The end. Get Dr. Reba Wissner’s essential A Dimension of Sound: Music in The Twilight Zone here: https://amzn.to/3xm19aE Glenn Tolle’s blog post on Horace Mann: https://glenntolle.com/2017/12/11/horace-mann-vindicated/ Get Night Gallery Season 1 on Blu-ray here: https://amzn.to/30YhtlR Theme: “Neither Here nor There” performed by Twin Loops “You’re…

One down, one to go. In the penultimate installment of the show, host Craig does one final round of housekeeping and (not surprisingly) pimps his work on the Night Gallery Season 1 Blu-ray set. Worth your time? Only you can make that determination. It’s free, for God’s sake, so just download the damn thing. Get Night Gallery season 1 on Blu-ray her…

Bug-eyed monster lovers rejoice! This week Craig dives deep into the pool of primordial goo that is the Outer Limits episode “Tourist Attraction.” TOL historian David J. Schow joins in to regale us with his bottomless sea of knowledge, plus Dr. Reba Wissner gives us the lowdown on the episode’s original music score. The whole affair is slimy... yet…

This week, host Craig checks out “Reap What You Sow,” a fan-made Twilight Zone episode in the spirit of the original series, then gazes backward at his own (sadly unrealized) dream of creating... well, something along the same lines. Friend of the show Carson Cohen returns for some much-needed fact checking, then we wrap up with some reportage on a…

Nathan Van Cleave, The Twilight Zone’s most prolific composer, finally gets a well-deserved spotlighting in this special installment of the podcast, made complete by an appearance by musician and friend of the program Carson Cohen. Enjoy! Stream William Castle’s Project X (1968) here: https://amzn.to/2SuPUg4 Watch 1959’s Destination: Space here: ht…

Have you ever wondered what the show might sound like with NO editing whatsoever? Like, NONE. And no script, either. No, really. We’re talking a solid hour of off-the-cuff yammering from host Craig with ZERO pre-planning (and zero production value). Listen... if you dare. Stephanie Griffin’s Siren Song Stitchery, where awesome stuff comes to three-…

Submitted for your approval, part two of our epic study of Rod Serling’s World War II PTSD-demon-exorcizing Twilight Zone episodes. This time we’re neck-deep in the Pacific Theater side of things, which happens to be where Serling served---- so the episodes we’re covering (“The Purple Testament” and “A Quality of Mercy,” plus “The Encounter” for go…

We’re back (after an unintentional 4-month absence) to dissect the classic Twilight Zone episodes “Judgment Night” and “Death’s-Head Revisited." Listen with horror as Craig tries valiantly to bring a sense of levity to the proceedings (spoiler alert: it doesn’t work). Achtung! Wanna hire the mega-talented Rick Sellers for some voiceover work? Hit h…

This week Craig referees an epic bout between the classic Twilight Zone episodes “The Big Tall Wish” and “Steel.” One of ‘em will take home the championship belt, and the other will limp home with dashed hopes and shattered dreams. In between rounds, fan-favorite Dr. Reba Wissner pops in to give us the lowdown on the musical underscore. You can’t g…

This week Craig mines a solid two more hours of priceless conversation with celebrated screenwriter David J. Schow from their legendary 5-hour epic recording session from late April. Expect lots of twists and tangents and, as always, a lot of tongue-tripping from yours truly. The Twilight Zone is a trademark of CBS, Inc. Between Light and Shadow: A…

This week Craig welcomes the charming and erudite David J. Schow for an in-depth discussion of that venerable periodical Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine. I could go on, but really, I’d just be gushing. Just listen and be enthralled… if you dare. The Twilight Zone Vortex is on a mission to review every issue of Twilight Zone Magazine: http:…

Howdy pardners! This week we saddle up and transcend the shackles of time to corral the classic Twilight Zone episodes “Execution” and “Back There.” Along the way host Craig does his usual drooling over Forbidden Planet props and related gadget porn, and somehow The Smiths make an unlikely appearance. Giddyup! Mohawk Midgetape 300 gadget porn: http…

