Talky Tina Talking Bobblehead in stock at Entertainment Earth!

Apparently the rumored delay was just that: a rumor. Go here and order yours before they sell out. And trust me, they WILL sell out. I ordered two just now (one to display, and one to hoard), and I'm hoping they get here before Christmas....

"My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you...."

TZ Promo: “And When the Sky Was Opened” (12/11/1959)

I've told this story before. Some years back, I was a regular poster on the message board of a marvelous Twilight Zone website called The Fifth Dimension. It was there that I chronicled my first Twilight Zone experience (or, in more prosaic verbiage, the first time I ever saw the show). Sadly, the site disappeared several years ago, and with it, my recounting of said experience. As time has marched forward, my memories have grown progressively hazy of my younger years. I will attempt to (re)recount the tale here, but the details will likely be somewhat inaccurate.

I first discovered The Twilight Zone in the summer of 1982, right before I entered the 7^th grade. KPTV-12, a local TV station (which is now Fox 12), started airing the show on Saturday nights. They'd air an hour-long episode at 10:00, then a half-hour episode at 11:00. A I recall, my normal Saturday evening routine was as follows: I had church youth group meetings, from which I'd get home around 9:30, then I'd watch TV until I fell asleep (I was 12 years old and there was no internet; what else was there to do?). It was this routine that led me to The Twilight Zone: one fateful night, as I was flipping through the whopping four channels on the dial (this was before cable or satellite TV, at least in my house), I stopped on KPTV-12 and witnessed something altogether strange and mystical, beautiful yet foreboding.

There was a doorway, suspended in space. An eyeball floated by, its fake eyelid lazily rising. Then a scuba diver swam across the screen, complete with a trail of oxygen bubbles (it would be years before I'd discover that it was actually a mannequin with flowing hair). A mathematic equation, a ticking clock, and then… the words appeared before my quizzical, adolescent eyes:

The Twilight Zone.

I believe the episode was Jess-belle. I recall being entertained, but not monumentally so. The TV Click (The Oregonian's TV Guide knockoff) indicated that another episode would follow at 11:00, this time only half an hour in length. I decided to keep watching, and what I saw next changed my life. That half-hour episode was more than entertaining. It was fascinating. Moody, complex, scary. I'd never seen anything like it before in my life. From that night forward, I was hooked.

That episode celebrates its 50^th anniversary tonight.

The teleplay for "And When the Sky Was Opened" was written by Rod Serling, based on the short story "Disappearing Act" by Richard Matheson. The episode and the story have very little in common except for the central story conceit… which I won't reveal here (Matheson's original title should give you a clue). It stars Rod Taylor (best known for his roles in The Birds and The Time Machine; he recently played Winston Churchill in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds) and Charles Aidman (who would reappear in season three's "Little Girl Lost" and, in the 80's, provide the narration for the "new" Twilight Zone TV series), and is the first of nine episodes directed by Douglas Heyes (who went on to direct some of the series' most visually arresting episodes, including "The Howling Man," "The Invaders," and "The Eye of the Beholder"). Original music is provided by Leonard Rosenman.

I should also mention that it's one of my top ten favorite episodes of all time, and not just because it was the episode that made me a lifelong fan. It's just damned brilliant.

TZ Spotlight: The Invader bobblehead (Bif Bang Pow!)

After missing this the first time around (the initial run sold out quickly earlier this year), I ordered it (two, actually) as soon as it was restocked. It arrived, serendipitously enough, on my birthday last week. I should also note that, as of this writing, it's still available from Entertainment Earth (however, the Mystic Seer is already sold out AGAIN, and won't be available again until February 2010).

The Invader appeared in the Twilight Zone episode "The Invaders," which originally aired 1/27/1961 and starred Agnes Moorhead in a tour-de-force performance as an unnamed woman menaced by tiny aliens in puffy spacesuits.

The second of Bif Bang Pow!'s initial two Twilight Zone bobbleheads, The Invader stands 6.5" tall and is even heavier than the already-reviewed Mystic Seer by at least 50%. This guy could easily shatter a windshield or, if thrown properly, bring down a seagull.

It's done in a monochromatic paint scheme, which is infinitely preferable since it comes from a black and white TV show. It's molded in gray resin with black and white paint apps and, unlike the matte look of the Mystic Seer, a glossy sheen has been applied to mimic the silvery metallic look of the Invaders seen in the episode. It's a subtle but highly effective touch. The Twilight Zone logo, relegated to the back of the Mystic Seer, appears here at the front of the base, sculpted instead of simply painted:

The Invader holds not one but TWO laser pistol devices (which look like Christmas lightbulbs). They are a part of the sculpt and are not removable. One would have sufficed, especially since The Invader seen in the episode never holds more than one at a time. I can't help wishing they lit up, but at this price point, lights and/or sounds were probably cost-prohibitive (the next scheduled bobblehead is the Talky Tina doll from "Living Doll," and she'll come with a sound chip… and a $5.00 price hike).

The overall sculpt is quite good, and very screen accurate. The head itself doesn't bobble… the split appears at the piece's midsection, so the entire upper half bobbles instead of just the head. The bobbling motion is therefore not as fluid as that of traditional bobbleheads, but in this case it works, enhancing the clunkiness of the design. It was the right choice, especially since the helmet is so small (the only other option would have been an oversized bobbling antenna dish, which would have been admittedly hilarious). The bobble effect is achieved by a metal spring inside the unit.

The company logo appears on the bottom of the piece:

The packaging is classy and elegant, which makes a good argument for buying two (which I did):

The Invader represents another home run for Bif Bang ow! I actually prefer The Invader to the Mystic Seer, but both are stellar pieces.

