Season 1, Episode 1.1: Shatterday

[TwilightZoneTom@Cult Labs]

Season 1, Episode 1.1: Shatterday

Airdate: 27/09/85
Writer: Harlan Elliosn/Alan Brennert
Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Bruce Willis

A man accidentally calls his own home on the telephone and ends up talking to his alter ego!

Post your thoughts, reviews and comments about the episode and DVD release for Shatterday here!

[TwilightZoneTom@Cult Labs]

Just watched this today. I find I really have to divorce myself from the original series to try to accept the eighties show on its own merits. I think that should get easier with time, but the funny thing is, and I know I'm only one episode in, but it kind of feels like this show has dated worse than the original. I think the eighties has a lot to answer for! But saying that...

I enjoyed this first story. Bruce was a little OTT at times, but managed to reign it in for the climax. It reminds me of when you get to a certain age and you start to take your responsiblities more seriously, it's not always a conscious decision, it's more that you find that you tire of the party. A good opening story I thought.

[the human man]

Sorry Tom I came in on episode 2 and I've echoed your thoughts on how dated it seems compared with the timeless original. I was shocked to see this was directed by Wes Craven because it doesn't have a horror element to it. The Doppleganger story was covered much better in the original's 'Mirror Image'

[antmumford]

I've never watched a Twilight Episode before and as I can't afford the Blu sets yet I thought I'd start watching the 80s ones on the Horror Channel.
I wasn't so keen on this first half of episode 1 to be honest. Bruce was just too ott. The awful PQ didn't help matters either.

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[Bibliomike]

I just watched "Shatterday" for the first time since it originally aired. The opening image of Bruce Willis' reflection breaking up in the mirror has stuck with me all these years, just as I remembered it. I think this episode holds up quite well, not only in terms of Willis' very strong performance -- note in that opening scene how he shifts from both the "him" in the bar and the "him" at home being incredulous to the former being terrified and the latter being intrigued -- but also in terms of the morality play aspect. It's a bizarre situation making a serious moral point about our choices and our responsibilities to others making us real; we can't exist in isolation, living only for ourselves. I think it is fabulously done and a very strong start to the 1980s series, well deserving of the name "Twilight Zone."

By the way, I have to give some praise to the series' opening sequence. It evokes the originals in so many ways -- the window, for instance, and of course the fleeting image of Serling himself; the pull down from the starry sky after the reveal of the title; and the quotation of the classic Marius Constant theme -- but is shaded several levels darker and more mysterious than the original opening sequences. I like it a lot.

[Gojirosan]

An OK tale, but Craven did much better ones.

[fail:safe]

I have to say, I really liked this episode. I thought it was a strong opening to the new series, setting the scene for the strange to be found in the mundane.

I'm a Bruce willis fan and personally found is duel performances really engaging. This episode in particular captures the hollowness of the 80s yuppie much better than any similar episode that follow.

I agree that we'd craven didn't really make much of a mark in his direction, it was a bit pedestrian, but the story arc more than made up for it.

A thoroughly touching ending too.

And just to echo Bibliomikes comments on the title sequence, very well put together sequence there, nods in right directions as well as establishing it's own feel that is more unsettling than the original (admittedly iconic) title sequence. Lastly just to add, I reckon these titles have dated much better than most to the actual episodes Themselves so far.

F:S

[scully1888]

I must say, this is one of my favourite episodes. Probably because it was on one of the Twilight Zone VHS tapes I used to have and I watched it so often I could probably act it out