An interesting idea but logical leaps make it at best average for the series. ![]() It has a nice sense of impending doom but little in the way of building to the assumption that somehow evil mushrooms are responsible. How he came to this, I have no idea.which is the major problem with the episode. When this man later vanishes, immediately the boy's father assumes that somehow the mushrooms are turning folks into Martians. But there's nothing specific to this and he sounds mentally disturbed. Soon after, a neighbor goes off on a very vague rant about folks disappearing and how something weird is afoot. The story begins with a little boy receiving a package of mushroom spores as apparently he and his friends are all excited about growing them (which is odd, as most kids seem to hate mushrooms). But its "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" sort of plot just seems too rushed and makes some HUGE logical assumptions because of its shorter run time. The basic idea behind "Special Delivery" is clever and might have worked well. Fortnam (Beatrice Straight) had the right idea when she decided to just go to sleep. Like most others coming to this board, I quite independently came up with the story's resemblance to the 1956 movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", but it ended with Bill eating the mushroom sandwich. I'll only go so far as to say that the Fortnam son Tommy (Peter Lazer) gave off a somewhat creepy vibe when he got agitated by his parents giving him the third degree about his mushroom farm. Even his 'disappearance' wound up being explained by his discovery on a train bound for New Orleans. The neighbor Roger (Frank Maxwell) came across as a bit of a nutcase when he made his suspicions known to Bill Fortnam (Stephen Dunne). Apparently a handful of reviewers here had a bit more insight into the story than I did, since there was nothing in it to suggest to me that something ominous was going on. ![]() I can't help but think that maybe a dot or two were missing in this story, thereby making it a problem to connect them in a coherent manner. ![]() Two days ago, one of them showed up at my house with the rest of the mail. Alexas are bundled into purchases and promoted aggressively.aren't they wonderful? Personally, I will not have anything to do with them. I see an alarming parallel in the ubiquitous Alexas, Nests and other helper devices that are being welcomed into our homes, complete with cameras, microphones and wifi to record, document and upload our behavior. As he opened the refrigerator to reveal nothing but mushrooms and his son handed him a sandwich filled with mushrooms one couldn't help but see parallels to the pods in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The insidious nature of the invasion of the mushrooms and the way they could worm their way into the core of each household through the innocent children was particularly creepy. In retrospect, I can see how it did reflect the unease and suspicion of the times lurking beneath the placid surface of suburbia. This eerie episode made a terrific impression on me that has lasted my entire life.I was barely 6. This one is so well done you'll hardly notice. Never mind that the idea here bears a distinct resemblance to the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. ![]() It's a clever touch like this suggesting unseen danger (likely director Norman Lloyd's touch) that separates outstanding half-hours from merely good ones. Also, notice how in crossing the street early on, Dad has to suddenly stop for a honking car. In fact, this is one of those typically 50's productions that implies a sense of mounting unease beneath an outwardly calm and composed suburbia that might at any moment be invaded by an insidious enemy. The lines including the voice-overs are especially literate and unsettling. Ray Bradbury did the script, accounting for why the details add up so effectively and the suspense builds so nicely. What's going on? The final scene is one of the spookiest of all the Hitchcock entries. Dad is unsettled since the neighbor seems so convincing, but then he becomes alarmed when the neighbor too inexplicably drops out of sight. The next day a neighbor darkly summons Dad with incredible stories about people disappearing for no reason. He's excited, and so are his Ozzie and Harriet parents. Young entrepreneur Peter Lazar sends away for a mushroom deal that promises quick profits by growing them in your own home. Terrific episode for those who don't mind a dash of sci-fi in their Hitchcock.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |