By Kevin Wong on Mar 01, 2019 04:58 am
Are you ready to enter the dimension of imagination?
We've tried this before. The original Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, went off the air in 1964. But thanks to TV marathons and the show's wide-reaching influence on future creators, the series has never lost its pop culture currency. And it's why people have tried, for decades, to recapture lightning in a bottle. There was the remake that lasted from 1985-1989 and a second one that lasted one season in 2003. Now CBS is attempting a third reboot. And this time, the buzz has been more rampant than before. A teaser, two trailers, a poster, and the mind of Jordan Peele behind it all has audiences and critics hopeful that maybe this time, the reboot will deliver on the original. At a time when prestige television is at a high and genre fiction reigns supreme, a new Twilight Zone has never been more likely to succeed.. Here is everything we know about the 2019 reboot of The Twilight Zone. And if you can't wait for the new series, you can watch all the original episodes on CBS All-Access. Here's our gallery of the 13 scariest episodes to get you started. Sweet dreams! Disclosure: CBS is GameSpot's parent company.
We know Twilight Zone's premiere date.
Filming on the new Twilight Zone began this past October, and it's expected to continue into late March. As far as the show's premiere date, CBS made the announcement in February: After its Monday, April 1 premiere of Episodes 1 and 2, The Twilight Zone will release one new episode every Thursday, beginning on April 11. There will be 10 episodes total for Season 1.
The reboot will stream on CBS All Access.
CBS's streaming subscription service is going to get a lot more enticing. It currently hosts the exclusive Star Trek Discovery. It streamed the 61st annual Grammy Awards this past February. And now, it will be the new home for The Twilight Zone. Episode 1 and Episode 2 will premiere on the service on Monday, April 1.
Jordan Peele is the new Rod Serling.
Rod Serling, the original creepy host of the black-and-white Twilight Zone, is tough to live up to. The first remake didn't even try; it had a voiceover, but no on-camera narrator. The second remake used Forest Whitaker as a host; to be fair, you can't really go wrong with Forest Whitaker. And Jordan Peele, probably feeling the pressure and burden of history, was hesitant to step into the host role; he feared that his background in sketch comedy might cause the show to not be taken seriously. Obviously, he's relented, which is for the best, especially after witnessing what he can do behind the camera with Get Out. That Peele takes his responsibility seriously, and understands how crucial the role is to the show's success, is an excellent sign.
We got an enticing tease during the Super Bowl.
We've gotten only a handful of promotional footage since CBS announced this series. The first teaser trailer was released last September: Rod Serling's classic introduction slowly merged into Jordan Peele's updated version, as the trademark, creepy music played in the background. The second trailer "interrupted" the Super Bowl in February. Jordan Peele, now fully immersed in his Rod Serling character, gives a philosophical monologue to an empty football stadium. He then walks through a door on the field and disappears into the ether. Great stuff.
There's one official trailer so far.
On February 21, we finally got an official trailer and our most complete footage thus far of the reboot. We see what appears be a mysterious video camera with supernatural powers. We see a man who is living different versions of his ordinary reality. We see clips of a man on an airplane, who apparently later crashlands on an island. We see footage of a young boy who becomes President of the United States. We see long hallways, a man in pinstripes and a fedora, a dark prison, and a smoking man at a bar. Any of these pitches would sound intriguing in a creative meeting. Soon, we'll see if they look just as good in practice.
It has an all star cast.
The cast for this series, keeping with Twilight Zone tradition, features many popular, contemporary actors. And why wouldn't it? From the actor's perspective, there's the chance he or she could appear in a classic sketch. Since it's a rotating cast of guest stars, there isn't a large time commitment to be a part of something special. Just based on the official trailer, it seems that Kumail Najiani (The Big Sick, Silicon Valley), Sanaa Lathan (The Best Man, The Affair), Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation), and Steven Yeun (Okja, The Walking Dead) will all star in different episodes. Greg Kinnear, Tracy Morgan, and John Cho can also be seen in the trailer. There have also been separate press announcements for many of the other actors, including Taissa Farmiga and Ginnifer Goodwin.
We know episode titles, and that one episode might be a remake of a classic.
We know five out of the ten episode titles so far. "Rewind" will the first episode about the mysterious video camera, starring Lathan. "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet" will star Scott. "The Traveler" will star Yeun and Kinnear. "Wunderkind" will star Cho. And "Point of Origin" will star Goodwin. Of these, there is one direct tribute to an original, classic Twilight Zone episode titled "Nightmare at 20,000 feet." In that episode, a man originally played by William Shatner is flying in a plane and spots a creature on the wing, trying to make the plane crash, but when he tries to warn everyone, no one believes him. In fact, we see a doll of the gremlin wash up on the shore in the trailer (see slide 5 above). Are this past episode and this future episode somehow connected? Or is the new one just a remake of the classic? It takes brass to take on a bonafide television classic. And Jordan Peele knows it; at first, he didn't want to touch it. "The realization, for me, was that it was an opportunity to attempt to continue with Serling's mission," said Peele in an interview with Variety. "If we approach it without ego and sort of bow to Serling, that will hopefully suffice for our fellow Twilight Zone fans but also bring back a show that I think is needed right now. Because it's a show that has always helped us look at ourselves, hold a mirror up to society."
