And When The Sky Was Opened - Twilight Zone Episode REVIEW

Next up on the 'Twilight Zone REVIEW Marathon' we'll dive into some cosmic horror. Rod Taylor stars in the classic episode, 'And When The Sky Was Opened,' an eerie tale about three returning astronauts who face the nightmare of being erased from existence.
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#rodserling #twilightzonemarathon #rodtaylor

[@dowsingelf77]

Thanks for covering this one, honestly one of the most terrifying eps ever. Perfect for Spooky Season!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey dowsingelf77, my pleasure! This is a great one and I agree, it's also one of the more terrifying episodes. Have a good one!

[@BobCtabtree-pl6xq]

One of my very favourite episodes of the Zone..goosebumps everytime I see it.And I'm 64. I've seen it a lot..gooosebumps!

[@singin8324]

Believe it or not I watched this episode along with The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street every night before I go to sleep, it's become a comfort watch for me for many months now.

[@HaveCheetahWillView]

Richard Matheson is one of the best horror writers this side of Ramsey Campbell. Any excellent review by the master of The Twilight Zone.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Patrick! Thanks for the kind words! You are right about Matheson, I'm actually going to check my local library and hopefully there's a compilation of his work. If not, I know I've seen collections for sale online and it really seems worth it.

[@debbieanne7962]

Rod Taylor was an Australian like myself. Yes wish he'd been in more TZ episodes. Loved The Time Machine. A solid story with great characters

[@cirespeedreviews]

Rod Taylor is an amazing actor. I remember him mostly from The Birds. This is a great episode, I remember watching this one. Such an uneasy episode. Especially your parents not acknowledging you as their son. Great breakdown Anthony

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Cirespeed! I agree man, just horrifying, especially the bit with Harrington's parents. It's like he wasn't just instantly being wiped out of existence, it was slowly happening. Thanks as always for checking in! Have a a good one!

[@OldMovieRob]

Excellent review and analysis. I remember being creeped out by this one, because these characters slowly start to realize they're facing a slow, inevitable death/erasure, so there was a theme almost like an incurable disease, and since it was so completely unknown what was happening, there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it but wait for it to end you. This was one of those episodes that sticks with you and makes you think, wondering what you'd do in this same situation. Anyhow, great job with this!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Rob! Good to hear from you! I agree, there's a constant sense of dread because as you noted, there's seemingly nothing that can be done but wait for the inevitable....you are right, it is similar to having some incurable disease. A really horrifying thought. Thanks for checking in, have a great week ahead!

[@spiritsnscreams]

Classic TZ! I love this style of story telling, it leaves you guessing. It sits with you awhile after you watch. To me that’s creative. It’s funny to me nowadays how this sort of thing causes so much frustration with the viewers, most seem to need to know and be right or it’s stupid lol. Another great choice Anthony!!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Karen, you are right. Many want mysteries resolved no matter what. And if that's the case, then maybe an episode like this will not go over well, lol. In this case, I really enjoyed the story being left open to interpretation. We at least get a few suggestions as to what may be happening. Thanks for checking in today and commenting, I really appreciate it! 😊 Have a great week ahead!

[@jamesdrynan]

As a dedicated fan of both Serling and his anthology series, I applaud your take on the most terrifying episode of the Twilight Zone. Serling won awards for his screenplays of Patterns, ( this teleplay changed his career, ) Requiem for a Heavyweight, Seven Days in May and Planet of the Apes. ( Co-written with Michael Wilson. ) Taylor's performance was superb. This was before The Time Machine and The Birds. Leonard Rosenman's eerie music evoked the bizarre feeling of obsessive dread. A truly unsettling experience all told.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey James, always great to meet a fellow Twilight Zone fan and someone who appreciates the work of Serling. It's been my pleasure covering this classic series and I hope to complete all 156 episodes. Happy to have you here and thanks for your comments! See you in the 5th dimension!

