I watched one of the funniest things ever...

[Downhome 0]

Ok, so I signed up for the Columbia House TV Greates club a few weeks ago. I had to pay around $3, they sent me the DVD I picked out (a Twilight Zone DVD that had four episodes on it), and I finally got around to watching it the other day.

 

It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

 

The episode that I'm talking about is entitled it's a good life, here is a summary of it...

 

The Twilight Zone: It's a Good Life (1961)

Fantasy

 

Cloris Leachman, John Larch, Bill Mumy

 

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Adapted by Rod Serling from a story by Jerome Bixby, "It's a Good Life" stands the test of time as one of the best-ever Twilight Zone episodes -- not to mention one of the series' most frightening efforts. The terrified citizens of Peaksville, Ohio, are held in thrall by a "monster" in the form of angelic-looking youngster Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy). Possessed with the ability to read minds, coupled ... Read moreAdapted by Rod Serling from a story by Jerome Bixby, "It's a Good Life" stands the test of time as one of the best-ever Twilight Zone episodes -- not to mention one of the series' most frightening efforts.

 

The terrified citizens of Peaksville, Ohio, are held in thrall by a "monster" in the form of angelic-looking youngster Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy). Possessed with the ability to read minds, coupled with mysterious destructive powers, Anthony bristles whenever he senses that someone is thinking bad thoughts -- and whenever he bristles, something really bad happens (yes, this is the one with the cornfield and the jack-in-the-box).

 

Understandably, this episode has always been a favorite of youngsters, who would give anything to wield Anthony Fremont's awesome powers over their own parents. First telecast November 3, 1961, "It's a Good Life" was later reworked in the 1983 theatrical film Twilight Zone: The Movie -- and a few years after that, it was delightfully lampooned on one of The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

 

...here is a picture of the crazy "monster"...

 

 

...and you can also click here for other pictures from the episode.

 

I'll admit, for it's day and age I'm sure it was weird as hell. Even today, it's somewhat twisted having a young child turn a man into a jack-in-the-box. I know that this is a classic, and I saw this years ago when I was a child, but when I watched this again just the other day, I just about couldn't stop laughing throughout.

 

There's just something about everyone being so frightened of this young child, and then his doing something horrible. As described above, whenever someone thinks any bad thoughts, he makes them go away to the corn field, or he destroys them. It's great seeing him do something horrible like killing someone else or creating a beast, and one of the adults are just about to say something to him about it, and instead they say a line like...

 

"Ummm, yeah, it's real good you did that, real good. It was a really good thing, really."

 

...if you've seen this classic, you know what I mean. Here is my question though...

 

...have any of you seen this lately, and if you have, did you not find it funny at all seeing everyone's reactions to his actions? It's so f'n great, I love it.

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I've seen it and have it on DVD (the box sets). It's probably one of the more famous and influential TZ's out there and that's saying something. The story was used again for the TZ movie in the 80's and you Simpsons fanatics will surely recognize the story as being spoofed in Treehouse of Horror II, where Bart plays the part of Billy. Him turning Homer into the Jack-in-the-Box was also lifted from the episode.

 

Although it's a pretty famous episode, it's not one that I'd consider to be one of my favorites or even one that I like to watch. The whole episode just sort of brings you down and I'd rather feel that way at the END of the episode, not during the whole thing.

[Downhome 0]

You don't think it's just so funny how everyone acts???

 

Maybe I'm just odd.

 

I love seeing him go something like "I have no friends to play with, none at all. Will you bring me some kids to play with?" Then his dad responds "Well Billy, you know what happened the LAST time you had friends over." and he goes something like, "I turned them into burning fire".

 

Then the dad is about to say he shouldn't do it, but instead says VERY excitedly "It's a good thing, a REALLY good you did that to them, a very good thing indeed."

 

Just thinking about it makes me laugh.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I don't really find the attitude to be all that funny, but that's just me. I guess it could be funny in an over-the-top sense, but I still find the episode to be a bit of a downer, even though I'm not one for the cliche happy ending.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I bet the Simpsons version (Treehouse of Horror episode) of it was funnier in the ha ha funny sense

[Nighthawk 0]

Trivia: the kid from the episode had a cameo in the adaptation in the movie, he was the guy playing the arcade game.

 

I don't really find it all that funny either... although I felt if it was real his head would have been smashed in long ago. Just kill him while he's asleep or... something.

[Downhome 0]

I bet the Simpsons version (Treehouse of Horror episode) of it was funnier .

Not to me. The Simpsons deal was TRYING to be funny, this one was trying to frighten me.

 

Like I said though, maybe I'm just odd.

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

I definately remember the Simpsons episode and kinda want to see this now. It is on the first Twilight Zone DVD? Is it only available from Columbia House?

