5. Nightmare At 20,000 Feet (The Twilight Zone , Season 5)
With a knowing eye turned toward the pulse of the world at any given moment, The Twilight Zone could comment on palpable fears of the day or turn around and create a white-knuckled thrill ride in the blink of an eye. That edge-of-your-seat experience can best be exemplified in Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. Bob Wilson (bravo performance, William Shatner) has just been released after a six-month sick leave in a sanitarium. He is traveling by plane back home on a storm-filled night, similar to the same night in which his nervous breakdown occurred. As the flight progresses, Bob becomes convinced there is a gremlin on the wing of the plane, tampering with the engine. His paranoia mounting, Bob takes a gun from a sleeping police man, opens the emergency hatch, and succeeds in shooting the gremlin, nearly killing himself in the process. When the plane lands, Bob is promptly taken away by doctors. But he is content knowing he was right, as the episodes closing shot of the damaged engine confirms. The Twilight Zone would often pit one person against the masses, firm in their conviction that whatever was transpiring they alone could stop it, despite being the only one who was aware of it. The viewer cant help but cheer Bob along, despite knowing what it will cost him. Its the every-man quality of Bob that makes him so identifiable and at the same time, so pathetic. This one's a classic for a reason.
I've been a huge sci-fi fan ever since going to see "Star Wars" at the tender age of 3 (and yes I actually do remember it! I love pretty much any intelligent and entertaining film and television series (some of my all time favorites are 2001, Lawrence of Arabia, Battlestar Galactica [SyFy], and The West Wing). Must thank the stars above for such things as HBOGO and Netflix (Am thoroughly enjoying Ripper Street btw). I've also been an avid comic book collector since childhood. I earned a bachelor's degree in creative writing with a second emphasis in film studies from Florida State University (Go Noles!) and definitely enjoy sitting back and watching pretty much any sports. I wish I had a joke to end with, but I don't so I'll simply say "The End."
With a knowing eye turned toward the pulse of the world at any given moment, The Twilight Zone could comment on palpable fears of the day or turn around and create a white-knuckled thrill ride in the blink of an eye. That edge-of-your-seat experience can best be exemplified in Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. Bob Wilson (bravo performance, William Shatner) has just been released after a six-month sick leave in a sanitarium. He is traveling by plane back home on a storm-filled night, similar to the same night in which his nervous breakdown occurred. As the flight progresses, Bob becomes convinced there is a gremlin on the wing of the plane, tampering with the engine. His paranoia mounting, Bob takes a gun from a sleeping police man, opens the emergency hatch, and succeeds in shooting the gremlin, nearly killing himself in the process. When the plane lands, Bob is promptly taken away by doctors. But he is content knowing he was right, as the episodes closing shot of the damaged engine confirms. The Twilight Zone would often pit one person against the masses, firm in their conviction that whatever was transpiring they alone could stop it, despite being the only one who was aware of it. The viewer cant help but cheer Bob along, despite knowing what it will cost him. Its the every-man quality of Bob that makes him so identifiable and at the same time, so pathetic. This one's a classic for a reason.