[@terencemiguana]

Loved this episode when I saw it and I think it was due to Rod Taylor’s incredibly unhinged performance. I just love TZ where folk are losing their sh…. Never knew that was him as Churchill in Inglourius Basterds. Brilliant video Anthony. Editing was just delicious.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Dude I own that movie, I'm a fan and until researching this one, I did't know either, lol. Which is cool, gives me an excuse to rewatch 'Inglourius Basterds' Thanks for checking in T! Have a good one man!

[@grandesgraveyard]

Your reviews are top notch as always Anthony. I was so happy to cover this one when we worked together. I think horror wise this has got to be one of the most haunting zones. You’re so right Douglas Hayes is the key this, Howling man, and After Hours are all 5/5s imo. Keep up the fantastic work my brother!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

That's right we went over this one! I think this one was even better for me on a rewatch. Thanks so much for the kind words. Looking forward to our next trip into the 5th dimension!

[@willmorris8334]

I'm surprised they didn't use Rod Taylor again on this show. His acting is flawless. Probably the best in the entire series, which is saying a lot.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

I agree, Taylor is excellent here. He is one of a few stars like Robert Redford, Vera Miles & James Whitmore who only appeared once on the show but it would have been great to them more.

[@MarvelandDC379]

As soon as I see your newest videos uploaded, I watch as soon as possible. This definitely is a classic and one of my personal favorites. The fear of the unknown is truly frightening. Sometimes not knowing what's real makes you question your sanity.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Charles! Very happy to are a fan of this one as well. As you said, not knowing is what's real makes you question your sanity...the fear of the unknown. Gets us every time. Thanks for checking in! Have a good one!

[@Fade2BlackMCfade]

This is one of my FAVORITE episodes. Imagine the fear of someone youve known for years just DISAPPEARING!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Exactly, it s a disturbing thought. And what makes it ever worse is the idea of being next. Thanks Fade2BlackMCFade, have a good one!

[@Fade2BlackMCfade]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater and I truly love how we never get a definite answer as to what is happening other then "we shouldn't have survived"

[@betamaxblocker]

Great to see a new Twilight Zone video just in time for Halloween! Love the ending of this one! Rod Taylor is good in anything in my book! Hope you're getting a chance to watch quite a few episodes to celebrate the season. Be well man!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

No doubt man, Halloween is a good time for this episode, The New Exhibit, Jesse-Belle and Come Wander With me....and weird but very creepy entry. Thanks Betamax!

[@MoreMovies4u]

Fascinating stuff, dude! Rod Taylor was such a great actor, but I never realised that was him as Churchill in Inglourious! I was reminded of BTTF with the newspapers altering so was glad to see Marty pop up before the end. Another great video, Anthony. Keep up the great work bud!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Greg! Thanks for popping in man! Ha ha, I love BTTF so I use any excuse to bring it up. 😆Taylor's cameo was a surprise to me as well. I didn't realize it until doing a bit of research on his other roles. Have a great day ahead!

[@ScofieldStudios]

Great vid and analysis as always! The unknown truly is the greatest fear, and I love how ambiguous TZ can be.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey wassup Scofield! Couldn't agree more - fear of the unknown eats at your mind! Thanks man!

[@lizc6393]

Thanks once again for the top notch TZ content friend, this one haunted me terribly as a kid, the fear of not being believed and having your reality questioned is harrowing.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Liz! Always a pleasure! I am glad I actually did not see this one when I was younger. It creeped me out enough as an adult, so it definitely would have haunted me as a kid. Thanks for checking in, have a nice week ahead!

[@grumpyoldwizard]

That guy looks and has mannerisms so much like Robin Williams it is striking.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

It is funny you say that, I see it too, and I think I have seen a few others say the same thing.

[@jamesdrynan]

Robin was born in 1951 and was eight when this was filmed. So, Robin must have Taylor's mannerisms, not the other way around.

