In 1983/1984 on weekends, my best friend stayed at his aunt's house next door. He spent more time hanging out with me than he did the aunt, but she didn't mind. As Saturday night wound down, he'd come over so we could watch George A. Romero's syndicated anthology series Tales from the Darkside after Saturday Night Live. Jon and I had a mutual adoration for baseball and the NBA, laughter (hence Dick Ebersol's Billy Crystal/Martin Short era of SNL we weekly gathered together for), but for some odd reason we were pulled to Tales from the Darkside whenever we could find it's beautiful syndicated ass placed on the TV schedule.
This was my introduction to the maestro, George A Romero.
Anyways, we'd always laugh at the intro, where the baritone-throated announcer would pause in his description of everyday life, before he'd describe a level of the universe that isn't so nice....
when he'd pause, he'd say "BUT!" a little bit too firmly and with too much pizzazz.
and we'd laugh like a bastid. Listen below.
Anyways, last night Frani and I watched an episode from the second season of Tales that involved our young character Stacey, as she's getting on a train to head home for Thanksgiving. Sadly, that's about all this episode has to do with Turkey-Day, but my job is to jam the holidays with my culture this time of year,
and that's what I'm gonna do.
Stacey comes to the last car of the train, that "sways" as an old crocheting woman puts it, while a shitty little kid runs around who appears to wear costumes that change, as he shouts, runs around like a fool, and pulls triggers on noisy toys and generally acts like an asshole. One other traveller, a nappy old guy, has sandwiches for everyone and card games for the dime store Billy Mumy who has you irritated beyond control about 10 minutes into the episode.
All the characters become frightened when the train is about to go through tunnels. There's no light outside at all, and too much time has passed for Stacey's comfort. The conductor has no answers. It's all very odd.
What happened to Stacey? Where is she going and how did she end up here? The last frame may have your answer, but not the question of how or why.
This undertaking felt more like a watered-down Twilight Zone episode than the normally more visceral Tales from the Darkside. Except in Zone, Rod Serling would come in at the conclusion and wisely tell you how our intrepid Stacey came to this lowly state and what lies ahead for her on this nightmarish train.
Can't recommend this for Thanksgiving viewing, but Tales from the Darkside is always a nostalgic treat.
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