new "Twilight Zone" series in dev./Leo DiCaprio producing

[Christopher]

I agree with Praetor Shinzon -- Forrest Whittaker just wasn't very good as a narrator for an eerie fantasy show. He didn't have the voice or the right kind of presence for it.

Of course, earlier TZ revivals didn't presume to replace Serling as an on-camera presence, just using voiceover narration instead -- Burgess Meredith in the movie, Charles Aidman in the '85 network revival, Robin Ward in the syndicated continuation of same. (Meredith and Aidman were, respectively, four-time and two-time veterans of the original show.) I think that would be preferable in any new version, since Serling was an irreplaceable presence.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ I agree with you, but nothing is sacred these days.

In my opinion, shows also cultivate a certain ambiance that should be continued as well, though I seem to be in the tiny minority there.

Well, that's exactly what I'm saying. The "ambience" of the DeGuere-produced TZ revival and the Showtime OL revival were different enough from their namesakes that they didn't feel like the same show and thus didn't seem to warrant the same titles.

Actually, I thought the 80s TZ did pretty good with that, but I agree about Outer Limits. But when I said "ambiance," I was talking about the visual and directorial style. For example, were I to helm a TZ revival, I would film it in B&W, write stylized dialogue et cetera.

^^ That's good to know. Who's his dad?

George DiCaprio

I agree with Praetor Shinzon -- Forrest Whittaker just wasn't very good as a narrator for an eerie fantasy show. He didn't have the voice or the right kind of presence for it.

Of course, earlier TZ revivals didn't presume to replace Serling as an on-camera presence, just using voiceover narration instead -- Burgess Meredith in the movie, Charles Aidman in the '85 network revival, Robin Ward in the syndicated continuation of same. (Meredith and Aidman were, respectively, four-time and two-time veterans of the original show.) I think that would be preferable in any new version, since Serling was an irreplaceable presence.

Thanks. I remember Arcade and Cocaine Comix, so I'm sure I've seen his work, though I don't remember him specifically.

 

[Christopher]

I think the syndicated version of the '80s TZ revival, which had J. Michael Straczynski as its story editor, came closer in spirit and tone to the original than the Phil DeGuere-run CBS version that preceded it. JMS was pretty good at mimicking Serling's voice and style.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, I liked that part of the series, too. I was pretty happy with the whole 80s revival. Unlike the 90s revival, which I couldn't even bring myself to watch after a couple of episodes.

 

[Christopher]

You mean the '00s revival. The Forest Whitaker version (I've been spelling his name wrong all this time) was in 2002.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Oh, yes, that's what I meant. I'm losing track of the decades now.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

For example, were I to helm a TZ revival, I would film it in B&W, write stylized dialogue et cetera.

I think that's taking faithfulness to the original a bit zealously. I don't think being filmed in black and white is what made TZ what it was stylistically, it was the unique opening and closing monologues and the tone of the stories themselves, with the clever twists and the moral of the story. While I wouldn't be opposed to an occasional black and white story to get the retro ambiance you desire, I think it would be a mistake in this day and age to film the entire series that way. It has more of an impact when it's used sparingly.

Color also has its uses, either in painting a vibrant picture, creating a unique visual mood, or pointing out the alienness of a certain event, person, place, or device. Some directors will film in color but through a blue filter to make the scene more exotic looking, for example. Science fiction stories in particular benefit greatly from the use of color.

Plus, I don't know if a modern audience would stick with an exclusively black and white show in the numbers necessary to keep a series on the air these days. Possibly they would, but I think there's a reason you don't see too many attempts to do so these days.

 

[DarthPipes]

You know what the best TZ "revival" was. During the last season of Felicty, JJ Abrams did an homage to Serling and the Twilight Zone. He got everything right, from shooting it in black in white, to capturing the atmosphere, right down to the looks on the actor's faces. He even got one of the series original director's (Lamount Johnson) to direct the episode. Only episode of Felicity I ever saw and it was quite worth it as JJ captured the essence of the original show.

One of the TZ books I got (a great behind-the-scenes book with tons of old pictures) even pointed this out. JJ understands TZ.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I thin Leo would do a good job of keeping close to the original.

What is there about him that would make you think that? All I know about him is that he's an actor.

As an actor he's extremely selective about what projects he works on, showing good judgment. He picks scripts that are usually both popular and critically acclaimed.

Though his producer credits are still fairly few in number, he's developed a reputation for having a strong vision and a dedication to doing the job right.

Personally, his father was a comic book artist and he is a huge comics fan, so he knows the importance of respecting the source material.

Thank you, plus he seems to have a respect for film in general and a deep respect for old school. I also remember reading somewhere that he was planning on using old scripts of Serling's and making a few TZ movies.

 

[Christopher]

Color also has its uses, either in painting a vibrant picture, creating a unique visual mood, or pointing out the alienness of a certain event, person, place, or device. Some directors will film in color but through a blue filter to make the scene more exotic looking, for example. Science fiction stories in particular benefit greatly from the use of color.

These days, the tendency is to use digital color correction to tweak the colors of movie scenes, and the result is often rather ugly. It seems that every filmmaker who wants to suggest anything dark or eerie insists on tinting everything the same drab green used in The Matrix, and I'm sick to death of seeing that. Either that or the oversaturate the colors and make it look very artificial.

 

[RJDiogenes]

For example, were I to helm a TZ revival, I would film it in B&W, write stylized dialogue et cetera.

I think that's taking faithfulness to the original a bit zealously. I don't think being filmed in black and white is what made TZ what it was stylistically, it was the unique opening and closing monologues and the tone of the stories themselves, with the clever twists and the moral of the story. While I wouldn't be opposed to an occasional black and white story to get the retro ambiance you desire, I think it would be a mistake in this day and age to film the entire series that way. It has more of an impact when it's used sparingly.

I don't think it would be absolutely necessary to go as far as filming it in B&W, it's just what I would do. Certainly the use of B&W in the original was a limitation of the medium; nevertheless, their work within this limitation is part of what created the singular atmosphere that the show is known for. The world has also moved beyond Wells and Verne, but writers still write Steampunk. My revival would be "TZPunk."

Plus, I don't know if a modern audience would stick with an exclusively black and white show in the numbers necessary to keep a series on the air these days. Possibly they would, but I think there's a reason you don't see too many attempts to do so these days.

Again, you're absolutely right, but that's a business decision, not an artistic one. In a perfect world, we would be able to do things like this. Here is the perfect example of what I consider the right way to do things (and this is a real movie, produced by the HP Lovecraft Historical Society about five years ago).

 

[DarthPipes]

Yeah, I agree. I don't think it has to be in black and white. It can still be effective in color but I would prefer black and white.

I would trust DiCaprio. As pointed out, he is very particular about the projects he picks and would do his best to ensure it is a quality production.