The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street - The Twilight Zone

"The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" is an episode I have shown many times in my television courses. Rod Serling is an artistic force, especially when you consider the TV anthologies he wrote in the 1950s, such as Patterns and Requiem for Heavyweight. Although the term "showrunner" was not used during the time when The Twilight Zone aired, Serling arguable meets all the traits of a television auteur.

The plot of "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" is simple: neighbors conversing on a sun-drenched suburban street are suddenly disrupted when a strange-sounding object flies over with a loud roar and a flash of light. Some think it might have been a meteor. No one really knows for sure. No need to panic. But when they discover they have no electrical power, and lawn mowers and cars no longer work, a meeting is called on the street as the paranoia begins.

 

The episode offers a number of insights into late 1950s America (albeit allegorically).

 

As residents of Maple Street gather together, young Tommy references his comic books as a source of explanation for the strange occurrence. He says aliens may have already sent their people to earth, who look just like humans, a possible reference to Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956). 

 
Of course, this film and others of the 1950s are often discussed as allegories of an outside threat such as communism or McCarthyism and the Red Scare, which speaks to the height of the Cold War era.

The neighbors blow Tommy off, saying that he's been reading too many comic books. It is interesting to note that in 1954 the Comics Code Authority was established as a way for the comic book industry to police itself.

The Comics Code Authority was created because of the concern of graphic content and its impact on the youth. Poor Tommy is certainly a target.

Although the episode suggests social harmony before the strange thing flew by and knocked out their power, the neighbors, in fact, were already aware of their peculiarities. Thinking aliens have infiltrated Maple Street, the neighbors scrutinize all idiosyncrasies.

These differences are brought out into the open as a way to see who's an alien and who's not. At one point, one of the neighbors points out that Steve is always using his ham radio at night. 

Steve's ham radio takes on qualities of what Jeffrey Sconce terms a "haunted media." But in this case, the radio is not identified as communicating with a supernatural being or the undead as depicted in Poltergeist (1982), but to communicate with aliens. Of course, Steve laughs at this assertion. 

Rodney Hill's excellent article, "Mapping The Twilight Zone: Cultural and Mythological Terrain," notes that “A chief character found in all of these issues [such as threat of nuclear war, the red scare, and the ever-present danger that suburban conformity might deteriorate into fascism] is fear."

Steve's calls the neighbor's inquisitions a kangaroo court, which is an appropriate description of the situation. But it is also a reference to fascism, a topic that Serling also explored in "Eye of the Beholder."

And it is fear that causes Charlie to shoot and kill Jim, thinking he was one of the aliens. It is at this point where logic and rationality collapses as a mob of violence ensues on Maple Street. What they do not know is that aliens are responsible for cutting their power and electricity.  But can we assign the paranoia of Maple Street to the aliens?

 

The closing narration of Serling demonstrates why he is considered one of television's best writers: "The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices. . . to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill. . . and suspicion can destroy. . . and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own – for the children and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to the Twilight Zone."

 

Reading Lost's Walkabout

In my television theory class, we watch the episode "Walkabout" from the series Lost as an approach to studying semiotics - the study of signs. This posting contains spoilers!!

Roland Barthes:

Using semiotics is the basis on how to conduct a close analysis of a film or a television series. Roland Barthes's work on Mythologies is one of the founding texts for this type of analysis. And to keep things simple, I will focus on the terms: denotative and connotative. 

Denotative Meanings:

Denotative is the surface level of a sign. For example, if I see a stop sign while driving, I know to stop my car. It is a sign that we can all agree upon - at least I hope we do.

Connotative Meanings:

Connotative is the secondary level of a sign. This means there can be multiple meanings of a sign. For example, I could read the sign "snake" not only as a slimy reptile, but as "sin." The surface reading (denotative) of a snake means a reptile and it slithers. The secondary reading (connotative) of a snake could mean "sin," or it could mean "friend." I preferably would not like to think about snakes at all! But you get the point...

Rhetoric: Making Your Case Convincingly

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. A connotative approach to studying film or television involves how well you can argue your case. This means when you unpack secondary meanings (connotations), you have to make your case convincingly. To do this, you must inventory the signs of a film and or television episode.

"Walkabout" Example

Lost is a television series about the survivors of Oceanic 815 stranded on a mysterious island. "Walkabout" is an early episode in the first season that focuses on John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), a mysterious man who decides to hunt for a boar after learning the survivors had ran out of food.