This week Craig takes a break from social distancing and continuous hand-washing and goes spelunking into the depths of the cavernous CBS Music Library in search of sonic treasures from the greatest film and television composer of all time: Bernard Herrmann. It’s our longest episode to date, but only because it’s stuffed to the proverbial gills wit…

This week Craig drinks the alchemist’s longevity potion and spends an eternity analyzing the classic Twilight Zone episodes “Long Live Walter Jameson” and “Queen of the Nile.” It’s a heady blend of Ken Burns-esque Civil War side trips, Nazi Germany flyovers, and ruminations on mortality. We Sphinx you’ll really like it. Rondo Hatton Classic Horror …

Sheesh, astral projection phantom kids can be SO annoying, am I right? Join Craig as he sips some hot chocolate and digs into the classic Twilight Zone episode “Nightmare as a Child,” then jumps forward 25 years into the future to give the 80’s TZ effort “Little Boy Lost” the KID gloves treatment (ha! See what we did there?). Look (well, listen) fo…

Boo! It’s a word designed to scare… or to heckle a comedian. Somehow both definitions apply this week as Craig tackles his ultimate fear by watching two notoriously awful Twilight Zone comedies (“Mr. Bevis” and “Cavender is Coming”), and honestly, what’s more terrifying than that? It’s a Hallowe’en episode with a smile. Oh wait, that’s not a smile……

Contest time! We’ve partnered with Fathom Events and CBS Home Entertainment to give away five pairs of tickets to The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration, which will screen in more than 600 movie theaters across the U.S., on November 14th, 2019. Along with a new short documentary about Rod Serling, they’ll be showing 6 quintessential epis…

This week, Craig spins the cosmic roulette wheel in honor of the Twilight Zone classics “The Fever” and “The Prime Mover” while self-medicating an ongoing sinus malfunction with a single-malt Scotch. Take my advice and roll the dice, baby. “Neither Here Nor There (Viva Las Version)” by Twin Loops “The Hong Kong Triad” performed by Thievery Corporat…

Check your bags and try to avoid a TSA cavity search as you board tonight’s double-feature flight into the unknown. Craig takes the yoke and performs aerial maneuvers over, under and through the classic Twilight Zone episodes “The Last Flight” and “The Odyssey of Flight 33.” In the final analysis, only one will emerge unscathed. Along the way Craig…

Koren Shadmi’s graphic novel The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television drops on October 8th, and he was kind enough to drop by (in a virtual sense) and talk about it. As usual, Craig trips all over his tongue, breathes too hard and says “um” way too many times. Theme: “Neither Here Nor There (9/22/2019 Revision)” by Twin Loops “Venu…

Submitted for your approval---- Professional voice actor Mark Silverman, planet Earth’s only official Rod Serling vocal impressionist (sanctioned by Serling’s estate and everything!), who kindly spent half an hour chatting TZ with us and regaling us with his talent. Get it while it’s hot! This one’s gonna be worth money someday, gang. And download …

Is this a podcast about a television series, or a podcast ABOUT a podcast about a television series? Craig takes a deep dive into “Blurryman,” the extremely meta season finale of the 2019 Twilight Zone reboot, then takes a shocking left turn partway through that threatens to change podcasting as we know it forever. Okay, that may be a slight exagge…

This week Craig stares down the barrel of “The Blue Scorpion” as he nears the end of the new Twilight Zone’s first season. Along the way he goes off half-cocked on a 20-gauge trip down memory lane, which may have been triggered (ha!) by second-hand TV smoke (hey, weirder things have happened up in here). He also tells the triumphant tale of one man…

Join us as we celebrate the first day of summer with a light and sunny excursion into…. HA! Not even. This week, the dark and moody “Point of Origin,” the eighth episode of Jordan Peele’s new Twilight Zone series, finds itself trussed up in Craig’s interrogation apparatus. Along the way he crushes slightly on Ginnifer Goodwin (because hey, even wok…

