The Twilight Zone To Screen In Theaters For 60th Anniversary

Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone is coming to movie theaters around the country, hopefully on screens as vast as space itself. The iconic sci-fi anthology series is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2019 and to commemorate the landmark moment in television history, Fathom Events and CBS Home Entertainment partnered to screen six classic episodes on the big screen. It marks the first time the original episodes will be shown in theaters.

The one-night-only event takes place on November 14th and features digitally restored episodes and an all-new documentary short titled Remembering Rod Serling. According to a Fathom release, the doc “offers a closer look at the life experiences that inspired Serling’s unique blend of thought-provoking and visionary storytelling, from his time as a paratrooper in World War II to his early writing days in live television, and ultimately to the creation of this indelible TV series. Friends, collaborators and members of the Serling family offer insight into the man whose creativity has inspired audiences around the globe for 60 years.” 

With The Twilight Zone and numerous teleplays before and after it, Serling revolutionized television storytelling and challenged our imaginations to explore a new dimension. Earlier this year, Serling’s daughter, Anne, honored her late father with an op-ed in Den of Geek magazine, which you can read here. 

Below we have more information from Fathom Events on the screenings. 

“The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration” will be presented in more than 600 movie theaters across the country on Thursday, November 14, at 7:00 p.m. local time through Fathom Events’ Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). A complete list of theater locations will be available September 27 on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). 

The six episodes that will be screened as part of “The Twilight Zone: A 60th Anniversary Celebration” are:

·       “Walking Distance”– Busy and stressed out, Martin Sloan (Gig Young) is a Madison Avenue executive who stops his car at a gas station that isn’t far from the small town where he grew up. Martin decides to walk to Homewood, which he left 25 years ago, where he meets his 11-year-old self, his parents … and learns about the dark side of nostalgia. (Original airdate: Oct. 30, 1959)

·       “Time Enough at Last” – Harry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) loves to read. The only problem is, he can find neither the time nor the place for it, and he’s harangued by his boss and his wife for his passion. As sneaks into the bank vault for some reading time, there’s a massive nuclear explosion. With the world gone, Harry has nothing but reading time. There’s just one catch. (Original airdate: Nov. 20, 1959)

·       “The Invaders” – An elderly woman (Agnes Moorhead) who lives alone a ramshackle farmhouse hears noises on her roof. When she investigates, she finds what seems to be a flying saucer, and from it emerge two small robots who seem bent on her destruction. She fights them off and destroys their ship, unaware of their true nature. (Original airdate: Jan. 27, 1961)

·       “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” – On a pleasant day, the residents of Maple Street are disturbed by a noise and a tremor. Unsure what to make of it, when young Tommy tells them a story he read about an alien invasion, paranoia descends upon the once-tranquil neighborhood, revealing an unsettling truth about the fragility of humanity. (Original airdate: March 4, 1960)

·      “Eye of the Beholder” – Janet Tyler (Maxine Stewart) does not look like everyone else.  A horrible disfigurement has traumatized her all her life, and now on her 11th trip to the hospital, her bandages will soon come off. It this surgery to make her “normal” doesn’t work, she will be segregated for life with other afflicted people. The moment of truth is at hand. (Original airdate: Nov. 11, 1960)

·      “To Serve Man” – Michael Chambers (Lloyd Bochner) recounts recent events on earth following the arrival of an alien spacecraft. Its occupants seem benevolent, and offer to share technology to provide limitless energy and cure all diseases. Chambers, an encryption specialist, is suspicious, particularly as he examines a book the aliens have left behind. (Original airdate: March 2, 1962)

read more: Hidden Gems of the 1980s Twilight Zone Reboot

Chris Longo is the deputy editor and print edition editor of Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. You can follow him on Twitter @east_coastbias.