Next up is Talky Tina, which looks to be every bit as cool as her older brothers. She was slated for release this month but has been apparently delayed until January:

The stairway base is hilariously macabre (a great little episode-specific in-joke). And check out the revised box!

TZ Spotlight: Mystic Seer bobblehead (Bif Bang Pow!)

After missing this the first time around (the initial run sold out quickly earlier this year), I ordered it (two, actually) as soon as it was restocked. It arrived, serendipitously enough, on my birthday last week. I should also note that, as of this writing, it's sold out AGAIN, and won't be available again until February 2010.

The Mystic Seer appeared in (well, dominated) the Twilight Zone episode "Nick of Time," which originally aired on 11/18/1960 and starred William Shatner and Patricia Breslin. It's a napkin dispenser that also dispenses fortune cards when you drop a penny in the front slot.

The Mystic Seer used in the episode makes a perfect candidate for the bobblehead treatment because it is, among other things, an actual bobblehead. That is to say, the head rests on a skinny post and bounces around when touched (Shatner taps it affectionately at one point in the episode):

On to the review. First off --- the bobblehead is much bigger than I thought it would be (about 6.75 inches tall, from base to horn tips). It's also much heavier than it looks (let's put it this way: you could use it as both a paperweight and a blunt object with which to brain somebody). Neither of these constitutes a complaint, however... this thing's got presence.

It's painted in a monochromatic scheme, which it SHOULD be, since it's from a black and white TV show. It's sculpted in gray resin with black and white paint apps. This thing just plain POPS. The head sculpt is screen accurate, sharply detailed, and beautiful to behold. There's actually a tiny little plastic gem in the eye, and it catches light nicely.

The proportions of the overall piece are clearly not accurate (the base unit, which dispenses the fortune cards in the episode, is much too small here), but since it's a bobblehead, accuracy isn't really a concern, is it? The text on the body is sculpted, not just painted... a nice touch. The Twilight Zone logo is elegantly sculpted on the piece's back:

...and the company logo can be found on the bottom:

On the subject of the fortune cards: even though this thing doesn't actually dispense them, Bif Bang Pow! saw fit to include eight fortunes (two strips of four), all of which appeared in the episode:

The packaging is great too, which is a great reason to buy two (I did)...

Overall, I LOVE this piece. If I had to list a single complaint, I guess I'd mention that the paint job is a bit sloppy in spots. However, for a mass-produced toy that retails for less than fifteen bucks, it's a pretty mild gripe. For their first Twilight Zone item, Bif Bang Pow! has hit an absolute home run with the Mystic Seer. Can they keep up the momentum with their next bobblehead (The Invader)? Tune in next time to find out….

TZ Promo: "Judgment Night" (12/04/1959)

You wake up on a boat full of people you don't recognize, sailing through a foggy night, plagued by a premonition of disaster. As midnight grows near, you feel almost suffocated by a certainty that something is out there... and is about to strike. Is it an iceberg? A sea serpent? Perhaps it's simply a dose of cosmic justice, doled out from... The Twilight Zone.

Sorry --- still a bit giddy from the University of Oregon's victory over Oregon State last night, which means The Ducks are officially going to the Rose Bowl.


Anyway. Tonight's episode is "Judgment Night," which first aired 50 years ago today. Directed by John Brahm from a script by Rod Serling, it's a tale that seems perhaps better suited to a show like One Step Beyond... until that patented TZ ending kicks in, of course.

The Big 4-0.

Yesterday I turned 40 years old. The day came and went. I drank some, I lamented some. I got a few cool gifts (the first two seasons of Mad Men on blu-ray, for example, not to mention a gift card that I'll be using to purchase The Prisoner: The Complete Series on blu-ray, and a great customized Twilight Zone Hallmark card from my friend Bill, spotlighted here). However, the single coolest thing presented to me (and the thing that ties my birthday to this blog) is my cake:

If getting older means I'll get cakes like this… well, perhaps I'll age gracefully after all.

Naturally I got the best piece:

Check out the plate! Clapboard slates! Man, that wife o' mine thinks of everything... maybe I should keep her around. Here she is, ladies and gentlemen, my beautiful wife Teresa, posing with her idol... the University of Oregon Duck:

The Ducks will undoubtedly stomp all over the Oregon State Beavers Thursday night in the annual Civil War game, which will subsequently propel them to the Rose Bowl. A "Big Tall Wish"? Hardly.

TZ Promo: “Perchance to Dream” (11/27/1959)

Today is my 40^th birthday (but we'll get to that in the next post). Exactly 10 years to the day BEFORE I was born, tonight's episode aired for the first time. Richard Conte and John Larch star, along with the beautiful Suzanne Lloyd as Maya the Cat Girl (meeee-ow). The combination of Robert Florey's direction and George C. Clemens' cinematography, filled with odd angles and shadows, is marvelous. Nathan Van Cleave (who would score a total of 11 episodes) contributes his first Twilight Zone score here, and he hits the ground running: augmenting the studio orchestra with the theramin, he creates music that is eerie, dizzying, and terrifying.

Perhaps the single most notable aspect of "Perchance to Dream" is the fact that Rod Serling DIDN'T write it. Credit goes to Charles Beaumont, who adapted his own short story. Beaumont would go on to write many memorable Twilight Zones before being gradually consumed by Alzheimer's Disease (or Pick's Disease; accounts differ). He died in 1967 at the age of 38.

"Perchance to Dream" is not only one of my 40 favorite episodes of all time (see the list here), it's the first so far to crack my top 10. Needless to say, the opportunity to celebrate its 50th birthday on my 40th birthday is a rare gift indeed.

No, this is NOT a shot from Cat People.