My reaction in rambling bullet points: - Happy surprise to see a new video from FDT this morning! Yay! - Absolutely classic old-timey sci-fi TZ ep. Unquestionably 5 stars from me. - I've read the short story to students in the classroom. A major change in the TZ adaptation concerns how the Kanamits leave the all-important book behind (to be decoded). This has always bugged me. Casually (and intentionally) setting down on the table makes zero sense. ZERO! - A part that you didn't mention that cracks me up every time is the narration alliterated by the letter "F" (spoken by Mr. Chambers) near the beginning. Go back and listen. It is so over the top it is unintentionally hilarious (at least to me, who has taught Language Arts for years). - Loved your description: "... who's been reduced to playing with string"! LOL So funny. - Another part that has become an in-joke is that dramatic Kanamit turn made at 8:57 in your vid. I've done it for my wife (who got me into TZ) when she's in the car and I raise the garage door for her to drive in. Haha. - Why do people always underestimate the weight of tall people? Over 9 feet and 350 lbs?! That's an emaciated beanpole! Need to start eating more humans. - What shocker-twist-ending can match this one? Really not sure there is one. All the best and thank you. I'll bet it takes a LOT of time to put together such quality reviews as yours.
Hey Hop, good to hear from you! 5 stars? I can certainly see that as I was close to giving it that too. This is actually my second time posting this vid. Fingers crossed this time is ok. Anyway, from what I've seen, the two main criticisms many have are that it would be impossible to translate the Kanamit language without an "interplanetary Rosetta stone". And the second criticism is the Kanamits all-important book as you noted, was just carelessly left behind. LoL, that was really odd. I think the book was stolen in the original short story which makes a lot more sense. I'd like to think maybe an expanded version of this story could flesh out elements and address some flaws. Thanks as always for watching and giving your thoughts! LoL, now I'm picturing you doing the overly dramatic / garage door Kanamit pose. My wife and I have been repeating "Who are you, what are you doing here? Is there a circus around here somewhere?" During editing of the '5 characters in search of an exit' we ended up hearing that line a billion times. 😂😂😂 Be well & have a good day!
@@FeverDreamlandTheater One of the best things about watching shows & movies with your spouse is all the little in-references that develop over time.We must have hundreds of quotes. Great stuff. As for the flaws, sure, find ANY show or film that doesn't have any and you've almost done the impossible. Sometimes one simply must cover over them with the spackle of imagination and suspend disbelief. But other times it gets too ridiculous. I mentioned the one inexplicable flaw in the TV episode. The translation/decoding hurdle I can live with. Oh yeah, one last thought: The Kanamits must really fear the humans would use eating utensils against them. Poor Mr. Chambers has to go at his meal (at the end) like an animal!
i know this is a year old. But what i dont get or my mom dont get is why is this one so popular? To me its pretty obvious and just ... well a D to me its like overrated. To Serve man it just jumps out as to eat us and just ... well . basic many have twists or turns or unique one like. Shadow Play, or Living Doll, or the Dummy was really interesting, or the Mirror or Ellegy or so that one had a creepy twist ending. Still Valey, all underrated. But somehow this one ... and Obsolete man or so is just overrated. I dont get the hype on this tho none of them are F or terrible just ... i dont see the hype everyone picks this basically . Its just ok. Little creepy but just .. like there. I dont get the hype on it. So many that get underrated but this .. somehow everyone loves. Even the Clause to me is really good, and Casar and me and 4 men in search of a exit, is leaves you wondering, but this ... i dont get it. i just dont get it its better than a small handful and a D so not terrible but what is so great about it that its always everyone favorite to me the winner is the most scariest one of all A GOOD LIFE. Either you think happy thoughts by a sick crazed kid monster or go to the cornfield and vanish. A creepy scary choice gotta make. Purple Testiment or so is another good one. The Man in a cave. Etc. Underrated.
I frequently say "can you just explain it to me without an exercise in euclidean geometry?" to co workers. No one has gotten the joke, but it makes me laugh on the inside. Nice work on this channel!
Hey all, so unfortunately I had to repost. Just wanted to say I appreciate all of you who watched and commented on the previous post though. Thank you all, you are the best.
in my college philosophy class, we compared this to how we raise animals to be the perfect thing to eat. we used this episode to make us think abt what we do to other animals
That's awesome Drew. Philosophy was a big deal for me when I was in college and I loved whenever we were able to tie a discussion into something pop culture related like the Matrix, Star Trek ... or Twilight Zone.
Hey Patrick, always good to hear from you. Lloyd Bochner was a great character actor. Just glancing at his work he was in everything from A-Team to Golden Girls. And of course Columbo, which I'm a big fan of. Everyone was a Columbo villain at some point.
@@FeverDreamlandTheater You're a Columbo fan too?! Brother from another mother! If you start reviewing those eps I'm down like dirty clothes in the laundry chute!
@@pnutbutrncrackers Hop, I LOVE Columbo. I've been a huge fan of the show for years. Reviewing episodes would be a blast, just a matter of finding the time. At the very least, maybe some kind of a top 10 favorite episodes or something would be cool. I've been looking forward to covering 'The Mirror' with Peter Falk from Twilight Zone as well.
You know it always fascinated me that the people would trust these giants without first disciphering that book., my side eye would have stayed on them all the time
There's a line that was said in this episode ''as a race we are unaccustomed to charity, brutality is a far more universal language than an act of friendship'' that is so thought provoking even for the twilight zone but it's also true, we don't expect most people in this world to act selfless and be kind to us so why the fuck would we expect it from alien's from outerspace. sad but true.
Hey Robert, that's an excellent line and I agree. Sad but true indeed. Most of us generally expect the worst from people. It's a shame actually, I make an effort to see the positive / good but I admit it's difficult. Thanks for watching & commenting, I appreciate it. Be well & have a good week ahead.
“It’s a harmless cook book. It’s just a little dusty” Aside from reposting my comment from the original version of this video, just wanted to say I deeply enjoy your reviews and have helped motivate me into rewatching the classic series. Do you plan on reviewing any of the newer Twilight Zones?
Strong Amazon, I can't thank you enough, that's awesome to hear. I do plan on reviewing the news ones too, or maybe make a top 5 or 10 episodes vid - I just started watching them actually. Though I am skipping around, I watched one in relation to this episode the other night.
I LOVE this episode I could watch it a million times over 😉 such a creepy plot twist and it just has such a nice flow to it. Another fab review with lots of great extras Anthony! ✌️
Great job as always! You make me just wanna binge The Twilight Zone, which I may watch some eps at some point! I think it would be fun to play the villain over a good guy like this actor said haha. Also damn, that guy was tall! Awesome video!
The Kanamits just view the universe as one big buffet table LOL! Stopping at each planet sampling its local cuisine. Thanks again for another great TW review. 💯👍
You know how -(For whatever reason) you just never seem to catch the very beginning of a movie ? Well like 25 years ago, I FINALLY saw the very beginning of "The Planet of The Apes". The opening credits said "Screenplay by Rod Serling". / I knew it ! - I always knew it ! - Even when I was a kid I said to myself when he saw the statue of Liberty "This is the Twilite Zone !
Agreed! The twist alone feels so much like Serling but a lot of the setup and the world building as well. There's a Planet of the Apes Visionaries graphic novel which adapts Rod's original source material, you might enjoy that. Thanks for watching AL!
Quite possibly the best of all Twilight Zone episodes,Fever,even though there are many other great episodes.One of the biggest shock endings.It's tough to find somebody who doesn't know the words,"It's a cookbook. !!!".
Beware of Kanamits in cheap clothing! I wonder what the first recipe was in the book. Roast leg of insurance salesman? I liked Kiel in the 1972 movie, " Longest Yard, " with Burt Reynolds. An exquisite turnaround line.
This is a really fun episode. I appreciated all the behind the scenes stuff. And yea, humans were dumb to believe aliens would come here to save us. For what? Just to ruin the planet again after receiving their help? Humans don't deserve to be rescued by a higher intelligence. While this can be enjoyed as just pure, fun entertainment it's hard not to see the social commentary. While the human race would greatly benefit from coming together as one, it's something Earth will likely never see. Unless something happened that wipe 75% of the population. Even then, there will always be people who feel superior to others causing a division amongst the community. Wonderful breakdown and review as always!
Heeeey rainbowFRIGHT. Thanks so much for watching & commenting! I tend to agree. Sadly, I don't see humanity coming together and uniting for really any cause. Movies like Independence Day which featured an alien invasion are hopeful in that respect, but not realistic all things considered. Be well & have a good one! : )
This is the best episode of Twilight Zone - and I'm a huge fan of the entire series so that's saying something. I first watched this during one of those marathons they'd run on some holidays here in the states back when I was all of 6 years old. Scared the hell out of me.
Great review. Life would be good for earthlings with no wars or famines. Just don't book a flight to the Kannamits home planet!! Wouldn't people get suspicious when everyone who travelled to their planet didn't return? And cracking an alien code would be nigh on I Impossible. But hey it's the Twilight Zone! Best line in the series 'it's a cookbook '
"Wouldn't people get suspicious when everyone who travelled to their planet didn't return?" Excellent point. There's so much more to this story that I'd love to see explored possibly. I wonder if Rod Serling ever got around to writing another version? I think back when I was researching for this I read that he wanted to take another stab at the story as a full film adaptation. Thanks for the watch & comment Debbie!
I think it's biblical, suspicious exactly. Like a fly away rapture false doctrine the world is believing so for everyone not realizing we've been lied to since birth on and from the " box on the wall" and what we hold today " sell phones" your soul in the great deception. The Canaanites are real and the enemies here today they relate our souls like food for their lifeless souls and Rod Sterling did a great piece here, if you don't know John 1:1 and John 3:16 & 2 Timothy 2:15 Revelations ALL has is or will as we edge ever closer to the end of this Earth age. I'm staying to fight for God Yeshua YHVH'S Savior for all who will... The rest will be served up for a hell of 🔥 dish of food!!! 1st timer here, saw a matrix post and this "peculiar " episode as I'm 60 yrs young and enjoyed all the twilight years! Thank you for posting & listening if I'm not deleted. HAPPY 🥳 New YEARS!!
_"It's a cookbook!"_ If someone was going to come up with a top ten list of memorable _Twilight Zone_ quotes, this has to be on it, perhaps at number one. The whole conceit about the book simultaneously being interpreted as assisting / attacking mankind is both a strength and a weakness for "To Serve Man". To begin with, what were the Kanamits thinking by leaving the book where it would obviously be found? Test the Earthlings' intelligence (or lack thereof)? A practical joke on the victims (by the time they figure out the play on words it will be too late)? Plenty of fun twists and turns make "To Serve Man:" a classic, despite plot holes (e.g., how does it happen that the two distinct meanings of "serve" in English are exactly the same in the Kanamit language?). Unlike how some seek to read its underlying theme, "To Serve Man" isn't Rod preaching to us about how all the nations need to find ways to get along. First, this isn't his story, but Damon Knight's--Serling just wrote the screenplay. (I wonder if Knight came up with the name _Kanamit_ because it resembles "cannibal"?) And the conclusion hardly fulfills such a lofty goal, as the peoples of Earth are only seen to get along after deceived by the Kanamits, who, it will be recalled are able to get embassies established in every country, all the better to facilitate them setting up places from which to board their livestock transits--er, flights aboard their friendly spacecraft. No, not Serling social consciousness; rather the episode best fits as a play on the audience's expectations in the years following all of those alien invasion flicks of the 1950s, such as _War of the Worlds,_ _Invaders from Mars,_ _The Thing from Another World,_ _Invasion of the Body Snatchers,_ etc. First reaction, "those flying saucers mean trouble"; then, "oh, look, the aliens are friendly"; followed by "yeah, but maybe we shouldn't trust them anyway"; next, "gosh, they're actually keeping their word to help us"; and finally, "we should never have trusted them in the first place". Don't get me started on with the Kanamit problems, Anthony. Oh, I'll get myself started! 😏 So, we learn quite a bit from the musings of the lead Kanamit, but are they true? 🤔 We know from the book's title that they enjoy messing with us. (Did you check out any of the recipes? Did the dessert section have one for Earthling Eclairs?) Consider the findings of that polygraph test. We're supposed to believe he isn't being deceptive, but look at what he says. He's lying with the claim that the Kanamits' only reason to visit Earth is to help us. No, it wasn't, it's to turn us into 🍗 🥩 🍖 etc. Even in 2022 lie detector findings are inadmissible as evidence as they are unreliable, and certain people can "trick" them. So, what about alien creatures with super brains? Did you notice he was messing with them at first, just so they'd trust him. When they asked how he came to Earth, he goes "I walked" to lull them into a false sense of security with an intentional, easily detectable lie. Maybe he was able to overcome the test when it came to his lies about wanting to help us by using a mental reservation, as in thinking "Oh, we're helping you, so we can help ourselves." And by the way, are we expected to believe that the physiology of a Kanamit is so similar to ours that a polygraph works with it? Speaking of those supposed super-brains, once I look below the bulbous cranium I have to asked myself if this is an elite genius, or someone more closely bordering on feeblemindedness. 1:49 (Like, do I really want to hand this duffus the keys to my luxury interplanetary spacecraft??? No, _really!_ The racoon-like shading around the eyes reminds me a bit of the two little aliens--the second pair of space beings in in "Mr. Dingle the Strong") More Kanamit Kanundrums: How is it that they are so into human flesh and not other types of food? It doesn't seem as though they're very frugal, since one talks about how they've gone to other planets and helped those beings as they've "helped" us. After all, are they doing nothing to see that the beings aren't reproducing? I thought of that after recalling how Mr. Chambers and Penny may have been not that far from a romantic link. (Recall, in the scene where they are alone in the office together, though there is never anything overt, they do seem to have an interest in what the other will be doing and she powders her nose in front of him. If the Kanamits were truly super smart, wouldn't it be prudent for them to start paring off the Earthlings to reproduce, and thus assure an abundance of Earth Meat ®️™️ for generations to come?) This is an iconic episode, no question, but the plot holes incline me to deduct. a half a point or so. What stops me, though, are a couple of things. First, that the Jordan Peele version of _TZ_ has a reimagining or sequel entitled "You Might Also Like". I haven't seen it, but from what I've read and the stills it looks interesting. ew.com/tv/twilight-zone-to-serve-man-sequel-photos/ What I am very familiar with, however, is an episode from the 1985 _TZ_ series entitled "A Small Talent for War". It's an eight-minute short that has "To Serve Man" as a template for some of its main ideas: An aerial craft of some sort hovers outside the U.N. building; inside delegates have a unannounced visit from a humanoid whose message has them scrambling to devise a plan for world peace; the mysterious visitor returns, only to discover that they had greatly misunderstood the message. Beyond those points the program's arc is much different, although it's possible, if one is so disposed, to view the endings as examples of dark humor in the framework of sci-fi horror. th-cam.com/video/fbT1fCHOjfI/w-d-xo.html I think I like "A Small Talent for War" about as much as I do the episode that inspired it, so I'm tacking this on to my final rating for "To Serve Man": *5 out of 5 Intergalactic Punchlines*
Galantski we're very similar with our ratings, we can both see the issues with these, yet still come away from them with high scores. 😂 The 5th dimension is tough to knock. I like your point about If the Kanamits paring off Earthlings to reproduce. I would imagine something like that would also come into play, but for a show in this era they might not go there. Ha ha, anyway, great comment as always, have a good weekend ahead!
@@FeverDreamlandTheater Yeah, they didn't go there, but they came uncomfortably close to going there--actually going quite a bit beyond that to which I alluded--in another episode: "You are now the proud possessor of a robot built in the form of a woman; for *all intent and purpose* this creature _is_ a woman." (emphasis added) "The Lonely" aired in 1959, so what "for all intent and purpose" entailed is left vague. Fast forward to 2017 and there's this news item: 'Barcelona-based Dr. Sergi Santos developed a sex robot named Samantha; the robot can switch between a "sex mode" (which can include Samantha simulating a female orgasm and a "family mode", in which it can also can tell jokes and discuss philosophy.' en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_robot Interestingly, "(d)iscuss philosophy" reminds me of the poetic scene near the end, where Corry identifies the constellations in the night sky to Alicia, who remarks "God's beauty.". The first time I saw "The Lonely" the final scene, where Allenby blasts away Alisha's face, leaving nothing but sparking wires and electrodes. totally devastated me as a genuine "didn't see one that coming" moment. And then hearing "her" female-sounding voice turning into a deeper, slower unmistakably robotic one, as "her" circuitry shut .down. I would still rate that as one of the best shock endings in the entire five-year run of _TZ._ It still packs a punch.