"Walkabout" involves Locke's journey into the mysterious island. This odyssey entails a physical component (find and kill the boar), and an interior component (Locke's re-birth). We can track these two registers by inventorying the episode's signs.

Locke's Wheel Chair

The wheel chair is more than simply a means of transportation; it is also about Locke's backstory and his internal struggles before he crashed on the island, which is told through flashbacks. His wheel chair has an added charge of meaning when we learn that Locke can walk after surviving the airplane crash at the end of the episode.

Movement and Stillness

Locke is shown a number of times lying on his back, looking at his feet. Movement has multiples meanings, especially when you consider the title of the episode: "walkabout." It is a spiritual renewal for Locke.

Re-Birth

Locke is re-born as he learns to walk again. The fire framed by his wheelchair at the end of the episode helps to communicate this at the connotative level. He is no longer the same person we saw in the episode's flashbacks.

There are many connotations I could have discussed in this episode. But I chose signs that are tied to a specific theme: Locke's re-birth as a "walkabout" in his hunt for the boar. At the end, he successfully kills the boar and provides food for the survivors. At the same time, Locke's soul is nourished by the hunt in the form of a walkabout.

Best Settings for Film Climaxes

As you can probably guess by the subject line, this post contains SPOILERS. Please be aware if you plan to read on.

After watching M. Night Shyamalan's Glass, I was reminded of the importance of where a film's climax takes place. I'm not entirely sure what Shyamalan was going for in terms of narrative expectations, but Glass's climax was set in a mental institution parking lot. I felt the location was visually flat, especially as a conclusion for his trilogy of films (Unbreakable and Split), two films that I so much enjoyed.

Glass (2019). Parking lot fight.

Maybe someone will argue that Shyamalan was trying to de-construct the comic book genre. So be it. But there was a scene in Glass where a character enters a comic book store that had a section for "Villains" and "Heroes." Say what you will, but I've been in a lot of comic bookstores and have yet to see those signs. Anyway...I loved Unbreakable and Split. I'm even a big fan of The Village, a film that was not well-received.

After watching Glass, this led me to think about the importance of setting or mise-en-scene (what's put in the frame) in creating an exciting film climax. I thought of some great settings used in movie climaxes (mostly from well-known movies). Interesting to note - many film climaxes often occur in high places. For a great reading on this topic, see Kristen Whissel's article: "Tales of Upward Mobility: The New Verticality and Digital Special Effects."

NATIONAL or ICON PLACES

North by Northwest (1959). Mount Rushmore

X-Men (2000). Statue of Liberty

BRIDGES 

A View to A Kill (1985). I posted a while ago that I thought the movie poster was better than the movie. I've grown to like this movie a lot. And you can't beat the Duran Duran track "A View to a Kill."

TALL BUILDINGS or SKYSCRAPERS

Die Hard (1988). Nakatomi Plaza

A MAZE

The Shining (1980). The Maze climax when Jack chases Danny.

THE OCEAN 

Jaws (1975). I highly recommend The Jaws Log by Carl Gottlieb

A CHURCH

The Godfather (1972). The symbolic importance of the famous baptism scene.

John Woo's The Killer (1989).

CREEPY HOUSES

  Psycho (1960).

THE SKY

Air Force One (1997). I wasn't a big fan of the film. But the ending was kind of cool.

And I'm sure there are plenty of other settings that can contribute to exciting climaxes in films. Though, I'm not sold on a parking lot yet.

All Out War - Flyers from the Past

I recently found a bunch of flyers when I drummed for All Out War back in the early 1990s. I thought It would be cool to share these and a blurb about the roots of the band - at least what I can remember...

I made this cheesy flyer for our first show in December of 1991. The line up was me (drums), Jim Antonelli (guitar), Sam Carbone (guitar), John Guerriero (bass) and Mike Score (vocals). As you can see, there's no All Out War logo and my handwriting pretty much sucks. And don't bother calling that phone number - The Class no longer exists.

Mike's flyer (above) is way better and visually more interesting!

This flyer is for a show we played in the winter of 1992. Erik Carrillo had replaced John. His previous band was Violent Plague. This was one of the first flyers that featured the All Out War logo, which the band continues to use to this day. It was only a few months later that Sam would be replaced by Chris Chisholm on guitar.

Za Bar was a small place we played in Dutchess county. I'm almost certain it was a pizza parlor. When you're a new band on the scene, you take what you can get. I do remember  we had written a song called "Sum of All Fears" which we played at this show. We later dropped the song.  A few of the parts can be heard in the song "Show of Force. "

This is a video clip of "Show of Force" from QE2s in Albany, NY (summer of 1993). It was one my last shows with the band. We recorded "Show of Force" with other songs in 1993. We never released the demo. The Dying Gods EP comes with a download of some of the songs from the 1993 Demo.