[@LisaLoves]

This is an episode I actually remember Fein way back in the day. An ever welcome visit down memory lane (when tv was great!)

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Lisa! Much thanks! : )

[@coleparker]

This was an eerie one for sure. But I never really quite understood the whole concept, of why they were disappearing.

[@nicky29031977]

That's what makes the whole story so terrifying. It's the fear of the being harmed by what you cannot see but you know something evil exists. It's also a way of showing that there is evil in the universe outside of earth.

[@mr.danandhorror4230]

Great review Anthony! This is a really solid episode. What a strange coincidence - I just watched the original Don’t be Afraid of the Dark with Jim Hutton last night. I never knew that was Timothy Hutton’s father!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Interesting! Thats' always cool when we catch these actors who are related. Thanks as always Mr. Dan! Have a good day ahead!

[@AtomicSnackBar]

A darn fine episode and some darn fine coverage of said darn fine episode. As someone that this has happened to, twice, I really relate. I'd as well rate it five out of five missing astronauts...but darn it....they're missing. And Rod Taylor is indeed great. The Time Machine being one of my favorites. A highwater mark for sci-fi.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Rob! I hear you about Time Machine, just talking about it for a little bit made me want to revisit it again. " I'd as well rate it five out of five missing astronauts...but darn it....they're missing. " Lol 😅 I'll be honest, if I ever re-review these, I'm stealing that joke. Much thanks! Have a good one!

[@AtomicSnackBar]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater Use the joke with my blessing, good sir.

[@TheScariestCut]

Haven’t seen a better review of The Twilight Zone episodes than yours! TTZ is such a well done, classic show. Looking forward to your next episode ✌️💀

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey thanks SC! I appreciate the kind words. Hope your weekend is going well. 🤜 🤛

[@JasmineSurrealVideos]

This amazing epiaode was in the vein of a psychological riddle, a bit like Schrodingers cat. Sure we saw the Colonel suffer a kind of mental breakdown at the complete erasing of his friend Harrington, and lashing out in frustration, and yes he was going through hell, so there's a horror edge to it, but it's the conundrum of what the hell happened that takes it into a psychological dimension. Were we the ones, the viewers, duped, it was all a ruse, an illusion we were watching, how very meta that would be, or were they actually taken, by a force, by God, by an alien, and why in stages, like they weren't taken all at once, it's like the something was toying with them psychologically, feeding off their distress. The Colonel was an incredible actor, never seen him before, the other two were good but he had a presence which made him more intense and watchable somehow. I love the open endedness of these TZ productions, like you are never really sure what happened. Thanks for your review, great stuff BTW.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Jasmine, much thanks for checking in & dropping a comment. I agree with. There are some stories, such as this one, where it fits perfectly to leave us guessing. I had not considered the meta possibility, very interesting. Yet another fascinating direction we may be seeing here. Take care & have a good one!

[@hermanpesina6328]

This has always been my #1. Especially when i think somewhere out there this may have happened and theirs absolutely no way to prove it has or hasnt

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

It's an excellent TZ. I'm glad to see so many others love it as well. Thanks Herman!

[@maxwashingtonmusic7000]

Awesome vid! Great thoughts and edits! That’s great that they didn’t explain it. Very unnerving. I’m gonna rewatch this ep. Wow I didn’t know that was him as Churchill. Awesome glass door scene! I enjoyed this vid very much. Cheers 🎥🎥🎥📽️📽️📽️👍✨✨✨✨✨

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Much thanks Max! Always glad to hear from you man, have a good one!