I’d never heard of this episode before. Super creepy, I love it! I had seen several parodies but never knew the reference. I liked the original idea of the touching of the cheek and leading him off. Subtlety creepy! Fab episode Anthony.
Hey Lisa, thanks so much for watching and commenting. I think this one and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet have probably had the most parodies over the years.
One of the top 5 episodes in a series full of so much quality and creative material that to this day it's all still amazingly unique. Thanks for reviewing it brother. 🌌
Honestly my favorite episode, thank you for reviewing! The ep reminds me of the short story "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke, though with a different kind of twist. Let's agree: don't trust extraterrestrials who promise world peace and prosperity 😆
"Let's agree: don't trust extraterrestrials who promise world peace and prosperity 😆" LOL Agreed, space Santa is not to be trusted. Thanks for watching & commenting dowsingelf77, this episode was great for a deep-dive.
What a crappy thing for YT to do to find a random copyright last minute like that. Rewatched and gotta say you keep on killing these videos, brother 💪🏽
Maaaaan all I kept thinking about every time that first alien popped on screen was "Damn he looks SUPER stoned" 🤣 Anthony this was an absolutely stellar review! Every time you dig into the depths of those behind the scenes trivia facts I gain such a larger appreciation for this show and each episode. I love how you do these man. This one definitely seems like one worth checking out and that twist is quite a chilling one Great work brother 👏
This is deep. Goes to show you can be pulling, with someone or some people and you really have different goals. Alien promised to serve man, but in reality he was speaking literally to serve man on their tables as their planet obviously lacked food.....😂
To Serve Man is one of my faves! I know I say that about every TZ video you do but what can I say? TZ is the best. Our reveal about the cookbook is a mind blower and always made me believe to be careful of Trojans baring gifts IRL. The ending with the 4th wall being broken, I don’t think that ever done again by someone on TZ not named Rod, but I could be incorrect. Anyway this ep is impactful and glad you covered it. Excellent video buddy, and glad you got it reposted.
GCap! Always great to hear from you. I think you are right about the 4th wall thing only being broken in this episode and by Rod. If it did happen elsewhere I'm sure I'll hit it eventually as I continue these reviews. Anyway, thanks for watching & commenting. Be well & have a good weekend.
I thought I commented on this one, but there's little for me to add, as everyone else has written so eloquently about this most famous episode. I just have one question...did Richard Kiel play all of the Kanamits? They all look so much alike I can't tell! And most people aren't anywhere near 7 foot tall!
Wait, "somewhat faithful"? I read the original and it just ended at the cookbook reveal. Nothing came after in the original story. In any case, I've seen it the same way you did: a cautionary tale about people offering free things. Also, as the opening narration puts it, they are the Christopher Columbus to Earthlings.
Hey Nitori! Beware gift-givers! Yeah this was such a fantastic and timeless cautionary tale. And I totally hear you, the ending played out a lot more abruptly originally. I guess for me, the tweaked and expanded ending just sort of served as an ominous prologue. Anyway, much thanks for the watch & the comment. Always awesome to hear from fellow TZ fans. Be well & have a good week ahead.
ka na mits sounds like can ni bals when pronounced in an accent cannibals definitely sounds like kanamits....the name itself gave away a good chunk of spoiler.... but inspite of the name it was a really good episode
I always saw this one as pretty corny. The twist was a play on words that would not happen. I can suspend disbelief for an alien but not for a crazy mistranslation. It surprised me when I found out how beloved the episode is.
I didn't work out the twist, even though it was in the title. Definitely in my top 20 of all 156 episodes. Wouldn't earthlings notice that people who have travelled to the Kananites home planet haven't returned? Plus it would be quite impossible to decode their language without some type of source element
Excellent point, but yeah with so many going away and vanishing you'd think those left behind would become suspicious. Little things like that always makes me wonder about an expanded version of this story which could cover some of those aspects.
Two jokes they could have made: 1. He's a humanitarian! (I don't know if that word existed back then.) 2. Since it says "To Serve Man", I guess women are safe. (Alternately, he could have been a woman, who wanted to do away with men.)
I wish Movie adaptation of To Serve Man Novel. Runtime: 210mins (2 Hour) Genre: Horror Point of View: Third Person Setting should be at White House instead of UN. US President should be Far To Trusting SJW.
Good video! This was one of my favorite episodes. I just subscribed. Congrats on getting close to 1000 subs. I am trying to get there myself. #TheNote2SelfGuy
My reaction in rambling bullet points:
- Happy surprise to see a new video from FDT this morning! Yay!
- Absolutely classic old-timey sci-fi TZ ep. Unquestionably 5 stars from me.
- I've read the short story to students in the classroom. A major change in the TZ adaptation concerns how the Kanamits leave the all-important book behind (to be decoded). This has always bugged me. Casually (and intentionally) setting down on the table makes zero sense. ZERO!
