139 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:58.279 backgrounds and just that kind of like symbolism rather than sets type of thing animalist 140 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:03.200 set obviously saddle set fronts right. Yeah, obviously they didn't have that much 141 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:07.240 money or anything, but it worked out really well. So and this one, 142 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:09.200 like you guys said, shot very well, looks really good. But 143 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:15.440 just the storytelling. Yeah, and I've said this before, like the Hambone 144 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.840 Purple Prose that I usually accuse Sterling of, if you put it into a 145 00:10:18.919 --> 00:10:24.159 period piece, that it alleviates a whole lot. Suddenly it sounds like sparkling 146 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.080 dialogue. And I have very little to complain about. The problem is it 147 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:31.679 just never ends. It's and it goes nowhere, and we're all in on 148 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:35.360 it, like the guys who are sitting in the fucking saloon from the scene 149 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:39.879 one, and we're just waiting for the dummy to wake up. And I 150 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:43.799 bore twenty eight minutes for that. But I guess the other thing that I 151 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:48.080 wonder is, obviously you have the story of a guy who's died, and 152 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:52.919 then is this the first time he's gone through this? Are they like at 153 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:54.639 the point, Like the way that they're acting, it's like this motherfucker is 154 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:01.279 not remembering time to time. So is this like ten loops into this which 155 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:05.000 is That would have been a more interesting conversation to go towards as what does 156 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:07.559 it mean to be here? Is there any way to leave? Or are 157 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:11.000 we doomed forever by our bad choices? No, it's instead it's this guy's 158 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:16.120 dumb and doesn't know that he's dead, buh like. But the audience picked 159 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:18.480 up on it immediately. I don't see anyway you as an audience member couldn't 160 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.440 pick up on it in this episode. The show has done good twists in 161 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:24.080 the past. I'm sure it will do good twists in the future that are 162 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:28.799 not telegraphed, but this is telegraphed from shot one. We can't be smarter 163 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:31.240 than the character on screen because then we're just like, this guy's just an 164 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:35.480 idiot. I do think that this is this character's first time, because he 165 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:39.320 rides up and he looks at the hanged man and doesn't bother to figure out 166 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:43.240 who he is, and then the next time he comes he changes that. 167 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:48.279 So I think this was his first time at the Afterlife rodeo maybe, but 168 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:54.360 Steve Forrest seems pretty dumb. Yeah. I would think at least the Buddy 169 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.519 Ebson character would be like this guy again. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. 170 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.000 That's why they're so frustrated with it. It's like this guy just keeps 171 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:05.159 coming back asking the same stupid goddamn questions, and we keep telling him the 172 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:09.080 same shit over and over again, and he's just not listening. Fuck this 173 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:13.360 guy. The Albert Salmy character, one would have said, how many times 174 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:16.679 do we have to tell you this? You idiot? That would have been 175 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:18.519 what I would have written, because it would have been more interesting as opposed 176 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:22.879 to just okay, like he's here for the first time, but he doesn't 177 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:26.200 realize it. Maybe it's okay, maybe I understand why you don't realize it. 178 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:28.720 Then no, but and it would let the character off the hook, 179 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:35.960 maybe like we know he's an idiot from the opening. We would then view 180 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:39.559 this scenario through the ghosts are who are already participating the eyes and it's kind 181 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:43.279 of a tragedy that could have that could have worked. They're much more interesting 182 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:50.879 to those amongst you with a predilection toward antique collection or the occasional bargain hunting 183 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:54.240 that takes place in out of the way nooks and stalls. This painting suggests 184 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:58.440 a certain required, a wariness when it comes to your shopping because there are 185 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:03.759 moments when behind some dusty book, or in a cobwebbed corner of an ancient 186 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:07.600 vestibule, you'll uncover a little object dart which can horrify the heck out of 187 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:13.159 you, such being the case in this painting, when a lady goes junking 188 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:18.600 about and uncovers a mythological statue that has lived past its time and intrudes on 189 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:24.240 hers. We call the painting the Last Rites for a Dead Druid. All 190 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:28.080 right, Last Writes of a Dead Druid, written by Alvin T. Sappin's 191 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:33.120 lead, directed by Jeno's Wark or should I say Jeno Zoom. The segment 192 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:37.679 is a zoom fest. We're on that in a minute. And also you 193 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:41.840 didn't see it at home, but Ron's introduction was very atmospheric. There's a 194 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:45.720 lot of camera moves this episode. There's a lot of zooming in and out 195 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:50.399 for bumpers. I dig where it's going anyway. Druid stars Bill Bixby first. 