[@marieroberts5664]

Ok, Anthony, bear with me on this one. I hate this episode, because it scares me, because it hits home. Because I have come to realize that most of us are destined to be forgotten, erased from the memories of Man and history. Think about Pixar and Coco, one of their best (which is saying a lot). The Mexican people celebrate the Day of the Dead, and offer prayers and food and other offerings, putting photographs of lost loved ones, so they will not be forgotten. But in the land of the Dead, the one thing the Dead fear is to be forgotten, so that is the final death. My mother died when I was ten; for 40 years, there were others that knew her in life, and could also keep her memory green. But in the last decade plus, I've lost all my elderly family on my mother's side, as well as my father. Some of my cousins remember her, and some of my friends but we are all in our fifties, sixties and even seventies. How soon will I be the only one to remember her? My husband and children never knew her. I try to work in occasional anecdotes, but it's tough. Her mother, my grandmother, died at 108 and 11 months, so my husband, my kids and plenty of people still remember her well. Even so, the memories of her friends, relatives and the world that she lived in, live on mostly in me, because I asked about the past so often. But again, my children and my husband (their father) cannot speak French. Their memories are their own, but imperfect, because they could only interact through me, the interpreter. So I too am watching in real time as people that I loved are fading away. There won't be much left to pass on, nothing that will mean much to the younger generation and that drives me nuts. Anthony, as someone who is old enough to be your mother, do yourself a favor. Bust out a tape recorder, or a video camera, or maybe the dumb smartphone in your pocket. Sit down with your oldest relative, and start interviewing them. Get everything and everyone they knew who was important to them, as well as practical medical history and lines of decent. Do the whole family, but especially your parents. They will be gone all too soon, and these interviews will be all that is all left. Heck, for all you know, your grandparents may have witnessed the Hindenburg disaster, or liberated Bergen Belsen or shook Lucky Lindy's hand at the ticker tape parade. You won't understand who you are, until you know who they are/were. Well, more than you wanted to know, I'm sure, but love the review as always. See ya soon.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hi Marie, I greatly appreciate you sharing as well as your kind words and heartfelt advice. I can relate in the sense that I have also lost many loved ones. It's not easy at all, and I can understand there are cases where certain films or television shows can hit very close to home. For me this also occurs with music as well. Thankfully there are a few people left who I'm still in touch with and I'm aiming to reconnect. Thank you as always for your thoughts, very best wishes! Take care, all the best.

[@glenngriffon8032]

It's funny how people react to the same thing differently. I'm only 42 but i have worked hard to leave very few footprints behind me or evidence of my existence. Not only do i look forward to my inevitable departure from this world i expect to, and hope to be, forgotten very quickly. Most of this comes down to my personal belief that there is no afterlife and death results in total non-being, a complete erasure of all awareness and existence. A thought that i take great comfort in personally but which many find terrifying beyond comprehension. I find it fascinating how far apart we are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I hope that you will be remembered by your family for generations to come.

[@marieroberts5664]

@@glenngriffon8032 thank you, that is very kind to say. Oddly enough, I'm not afraid of dying and keep my internet footprint down to places like this, where I can engage in things that matter to me, otherwise I could care less...except for my writing, I do want to write well enough to be remembered for that. I just can't stand it that Mommy will be forgotten. She was very special, kinda saintly, and the kind of nurse that made you well because she was taking care of you...seems a crying shame that someone so wonderful might be gone forever without a trace, but then I do recall that in her 50 years on Earth she did touch many many people in her roles as school teacher, RN, neighbor, friend and mother... So she did leave a legacy of love and caring but still... I guess I just miss her, and it's getting to the point where I'm the only one who does. I wouldn't want to be Ozmandius tho... The braggart only got what he deserved and is an object lesson...but there you go...he is remembered, but not in the way he wanted. And I guess that since nothing goes away on the Internet, we are both immortal now! Have a wonderful rest of the week.

[@THEDOPESHOW_FrankMidnight]

This is one of my all-time favorites: what is it about watching a grown man slowly breakdown?🤔

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

I hear you DS, maybe it's because at some level we can relate to it from our own hard times. Even if nothing as crazy as this ever happened, that idea of just losing it is still so disturbing.

