Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Carol for Another Christmas

Twilight Zone Christmas & Santa vs Devil Discussion

Roy and I were in the “Zone” last night – “The Twilight Zone,” that is – for our discussions of both Rod Serling’s “Carol for Another Christmas” and “The Night of the Meek.” In case you missed it, the show’s been archived.

We’ll revisit Serling’s “middle ground between light and shadow” on New Year’s Day.

In the meantime, so as not to conflict with your Christmas Eve, next week we’ll convene a day earlier than usual. So be sure to have plenty of scotch tape on hand – or perhaps just scotch – as we finish up our giftwrapping to a merry conversation about “Santa Claus vs. The Devil” (1959).

If you think we were punchy last night, wait until we’re ladling out the wassail. Meet us under the mistletoe – WAY under the mistletoe – for the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. Leave your souls in the comments section, as we livestream on Facebook, this THURSDAY EVENING AT 7:30 EST. Happy holidays!

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December 18, 2021
Serling’s Christmas Carol Twilight Zone on Friday

Serling’s surly Sterling is at the wounded heart of “Carol for Another Christmas” (1964). Sterling Hayden plays Daniel Grudge, a 20th century counterpart to Ebenezer Scrooge, in Rod Serling’s update of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

A damaged Grudge, who suffered a personal loss during World War II, now adheres to a selfish doctrine. He shuns cultural exchange programs, humanitarian aid, and diplomacy (advocated by his nephew, Fred), in favor of isolationism, “America first,” and nuclear escalation. Three spirits – played by Steve Lawrence, Pat Hingle, and Robert Shaw – offer him a chance to connect with his humanity. The all-star cast also includes Ben Gazzara, Percy Rodriguez, Eve Marie Saint, James Shigeta, and Peter Sellers.

We’ll talk about it tonight, alongside one of Serling’s classic “Twilight Zone” episodes, “The Night of the Meek” (1959). Art Carney plays a disillusioned department store Santa, for whom a chance discovery restores meaning to his life – and the spirit of the season for everyone he encounters.

We’ll be hanging our stockings with care for a Rod Serling double-bill, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. Leave your lumps of coal in the comments section, as we livestream on Facebook, this FRIDAY EVENING AT A SPECIAL TIME, 7:30 EST.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

December 17, 2021
Twilight Zone Christmas Carol Serling’s Sci-Fi

I’m going for my booster shot this afternoon, so in case I’m in the Twilight Zone tomorrow, I’m posting about this now.

This week on “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner,” we offer, for your consideration, a discussion of Rod Serling’s “Carol for Another Christmas” (1964).

Serling updates Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” to the mid-20th century, with an all-star cast headed by Sterling Hayden (including, among others, Ben Gazzara, Pat Hingle, Steve Lawrence, Eva Marie Saint, Peter Sellers, and Robert Shaw as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come!). The director is four-time Academy Award winner Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

This is the first of our “viewer’s choice” selections, a “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Feature” feature we hope to return to regularly in the future. Thanks to Jon Haag for his recommendation.

We had actually wanted to cover this rare TV movie last year, but at the time it wasn’t available for purchase or streaming. Some altruistic soul has since uploaded it to YouTube. The film is also scheduled for broadcast on Turner Classic Movies, on December 23 at 12 noon EST.

As a warm garnish to Serling’s Cold War “Christmas Carol,” we’ll also talk about “The Night of the Meek” (1959) from Season 2 of “The Twilight Zone,” with Art Carney a disillusioned department store Santa who discovers a most unusual bag of tricks.

Submitted for your approval: two middle-aged sci-fi geeks, working hard to spread some twilit holiday cheer, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. Fabricate your ironic twists in the comments section. It will be a lesson learned, I’m sure, when next we livestream on Facebook, this FRIDAY EVENING AT A SPECIAL TIME, 7:30 EST.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner

December 15, 2021

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