- A part that you didn't mention that cracks me up every time is the narration alliterated by the letter "F" (spoken by Mr. Chambers) near the beginning. Go back and listen. It is so over the top it is unintentionally hilarious (at least to me, who has taught Language Arts for years).
- Loved your description: "... who's been reduced to playing with string"! LOL So funny.
- Another part that has become an in-joke is that dramatic Kanamit turn made at 8:57 in your vid. I've done it for my wife (who got me into TZ) when she's in the car and I raise the garage door for her to drive in. Haha.
- Why do people always underestimate the weight of tall people? Over 9 feet and 350 lbs?! That's an emaciated beanpole! Need to start eating more humans.
- What shocker-twist-ending can match this one? Really not sure there is one.
All the best and thank you. I'll bet it takes a LOT of time to put together such quality reviews as yours.
Hey Hop, good to hear from you! 5 stars? I can certainly see that as I was close to giving it that too. This is actually my second time posting this vid. Fingers crossed this time is ok. Anyway, from what I've seen, the two main criticisms many have are that it would be impossible to translate the Kanamit language without an "interplanetary Rosetta stone". And the second criticism is the Kanamits all-important book as you noted, was just carelessly left behind. LoL, that was really odd. I think the book was stolen in the original short story which makes a lot more sense. I'd like to think maybe an expanded version of this story could flesh out elements and address some flaws.
Thanks as always for watching and giving your thoughts! LoL, now I'm picturing you doing the overly dramatic / garage door Kanamit pose. My wife and I have been repeating "Who are you, what are you doing here? Is there a circus around here somewhere?" During editing of the '5 characters in search of an exit' we ended up hearing that line a billion times. 😂😂😂 Be well & have a good day!
@@FeverDreamlandTheater One of the best things about watching shows & movies with your spouse is all the little in-references that develop over time.We must have hundreds of quotes. Great stuff. As for the flaws, sure, find ANY show or film that doesn't have any and you've almost done the impossible. Sometimes one simply must cover over them with the spackle of imagination and suspend disbelief. But other times it gets too ridiculous. I mentioned the one inexplicable flaw in the TV episode. The translation/decoding hurdle I can live with. Oh yeah, one last thought: The Kanamits must really fear the humans would use eating utensils against them. Poor Mr. Chambers has to go at his meal (at the end) like an animal!
@@pnutbutrncrackers Yup, the hunger strike was over and he could not hold out any longer. Talk about a lousy last meal.
@@FeverDreamlandTheater Hey dude! I think here's how the moral goes. Beware the BAD Samaritans.
i know this is a year old. But what i dont get or my mom dont get is why is this one so popular? To me its pretty obvious and just ... well a D to me its like overrated. To Serve man it just jumps out as to eat us and just ... well . basic many have twists or turns or unique one like. Shadow Play, or Living Doll, or the Dummy was really interesting, or the Mirror or Ellegy or so that one had a creepy twist ending. Still Valey, all underrated. But somehow this one ... and Obsolete man or so is just overrated. I dont get the hype on this tho none of them are F or terrible just ... i dont see the hype everyone picks this basically . Its just ok. Little creepy but just .. like there. I dont get the hype on it. So many that get underrated but this .. somehow everyone loves. Even the Clause to me is really good, and Casar and me and 4 men in search of a exit, is leaves you wondering, but this ... i dont get it. i just dont get it its better than a small handful and a D so not terrible but what is so great about it that its always everyone favorite to me the winner is the most scariest one of all A GOOD LIFE. Either you think happy thoughts by a sick crazed kid monster or go to the cornfield and vanish. A creepy scary choice gotta make. Purple Testiment or so is another good one. The Man in a cave. Etc. Underrated.
I frequently say "can you just explain it to me without an exercise in euclidean geometry?" to co workers. No one has gotten the joke, but it makes me laugh on the inside. Nice work on this channel!
On earth it would be 12 noon...coincidentally lunch time at work! Thanks for watching Anthony & commenting, I appreciate the kind words. Be well!
Hey all, so unfortunately I had to repost. Just wanted to say I appreciate all of you who watched and commented on the previous post though. Thank you all, you are the best.
Thats okay! I thought I saw this one already and was going through a Twilight Zone episode :) :) :)
@@sheWIND 😂😂😂 Welcome to my life.
in my college philosophy class, we compared this to how we raise animals to be the perfect thing to eat. we used this episode to make us think abt what we do to other animals
That's awesome Drew. Philosophy was a big deal for me when I was in college and I loved whenever we were able to tie a discussion into something pop culture related like the Matrix, Star Trek ... or Twilight Zone.
I'm sorry raised eating meat but sorryfuly I tragically still do
Lloyd Bochner was one of my favorite character actors,he seemed to never age in his role. This is a great episode and you reviewed it well.
Hey Patrick, always good to hear from you. Lloyd Bochner was a great character actor. Just glancing at his work he was in everything from A-Team to Golden Girls. And of course Columbo, which I'm a big fan of. Everyone was a Columbo villain at some point.
@@FeverDreamlandTheater You're a Columbo fan too?! Brother from another mother! If you start reviewing those eps I'm down like dirty clothes in the laundry chute!
@@pnutbutrncrackers Hop, I LOVE Columbo. I've been a huge fan of the show for years. Reviewing episodes would be a blast, just a matter of finding the time. At the very least, maybe some kind of a top 10 favorite episodes or something would be cool. I've been looking forward to covering 'The Mirror' with Peter Falk from Twilight Zone as well.
