The Twilight Zone episode "Life is Good": Am I the only person who finds it...funny?
10-09-03, 11:49 PM
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
The Twilight Zone episode "Life is Good": Am I the only person who finds it...funny?
Ok, so I signed up for the Columbia House TV Greates club a few weeks ago. I had to pay around $3, they sent me the DVD I picked out (a Twilight Zone DVD that had four episodes on it), and I finally got around to watching it the other day.
It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.
Here is a summary of it, in case you've been under a rock for the past fifty years, heh...
...here is a picture of the crazy "monster"...
...and you can also click here for other pictures from the episode.
I'll admit, for it's day and age I'm sure it was weird as hell. Even today, it's somewhat twisted having a young child turn a man into a jack-in-the-box. I know that this is a classic, and I saw this years ago when I was a child, but when I watched this again just the other day, I just about couldn't stop laughing throughout.
There's just something about everyone being so frightened of this young child, and then his doing something horrible. As described above, whenever someone thinks any bad thoughts, he makes them go away to the corn field, or he destroys them. It's great seeing him do something horrible like killing someone else or creating a beast, and one of the adults are just about to say something to him about it, and instead they say a line like...
"Ummm, yeah, it's real good you did that, real good. It was a really good thing, really."
...if you've seen this classic, you know what I mean. Here is my question though...
...have any of you seen this lately, and if you have, did you not find it funny at all seeing everyone's reactions to his actions? It's so great, I love it.
Maybe I'm just odd.
I love seeing him go something like "I have no friends to play with, none at all. Will you bring me some kids to play with?" Then his dad responds "Well Billy, you know what happened the LAST time you had friends over." and he goes something like, "I turned them into burning fire".
Then the dad is about to say he shouldn't do it, but instead says VERY excitedly "It's a good thing, a REALLY good you did that to them, a very good thing indeed."
Just thinking about it makes me laugh.
It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.
Here is a summary of it, in case you've been under a rock for the past fifty years, heh...
The Twilight Zone: It's a Good Life (1961)
Fantasy
Cloris Leachman, John Larch, Bill Mumy
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Adapted by Rod Serling from a story by Jerome Bixby, "It's a Good Life" stands the test of time as one of the best-ever Twilight Zone episodes -- not to mention one of the series' most frightening efforts. The terrified citizens of Peaksville, Ohio, are held in thrall by a "monster" in the form of angelic-looking youngster Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy). Possessed with the ability to read minds, coupled ... Read moreAdapted by Rod Serling from a story by Jerome Bixby, "It's a Good Life" stands the test of time as one of the best-ever Twilight Zone episodes -- not to mention one of the series' most frightening efforts.
The terrified citizens of Peaksville, Ohio, are held in thrall by a "monster" in the form of angelic-looking youngster Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy). Possessed with the ability to read minds, coupled with mysterious destructive powers, Anthony bristles whenever he senses that someone is thinking bad thoughts -- and whenever he bristles, something really bad happens (yes, this is the one with the cornfield and the jack-in-the-box).
Understandably, this episode has always been a favorite of youngsters, who would give anything to wield Anthony Fremont's awesome powers over their own parents. First telecast November 3, 1961, "It's a Good Life" was later reworked in the 1983 theatrical film Twilight Zone: The Movie -- and a few years after that, it was delightfully lampooned on one of The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Fantasy
Cloris Leachman, John Larch, Bill Mumy
Be first to rate this
Adapted by Rod Serling from a story by Jerome Bixby, "It's a Good Life" stands the test of time as one of the best-ever Twilight Zone episodes -- not to mention one of the series' most frightening efforts. The terrified citizens of Peaksville, Ohio, are held in thrall by a "monster" in the form of angelic-looking youngster Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy). Possessed with the ability to read minds, coupled ... Read moreAdapted by Rod Serling from a story by Jerome Bixby, "It's a Good Life" stands the test of time as one of the best-ever Twilight Zone episodes -- not to mention one of the series' most frightening efforts.
The terrified citizens of Peaksville, Ohio, are held in thrall by a "monster" in the form of angelic-looking youngster Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy). Possessed with the ability to read minds, coupled with mysterious destructive powers, Anthony bristles whenever he senses that someone is thinking bad thoughts -- and whenever he bristles, something really bad happens (yes, this is the one with the cornfield and the jack-in-the-box).
Understandably, this episode has always been a favorite of youngsters, who would give anything to wield Anthony Fremont's awesome powers over their own parents. First telecast November 3, 1961, "It's a Good Life" was later reworked in the 1983 theatrical film Twilight Zone: The Movie -- and a few years after that, it was delightfully lampooned on one of The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
...and you can also click here for other pictures from the episode.
I'll admit, for it's day and age I'm sure it was weird as hell. Even today, it's somewhat twisted having a young child turn a man into a jack-in-the-box. I know that this is a classic, and I saw this years ago when I was a child, but when I watched this again just the other day, I just about couldn't stop laughing throughout.
There's just something about everyone being so frightened of this young child, and then his doing something horrible. As described above, whenever someone thinks any bad thoughts, he makes them go away to the corn field, or he destroys them. It's great seeing him do something horrible like killing someone else or creating a beast, and one of the adults are just about to say something to him about it, and instead they say a line like...
"Ummm, yeah, it's real good you did that, real good. It was a really good thing, really."
...if you've seen this classic, you know what I mean. Here is my question though...
...have any of you seen this lately, and if you have, did you not find it funny at all seeing everyone's reactions to his actions? It's so great, I love it.
Maybe I'm just odd.
I love seeing him go something like "I have no friends to play with, none at all. Will you bring me some kids to play with?" Then his dad responds "Well Billy, you know what happened the LAST time you had friends over." and he goes something like, "I turned them into burning fire".
Then the dad is about to say he shouldn't do it, but instead says VERY excitedly "It's a good thing, a REALLY good you did that to them, a very good thing indeed."
Just thinking about it makes me laugh.
10-10-03, 06:01 AM
#2
DVD Talk Legend
If you're a Simpsons fan, that might have something to do with why it's funny.
Although not nearly as good, the recent UPN remake had a sequel to this episode with both Bill and Cloris.
Although not nearly as good, the recent UPN remake had a sequel to this episode with both Bill and Cloris.
10-10-03, 12:21 PM
#3
DVD Talk Godfather
Just like to point out that you can probably get each individual dvd a whole lot cheaper than through CH. They are probably $20-$25 each at CH, right? Last I checked each of the TZ discs could be had for around $11 each online.
10-11-03, 12:52 AM
#6
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by FranksAndBeans
It's REAL good that you thought that episode was funny. Real good! Hey everybody, wasn't that REAL good that Brent found that episode funny...?
It's REAL good that you thought that episode was funny. Real good! Hey everybody, wasn't that REAL good that Brent found that episode funny...?