Men are pigs, am I right? This time around, Craig examines his manhood (not as sexy as it sounds) in relation to the rampant toxic masculinity on display in the new Twilight Zone episode “Not All Men.” Along the way he tries to atone for horn-dogging on writer Heather Anne Campbell, valiantly chides his fellow dudes who refuse to join him on the Wo…

The day has arrived. After four decidedly underwhelming episodes and one pretty good episode, Jordan Peele’s new Twilight Zone series offers up a bona fide masterpiece: “Six Degrees of Freedom.” Mission to Mars, or incredibly authentic simulation? You decide. And while you’re deciding… GET YOUR ASS TO MARS! “Neither Here Nor There (‘Really? Another…

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! This week’s episode has… um, nothing whatsoever to do with honoring mothers. Instead, Craig asks the age-old question: what do Christmas Eve in Alaska and a kid running for President have in common? The answer may surprise you. Episodes 4 and 5 of the new Twilight Zone series (“A Traveler” and “The Wund…

This week Craig hits the 'rewind' button on the third episode of the new Twilight Zone and, well... the third time’s the charm, as they say. With "Replay," the series (mostly) overcomes its rocky start and presents a worthwhile--- and important--- episode about the black experience in America…. and not from a historical standpoint, either. This is …

Left turn! Host Craig suspends his plan to resume covering the first season of the classic Twilight Zone series to instead dive head-first into the first season of the brand new Twilight Zone series from Jordan Peele. This week he gazes suspiciously at the first two episodes (“The Comedian” and “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet”) and shares his knee-jerk r…

Sometimes the self is the biggest hurdle, and usually we’re too close to see it. This week Craig gets a much-needed smack upside the head and gets his priorities straightened out (finally, right?). Theme: “Neither Here nor There (Series 3 Revision)” by Twin Loops “Ambient #1” performed by Control X (from the album To Abort Transmission, copyright 1…

No clever intro here. Just listen to the damn thing. Here’s how to vote: http://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/ Theme: “Neither Here nor There (3.6)” by Twin Loops “Come Back (Slow Version)” performed by the Depeche Mode (from the album Sounds of the Universe copyright 2009 by Mute Records) The Twilight Zone is a trademark of CBS, Inc. Between …

Baseball and robots: two examples of classic Americana. This week Craig oils up his glove and manhandles some (base)balls when he takes the mound against “The Mighty Casey” from The Twilight Zone’s legendary first season, then keeps the mandroid vibe rollin’ with a loving examination of the nuts, bolts and artificial hide of the season four classic…

You say last week’s chat with The Twilight Pwn's Fred left you wanting? Too short? Not enough delicious Fredness to sate your Fred-centric appetite? Say no more---- herein you’ll find the entire unedited conversation, tongue-clicks and ‘ums’ horrifically intact. It’s raw, sloppy and unpolished, the perfect aural accompaniment for a raw, sloppy and …

It’s Christmastime again, so of course we’ve cooked up a special treat for y’all---- two, count ‘em, TWO special guests grace our RSS feed this week: Dr. Reba Wissner talks shop about the music score for the Twilight Zone classic “What You Need” (which we’re covering this week… I probably should’ve mentioned that first), then the irrepressible Fred…

Christmas comes a bit early this year as Craig turns the mic over to listener Dylan Vance, who presents his audio drama adaptation of Rod Serling’s “Escape Clause.” It’s his gift to the podcast, which we're thrilled and delighted to share with all of you. Enjoy! Opening theme: “Neither Here Nor There (3.3)” by Twin Loops The Twilight Zone is a trad…

This week author Steven Jay Rubin drops by to discuss his marvelous new book The Twilight Zone Encyclopedia. Along the way, Craig practically falls over himself gushing over the book, repeatedly trips over his own tongue, and commits the ultimate interview sin… but you’ll have to listen to find out what it is (actually, there are two pretty egregio…

Heaven. Hell. What’s the difference? The lines are blurred this week as Craig spins the roulette wheel on the Twilight Zone classic “A Nice Place to Visit” and can’t decide between a halo or a brimstone necklace. He then descends to the cheap and cheesy bowels of 70’s hell for the Night Gallery quickie “Hell’s Bells.” It’s groovy, man. Theme music:…