You know it always fascinated me that the people would trust these giants without first disciphering that book., my side eye would have stayed on them all the time
There's a line that was said in this episode ''as a race we are unaccustomed to charity, brutality is a far more universal language than an act of friendship'' that is so thought provoking even for the twilight zone but it's also true, we don't expect most people in this world to act selfless and be kind to us so why the fuck would we expect it from alien's from outerspace. sad but true.
Hey Robert, that's an excellent line and I agree. Sad but true indeed. Most of us generally expect the worst from people. It's a shame actually, I make an effort to see the positive / good but I admit it's difficult. Thanks for watching & commenting, I appreciate it. Be well & have a good week ahead.
Difficult to pick a "favorite' episode...... definitely in my top 5. 😎
Top 3 for me if not the best one. 😁
Very classic
Great stuff man. Rod Serling was an absolute genius.
Heeey wassup DisTract. No doubt, I've been a fan of Serling's work for years. Thanks for the watch man.
Yes!
“It’s a harmless cook book. It’s just a little dusty”
Aside from reposting my comment from the original version of this video, just wanted to say I deeply enjoy your reviews and have helped motivate me into rewatching the classic series. Do you plan on reviewing any of the newer Twilight Zones?
Strong Amazon, I can't thank you enough, that's awesome to hear. I do plan on reviewing the news ones too, or maybe make a top 5 or 10 episodes vid - I just started watching them actually. Though I am skipping around, I watched one in relation to this episode the other night.
Heyyyyy friend here watching glad to see u posting 🥰
Heeey wassup Hilda, thank you!
I LOVE this episode I could watch it a million times over 😉 such a creepy plot twist and it just has such a nice flow to it. Another fab review with lots of great extras Anthony! ✌️
Heeeeey OCF, thanks as always for watching...Again in this case, ha ha. Have a good day. : )
@@FeverDreamlandTheater you too 😁
My favorite!!
Great job as always! You make me just wanna binge The Twilight Zone, which I may watch some eps at some point! I think it would be fun to play the villain over a good guy like this actor said haha. Also damn, that guy was tall! Awesome video!
Thanks Dan! Appreciate the watch bro.
The Kanamits just view the universe as one big buffet table LOL! Stopping at each planet sampling its local cuisine. Thanks again for another great TW review. 💯👍
😅 😅 😅 LoL very true.
I like your 4/5 hungry kanamit rating system with this one
Hey Greg, thanks for watching, have a good day.
Omg another one of my favorites 😍. Great video man.
Heeey Dope Show, appreciate you stopping by. Thank you man. I have notifications on btw and I'm on the lookout for your next vid.
You know how -(For whatever reason) you just never seem to catch the very beginning of a movie ? Well like 25 years ago, I FINALLY saw the very beginning of "The Planet of The Apes". The opening credits said "Screenplay by Rod Serling". / I knew it ! - I always knew it ! - Even when I was a kid I said to myself when he saw the statue of Liberty "This is the Twilite Zone !
Agreed! The twist alone feels so much like Serling but a lot of the setup and the world building as well. There's a Planet of the Apes Visionaries graphic novel which adapts Rod's original source material, you might enjoy that. Thanks for watching AL!
Quite possibly the best of all Twilight Zone episodes,Fever,even though there are many other great episodes.One of the biggest shock endings.It's tough to find somebody who doesn't know the words,"It's a cookbook. !!!".
Couldn't agree more John!
Beware of Kanamits in cheap clothing! I wonder what the first recipe was in the book. Roast leg of insurance salesman? I liked Kiel in the 1972 movie, " Longest Yard, " with Burt Reynolds. An exquisite turnaround line.
John Fetterman ran for the Senate to serve man.
This is a really fun episode. I appreciated all the behind the scenes stuff. And yea, humans were dumb to believe aliens would come here to save us. For what? Just to ruin the planet again after receiving their help? Humans don't deserve to be rescued by a higher intelligence. While this can be enjoyed as just pure, fun entertainment it's hard not to see the social commentary. While the human race would greatly benefit from coming together as one, it's something Earth will likely never see. Unless something happened that wipe 75% of the population. Even then, there will always be people who feel superior to others causing a division amongst the community. Wonderful breakdown and review as always!
Heeeey rainbowFRIGHT. Thanks so much for watching & commenting! I tend to agree. Sadly, I don't see humanity coming together and uniting for really any cause. Movies like Independence Day which featured an alien invasion are hopeful in that respect, but not realistic all things considered. Be well & have a good one! : )
This is the best episode of Twilight Zone - and I'm a huge fan of the entire series so that's saying something. I first watched this during one of those marathons they'd run on some holidays here in the states back when I was all of 6 years old. Scared the hell out of me.
Loved those marathons. 😁That's my intro to the series as well.
Great review. Life would be good for earthlings with no wars or famines. Just don't book a flight to the Kannamits home planet!! Wouldn't people get suspicious when everyone who travelled to their planet didn't return? And cracking an alien code would be nigh on I
Impossible. But hey it's the Twilight Zone! Best line in the series 'it's a cookbook '
"Wouldn't people get suspicious when everyone who travelled to their planet didn't return?" Excellent point. There's so much more to this story that I'd love to see explored possibly. I wonder if Rod Serling ever got around to writing another version? I think back when I was researching for this I read that he wanted to take another stab at the story as a full film adaptation. Thanks for the watch & comment Debbie!