196 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:54.559 This is his first of two appearances on Night Gallery, Carol Linley the 197 00:13:54.759 --> 00:13:58.440 night Stocker's Own and man, She's adorable? Is that? Who? I 198 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:05.519 don't care? And Donna Douglas as Mildred. As Mildred mcvaine, she gets 199 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:09.480 the and as credit that that trend has continued into the next segment. It 200 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:13.679 also stars ned Glass. He's in two Cold Check episodes Spanish Moss Murders and 201 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.919 Horror and the Heights, which I did with you guys on the Cold Check 202 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:22.440 daves Over. There almost a decade to go down first time I met you, 203 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.480 mister Mike. But the unseen performer in this segment is Gerald Penny, 204 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:31.200 Gerald Perry Finnerman. He was the cinematographer. I mentioned the zooms and the 205 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:37.519 focus pulling. Here he's doing muscular work and it's delicate and elegant. The 206 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:39.039 focus pulling, like I said, is out of hand. He was a 207 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:45.840 lifelong TV camera guy with occasional foris into features. But there were some interesting 208 00:14:45.960 --> 00:14:50.919 TV shows he worked on, like Cork the Richard Benjamin Sip written by Button 209 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.879 by Buck Henry. He did that entire series. He did the Planet of 210 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.080 the Apes entire TV series. He did one of my favorite TV movies, 211 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:03.440 Devildog, Hound of Hell and oh yeah, sixty episodes of Star Trek. 212 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:09.279 Speaking of Star Trek, but anyway, hey guys, do you remember when 213 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:13.600 Stephen Moffatt created the Weeping Angels on Doctor who Ah. Thank you. Those 214 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:20.480 statues that move when you're not looking terrifying and holy original creation. Anyway, 215 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:24.120 this is the story. It all look like Bill Bixby, a young lawyer 216 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:28.120 whose wife gives him an ancient statue that may not have started out as stone. 217 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:31.960 Chris, what did you think of this one? Similarly to the last 218 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:35.919 segment, it was a tad long, but it was goofy if that was 219 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:41.240 what they were going for. I had had a chortal or two throughout. 220 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:45.039 And I'll tell you why, because that statue doesn't look like Bill Bixby at 221 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:48.440 all, no matter how hard they try to convince you. They could have 222 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:50.600 had him rip his own face off and put it on there, and then 223 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.799 it would have been like, yes, now it looks like Bill Bixby, 224 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:56.240 only because Bill Bixby's actual faces on it. It doesn't look like him. 225 00:15:56.519 --> 00:16:02.320 So it makes every time they show its face really funny because it looks funny. 226 00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:06.799 And then the premise is I was gonna say the omen kind of I 227 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:10.960 don't know. It's like there's all these like weird, like premonitory premonition things 228 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:14.879 that you were going to do this and you're being possessed by this and it's 229 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.320 goofy, and for that I can appreciate it. It didn't need to be 230 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.960 thirty minutes. But again, I feel like maybe that's like our we should 231 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:26.879 stop saying that at this point, because holy shit, we've said it a 232 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:30.519 lot, and this episode obviously is a candidate for that because there's only two 233 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:33.559 segments. So I think it was fun and goofy, but if they were 234 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:38.320 trying to be serious, they failed real art. I thought this was a 235 00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:42.840 lot of fun. I had a great time. First off. I think 236 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:52.320 that the Night Gallery should expand just from posters or side paintings into statuary as 237 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:56.159 well. I think that they really need to expand their business, and having 238 00:16:56.279 --> 00:17:00.720 this in the gallery I think would be a great conversation piece and it could 239 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:04.960 be sold fairly easily. I'm not sure who's in the market for life size 240 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:11.400 statues of people screaming with crowbars in their hands an ancient crow bar, by 241 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:15.359 the way, an ancient crow bar. Yes, And to your point, 242 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.400 Mike, I thought that they were going to do something with a statue, 243 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:22.839 because Rod is standing in front of a weird dragon statue at the beginning of 244 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:26.359 this episode, and I was like, oh, hold on, are we 245 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.400 like there are things in the background in the night Gallery that aren't paintings. 