Episode. 42: Street of Shadows / Something in the Walls

Street of Shadows stars Charles Haid as a desperate husband and how one wrong move can turn your life upside down. Something in the Walls is a riff on The Yellow Wallpaper and concerns an asylum patient who can see movement behind the walls.

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
We're hello there. I'm Chris Stashew, I'm Mike White, and this is

(00:45):
Father Alone, and the three ofus are coming to you from the Twilight
Zone back in nineteen eighty five.Hey, everybody, it's the Twilight Zone.
That's the most excitement we'll be showingon this episode of the show.
On this episode of the show,we are going to be talking about the
Twilight Zone nineteen eighty five, andwe are going to be talking about the
forty third and forty fifth episodes ofthe thirteenth or third season over all,

(01:10):
the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes. Streetsof Shadows and Something in the Walls.
A man living what Thorow called alife of quiet desperation, a man once
successful, once firmly ensconced in theAmerican dream, only to have it turn
into a nightmare. Steve Cranston,a statistic whose number is about to be

(01:34):
called from the Twilight Zone. SoStreets of Shadows aired January twenty first,
nineteen eighty nine. It is directedby Riisard Boujatski and written by Michael Reeves.
And it's a Ard Rizard the Wizard. I'm saying Richard. On Wikipedia,
it says Riisard Bujatski. Okay,am I wrong? Is IMDb right

(02:01):
again? Maybe he's known as maybeRisard in Polish is Richard because he's a
Polish director. It could be oh, okay, yeah, I see IMDb
rise Ard and then on Wikipedia onthe the episode list it's Richard. So
then if you click through, it'srise Ard. Reasons these these Wikipedia people,

(02:23):
I know, jeez, get itright. You guys spend so much
time trying to take down stuff thatI post, which is factually correct.
Why don't you spend more time policingyourself. That's true. Self policing is
the way. Yeah. So speakingof self policing, they should have self
policed this episode out of existence.I mean, it's a what, no,

(02:46):
come on? Before I know wehave sixteen thousand times. Yeah,
this makes the fucking millius one thatthat opening day seemed like genius, Like
yeah, I mean, good God. So you have a man who's poor
and he lives in a shelter withhis family, and he goes and robs

(03:08):
a rich guy and when he getsshot by the rich guy. When he
gets caught, they switch places.It is it is like the racial episode
from the two thousand series. It'sit's like everything we've seen on this show
before. What would happen if youwalked a mile in another man's shoes?
Right? Cool? That concept wascool in the original show. Maybe dead

(03:30):
man's shoes. Yeah, yeah,back in the sixties, motherfuckers. Not
loc to the new Twilight Zone.Yeah, And what's do What's he do
when he switches places? He loseshis cool? I don't know what what
are you talking about? Who isthis? I'm gonna call the shelter.
I'm gonna visit myself in the hospital. No, he manages to fund the

(03:57):
homeless shelter. He doesn't give hisfamily money or anything. He shelter.
Couldn't he have done both? Couldn'tyou just emptied the bank account of the
guy into his bank account and saidto the fucking loo motherfucker. Wouldn't that
be what any of us do inthis situation? Like you see, he
was an honest man and now he'sbeen given a chance to wage except for

(04:18):
the fact that he broke into thatguy's house in the episode and was going
to rob him. Yeah, andwas like a total cunt to his wife,
and you know, in a homelyshelter and he tried to kill him.
The guy robbing him tried to killthe guy who was robbing, right,
he like took that bottle the snifferand threw it at him. Yeah,

(04:38):
yeah, trying to get away atthat point, here's just a crystal
decanter rotten. Yeah, who hasn'tthrown a crystal decanter at our boss when
they're hiding, they're holding a gunon us because we've tried to rob them.
Oh this, um, this episodehappened me twice yesterday. Charles Haye's
a good actor. This is yetanother episode where we've got a really good

(05:01):
performer who deserves better. Yeah,that's what That's what I took away from
this one. I'll make a confession. I interviewed Hate a few years ago
now, and I actually went andI watched most of this episode in preparation
of talking with them. I couldn'tmake it through the first time. As

(05:24):
soon as you woke up, Iwas like, oh boy, it's gonna
be one of those episodes. Ithink I know where this is going.
The funny thing is I when wewatched the last for our last episode,
I continued on and started watching thisone, and then when I went to
play it again today. It wasat the exact spot that I left it,
which is a halfway. As soonas I got shot and woke up,
I was like, okay, I'mout. Yeah. And it's written

