Jordan Peele’s ambitious reboot of Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” has managed to become one of the most polarizing series of the year, but it’s definitely inspired people to talk and that’s a good thing. Peele is not settling on merely a tribute, but has managed to retrofit a lot of classic episodes to modern sensibilities. While some episodes were clunkers, most episodes this season have been fantastic. With the season finale airing now on CBS All Access, I thought I’d list the five best episodes of the first season.
Stepmom (1998)/The Deep End of the Ocean (1999) – Double Feature [Blu-Ray]
If you’re looking for a double feature from Mill Creek Entertainment bound to save you some dough and allow for a neat night of blubbering and familial melodrama, you can’t get better than the new double feature from the company. Although both films have been released ad nauseum, Mill Creek Entertainment has the perfect double feature that will likely make a pretty good addition for future Mother’s Days. While bereft of bells and whistles, it’s a good value for folks that enjoy this kind of drama.
A Second Look at the Underrated “The Jackie Chan Adventures”
Full Disclosure: Although Mill Creek Entertainment sent us a copy of “The Jackie Chan Adventures,” the opinions expressed are 100% honest and our own.
Jackie Chan seemed almost fit for his own kids show. While the international action movie star was in fact known for a slew of iconic movies that continue to win the hearts of movie buffs to this day, Jackie Chan’s methods of self defense always made him look like a walking, talking cartoon character—but, you know–deadly. To tap his ever-rising popularity, the WB network eventually gave him his own animated series for kids. Unlike other action stars, it seemed like a natural fit that wouldn’t alienate any of the fan base including the action aficionados. Basing a show on a hero that avoided getting hit as well as avoiding actually hitting his enemies was a breath of fresh air, and it seemed like Saturday morning kismet.
Batman (1989): 30th Anniversary Edition [4K UHD/Blu-Ray/Digital]
It’s a new era and a brand new format for movie lovers and Warner Bros. is offering up their “Batman” movie anthology from the 1990’s on 4K UHD for those that have converted. With “Batman” also celebrating its thirtieth anniversary (where does the time go?) since its theatrical release, Tim Burton’s iconic adaptation of the DC Comics hero manages to appear once again in an even higher definition making it—uh—Battier? Burtoner? In either case, the good news is “Batman” is still a solid iteration of the Dark Knight, which is all that counts.
Isn’t It Romantic (2019) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]
I’m all for movies that call out the inherent stupidity of romance comedies, and how we can often lose sight of reality if we spend too much time lost in fantasy and Hollywood manufactured clichés. “Isn’t It Romantic” is a confused comedy though, that can ironically be identified as a romantic comedy, even though it purports to be a movie that tears the whole illusion of Hollywood romantic comedies down all around us. It never seems to know if it’s endorsing the idea of romantic comedies, or still spoofing them. The results are a mediocre, flat, albeit occasionally charming film.
The Films of Paul Mazursky
Paul Mazursky was one of the most prolific and versatile filmmakers, creating such classics as “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,” “Harry and Tonto,” “Next Stop, Greenwich Village,” “An Unmarried Woman” and “Moscow on the Hudson.” Film scholar Nat Segaloff is our guest on this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” which highlights Mazursky’s directing career plus his little-known work as an actor in Stanley Kramer’s first feature “Fear and Desire” and his role in creating “The Monkees” television series.
The episode can be heard here.
The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019)
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s “Foreshadowing: The Movie”! It’s the exploitative account of the last days of Sharon Tate, but with a lot of clunky foreshadowing thrown in to shove down our throats that Sharon Tate will and did die a horrible death. Characters sit around discussing fate, destiny, and alternate realities, Charles Manson shows up in the first ten minutes set to dramatic and very terrifying orchestral music, and Sharon Tate plays a fortune telling game with her friends asking in a child like pout “Will I Live a Long and Happy Life?”