We opened for a lot of national acts at the skate park in Newburgh. We also played a number of show with Dissolve from Dutchess county. They are an incredibly talented band. I am glad they're still playing shows and recording music.

Above is us performing "Stuck Inside" at the skate park in 1992.

I have no recollection of this Halloween show. But I do know that Rock Fantasy in Middletown, NY is one of the coolest and best places for all things metal.

An interview before a show we played at the Bond Street Cafe in the summer of 1993. You can get sense of where the band was at.

This photo was taken of me in December of 1991 at The Class in Middletown, New York. It was our first show. I can't believe how big my drum set was. Did I really need two floor toms? Sometimes visiting the past can be a blast.

Sky-Boxx (aka Skybox NY)

What follows is a short history of my band from the 1990s called Skybox. These are the liner notes for the CD booklet that was included in the Whole Ep. In 2013, we had to change our name to Sky-Boxx for legal reason in case you're wondering. And be sure to check out our music on Spotify and Apple Music.

 It seems that a history of an underground music scene must always include musicians moving from band to band, drawing upon each other’s resources, and growing a tree of talent that sprouts and expands. Guitar could be your main instrument, but you still could be called upon to play bass if needed. The hardcore and metal scenes of Orange County, New York in the early 1990s were no strangers to this phenomenon. In the case of Skybox, the band emerged as a side project for Tom Connelly, drummer and co-founder of All Out War. Its origins began with a four-track demo recorded by Connelly in the winter of 1991.

Influenced by thrash and hardcore, the four-song demo ranged from the crossover sounds and styles of Leeway and Rest in Pieces to Carnivore and Crumbsuckers. The demo caught the attention of Lou Iuzzini and Chris Chisholm, who played for a thrash band called Society for Sale. With Chisholm playing bass, Iuzzini on drums and Connelly on guitar, the three began rehearsing as a side project throughout the summer of that year.

It was also around that same time that Connelly, Jim Antonelli, Mike Score, and Sam Carbone (RIP) were putting together the pieces of what would become All Out War. Antonelli joined Connelly’s side project band on lead vocals. Officially calling their band Sick Joke, the four recorded their first demo in the winter of 1992. As the aggressive and heavy style of All Out War gained attention in the North East, Sick Joke began focusing on the melody and quieter side of their song writing. With Duane Lopez, guitarist of Society for Sale, now taking over bass duties, they changed their name to Skybox, playing shows in and around the Hudson Valley. When Lopez took a temporary leave, local guitarist Greg Melnick filled in on bass, helping to build Skybox’s new sound. 

In the Fall of 1993, Connelly left All Out War to attend college. Soon, Antonelli departed Skybox, putting the band on hold. But it wasn’t long before Todd Eisgruber joined the band, taking over on vocals and bass. Lopez switched to lead guitar, which gave Skybox a fuller sound. With a new lineup and new sound, Skybox was no longer relegated to a side project. Around that same time, Anthony Paranzino (RIP) formed a small independent label called Infamous Records, and offered to record Skybox as an upcoming release. In the Spring of 1994, Skybox and Paranzino went into the studio to record 13 songs. Although the album was never completed, Paranzino continued to be a strong supporter of the band, booking them shows in the Hudson Valley and venues in New York City. But in the Fall of 1994, Skybox went on hold again, with the departure of Iuzzini and Lopez. 

In the Spring of 1995, Nick Verdichizzi (drums) and Ted Williams (guitar) joined the band with Connelly and Eisgruber. The four would remain the core of the band until 1996 when Skybox officially dismantled. It was during this period that the band wrote and recorded some of their best work. The “Whole” EP was recorded in the summer of 1995 by Jacques Cohen (RIP) at The Space in Poughkeepsie, New York. The six songs on the EP span the timeline of Skybox, beginning with “Sunlight,” “Dead by the Sea” and “Fade,” written in the fall of 1992, and ending with the beautiful and melancholy “Shoes,” written by Eisgruber in 1994. In 1996, we began recording a second batch of songs (9 total) that we did not finish. 4 of those songs (the unfinished versions) are now available to stream, which includes No Deposit No Return written for my short film.

The zigzag and stop-go history of Skybox may have prevented their music from making a big splash, but the band has indelibly left a trace of itself in the Hudson Valley music scene.