246 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:32.839 They just never go up to them. And it's like, why wasn't this 247 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:37.640 that time, of all times, you could have your Bill Bixby statue just 248 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.440 standing there. I actually have an answer for that, which is the sculptures 249 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:45.720 were all purchased all at once, make us weird objects to Pepper the background 250 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:49.640 and Tom Wright did all of the individual paintings for the episodes because they even 251 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:53.279 if they're going to have statues show up, it's still a painting gallery. 252 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:57.400 I agree wholeheartedly with you. They should have just had the goddamn statue sitting 253 00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:02.960 in the night gallery and he goes, this thing, isn't it weird looking? 254 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:06.640 Didn't won't you like to know what the story behind this is? Yes, 255 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:11.839 we would rode, but again, like I get why they had to 256 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:15.240 stick with the consistency of the paintings. The paintings ultimately are more successful, 257 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.440 but then you could have made it feel more tailored to each story, like 258 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:23.279 you know, a specific item like look at this item here. Narrow view 259 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:26.279 of what a gallery can hold, even when they're displaying what a gallery can 260 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:32.279 hold right all around him. I really was hoping that the statue would change 261 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:36.160 as it was going through. I did like that this episode has what the 262 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:41.039 last episode didn't, or a segment I should say, which is actually things 263 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:45.400 happening and changing so it's not just the same thing over and over again. 264 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:49.640 I was afraid the first time the statue showed up in his bedroom that it 265 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:55.240 would only terrorize him at night and that it would just keep doing the whole 266 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:59.839 creep up thing. But I was really happy to see the way it progresses 267 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:04.279 is in the way that Bill Bixby is changing, and especially when he tries 268 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:11.440 to sacrifice the cat was so funny. I gotta say, Donna Douglas, 269 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:15.279 this is a competition between who is the more attractive blonde. These ladies are 270 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:21.079 both just incredible. It's really a fistfight. Yes, yeah, I totally 271 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:26.920 agree. Because here's the wife who is one thousand percent adorable, Carolynley, 272 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:30.119 and then here's the temptress. It's like, what could they possibly owe her? 273 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:32.680 Oh yeah, okay, I got it, I get yeah yeah, 274 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:37.039 And I honestly it took me a minute to realize that that was Donna Douglas 275 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:40.960 I and she even had the Southern accent. So I'm like, why did 276 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:44.400 I not just immediately think Ellie May when I saw her? And I guess 277 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:47.599 it might have been the outfits or something, but man, oh man, 278 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:52.839 she's a knockout Beverly Hillbilly's alumni in this episode yeps and too right, Yeah 279 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:56.400 yeah, and yeah, Buddy wasn't looking too bad either. No, yeah, 280 00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:59.799 she's no, she's great, she's great. I don't know if this 281 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:04.039 segment needed another like her character, like, she's not in cahoots with the 282 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:10.559 Sorcerer, She's just she's just tempting him. So it feels like these things 283 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:14.200 happening at the same time. I wish they had maybe given us a little 284 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:17.039 bit more of a through line as too, maybe she has some sort of 285 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:21.480 interior motive because again that we've seen that before in this show as well, 286 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:23.599 where they're like, oh, she's she just seems to be into Bill Bixby, 287 00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:26.279 which you know what with those turtlenecks and stuff, Like, I get 288 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:32.319 it, she's a good looking guy, but that statue with that facial hair. 289 00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:36.079 On the other hand, he's looking like a real dork. We've got 290 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:38.839 a triangle here, and it's a pretty good one. But to your point, 291 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:44.839 Chris, what we needed is more of Mildred's character to get her point 292 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.240 of view from what was going on here. Having said that, this is 293 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:52.160 one of my favorites from this season and like, I had a blast watching 294 00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:55.279 this one. I thought Zwark's direction is on point. I thought the story 295 00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:59.559 was good even if I knew where it was going. Nobody could have predicted 296 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:04.000 that moment, Mike, where Eddie's father holds a cat over a barbecue with 297 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:08.240 the full intention of frying it alive, and I fully believed he was going 298 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:15.400 to do it. Just those the maids that comes up. I just putting 299 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:19.640 in my notice the poor maid that's just like a guest. She's have to 300 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:23.119 leave now. This man's trying to cookies cat. Oh, it's so good. 301 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:27.359 It's just the adr of all the cats sound effects poecasts, just like 302 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:33.240 what are you doing? And