This time around we deviate (almost) completely from The Twilight Zone to examine Richard Matheson’s short story “Prey,” which MAY have been inspired by Matheson’s earlier “The Invaders.” Voice actor Karen Cenon lends us her talents for a dramatic reading of Matheson’s story, after which Craig faces yet another series of lashings for errors committ…

This year’s Hallowe’en episode isn’t about monsters, or ghosts, or demonic dolls. It’s about doppelgängers, which should clue you in to the fact that we’re covering the Twilight Zone classic “Mirror Image” this week, plus the related 80’s TZ episode “Shatterday.” Along the way host Craig challenges Jimmy Stewart to a fight, invites listeners to a V…

Two stone-cold Twilight Zone classics get the full body cavity search this week: “Third from the Sun” and “The Invaders” are compared and contrasted to determine definitively which is more classic than the other. Or will we see a historic first-ever tie…? Along the way Craig regales with a dramatic reading (okay, maybe “regales” is the wrong word. …

This week, Craig watches helplessly as two different spaceship crews make emergency landings and get themselves into all sorts of crazy unpredictable jams. Strap yourselves in, kids, ‘cuz it’s gonna be one helluva bumpy ride when we launch the Twilight Zone episodes “Elegy” and “People are Alike All Over” into orbit simultaneously and see which one…

This week Craig lets the music do the talking as we explore composer Jerry Goldsmith’s musical contributions to The Twilight Zone’s musical landscape, specifically his jazz compositions. You’ll want a drink or two for this one… three fingers of your best bourbon, or maybe a dirty martini with three olives. Cheers, mates. The Twilight Zone is a trad…

Duck and cover! This week we peel back the radiation-blistered skin of the Twilight Zone classic “Time Enough at Last” to see if Craig still hates it much as he did back in his blogging days. Fan favorite Dr. Reba Wissner stops by with a fascinating report on All Things Atomic TV, and along the way Craig is forced to do his mea culpa routine not on…

Neighbors, am I right? Buncha a-holes. This week the classic Twilight Zone episode “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” faces off against the not-quite-as-classic “The Shelter” in a suburban grudge match for the ages. Along the way Craig unwraps a mint copy of Twilight Zone Magazine (for research purposes) and discovers that every good idea he ha…

The engaging Mark Dawidziak, author of the wonderful Everything I Need to Know I Learned in The Twilight Zone: A Fifth-Dimension Guide to Life, stops by for a fascinating and enlightening chat. Highly recommended. Buy Mark's book from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Need-Know-Learned-Twilight/dp/1250082374/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=150092761…

So much awesomeness on deck! The wonderful Tom Elliott (The Twilight Zone Podcast) gives a dramatic reading of Richard Matheson’s “Disappearing Act,” the genesis for the classic Twilight Zone episode we’re focusing on this week, “And When the Sky was Opened.” We’ve also got Dr. Reba Wissner on speed dial to school us on the musical stylings of Leon…

Witness a boy, a girl, a department store at night… and a whole lotta creepiness. Craig celebrates vintage radio with a special look at “Evening Primrose,” a 1947 episode of Escape based on the classic John Collier short story…. Which kinda maybe sorta inspired Rod Serling’s “The After Hours.” Opening theme: “Neither Here Nor There (3rd Revision)” …

Two words: MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE. ‘Nuff said. The notorious “eye intro” saga: http://mylifeintheshadowofthetwilightzone.blogspot.com/2010/06/tz-spotlight-alternate-season-one.html William Tuttle’s “The King of the Duplicators” short (MGM, 1960): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH0JgLTDeR0 Opening theme: “Neither Here nor There (3.3)” by Twin Loops (f…

Our pal Dr. Reba Wissner returns to further educate us on All Things Twilight Zone Music. The focus here is Bernard Herrmann’s chilling score for the classic radio drama “The Moat Farm Murder,” which would go on to appear in several Twilight Zone episodes. After the chat, stick around for the radio drama itself, an unsettling account of a murder th…