Snow White – A Tale of TerrorSnow White – A Tale of Terror
BASED SOMEWHAT MORE AUTHENTICALLY ON THE GRIMM BROTHERS’ STORYOF A YOUNG WOMAN WHO IS UNLIKED BY HER STEPMOTHER, THE FILM INCLUDES THE TALKING MIRROR, A POISONED APPLE, AND SOME RUFFIAN GOLD MINERS (AND THEY AREN’T DWARFS OR CUTE).
Rating:  List Price: $ 9.99 Price: $ 4.56 The Twilight Zone: Vol. 2
Episodes: “Time Enough at Last” (Ep. 8, November 20, 1959) – A bookworm (Burgess Meredith) yearns for more time to read–then a nuclear holocaust leaves him alone in the world with lots of time, plenty to read, and one ironic twist! “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” (Ep. 22, March 4, 1960) – Inexplicable events cause the residents of quiet Maple Street to erupt into rioting. The residents suspect an alien invasion has occurred. If so, where are the alien monsters? “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”
Rating: List Price: $ 9.99 Price: $ 2.12
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(out of 88 reviews)
Review by Michael R Gates for Snow White – A Tale of Terror
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The cutesy Disney cartoon this ain’t. Although the BASIC story structure remains, SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR is an interpretation that is much closer in tone and mood to the original somber tale by the Brothers Grimm, and in many ways it is actually even darker. Instead of a kiddie flick, then, what director Michael Cohn and crew serve up is a top-notch gothic horror film.In this gloomier version of the famous fable, many of the familiar elements are wryly skewed. For example, the seven men who house the heroine (here called Lilliana, or Lilli, rather than Snow White) during her sojourn in the forest are not cutsie dwarves–although one is actually dwarfish–but are instead a bunch of grubby, ruffians who earn their living working mines. At first they want to use the girl to obtain a ransom from her wealthy father, but they soon develop a sort of fatherly affection for her. Another clever twist occurs when the hero revives Lilli after she has fallen comatose from eating the cursed apple. Instead of awakening her with an enchanted kiss, he repeatedly pushes on her midriff out of desperation, thereby dislodging the piece of fruit with a sort of primitive version of the Heimlich Maneuver. Such changes in narrative and characterization are perceptively clever and make the tale much more realistic and believable than its animated ancestor. However, despite this deliciously sardonic tweaking, remaining at the story’s core is its familiar and enduring moral, to wit, that basic goodness will always triumph over hatefulness and vanity because the latter are ultimately self-destructive.In the role of the wicked stepmother (as well as her evil mirror’s reflection), Sigourney Weaver delivers a superbly malevolent performance as she schemes to destroy her beautiful stepdaughter. The lovely Monica Keena–most recently seen by horror fans playing the buxom Lori Campbell in 2003′s FREDDY VS. JASON–does a very affecting job as the object of Weaver’s disdain (i.e., Lilli), and Gil Bellows is very convincing and interesting as the hero and tacit love interest. Sam Neill does a fine job as the heroine’s mostly clueless father, and the film’s realism is further bolstered by outstanding supporting performances from talents like Brian Glover, Frances Cuka, David Conrad, Anthony Brophy, Christopher Bauer, and numerous others.With SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR, director Michael Cohn and scripters Tom Szollosi & Deborah Serra recreate the tenebrous tone of the Grimm Brother’s original story while, at the same time, they subtly thumb their noses at the saccharine, white-washed Disney interpretation. Mike Southon’s beautiful cinematography is deliberately on the warm side of the spectrum, generating a autumnal ambiance perfectly suited to the plot. And the creative art direction by Peter Russell, outstanding pseudo-medieval production design of Gemma Jackson, and clever “period” costume designs from Marit Allen and Charles Knode add detail to the film that greatly enhances both the spooky ambiance and the fairy-tale quality of this twisted fable.The DVD from Universal Studios Home Video offers a clean, crisp digital transfer in the original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1. (Alas, it is only letterbox widescreen and not anamorphic, but it still looks beautiful.) The only real bonus feature is a trailer for the film, which curiously identifies it using one of its numerous alternate titles. The disc is very reasonably priced, though, so fans of old-fashioned gothic horror or grim Grimm fairy tales are hereby advised to add SNOW WHITE: A TALE OF TERROR to their collections.
Review by Joshua Koppel for Snow White – A Tale of Terror
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This version of the classic story stars Sigourney Weaver and Sam Neill and is far from the cheery animated version you may be familiar with..Sam Neill plays Lillian’s father. After the death of his wife he marries Sigourney Weaver. Things are fine at first but the aging Weaver begins to feel jealousy towards her step-daughter. She feels she is in competition for her husband’s affections. With the help of her mysterious magic mirror (a frightening piece of furniture if I ever saw one) she begins making plans to be number one.But as Weaver makes her plans she also begins to sink into deeper and deeper madness as she eliminates the servants, her step-daughter and even her brother. But Lillian manages to survive and meets a band of outlaw miner’s hoping to find a rich strike. She manages to win their hearts in time and eventually returns to challenge her step-mother.This is a very dark telling of the Snow White story. It is more tragic than many tellings in that the step-mother is mad and not evil. The girl who plays Lillian is excellent. Her ability to show powerful emotion with a single look really adds to the atmosphere of this dark film.If you are interested in seeing a good dark tale then Snow White could be just what you are looking for.
