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Most of this second volume of stories from the 1985-87 television anthology series is a middling offering from former Steven Spielberg protégé Robert Zemeckis, who later won an Oscar for directing
Forrest Gump. (Spielberg was the creator of
Amazing Stories.) Zemeckis's episode is a bit of schlock horror called "Go to the Head of the Class," and while it stars Christopher Lloyd in a fiendish role as a decapitated teacher, and an atypical part for Mary Stuart Masterson as a manipulative teenage babe, there isn't much that sticks to the ribs.
The real treat on Book 2, however, is the animated "Family Dog," directed by the little-known Brad Bird but supervised by Tim Burton long before he became a household name. A witty and observant satire on family dysfunction as seen through the eyes of a pet pooch and perennial scapegoat, "Family Dog" follows the misadventures of a sweet-natured mutt just trying to fit in with his human housemates but betrayed at every turn. Tormented by a bratty boy, prodded by an exuberant toddler, and an easy target for an unhappy mom and duplicitous dad, the dog can't get a break. Burton's dark sensibilities are certainly in play, and the animation--while owing something to Warner and Disney--is novel and expressive. One needn't worry about young viewers watching this one: there's no physical brutality and the comedy always prevails. Plus, the ending proves, definitively, that every dog does indeed have his day. --Tom Keogh
