Customer Reviews

The Twilight Zone: Eye of the Beholder/ Living Doll [VHS]

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I love THE TWILIGHT ZONE for a pure escapism quality and the trademark twist at the end, and these are two of my favourites.

'LIVING DOLL' sees the original Chuckie, Talky Tina (voiced by maestro June Foray),terrorizing a mean-spirited stepfather (Telly Savalas) into thinking he is going mad (more power to ya, Tina!).

'THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER' is writer Rod Serling's most offbeat episode, and most startling. It is almost a story that evokes haunting undercurrents of Nazi Germany and the plight to make people look a certain way. Donna Douglas (in a great and meaty role, a far cry from her then-current gig as Elly May in Paul Henning's THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) as a woman being operated on by the State to make her look 'normal'.

Very thought-provoking indeed.

LIVING DOLL and THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER are two of the best episodes of "The Twilight Zone." Telly Savalas gives us a cruel yet sympathetic portrayal of a stepfather in LIVING DOLL with a great score by Bernard Herrmann. THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER you might say examines the theory of relativity in a very different yet personal way with another great score by Bernard Herrmann. Both classics!

I have to say "The Living Doll" is one of the scariest TV episodes period! Chucky has nothing on Talky Tina. What makes this episode so great is that you have no special effects of a doll running around with a butcher knife in it's hands. You basically scare yourself by thinking "What would I do if a doll started saying weird things"? My favorite "Twilight Zone" episode!

Your heart kind of goes out for Telly Savalas in LIVING DOLL. As much of the no-good creep of a stepfather he is you just gotta feel bad for this guy as he gets outdone by a doll, Talky Tina. The doll is almost as evil as he is and this becomes very evident in the final scene at the bottom of the living room staircase. A lot of the ambiguous feelings the viewer feels is the result of Bermard Herrmann's innovative score. It has a childlike quality that taunts and teases both Telly Savalas and the viewer. This is an excellent episode from the 5th season and the entire series for that matter. THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER also taunts the main character and the viewer. The suspense of what lies beneath those bandages is unbearable. This story is not only a parable of beauty being in the eye of the beholder but makes a strong statement on fascism. Bernard Herrmann's score once again is on target as his rather ominously suspenseful scoring pulls in the viewer for a twist of fate. THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER is another excellent episode.

I have seen both of these episodes and both have great endings. Telly Savalas is convinceing as the mean stepfather in the living doll. Eye of the beholders ending will have you going oh my god

The Twilight Zone, 14757

The best science fiction contrasts what is against what could or should be ("Looking Backwards" by Edward Bellamy). Or is a satire on current society.

"Living Doll" 11-01-1963
A woman gets out of a station wagon with her daughter. The girl has another doll, "Talking Tina". "How much did it cost?" It is powered by a wind-up mechanism (no batteries). "You'll be sorry." [Do people hear what they want to hear? New data is compared against past experience.] There is conflict in this family, we learn why. Why does Eric talk to a toy doll? A mental problem? "Where is she?" Eric gets a telephone call. Where is the doll? Can a doll provide companionship for a lonely child? [Have dolls been replaced by other toys today?] Eric tries to damage this doll, but runs into problems. [Is he projecting his problems onto a toy? No mention of his obvious economic problems.] What was that sound in the night? "You'd better be nice to me." [Note the styles and assumptions in this story.]

"The Eye of the Beholder", 11-11-1960
A patient lies in a bed, her face covered with bandages. "When will they take the bandages off?" People don't like her looks. Nurses smoke in a hospital, an everyday occurrence. Can Miss Tyler be cured? There are alternatives. Can she fit into society? "Please help me!" The State has a solution, separation into a reservation. Is ugliness a crime? "Somebody help me!" [The faces of the doctor and nurses are kept in shadows.] The Leader speaks about "Glorious Conformity" on television. Her bandages are slowly removed. "No change at all!" Then we see the shocking surprise in her appearance. "Don't be afraid." She meets Walter Smith, who shares the same distorted facial features. She will be happy where she belongs. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." [This is a very dramatic story that references human nature from past and present history.]

These two episodes totally sum up the Twilight Zone. The original Twilight Zone had a very low budget but magnificent writing and storylines. "The Living Doll" was the original premise for "Child's Play", except that Chucky isn't half as scary. "Eye of the Beholder" has to be the greatest episode of all time. I'm not gonna spoil it for anyone, but let me warn you that even though it's not really scary, you will be shocked by the time the episode is done.

Hi, I'm talking Tina and I want to throw a chicken on your head.