Kev11sky Recently this little gem of a movie showed up on CometTV (basic cable).At first I thought I was watching a Twilight Zone episode. Sure, it was made ten years earlier, but it has some familiar tropes.I went to IMDB and saw that it's a film from 1953, based on a short story by Henry Kuttner, a mid-20th-century sci-fi and fantasy writer.

LeonLouisRicci There is nothing quite like this extremely Low-Budget Satire/Slapstick/warning. It's Message...TV (in 1953) is about to Control the Population, and that cannot be a good thing. It is delivered in such a Bizarre way with ugly Sets and even uglier Photography and Actors that the whole thing ends up looking like a Nightmare.But that was the intention. To drive home the point, with Outrageous Comedy and Surreal Surroundings (what was with the Girlie Photos on the headboard) combined with a believable Back-Story of impending Doom at the hands of the One Eyed Monster. Everything in this Oddity of Oddities works on a Subconscious level but nothing really works on the surface.Just ask anyone who saw it as Kids in the 1950's and it is Seared on Their Consciousness like it was a Laser Beam shot from a 16 inch screen. This is one of those Ideas that was Formulated (Ed Wood) that made it to the Screen, and Penetrating the Mind despite of itself. This one should be seen by lovers of Bad Movies, Pop Culture, Psychology, Big Brother, Mind Control, Primitive Art, or let's say just about Anyone with even the slightest bit of Curiosity about Psychotronica.No one can come away after Viewing this incredibly Awful Production without a Thought or two. But just Whose Thoughts are they?

oscar-35 *Spoiler/plot- 1952, The Twonky, A man receives a TV set from his loving wife to keep him happy while she is out of the house. The TV set is really am alien from another planet and future time who is studying the human race's passions and problems. At first, it's fun. The man calls it, "A twonky". His name for a unexplainable, all powerful manipulator in his household life. The Twonky becomes more and more protective and restrictive for the man's likes and dislikes. But sadly, the twonky wins out in the end.*Special Stars- Han Conreid as the husband. Arch Oboler as this satire's producer, writer, and director.*Theme- The idiot tube will rob you of your individual life.*Based on- The Golem tale.*Trivia/location/goofs- This satire film was the ironic basis of many TV shows to follow like Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond, Karloff's The Veil, and Outer Limits. This interesting film was aired on Conried's birthday on TCM many years ago. Am interesting satire like Hans Conried's film, "The 5000 Fingers of Dr T".*Emotion- This was a frightening movie for your TV watchers to see and think about. 50's TV watcher's parents had voiced opposition to over watching so much TV, voiced in that new TV centric era. Some director decided to take those parental views and mix it into the scifi high suspense and drama of 'The Twonky'. The film makes some good points about human behavior and the use of TV in our society. Very interesting and maybe a screening today would be of particular note.

tgillen-4 The Twonky. "As a child, I was a STINKER," so say the Coach. Great Line! I remember, vaguely, "The Twonky". I must have been nine to---twelve, and I watched this GREAT movie on--- some local channel--- and LOVED it! It was all about TV taking over our lives. Mom didn't understand when I told it to her, but I did! And I still do! Yeah, it's movie for those that like Sousa Marches over Mozart--- and and can accept a 'monster' than walks worse than Mike Mercury, and that like their 'cheese' plied high with plenty of psychotropic memories--- and that think an entertaining movie is better than a well-made movie any day! "All Hail", to Turner Classic Movies for showing this forgotten gem!