By Chris E. Hayner on Mar 01, 2019 03:39 am
Everything has a Funko Pop toy! Okay, not everything. There's actually some seriously glaring film omissions we're not okay with. That said, far too many things have a Pop Funko toy and, while a lot of them are really cool collectibles, some of them are just plain bad. Whether it's a poor design choice, super creepy eyes, or simply a Pop that makes you wonder who decides which franchise get immortalized in vinyl, not everything Funko does is a home run. Still, there's some fun to be had with the worst Funko has to offer. At least, I hope there is. Otherwise, why did I spend my time tracking down what I consider to be the 22 worst Funko Pops toys ever released? Take a look at the bad, the worse, and the ugly to see just what kinds of choices Funko makes sometimes. After all, for every Chris Jericho holding the List of Jericho, there's a dead-eyed Goofy from the Disney collection. Sound off in the comments with your favorite bad Pops, and let's all enjoy the ridiculousness.
1. Bicycle Girl (The Walking Dead)
They say this is Bicycle Girl, but I disagree. Sure, they both have long hair and are zombies, but that's about where the similarities stop. Honestly, this Pop is just difficult to look at and doesn't really have any connection to The Walking Dead other than "hey look, zombies."
2. Carol Danvers on motorcycle (Captain Marvel)
Brie Larson as Carol Danvers is inspired casting, as far as I'm concerned. However, I'm not convinced this isn't an unused Charlie Hunnam Sons of Anarchy Pop in a reprinted box.
3. Butters (South Park)
Poor Butters can never catch a break on South Park. Is it any wonder that he has the most depressing Pop imaginable? Seriously, why would you want to own something that looks this sad?
4. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
If the pitch for this Pop was "We should set Jennifer Lawrence on fire," mission accomplished.
5. Hatsune Miku
Hatsune Miku is a virtual pop star from the Vocaloid voice synthesizer program in Japan. That's all well and good, but this particular Pop looks like it's made out of Aquafresh toothpaste.
6. Mrs. Potts & Chip (Beauty and the Beast)
The live-action Beauty and the Beast is a fun movie, for sure. However, so many of the items in Beast's mansion that came to life looked so much creepier than their animated counterparts. Mrs. Potts was at the top of the list and she's been immortalized in an equally odd Pop figurine.
7. Dumbo with clown makeup (Dumbo)
If you thought the Butters Pop was depressing, avert your eyes now. GameSpot came across this particular Pop at San Diego Comic-Con, which is Dumbo the elephant in his clown makeup. I can already hear the sad trombone playing.
8. "False God" Superman (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice)
Finally, the most cinematic moment in DC Comics history has been immortalized. Who would we be, as a society, without a silver Superman Pop that has "False God" scribbled on his chest? Take that, Henry Cavill.
9. Doghan Daguis (Valerian)
Another example of a movie Funko thought was going to be huge, only for it to die quickly. What's so crazy about this particular line of toys is that there were actually three different Doghan Daguis Pops, each holding something different in its hand. And they are all ugly.
10. Donkey (Shrek)
Donkey looks downright unhinged. Between his very tooth smile and those Funko eyes, he looks prepared to eat you. Stay away from me, Donkey.
11. The cast of The Mummy
Never forget the Dark Universe in all of its glory. Clearly, someone at Funko--and Universal--thought this movie was going to be a massive hit. So much so that it needed its own line of Pops. It was not. Instead, it was actually terrible enough to sink a proposed franchise. Now all we're left with of the Dark Universe is these three things and the best tweet of all time.
12. Roger Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)
The eyes of Pop figures always look a little strange. However, the Roger Rabbit figure might take the cake in that regard. The huge black dots look so out of place on Roger and, quite honestly, scare me.
13. Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story)
Where is his face? Look, I get it. Some Pops don't have mouths, and that's okay. However, with a head that big, Buzz needs something before the eyes. Instead, it looks like Neo in The Matrix, after Agent Smith has his mouth taken away.
Dory (Finding Nemo)
Why is Dory a weird blue rectangle? Maybe fish should be turned into Pops if this is going to be the end result.
15. Uncle Si (Duck Dynasty)
Honestly, I just can't believe Duck Dynasty Pops exist. Was there really ever a market for that?
16. Gene (The Emoji Movie)
Gene is the "meh" emoji, which is incredibly fitting. This is the most "meh" Pop ever.
17. Mrs. Featherstone (Pride & Prejudice & Zombies)
Remember the massive global phenomenon known as the Pride & Prejudice & Zombies movie? No? Of course you don't. The movie got a whole line of Pops, none of which are stranger than the zombified version of a very minor character. Weirdly, this particular Pop was given to me when I covered the film's junket. I immediately got rid of it.
18. Psy
What makes this one so bad is simply the fact that it exists. Does every meme need a Pop? Probably. Editor's note: Psy has had more hits than "Gangam Style." I highly recommend checking out the videos for "Daddy" or "New Face." Also, stop being a K-Pop hater, Chris.
19. Goofy (Disney)
This Goofy Pop is just deeply unsettling. The way his eyes are designed makes it look like he's in some sort of a murderous trance that leaves me fearing for my own safety. Keep those dead eyes to yourself, dog.
20. Thestral (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald)
The Crimes of Grindelwald isn't exactly remembered as the best entry in the Wizarding World franchise, but this ugly Pop is an insult even to it. Instead of looking like a cool dragon, Thestral looks like some kind of skeletal bird/cat hybrid.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
It's not that the design of Ursula is bad in Pop form. There are some standard models that look great. This "Diamond Collection" version, though, is covered in glitter and just looks... bad.
Bad Ape (War for the Planet of the Apes)
The apes in the Plant of the Apes films weren't pretty, by any means. Bad Ape, though, is just horrific to look at. Why would someone want this on a bookshelf?
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