[Downhome 0]

I definately remember the Simpsons episode and kinda want to see this now. It is on the first Twilight Zone DVD? Is it only available from Columbia House?

It's on various Twilight Zone DVDs.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I don't think it was trying to frighten you as much as make you think. One of the great things about TZ is that Serling often incorporated his feelings on real and serious issues into the stories of the series, simply because they couldn't be discussed in a straight-forward manner. By dressing real issues up a bit and making it seem like it "wasn't real," Serling found a way around the system and as a result, just about every TZ episode offers some commentary on society.

 

I would take it that this episode, for instance, deals with spoiled children and the power they hold over their parents and even other adults.

[Downhome 0]

I don't think it was trying to frighten you as much as make you think. One of the great things about TZ is that Serling often incorporated his feelings on real and serious issues into the stories of the series, simply because they couldn't be discussed in a straight-forward manner. By dressing real issues up a bit and making it seem like it "wasn't real," Serling found a way around the system and as a result, just about every TZ episode offers some commentary on society.

 

I would take it that this episode, for instance, deals with spoiled children and the power they hold over their parents and even other adults.

Oh yeah, all of that is true.

 

But there's no doubt it was trying to frighten people, what with that twisted jack-in-the-box, that part freaks even me out.

 

I still laugh at the episode, I freaking love it.

 

It's a GOOD thing I freaking love it, oh yes it is.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Well that part was used to scare people, but I believe the rest of the episode was more to provoke some thought rather than induce horror. Most TZ followed that formula, but there were certain episodes that used more "frightening" tactics than others.

[Nighthawk 0]

I'm gonna use this thread to say something about the Twilight Zone that I was thinking about the other day. It's overrated. It's great (sometimes), but it's not the be all end all of sci fi television. Serling said that maybe a third of the episodes were great, a third were acceptable and a third sucked, and I tend agree with him. I didn't like any of the hour long episodes really.

I don't think it was any better than the Outer Limits, or Ray Bradbury Theater, and it was worse than Thriller. It was better than Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Blasphemy! Better than AHP? No way. I'll agree that TZ tends to be overrated and the portion of episodes that sucked were during the period where Serling was more or less being forced to go along with things and had little to no say on the creative end of things.

 

I'd LOVE to see AHP on DVD (more than just the episodes he directed), but the one thing I have realized about both shows is that some really don't hold up well to multiple viewings. Since just about all of them feature twist endings, some are bound to carry little substance and once you've seen the ending, there's not much left to go back to.

[Nighthawk 0]

AHP seemed a little shallow and predictable to me. I'm not saying it was a bad show by any means, none of the ones I mentioned were, but I could usually figure out what was going to happen early on. Granted, TZ telegraphed some episodes too (I guess that's the risk you run relying on the twist ending so frequently), but I think there was a higher ratio of really good ones on TZ.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Some of the AHP episodes were predictable, but a lot of them were simply genius, and I'm not using that term lightly. Alfred's wry humor was always a delight and most of the episodes were great, although, much like TZ, the one-hour ones weren't anything special, although TZ did have a couple of good ones (i.e. the one featuring Julie Newmar as the Devil).

[Guest El Satanico]

Jonathan Harris playing his father or one of the main adults would've made it funny looking back on it.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Didn't the new Twilight Zone do a follow up to that episode?

[Guest El Satanico]

yes

[Ravenbomb 0]

I only remember the AHP episode where the wife killed her husband with the leg of lamb. That one was good.

 

 

EDIT: Lamb to the Slaugher was the name of the episode

Edited October 11, 2003 by Ravenbomb

[Beast 0]

The Twilight Zone is one of the top shows of all time. And it could have been even better as they tried to get the rights to many classic stories, but for one reason or another, were unable to. Only a handful of shows have a collection of so many memorable episodes.

 

To Serve Man

Time Enough At Last

The Eye Of The Beholder

The Howling Man

Will The Real Martian PLease Stand Up?

THe Invaders

Nightmare At 20,000 Ft - With Shatner, oh yeah

and many more

[Slickster 0]

I only remember the AHP episode where the wife killed her husband with the leg of lamb. That one was good.

 

 

EDIT: Lamb to the Slaugher was the name of the episode

Must've been based off of the short story of the same name by Roald Dahl.

[Ravenbomb 0]

yeah, it was.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

I know Johnny Bravo did an "It's A Good Life" ep.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I believe Lamb to the Slaughter was one of the episodes that Hitch directed, and thus, it's one of the few AHP episodes that's made it to DVD. That's probably one of the more memorable episodes, but I think there's quite a few episodes that aren't as well-remembered that are just as good, if not better than the ones that are.