(05:46):
by someone Matt Michael Matt Reeves,the guy who wrote Batman. No,
it's Michael Reeves, who worked ona ton of really well known animated series
in the nineties, Gargoyles, Batman, Want Me for Batman? This,
on the other hand, is sowrote. It's just shocking. Well,
you gotta start somewhere. I guessI don't really blame the writer on this

(06:09):
one. I'm blaming the powers thatbe for letting the gatekeepers, the show
runners, if you will, whocontinue to allow these barely their stories to
get through because they have some sortof twist that is twilight Zony. I'm
making air quotes. You can't seeit, listener. It's What's even lazier

(06:30):
is the like outro narration. Itfeels like someone wrote it on a napkin
and handed it to Charles Adman,like, just fucking read this shit right.
It's been a time of changes forSteve Kranstant. Nobody cares this much.
And what's funny is they have almostas the one who cuts this show
together. I tend to put thetrip, like the intro or closing narration

(06:51):
in, and it's been getting lessand less the longer we've been going on
this show. And then all ofa sudden, it pops back up,
and I was thinking to myself,Man, I'm glad it's back. And
then I was like reading the narrationwhen I was prepping for the episode,
I was like, man, theydon't even give a shit enough to write
anything compelling in the opening or closingsanymore either, Like like you said,

(07:11):
Father Malone, I don't even knowwho the fuck's running the ship anymore.
If really, yeah, there's twoguys named and I have no idea who
they are and why. Yeah,it's almost like mad libs now for the
closing narration and even the opening narration. Yeah, it's like, just make
sure it ends in the Twilight Zone. Yeah, say whatever you want.
It could be here, could bethere, but I can guarantee you it's

(07:34):
the Twilights. I'm like, yeah, okay, the hard times are by
no means over. Yeah, theTwilight Zone. Oh good lord. I
know that. If you're a listenerof this show. It's probably getting old
to hear us complain, but Iwill tell you, as the people doing
this show, it's getting old forthese episodes to fucking blow. Like none

(07:55):
of us go into this with theexpectation of like this is gonna suck.
I can't wait to rip it up. Part the three of us are sitting
here. I know, the threeof us watch this hoping, praying,
fingers crossing that they'll do something,And it's just it's like watching a car
crash in slow motion and knowing youcan't stop it and just hoping something happens
to change the course of action.But it's just, oh my god,

(08:16):
I'm always hopeful. Yeah, andZone is there every time to break my
heart. Yeah, swift kick rightinto the nuts, just bang right with
the fucking full heel of the fuckingtoe, just or the fucking fucking foot,
just right into the nuts. Remindsme that there's a Harvey Pea car
cartoon where he's staring in a mirrorand the thought balloon is there's a reliable

(08:41):
disappointment, Like that's what the TwilightZone has become to me. And again,
it's it's surprising how quickly it's fallenfrom that first season. Yeah,
yeah, yeah, you guys soquick though, this is like four years
later. That's fair. That's fairfor us too. Yeah, yeah,
we're ancient now. Yeah when Istarted this, I was in high school.

(09:03):
Wow. What none of us realizes? This is good. Just gonna
loop back on itself and we're gonnastart again from the beginning because we ourselves
are in a really bad episode ofthe Twilight Zone. We're in a season
three episode of the Twilight Oh no. And there'll be no rhyme or reason
to it, no lesson to begleaned. Just all of a sudden,
all of a sudden, fucking DanJudea shows up in our zoom call.

(09:26):
Hey guys, I'm the Devil.Yeah, I would just ask him to
take his shirt off. I've beenI've been trying to get an interview at
that guy forever. I'd be like, okay, so tell me about running
scared. Just say just say thatyou're a representative of some sort of hair
care company for men, because youknow, he's a hairy motherfucker so he

(09:48):
probably is used that product. Yeah, he's got a pelt as a man
with the pelts. I agree.Hey, there, we go Mike White
and Dan Judea and with Pelts.I'd watched that show. Robin Williams is
your patron saint. All right,Oh, you guys want to talk about
the next episode. Yeah, yeah, so let's talk about the next episode,

(10:13):
Something in the Walls. We directyour attention to the man with a
sleek later briefcase. His name doctorMallory Craig, occupation psychologist, newly employed
by the crest Ridge Sanitarium. Forthe last two weeks, he has been
visualizing his first day, looking forwardto it with eager anticipation. But there's

(10:35):
a terror behind those cold institutional wallsthat nothing in his education has prepared him
for. So Something in the Wallsis directed by Alan Croker. It has
written once again, mister J.Michael, we love you. You're so
good at writing the show. Andyou know, like you know, it's
just so good. We just loveit. And it stars Deborah as a

