Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek (1960)


Anthology TV series The Twilight Zone certainly did offer a lot to its audiences, from horror either straight or of the psychological kind, to science fiction, to fantasy! In the case of Night of the Meek, it's a much more kind-hearted story than the dark series is usually known for...


Henry Corwin is a mall-Santa, who's unemployed for most of the year, and spends most of it drunk and despondent. He's devastated that he can't do anything to help those in need on Christmas Day, and wishes just once, that he could be a true giftgiver. Soon after, he comes across a seemingly magical sack that produces whatever present anyone desires....


Night of the Meek is a wonderful Christmas story! It's a poignant tale, very well-written, and all-too-short. It has an air of Christmas spirit and joy, and there are some great dramatic bits of dialogue from Corwin, as well as plenty of character, both for Corwin, and for the grumpy store manager who's won over by Christmas cheer.

The only problem some might have with this is the ending. They might find it a bit too much, and I can definitely understand where they're coming from, as without this coda, the episode would have had a much more subtle conclusion, but I like it. It's a nice and sweet Christmas-y ending.


The acting in Night of the Meek is great all-round! Art Carney delivers a very powerful performance as Henry Corwin, and is definitely one of the best Santas to have ever graced the silver screen!

I highly recommend Night of the Meek as part of your Christmas lineup! It really is one of the best things you could be watching, whether alone or with family, on Christmas Day!...

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