Review by Torkvar for Snow White – A Tale of Terror
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This film is easily one of my top ten favorites. The whole movie is amazing, with brilliant cinematography, beautiful lighting, and breath-taking scenery and use of color. The costuming is excellent. The film follows the Grimms’ Snow White fairytale, but the story is told from a much more sinister point of view. This film pulls no punches and has a very dark, gothic atmosphere. Not a cute little Disney fairy tale. Some really good acting from Sigourney Weaver, and Monica Keena makes an excellent Snow White. (She is absolutely gorgeous! ) Lots of scenes shot on location in Czech forests, castles, churches, etc. Takes place during the late Middle Ages. A very exciting film with superb visuals and a very chilling atmosphere. Don’t miss it!
Review by AJ for Snow White – A Tale of Terror
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Snow White as horror movie, it sounds preposterous, but in fact it is quite a good idea. Grimm’s fairytales can get pretty gruesome too. The creators of this movie made something special of it. Sam Neill is a bit insipid as the father, but Sigourney Weaver as the stepmother plays one of her best parts ever and obviously enjoys being evil. The whole atmosphere of the movie is very gothic and it looks great. It may seems somewhat degrading for horror fans to watch a movie named Snow White, but as the posters say: The Fairy Tale is Over! It is, but what we get in return is a lot better. Personally I am not much of a horror fan, but in this case I could watch this movie time and again.
Review by holmes9@earthlink.com for Snow White – A Tale of Terror
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For people that think this movie is a little too dark, just remember this: when fairy tales were originally told, they were meant to be scary. They were intended to teach moral lessons too children. Then Disney came along and candy coated everything to make it more easily digestable. This movie is definitely not candy coated. It is dark, and violent, but it is also very beautiful. This is the way Grimm’s stories were meant to be told!!!
Review by Lawrance M. Bernabo for The Twilight Zone: Vol. 2
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No matter how many DVDs they put out with episodes of “The Twilight Zone,” they cannot put out one with better episodes that Volume 2. This is not just because it has the quintessential “Zone” episode as the first one on the DVD, but also two of the other three episodes are outright classics and the final one is still an above average episode from Rod Serling’s celebrated television anthology series. That is why when I started picking up choice volumes in this collection to own forever Volume 2 was number one on my list.
Episode 8, “Time Enough at Last” (Written by Rod Serling from Lynn Venable’s short story, First aired November 20, 1959), stars Burgess Meredith, in what was surely his most recognizable role, plays Henry Bemis, a mild-mannered, myopic bank teller who only wants to read, but can never get away from this shrewish wife and demanding boss. But then Henry has the fortune of being in the bank vault reading a book when the world is destroyed by a nuclear war. Directed by John Brahm, no “Twilight Zone” episode ever backed a more unforgettable ending. I am even more impressed by the fact that this classic was such an early first season episode. Meanwhile, Burgess would appear in three more “Zones,” although lightning never struck twice for him.
Episode 22, “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” (Written by Rod Serling, First aired March 4, 1960) finds neighbors turning on each other as unexplained events fuel their fear that human-looking aliens have infiltrated Maple Street (filed on MGM’s “Andy Hardy” street). Claude Atkins as Steve Brand and Jack Weston as Charlie head a strong cast that features Anne Barton as Mrs. Brand and Burt Metcalf as Don. Sheldon Allman and William Walsh are the aliens having fun with the human test subjects. This one is an excellent example of a first season morality play from Serling.
Episode 123, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (Written by Richard Matheson based on his short story, First aired October 11, 1963) stars William Shatner as poor Bob Wilson, who has left a sanatorium only to take a plane flight where a gremlin keeps trying to sabotage the engine. Of course nobody believes Bob when he tells them what he sees on the wing of the airplane, and he has to doubt his own sanity. But what if he is right? (a recurring question in the series). “Nightmare” was directed by Richard Donner, who went on to be a film director of some note. Shatner is best remembered for this particular “Zone,” but I have to say that I think his “Nick of Time” is even better. The episode was the final chapter of “Twilight Zone: The Movie” in 1983, dircted by George Miller and with John Lithgow in the Shatner role, now renamed John Valentine.
Episode 54, “The Odyssey of Flight 33″ (Written by Rod Serling, First aired February 24, 1961) is the only sub-classic episode on this disc. The story is about an airplane that picks up a freak tail wind that sends it back in time. John Anderson as Captain Farver leads the excellent cast that makes this rather far-fetched idea utterly believable. I remember reading once that Serling researched the talk in the cockpit and that it got points with real pilots for being so accurate. Final note: the sequence with the dinosaurs is from Jack Harris’ 1961 film “Dinosaurs.”
