This is a classic tale! Some of the great highlights include the first glimpse of the "gremlin" as it slowly walks into the camera's view from the darkness at the wingtip. Creepy. Also, the way the gremlin keeps peering at Bob WIlson (William Shatner) as it walks toward the fuselage of the plane is unnerving.
Shatner doesn't overact here; his facial expressions match his emotions spot-on. The gremlin itself is a weak costume, inferior to the gremlin in "Twilight Zone: The Movie", which retold the story. However, the ape-like costume is okay for an old TV fantasy series like this. The gremlin's face pressed against the window is an effective jump scare.
I think I prefer the George Miller-directed remake for the TZ movie featuring John Lithgow's crazed behavior and manic pacing over this, but not by much. Richard Donner's direction is excellent in this Matheson-penned story. One funny mishap occurs when Bob shoots the gremlin, which then falls onto the wing and for a split second, reveals the pajama-like footy bottoms of the gremlin costume. I'd be lying if I didn't say that it pulled me back into reality for a moment.
Overall, this story is rightly considered one of the Twilight Zone's all-time greats.
Review by whitsbrainVIP 6BlockedParent2022-03-01T01:49:31Z
This is a classic tale! Some of the great highlights include the first glimpse of the "gremlin" as it slowly walks into the camera's view from the darkness at the wingtip. Creepy. Also, the way the gremlin keeps peering at Bob WIlson (William Shatner) as it walks toward the fuselage of the plane is unnerving.
Shatner doesn't overact here; his facial expressions match his emotions spot-on. The gremlin itself is a weak costume, inferior to the gremlin in "Twilight Zone: The Movie", which retold the story. However, the ape-like costume is okay for an old TV fantasy series like this. The gremlin's face pressed against the window is an effective jump scare.
I think I prefer the George Miller-directed remake for the TZ movie featuring John Lithgow's crazed behavior and manic pacing over this, but not by much. Richard Donner's direction is excellent in this Matheson-penned story. One funny mishap occurs when Bob shoots the gremlin, which then falls onto the wing and for a split second, reveals the pajama-like footy bottoms of the gremlin costume. I'd be lying if I didn't say that it pulled me back into reality for a moment.
Overall, this story is rightly considered one of the Twilight Zone's all-time greats.