[@JasonGould1976]

Great review man perfect timing for Halloween 🎃

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Jason! Wassup man, thanks, yeah I'm happy I was able to get a few spooky reviews up in time this year. 🎃Have a good one!

[@NyesBizarreCinema]

Howdy! That's all I have to say this time...because you I love your channel and your videos are always awesome! 😁😂

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

You're the best Nye! 😊 Thanks as always.

[@seabreeze9296]

another episode of ttz i caught a couple weeks ago on city-tv. Very interesting story. Enjoyed it. I could grasp the part of getting wiped from existence because they were supposed to die.... But the part about getting completely wiped from History and Memory was lost on me. lol

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey wassup Seabreeze! That's cool, yes it's another great one. I'm not too familiar with CityTV. I know the show also presently streams free on Plutotv too. But only season 1,2,3,5. Have a good one!

[@strangemonkey90]

This is very trippy. Great review!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Strange Monkey! Wassup man, appreciate you popping in! 🤜🤛

[@strangemonkey90]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater Yes sir. I've been trying to catch up with videos.

[@joemadden4200]

What if Gart had been with Forbes and Harrington at the bar? Would he have forgotten Harrington’s existence if he was with him and Forbes?

[@katelynthewhitewerewolf6376]

I imagine The Void from Amazing World of Gumball took them.

[@vrldc8966]

This also is reflected in the Final Destination movies.

[@letsgetphysicalmedia6679]

Great video. This episode is soooooooo good.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Much thanks! Yeah this one got even better for me on repeat viewings. Have a good one!

[@Galantski]

Hi Anthony, as always, I hope all is well on your end. When I saw this review/analysis, I knew it was one that I wanted to comment on ASAP, but, unfortunately, me moving brought about a couple of false starts to my reply, until I finally decided it best to wait until I was settled into my new home. Your video parallel my thoughts on "And When The Sky Was Opened"; it's about as near perfection as it gets. Is this my absolute favorite episode? It's top tier for my money, but there are some others that likewise share that rarified air, so I'm a little hesitant to single out any single one for the ultimate honor, though I will say this: There is none that I am willing to place above "AWTSWO", none that I like better, none that I would rate as exuding a more quintessentially _Twilight Zone_ vibe . So maybe, if I were forced to pick just one episode as my fav, this well ma Your video parallel my thoughts on "And When The Sky Was Opened"; it's about as near perfection as it gets. Is this my absolute favorite episode? It's top tier for my money, but there are some others that share that rarified air, so I'm a little hesitant to single out any single one for the ultimate honor, though I will say this: There is none that I am willing to place above "AWTSWO", none that I like better. So maybe, if I were forced to pick just one episode as my fav, this well might be it, the proceeding caveat not withstanding. In any case, you've covered all of the main points, but here are a few details that have stayed with me through multiple viewings (this is one of the most rewatchable episodes for me--it never gets boring): *The ever-changing newspaper headline* The shock value at first viewing was stunning, but its significance has continued to stay with me down through the years. My interpretation is that this is part of the same mechanism that's responsible for removing them from existence, and, for me, this isn't anything as prosaic as time travel, but some unknown cosmic terror--very Lovecraftian in a sense. It almost becomes another character. *The bar scene* I like how an act so normally inconsequential as Harrington dropping his beer takes on a disturbing turn in this context. His losing control of his motor function is a result of him beginning to lose tangible connection with reality as we know it. The bartender, happy to have the heroes at this establishment, makes light of the event, pouring him another glass, but by now we're starting to sense that a major change is coming over Harrington, one that won't end well for him. *Rod Serling's Closing Narration* To my thinking this is one of his best, most memorable. There's no preaching, no purple prose; just a stark, simple, succinct recap of the inexplicable, horrific action we just witnessed, beginning: _“Once upon a time, there was a man named Harrington, a man named Forbes, a man named Gart. They used to exist, but don’t any longer. Someone-or something-took them somewhere. At least they are no longer a part of the memory of man..."_ *Odds & Ends and Trivia* The description I've heard a fair number of times about "AWTSWO" is that it was a "product of its time", to which I answer, yes and no. Sure, space exploration was new at the time, and therefore, an unknown element necessarily crept into fiction of the day, however, when viewed as an outlier occurrence in a Lovecraftian universe (multiverse?), it could take place just as readily here in 2023 as back in 1959. Rod's masterful reworking of Richard Matheson's "Disappearing Act" is all for the better, and to top Matheson at his own game is some feat. It's been pointed out a number of times that at certain angles Rod Taylor--whose performance here is nothing short of amazing (HARRINGTON!)--bore a resemblance to Robin Williams, and I can see it. *A FIVE OUT OF FIVE way-out-there practical joke* Thank you as always, Anthony, for another insightful video. Stay well & safe, my friend, and keep up with your excellent reviews!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Galantski! Always a pleasure and glad to hear you are settling in after your move. I have moved may times in my life so I know it can be super stressful and tiresome. Great observation about the ever changing newspaper essentially serving as a character itself...tied to the cosmic terror that we know is somehow at work. Spooky stuff. Thanks again for writing, I appreciate you taking the time. Take it easy!

