Season 1, Episode 40: Eye of the Beholder

[TwilightZoneTom@Cult Labs]

We'll perhaps be a little less formal about this season seeing as it's not about to be released here any time soon, if ever.

I caught this episode the other night, purely out of interest I pulled out the region 1 box set because I'd watched the original series season 2 episode the night before.

Overall I don't think it's a failure, it's impossible to not like it in some ways becasue it is such a carbon copy of the original in terms of story and dialogue, but it does pale in comparison to the original.

In the original Janet Tyler's voice is haunting, and fills your speakers every time she says something. The actress who plays her in the remake has a fairly ordinary voice. Then there's the look of it. Obviously the original is in black and white and they go for an almost impressionistic look to the thing, that really adds to the atmosphere. Whereas the remake is a brightly lit hospital. I guess maybe in the modern world it had to be done that way, a hospital wouldn't be so dark I guess, but it still loses a lot.

So an interesting compare and contrast, but ultimately it's a cheaper looking version of a classic story.

[The Collector's Room]

I can't get over how lame the make-up looks on the reveal. It looks incredibly low rent and un-realistic. As opposed to the original where the make-up was one of the best moments of the episode.

I also agree that the actress playing Janet couldn't carry it like the original.

Also, despite being from the same script, the pacing seems really off and the whole affair feels very slow.