TZ: The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine

If you follow my blog, you know that I have reviewed some of the older sci-fi series like Star Trek: The Original Series and the Twilight Zone almost as much I have reviewed shows that have aired within the past ten years. I don't claim to be a huge fan of this type of nostalgia, but isn't it kind of ironic that I have only reviewed three episodes so far for this series, and there's already an episode on the dangers of investing one's self in the past? I would find that to be creepy, if only the episode itself was halfway decent.

Oh, if you don't know the plot behind this one, then don't worry. It's pretty straight forward. We are introduced to a woman by the name of Barbara Jean Trenton. She's an aging film star, and her life would be pretty fantastic except for the fact that she can't let go of her past fame. She spends most of her time in seclusion watching her movies from 20+ years ago, which as you might have guessed isn't exactly conducive to her social life.

Imitation is the sincerest form of arrogance

Throughout the episode, Barbara longs for this seclusion, but she is continuously interrupted by people close to her that know better and just want her to move on with her life. Eventually she actually gets to meet the man she once acted with, before realizing that he does not even resemble the person that she remembers and sees on her screen every day. In the end, though, she actually gets her wish, and her agent finds her "trapped" inside the film. Yeah, that one has to be seen to be believed...

A typical reaction to seeing the Lost series finale

Although this episode, like the others, had a good message to send, I think it pretty much failed in doing so. The whole point, in my opinion, was supposed to be that Barbara was too caught up in her nostalgia to care about things happening in her real life, but as soon as she got her wish she found that it wasn't what she actually wanted her life to be. The problem with this episode is that there is no indication that this was actually the case. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Barbara actually rejects her friends when they call out to her from beyond the screen, and simply happily goes on with her life. So what we get is just a somewhat creepy, but mostly laughable ending to close off an "I could care less about the plot" episode. This doesn't really feel like a Twilight Zone episode, and the only really redeeming value to it is how the Barbara character is portrayed. The depiction of a self-absorbed movie star is fun to watch, but the story is a let-down.

Score: 3

Best Quote: "Picture of a woman looking at a picture."

Best Moment: The maid uttering an ear-piercing scream upon seeing Barbara on the screen.

Cheesy 60s Moment: Barbara sees her previous co-star in his aged state, and her eyes widen on an overly dramatic note.

-Patrick D