then the sound effects. As a callback to 303 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:37.839 an earlier Night Gallery episode, Bill Bixby struck me this time around as a 304 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:44.759 perfect analog of Roddy McDowell, because when he's endearing, he's very endearing, 305 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:48.079 and when he's starmy, Oh, I just want to drown him, and 306 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:52.079 he gets both here and now added layer here the sort of fierce character, 307 00:21:52.119 --> 00:21:56.240 the fierce Bill Bixby we get here as the Sorcerer was actually pretty great too. 308 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:02.279 I mentioned all the zooms going on on here. When Bill Bixby lays 309 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:06.839 out the statues origins. This is before he starts to get possessed. It 310 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:10.119 starts on a closeup of the statue, which turns out to be a photograph, 311 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:14.240 which pans tilts up to Carol Linley, which turns out she's in a 312 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:18.440 mirror. It then zooms back to include the entire room. It's slick in 313 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:23.160 economical coverage, Jano's work, ladies and gentlemen. I just I can't anyway. 314 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:26.799 Also during that scene, Bill bill Bixby's laying out the history, as 315 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:30.640 I said, and he's being very iriatited it. And then when he gets 316 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:33.839 to the word raping, he says, raping. There's no g at the 317 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:37.680 end, like I could all rap He sure does? Is it twice? 318 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:42.039 Actually? Which is new there just a little odd to hear. It's so 319 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:48.720 casual. I also laughed like crazy when they said the statue's eyes have changed, 320 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:52.640 and then they cut to it and it looks like a whole different head 321 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:59.559 on the statue. The orange eyes though, those red eyes orange head. 322 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:03.440 I'm like, what did they do refurbish its head? I actually love the 323 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:07.039 shop owner who's just had this thing sitting around for years, like this freakiest 324 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:11.400 fucking thing. I would get that thing out of my shop and take it 325 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:12.880 away, you know, after a while, if it's sitting in your shop, 326 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:15.839 he's like, I think it's time to just get rid of this nightmare 327 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:19.440 of a piece of artwork because it looks like a human being stuck in concrete. 328 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:25.960 Wait ah, wait, he's only getting rid of it to make room 329 00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:30.319 for a dinette, so otherwise he wanted to have it around some more. 330 00:23:30.359 --> 00:23:33.480 I guess he takes it back at the end. He doesn't get that one 331 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:37.640 back, and he's very mad. He wants it back a set. Yeah, 332 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:45.079 so Bill Bixby murders his wife. Then at the end, like after 333 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:48.599 he turns, he just kills her and then just becoming Anton Leavey of the 334 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:56.440 seventies. Yeah, I kind of like it doesn't mind at all. Hey, 335 00:23:56.599 --> 00:24:00.400 that's a fun bad ending, But like a bum it's a bummer of 336 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:03.839 an ending, right, I guess if you perceive the Bill Bixby character as 337 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:07.680 the hero of the piece. He gets frozen, but you know, the 338 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:10.200 bad guy wins in the end. Ain't nothing wrong with that. Oh, 339 00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:14.000 speaking of zooms, that second scene, the scene where Mildred gets confronted by 340 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:17.000 him that she doesn't mind at all things talk about the first of all, 341 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:19.880 they're subtle like hints with the with lighting, and then they got that circular 342 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:25.880 fucking barbecue that explodes into flame. But the scene where like I said that, 343 00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:29.720 there is this very subtle lighting shift on Bill Bixby and then he's possessed. 344 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:33.599 So it's mostly Bill Bixby's performance that sounds it. But that whole scene 345 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:38.559 is fantastic. I'm just gonna keep praising this of the segment. Yeah, 346 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.920 yeah, it's mostly or his work here, But the performances are just as 347 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:48.200 on point, as is the script by Alvin Sappinsley, who is our only 348 00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:52.240 hope these days. These are originals too, These aren't based I mean that's 349 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:55.640 the other thing. A lot of these are like you go and look and 350 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:59.200 it's based on a short story by X Y and Z. And these last 351 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:03.480 two segments I've both been a sterling original and a Sappin's the original and Sterling 352 00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:07.039 is what he is. But this is way better, way better. Yeah, 353 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.119 yeah, this one. I think if I had seen this one I 354 00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:14.519 was a kid, it would really stick with me. I could see, 355 00:25:15.079 --> 00:25:18.640 Oh don't you remember that episode with Bill Bixby where it turns into a statue 356 00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:22.720 because at the end when he's going to beat it with that with his own 357 00:25:22.839 --> 00:25:26.480 crowbar, I thought that was very effective. And remember we had an episode 358 00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:30.480 with James Farrantino earlier in this season. It's basically the same story as