I think it's biblical, suspicious exactly. Like a fly away rapture false doctrine the world is believing so for everyone not realizing we've been lied to since birth on and from the " box on the wall" and what we hold today " sell phones" your soul in the great deception. The Canaanites are real and the enemies here today they relate our souls like food for their lifeless souls and Rod Sterling did a great piece here, if you don't know John 1:1 and John 3:16 & 2 Timothy 2:15
Revelations ALL has is or will as we edge ever closer to the end of this Earth age.
I'm staying to fight for God Yeshua YHVH'S Savior for all who will...
The rest will be served up for a hell of 🔥 dish of food!!!
1st timer here, saw a matrix post and this "peculiar " episode as I'm 60 yrs young and enjoyed all the twilight years! Thank you for posting & listening if I'm not deleted. HAPPY 🥳 New YEARS!!
_"It's a cookbook!"_ If someone was going to come up with a top ten list of memorable _Twilight Zone_ quotes, this has to be on it, perhaps at number one. The whole conceit about the book simultaneously being interpreted as assisting / attacking mankind is both a strength and a weakness for "To Serve Man".
To begin with, what were the Kanamits thinking by leaving the book where it would obviously be found? Test the Earthlings' intelligence (or lack thereof)? A practical joke on the victims (by the time they figure out the play on words it will be too late)? Plenty of fun twists and turns make "To Serve Man:" a classic, despite plot holes (e.g., how does it happen that the two distinct meanings of "serve" in English are exactly the same in the Kanamit language?).
Unlike how some seek to read its underlying theme, "To Serve Man" isn't Rod preaching to us about how all the nations need to find ways to get along. First, this isn't his story, but Damon Knight's--Serling just wrote the screenplay. (I wonder if Knight came up with the name _Kanamit_ because it resembles "cannibal"?) And the conclusion hardly fulfills such a lofty goal, as the peoples of Earth are only seen to get along after deceived by the Kanamits, who, it will be recalled are able to get embassies established in every country, all the better to facilitate them setting up places from which to board their livestock transits--er, flights aboard their friendly spacecraft.
No, not Serling social consciousness; rather the episode best fits as a play on the audience's expectations in the years following all of those alien invasion flicks of the 1950s, such as _War of the Worlds,_ _Invaders from Mars,_ _The Thing from Another World,_ _Invasion of the Body Snatchers,_ etc. First reaction, "those flying saucers mean trouble"; then, "oh, look, the aliens are friendly"; followed by "yeah, but maybe we shouldn't trust them anyway"; next, "gosh, they're actually keeping their word to help us"; and finally, "we should never have trusted them in the first place".
Don't get me started on with the Kanamit problems, Anthony. Oh, I'll get myself started! 😏 So, we learn quite a bit from the musings of the lead Kanamit, but are they true? 🤔 We know from the book's title that they enjoy messing with us. (Did you check out any of the recipes? Did the dessert section have one for Earthling Eclairs?)
Consider the findings of that polygraph test. We're supposed to believe he isn't being deceptive, but look at what he says. He's lying with the claim that the Kanamits' only reason to visit Earth is to help us. No, it wasn't, it's to turn us into 🍗 🥩 🍖 etc. Even in 2022 lie detector findings are inadmissible as evidence as they are unreliable, and certain people can "trick" them. So, what about alien creatures with super brains? Did you notice he was messing with them at first, just so they'd trust him. When they asked how he came to Earth, he goes "I walked" to lull them into a false sense of security with an intentional, easily detectable lie. Maybe he was able to overcome the test when it came to his lies about wanting to help us by using a mental reservation, as in thinking "Oh, we're helping you, so we can help ourselves." And by the way, are we expected to believe that the physiology of a Kanamit is so similar to ours that a polygraph works with it?
Speaking of those supposed super-brains, once I look below the bulbous cranium I have to asked myself if this is an elite genius, or someone more closely bordering on feeblemindedness. 1:49 (Like, do I really want to hand this duffus the keys to my luxury interplanetary spacecraft??? No, _really!_ The racoon-like shading around the eyes reminds me a bit of the two little aliens--the second pair of space beings in in "Mr. Dingle the Strong")
More Kanamit Kanundrums: How is it that they are so into human flesh and not other types of food? It doesn't seem as though they're very frugal, since one talks about how they've gone to other planets and helped those beings as they've "helped" us. After all, are they doing nothing to see that the beings aren't reproducing? I thought of that after recalling how Mr. Chambers and Penny may have been not that far from a romantic link. (Recall, in the scene where they are alone in the office together, though there is never anything overt, they do seem to have an interest in what the other will be doing and she powders her nose in front of him. If the Kanamits were truly super smart, wouldn't it be prudent for them to start paring off the Earthlings to reproduce, and thus assure an abundance of Earth Meat ®️™️ for generations to come?)
This is an iconic episode, no question, but the plot holes incline me to deduct. a half a point or so. What stops me, though, are a couple of things. First, that the Jordan Peele version of _TZ_ has a reimagining or sequel entitled "You Might Also Like". I haven't seen it, but from what I've read and the stills it looks interesting. ew.com/tv/twilight-zone-to-serve-man-sequel-photos/
What I am very familiar with, however, is an episode from the 1985 _TZ_ series entitled "A Small Talent for War". It's an eight-minute short that has "To Serve Man" as a template for some of its main ideas: An aerial craft of some sort hovers outside the U.N. building; inside delegates have a unannounced visit from a humanoid whose message has them scrambling to devise a plan for world peace; the mysterious visitor returns, only to discover that they had greatly misunderstood the message. Beyond those points the program's arc is much different, although it's possible, if one is so disposed, to view the endings as examples of dark humor in the framework of sci-fi horror. th-cam.com/video/fbT1fCHOjfI/w-d-xo.html
I think I like "A Small Talent for War" about as much as I do the episode that inspired it, so I'm tacking this on to my final rating for "To Serve Man":
*5 out of 5 Intergalactic Punchlines*
Galantski we're very similar with our ratings, we can both see the issues with these, yet still come away from them with high scores. 😂 The 5th dimension is tough to knock. I like your point about If the Kanamits paring off Earthlings to reproduce. I would imagine something like that would also come into play, but for a show in this era they might not go there. Ha ha, anyway, great comment as always, have a good weekend ahead!