Review by gobirds2 for The Twilight Zone: Vol. 2
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When purchasing a DVD on any of the “Twilight Zone” episodes, I think it is safe to say that in the majority of cases the buyer knows those stories by heart. The main concern is one of quality. How does the picture measure up? In this case I have never seen better transfers. The images are excellent. They are sharp, clear and maintain consistent contrast. The laserdisc versions had a problem with black & white contrast. That problem has now been corrected.Volume 2 contains THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET, NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET, THE ODYSSEY OF FLIGHT 33 and TIME ENOUGH AT LAST. William Shatner gives a brilliant performance in NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET from the 5th season This is one of my favorites and still holds up to repeated viewing because it is so well crafted. THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET is a good parable of human paranoia and mass hysteria.Rod Serling was a man of great literary and social intellect, somewhat ignored because of the genre he worked within and was famous for. “The Twilight Zone” frequently bordered on the edges of science fiction if not immersed in it. Society’s values being what they are, science fiction has never been thoroughly embraced by conventional thought as a legitimate literary or cinematic art form. That is society’s loss and Serling’s heartbreak. However, “The Twilight Zone” still endures.
Review by fra7299 for The Twilight Zone: Vol. 2
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Four great episodes are included in this Twilight Zone Volume. Also included is some background information about the six seasons of The Twilight Zone, as well as a biography of Rod Serling. Like many who have reviewed The Twilight Zone, I became an instant fan of the show and think it still is one of the most intelligent and creative shows ever created.
My favorite episode of all time is “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” so I had to check this out just for that. In this episode, after residents on a block see something mysterious fly overhead all sorts of unusual events begin to happen and the people, suspicious of one another, begin to make accusations and lose their patience. This episode is so intelligent because it really draws on the whole idea of mass hysteria and mob thought, and what can happen when it takes over a community, even a peaceful one.
The other episodes are all classics as well…
Time Enough At Last-Burgess Meredith plays a bookworm working at a bank. He is dissatisfied with his life at home because he never has enough time to read, so he reads everywhere he goes. He finally gets his wish of having enough time to read, with an ironic twist.
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet-This one stars William Shatner, who gives an extraordinary performance as a man who has had a previous mental breakdown, and now must take a flight with his wife. Once the plane takes off, he begins to see that all is not well as he looks outside the window. Is there really someone, or something out there, or is this just his imagination?
The Odyssey of Flight 33-A plane takes off trying to get to its destination, but mysterious things begin to happen when the plane apparently breaks the sound barrier and goes back into time.
The only beef I have with the volume is that, as others pointed out, it is a little thin (only four episodes) in a day and age where we can get an entire season of other shows on DVD. You can get other larger volumes of Twilight Zone on Amazon, but they cost somewhere in the neighborhood of eighty dollars for approximately thirty episodes. If you are looking for a specific episode, I think you are better off getting these smaller volumes for about six or seven dollars.
And this volume is a great way to start!
Review by CinemaNET for The Twilight Zone: Vol. 2
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Two very, very classic Twilight Zones stories are included in this excellent DVD. “Time Enough at last” from the first season, is clearly one of the best episodes in the series. It was the first one I ever saw, and it captured my attention and turned me into a Twilight Zone fan. Burgess Meredith stars as a lone survivor of an holocaust caused by a bomb. He finally has time to do what he likes the most, read… or so he thinks. “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” features a paranoid William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek), terrified when he sees on the wing outside his airplane seat a creature destroying an engine. This very same story was done all over again for “Twilight Zone: The Movie” in 1983, this time directed by George Miller (Mad Max, all three of them). “The Odyssey of Flight 33″ (Season 2) is another airplane story, where the craft is lost in time. In “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” (Season 1) residents from a suburbian neighborhood believe that extraterrestrials live among them. Also a paranoid story, that clearly refers to the communist threat. A must have DVD for any Twilight Zone fan.
Review by tvtv3 for The Twilight Zone: Vol. 2
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THE TWILIGHT ZONE VOL. 2 includes four episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, three of which are quintessential episodes of the series. “Time Enough at Last” stars Burgess Meredith as bookworm, Henry Bemis, who works at a bank. He’s constantly hounded by his wife at home and by his bosses at work. All he really wants to do is spend his life reading. While in one of the underground bank vaults, a nuclear holocaust happens and Henry discovers that he’s the only man to have survived the disaster. Henry wanders into a library and thinks he’s in Heaven. But our ideas of Heaven often turn out to be more like Hell. “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” revolves around a supposed alien invasion that causes the quiet residents of Maple Street to begin turning on each other and their own humanity. “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” is an episode that has been rehashed and parodied on countless other shows. “Nightmare” stars William Shatner as, Bob Wilson, a salesman who has just been released from the sanitarium because of a nervous breakdown. Bob is looking forward to a relaxing flight home, despite his anxiety about flying and the turbulant thunderstorm the plane flies into. Unfortunately for Bob, he just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and sees a gremlin trying to sabotage the planes engine. What’s a former nut-case to do? The final episode on the disc is “The Odyssey of Flight 33″. “Flight 33″ isn’t quite as memorable as the other three episodes, but it does have its moments. It revolves around a basic passenger jet that gets a boost from a quantum jet stream, pushing it through history. Overall, this is an excellent collection of THE TWILIGHT ZONE episodes that any serious fan or serious writer or filmmaker would probably be interested in owning.