this 359 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:33.599 one, so they can keep telling the same stories over and over again as 360 00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:36.720 long as they're eventually going to get it right, because they got it right 361 00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:38.920 here. And this was better than that segment too, that one that you're 362 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:41.960 referencing. I think you better, That's what I'm saying. A thousand yea 363 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:45.559 better. But it's the same idea. It's the same plot effectively, but 364 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:49.839 reworked and shot well and written well and performed well, and here we go. 365 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:55.200 And it was also smart to switch the main character as opposed to the 366 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.400 like the secondary character, because in that one, wasn't it his wife is 367 00:25:57.480 --> 00:26:03.119 the one that's swapping, right, This gives it like, yeah, this 368 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:06.559 gives it like a lot more stakes, and also like it just gives a 369 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:08.759 lot more weight that he's the one and he's doing it, but the story 370 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:12.000 is being presented effectively by his point of view. It just gives it some 371 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:15.440 more weight because I'm with that character the whole time, and that one it 372 00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:18.400 was like, it's his wife and he has to prevent it, and again 373 00:26:18.440 --> 00:26:22.200 we'rein is invested as he is, but here it's okay, it's the one 374 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:26.240 who's in trouble. And yeah, he swings at the statue and because he 375 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:30.480 throws the same way, the exact same way, is that convenient with his 376 00:26:30.599 --> 00:26:34.599 own crowbar? It was fun. It was fun and that's all it needed 377 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:37.759 to be. And I'm with you, Mike, if I had seen this 378 00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:40.240 as a kid, when I'm like, that's some freaky shit, because the 379 00:26:40.359 --> 00:26:44.359 statue sticks with you. It is such a choice. The last one does 380 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:49.039 look like oh yeah, yeah, And I love that when he becomes the 381 00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:52.720 monk that he then gets like the little fake beard. Oh my god, 382 00:26:52.759 --> 00:27:00.480 it's so wonderful. Yes, seeing Bixbid any attempt at sinister is welcome, 383 00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:04.039 very welcome. Oh yeah, and when his eyes change, I'm just like, 384 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:08.400 oh, don't make them angry. Here we go. Yeah, check 385 00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:12.920 the end cretis lugna in here. All right, Well, we're gonna play 386 00:27:12.920 --> 00:27:15.920 a preview of the next episode and we'll be rare and we'll be right back 387 00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:22.480 to wrap things up. Number one entry a painting that suggests a story replete 388 00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:27.559 with gaslight, handsome cabs, and cadavers, an all star cast of corpses 389 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:33.720 appearing in what we call deliveries in the rear, Delivered to me now on 390 00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:41.960 night Gallery. Painting Number two in the Night Gallery, addressing itself to the 391 00:27:41.079 --> 00:27:45.160 strains and stresses of the married, having to do with the fact that there 392 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:49.480 is more than one way to kill a cat and more than one way to 393 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:57.680 dispose of a wife. Our painting is called stop killing Me. Here we 394 00:27:57.799 --> 00:28:03.440 have a cameo den problem. How to flee the coupe, how to make 395 00:28:03.559 --> 00:28:11.039 tracks away from the police and unhappy peers ship out to safer climbs. The 396 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:12.680 story of a chap who, if he'd had it to do over again, 397 00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:18.200 what have remained where he was? He finds out that he is precisely what 398 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:25.160 is the title of the picture, deadweight. That's right on the next Midnight 399 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:29.119 viewing. We'll be taking a look at season two, episode nineteen that's broken 400 00:28:29.160 --> 00:28:33.640 into three segments, Deliveries in the Rear, Stop Killing Me, and Deadweight 401 00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:36.559 until next time. What are you working on and where can people find it? 402 00:28:36.680 --> 00:28:41.000 Chris Statue, Weirdingwaymedia dot Com is where everything I'm working on can be 403 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:45.480 found, including but not limited to the Culture Cast, ranking on Bass Life 404 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:49.400 and Times Captain Barney Miller, Dreams for Stale, Stale Dreams for stale, 405 00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:53.920 Dreams for Sale is it can't be stale, just like this that's still going 406 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:57.519 nearing the end as well. So that's and then there's all the other things 407 00:28:57.559 --> 00:29:02.160 we've done that are completed you can listen to in their entirety, which you 408 00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:04.440 should do, and you can find all that at Weirdingwaymedia dot com. How 409 00:29:04.440 --> 00:29:07.960 about you, Mike, Why what are you doing? One my doing? 410 00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:11.160 I just do a show every week called The Projection Booth and you can find 411 00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:14.960 that over at Weirdingwaymedia dot com. I guess I also work on The Chabby 412 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:19.920 Detective, also those Stale Dreams, and yeah, a few other things all 413 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:23.359 available at the same place. Chris is just talking about and if you want 414 00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:26.960 to see some of my ridiculous video I would put go over to fatheromlone dot 415 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:30.960 com. Thank you all for joining us here at midnight viewing. The gallery 416 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:33.079 is now closed.