[@Galantski]

Thanks for the reply, Anthony. Having these discussions with you is always a blast. Following on your observation that it would have been nice to have seen Taylor in more than one episode, I heartily concur, as his is one of the finest performance in the entire run of the original series, and in saying that, I'm also including those from the two heavyweights, Klugman and Meredith. This is on the short list of cosmic horror episodes, and only "Little Girl Lost" comes across as more closely akin to something H.P. Lovecraft might have written, with what HPL would have described as non-Euclidian geometry, and an actual glimpse (the only glimpse in _TZ's_ complete run?) of what Rod in his classic opening called _"a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man."_ Perhaps the only thing that would have stamped the HPL brand on it more expressly would have been to see a tentacle emerge around a corner as little Tina and the dog go running past. It's interesting that you bring up "It's a Good Life" as non-cosmic horror, because we see the threat named Anthony Fremont. Yes, I can see that, but is there a a cosmic horror lurking behind or within him? Let's take a look. When Dan Hollis (soon to be a horrific human Jack-in-the-Box) finally loses control, he blames Anthony's parents for bringing the monster into the world. But, I submit, what if his real father _isn't_ Mr. Fremont, but an alien lifeform. I mean, where would Anthony have acquired such malevolent powers from ordinary human parent? Maybe if they had been dabbling in some book like the _Necronomicon,_ but that, too, would bring Peaksville, Ohio, squarely into a Lovecraftian situation. So, if the father was either an actual alien or just a mere mortal poking his nose too deeply into some dusty grimoire, the result is catastrophic for humanity. But I've saved the clincher making this cosmic horror for last, Anthony, and you'll love it. In his overlong introduction, Serling gives us a terrifying look behind the curtains at what we _don't_ see: _"This, as you may recognize, is a map of the United States, and there’s a little town there called Peaksville. On a given morning not too long ago, the rest of the world disappeared and Peaksville was left all alone. Its inhabitants were never sure whether the world was destroyed and only Peaksville left untouched or whether the village has somehow been taken away..."_

[@nafex3740]

Nice episode 👏 😅👌

[@norzcatznc]

Great movie reviews..

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Thanks!

[@FaithfulObjectivist]

Enjoy the accent as much as the content. Nice composition.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Thank you, I appreciate that. Stay tuned, there's more to come. Be well!

[@tylergerhart4806]

You should take a look at Blood Diner

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

"The Namtut brothers run the most popular restaurant in town, but their meals contain the human byproducts of their attempts to resurrect the ancient goddess of blood and lust." Now that sounds interesting and this one is new to me. Thanks for the recommendation Tyler, have a good day ahead!

[@garbageday587]

For me my favorite episode even if Taylor says Harrington like 100 times.