DO NOT OPEN TILL DOOMSDAY, directed by Gerd Oswald,
is a bizarre, disturbing Sci-Fi tale.
A young couple comes to a small town to get married. After a quick ceremony,
the Justice's wife recommends the bridal suite at the home of an old
friend, (literally), of hers. Stressing it's privacy, the Justice's
wife adds, "Heaven itself couldn't find you there." The young
couple decides to go for it.
The old lady, with the room to rent, is played by Miriam Hopkins. Her
exaggerated makeup and 1920's flapper style of dress make her one strange
bird. As directed by Gerd Oswald, Hopkins gives a full out performance,
bringing to mind Gloria Swanson in the classic film, "Sunset Boulevard"
.
Eventually we learn that Hopkin's groom has been inside a box with the
monster since the 1920's. The old flapper plans to give the alien monster
the young husband, in return for getting her groom out of the box. Needless
to say, things do not work out quite as she planned.
A word about the alien monster. It looks like a slimy lump of clay,
and has one eye. Not surprisingly, no one takes responsibility for this
stupid looking monster in the credits.
Director of Photography, Conrad Hall ("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid") does his usual fine work here. His clever use of light and
shadow in photographing, (in vivid black and white), the old flapper's
house, which is a monument to the twenties, creates an entertainingly
creepy mood. The music, by Dominic Frontiere, is appropriately spooky,
without overdoing it.
The screenplay, by series producer, Joseph Stefano, is strange and freaky,
while still, somehow, allowing us to suspend disbelief.
My favorite scene is when the old flapper's house disintegrates, at
the end of the episode. Combining shimmering imagery, film images, and
sparklers, Jim Danforth, Paul Le Baron and Ralph Rodine, of Project
Unlimited Inc., effectively convey a house going out of existence.
DO NOT OPEN TILL DOOMSDAY will be rather watchable for most Sci-Fi fans.
Those, however, who demand really cool alien/monsters, may not want
to watch this episode until doomsday, if at all. On the other hand,
those who prefer witty, clever monologues should rent Spalding Gray's
performance video, "Monster in a Box". The "monster"
in this case turns out to be a book manuscript, but hey, at least it's
not a lump of clay! BACK TO: EPISODE
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