(11:01):
woman who is suffering from seeing facesin the walls, patterns my man,
patterns, Freddy Krueger. Even inthe Walls you think, Okay, what
was that about? That was somecheap Oh I liked it. Actually I
liked it, but I thought Ithought that seeing the entire body sort of
move out and then slowly like glidedown the wall, I thought was really

(11:24):
effective and creepy, Like that's thegood thing in this episode. Everything else
was garbage. This woman, sheshe checks herself into a sanitarium because she's
begun seeing faces popping out of thewall. New doctor arrives has to diagnose
her. She's terrified of patterns,right, my many solid colors only,

(11:48):
thank you? Right, except weget a flashback to her house where they're
coming through her wall, which containsa zero pattern. It's a flat beige
wall. It is a flat wall. I was like, wait, what
in the entire time, all Ikeep thinking about is there's a short story
Charlotte can't remember her last named theYellow Wallpaper. Yeah. All I could

(12:11):
think this entire All I kept thinkingwas I want to go read that story
because it was genius, and thisis a really bargain bin version of it
with no credit. Such a bargainbin version of it that they actually do
mention on the Wikipedia page that itis a variation of that story. Oh,
I mean that's all I could thinkof, too. I mean,
I'm sure that's all any of uscould think of because it's that story is

(12:33):
so synonymous and like just so nowell known, right, everybody knows that
story. I mean you learn itin high school. So yeah, yeah,
exactly, and like Jay Michael Straczynskihad no access to that story get
influenced by it at least, likelike you know, at least rod Starting
had to pay a bunch of lawsuitsevery time he accidentally stole somebody's tail.

(12:54):
That's fair well again, and toyour point, father Malone, it's it
is a easy adaptation of a verywell written, well thought out short story.
The short story takes less time toread than the than the episode takes
to watch, and it is tenmillion times better. Yeah, I mean
I can. I can still conjurethat one. This one hopefully will be

(13:16):
gone by the end of this podcast. You're trying to exercise it. I
gotta go. It was just sopoor and can anyone tell me? I
maybe I was distracted, but wekeep getting flashbacks to her life for the
moment where she decided she had tocheck herself in right, and the faces

(13:37):
are in her walls which contain nopatterns. Then she goes into her child's
bedroom where scratched into the wall istell no one, right, do we
know what happens to the child?No? We don't, okay. And
then now she's in the sanitarium.She's terrified, patterns, won't tell anybody
anything. And then one night theyfind her there or something and she confesses

(13:58):
to the doctor that she knows whatit is and what they want and she'll
tell him tomorrow. Right then,what happened? I mean, can honestly
what has possessed by or was thather in the wall at the end?
Yeah? That was her? Theyit was like, yeah, it was
a consciousness swap thing. It's lazy, don't you like it? What did

(14:20):
they want? They wanted her?Body's her child? Singles in your area
is what they were looking for.And ladies and gentlemen they found them.
I don't have a fucking clue becauseagain, it's this, it's this whole
idea of telling someone else's story.The main character story is being told secondhand.

(14:43):
It's it's moronic. You have thecharacter of the doctor who is the
main character that you follow, buthe adds nothing. He's a sounding board
for the other character, So whyfollow him? Right? I actually listened
to our podcast about toys of CalumYeah the night just because it started playing
on my Alex and I was like, well, listen to it. But

(15:05):
in that particular episode, we kindof came to the conclusion that we stayed
with the family like from the beginning, and so we already knew what was
going on, and they had adoctor character come and try to assess it,
and we were just on the familyside because we already know, right,
And and in that case, itshould have followed her investigating the family.
This is the opposite. This shouldhave just been there should have been

(15:26):
no sanitarium at all. It shouldhave been just a woman in her house
with these things, trying to getthrough the walls and telling people about it
and they all think she's nuts thatI mean yeah, and then it like
grandma yeah, or like you callfinally the paranormal investigators and they arrived just
a second too late, right,somebody who finally believe deserved sure, like

(15:46):
that could have been interesting something Idon't know what's going on here and the
whole i'll tell you tomorrow thing.I was like, really, that's what
you're gonna do. Yeah, it'slike that, how do you keep them
more on and suspense I'll tell youlater. It's just lazy screenwriting, that's
all it is. It's and yeah, And the sad thing about this show

(16:07):
is is it feels like it's becomea show where they see it as an
opportunity to be lazy as opposed toan opportunity to elevate an anthology series.
You got twenty one minutes on afucking TV show that's on live network TV,
and this is this is your bestoffering. We all know how much
it takes to make a fucking showlike you fark this out. You're wasting

(16:30):
everybody's time at this point, LikeStraczynski seems to be writing the bulk of
the series brand anyway, h likemaybe he's stretching himself a little fist.
I'm trying to let him off hisown hook. Here, what a nice
guy you are. I was tryingto add for him. I'm trying to
find some light in all of thisdarkness. God, it's it's just so

(16:57):
more of dot dot dot. It'sdemoralizing. Oh yeah, because I don't
want people to watch this, LikeI can't in good conscience say hey you
should check this out, Like no, no, no, run the other
way. Actually, you know what, don't watch this. Just read the
short story. Yeah, I readthat short story that they claim is not

(17:18):
the basis for this episode. It'snot that they don't claim, it's just
that they didn't give it any creditat all. Well, that to me
is as well as claiming that's fair, that's fair. I don't know if
you know this, but Tarantino doesthat too, and movie No, I
don't believe it. Yeah, you'rejust jealousy jealous of his talent. Don't

(17:42):
you know that that good artists creatinggreat artists? Steel J Michael Straczynski is
a great artist. Oh well,you know what they say. The mattress
full of one hundred dollar bills thathe probably dries his tears with would lead
me to believe you're correct. Soyeah, stap it. Yeah everybody,

(18:03):
Yeah, this isn't watch either ofthese. We I feel like you know
who, feels like we're in thefucking twilight zone, the three of us,
because we just keep saying the sameshit every week. Yeah, we're
stuck in our loops now, guys, well maybe next month will be better.
Yeah. So on that note,on the next episode, we're gonna
be talking about a game of pool. And Room two four two six,

(18:27):
not to be confused with Room twothree seven or fourteen hundred fourteen o eight,
fourteen o eight. Thank you right, that's a good movie. Go
watch that? What the John Cusackmovie? Yeah, I love that movie
Orichie might or alternative. I haven'twatched it. I like both endings,
me too, I like equally.Yeah, that movie is good. I

(18:49):
actually like that movie. Yeah,no, no, no, that's a
that's a the worthy Stephen King adaptationfrom a top from a time when Stephen
King adaptations were really bad for themost part. So yeah, you know,
Larry Karazuski and Scott Alexander wrote thatscreenplay, who to me remained the
best writers in Hollywood, So thata basis a lot and wouldn't make me
like the movie if it was bad. But like, they did a good

(19:11):
job adapting that very very thin shortstory into a full length feature. Maybe
they should have worked on this show. Would might have been great. They
were busy Problem childing at the time, that's true. Is there going to
be a third season of Twilight Zone? The new one? So you're gonna
ask if there's gonna be a thirdProblem Child movie? Is there a third

(19:33):
season of the new show. Iknow there was a second season. I
don't remember reading that there was goingto be one. But stranger things have
happened season four coming soon of StrangerThings. Yes, yes, stranger things
have yet to happen. It's true. Oh god, until we talk about
those news two episodes. Where couldpeople find the Internet's best movie podcast,

(19:56):
The Projection Booth, Mike, Well, you can find me over at projection
podcast dot com, where every weekwe are looking at a different film,
maybe even two sometimes and uh yeah, that's that's that's how I roll.
Careful, careful guy. That's crazytalk too. In one week it's wild
wild stuff hog wild over there canget a hog wild over at the Projection.

(20:18):
I like your podcast. Oh thankyou, Now I'm on record.
What about you? Where can peoplefind you watching movies that they've never seen?
Just stay away, everybody. Ifyou really need to find out anything
about me and my point of view, go over to foom alone dot com.

(20:41):
That's a link treaty to all mystuff, my YouTube channel where I
do movie reviews and stupid little movies, and my main thing is my podcast,
Dark Destinations, just a half hourradio drama that I produce um monthly,
although I've been on hiatus for alittle while, but I'm starting it
back up, so stay tuned.By the time this day airs, then
you know it'll probably have a newepisode. The best radio drama on the

(21:03):
Internet, folks, If you're notlistening to it, the fuck you doing?
Yeah, man, I heard itpretty good one the other night.
Action. I can't remember the name, but A Dark Destinations. Yes,
that was weird. I'm looking strange. As for me, you can find
me at c Stashue dot com.Like Father Malone mentioned, that is my
link tree, c stac hiw dotcom. That's my link tree, so

(21:29):
go there my stuff. I workon Culture Cast, Barney Miller Tales from
the Crypt podcast that's done buried inits own tomb, so fucking creation.
As for this show, Twilight Zoneeighty five dot com is where you can
find this show. Big thanks isalways too Abby, No, not Abby,
Stabby, that's ranking and bass.Big thanks is always to Roxy Drive
and Neutron Dreams for the music forthe show. We'll catch you on the

(21:51):
next episode can be said to