@@FeverDreamlandTheater Yeah, they didn't go there, but they came uncomfortably close to going there--actually going quite a bit beyond that to which I alluded--in another episode:
"You are now the proud possessor of a robot built in the form of a woman; for *all intent and purpose* this creature _is_ a woman." (emphasis added)
"The Lonely" aired in 1959, so what "for all intent and purpose" entailed is left vague. Fast forward to 2017 and there's this news item:
'Barcelona-based Dr. Sergi Santos developed a sex robot named Samantha; the robot can switch between a "sex mode" (which can include Samantha simulating a female orgasm and a "family mode", in which it can also can tell jokes and discuss philosophy.' en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_robot
Interestingly, "(d)iscuss philosophy" reminds me of the poetic scene near the end, where Corry identifies the constellations in the night sky to Alicia, who remarks "God's beauty.". The first time I saw "The Lonely" the final scene, where Allenby blasts away Alisha's face, leaving nothing but sparking wires and electrodes. totally devastated me as a genuine "didn't see one that coming" moment. And then hearing "her" female-sounding voice turning into a deeper, slower unmistakably robotic one, as "her" circuitry shut .down. I would still rate that as one of the best shock endings in the entire five-year run of _TZ._ It still packs a punch.
I’d never heard of this episode before. Super creepy, I love it! I had seen several parodies but never knew the reference.
I liked the original idea of the touching of the cheek and leading him off. Subtlety creepy!
Fab episode Anthony.
Hey Lisa, thanks so much for watching and commenting. I think this one and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet have probably had the most parodies over the years.
One of the top 5 episodes in a series full of so much quality and creative material that to this day it's all still amazingly unique. Thanks for reviewing it brother. 🌌
Still worthy of a second viewing. What a stonking great channel this is. I’m a spineless jellyman for not voting for you.
Hey Terence, thank you for another watch bro. 👍Be well & take care.
My absolute favorite absolute favorite zone
Honestly my favorite episode, thank you for reviewing! The ep reminds me of the short story "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke, though with a different kind of twist. Let's agree: don't trust extraterrestrials who promise world peace and prosperity 😆
"Let's agree: don't trust extraterrestrials who promise world peace and prosperity 😆"
LOL Agreed, space Santa is not to be trusted. Thanks for watching & commenting dowsingelf77, this episode was great for a deep-dive.
What a crappy thing for YT to do to find a random copyright last minute like that. Rewatched and gotta say you keep on killing these videos, brother 💪🏽
Bumps in the road. It is what it is man, but thank you for stopping by again.
Maaaaan all I kept thinking about every time that first alien popped on screen was "Damn he looks SUPER stoned" 🤣
Anthony this was an absolutely stellar review! Every time you dig into the depths of those behind the scenes trivia facts I gain such a larger appreciation for this show and each episode. I love how you do these man. This one definitely seems like one worth checking out and that twist is quite a chilling one
Great work brother 👏
This is such a fan favorite for us TZ geeks, so I really had to show it some love. Thank you as always for watching man.
This is deep. Goes to show you can be pulling, with someone or some people and you really have different goals. Alien promised to serve man, but in reality he was speaking literally to serve man on their tables as their planet obviously lacked food.....😂
Yes to serve man loved it so much. You really make this very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I am sharing on my community page.
Aw, thanks so much Betty. I appreciate that so much. You are a w e s o m e. 👍👍👍
To Serve Man is one of my faves! I know I say that about every TZ video you do but what can I say? TZ is the best. Our reveal about the cookbook is a mind blower and always made me believe to be careful of Trojans baring gifts IRL. The ending with the 4th wall being broken, I don’t think that ever done again by someone on TZ not named Rod, but I could be incorrect. Anyway this ep is impactful and glad you covered it. Excellent video buddy, and glad you got it reposted.
GCap! Always great to hear from you. I think you are right about the 4th wall thing only being broken in this episode and by Rod. If it did happen elsewhere I'm sure I'll hit it eventually as I continue these reviews. Anyway, thanks for watching & commenting. Be well & have a good weekend.
I noticed on my last viewing they showed UN placards being placed specifically for DR, Costa Rica, and Colombia, all countries colonized by Europe.
I thought I commented on this one, but there's little for me to add, as everyone else has written so eloquently about this most famous episode.
I just have one question...did Richard Kiel play all of the Kanamits? They all look so much alike I can't tell! And most people aren't anywhere near 7 foot tall!
Hey Marie, as far as I can know, Kiel did indeed play all of them. So they must have used split-screen for shots which featured two Kanamits.
💗💗💗 this episode is one of my faves!
This was such a fun one to discuss. Thanks for watching & commenting Liz.
@@FeverDreamlandTheater wc...i like ur videos😁
Wait, "somewhat faithful"? I read the original and it just ended at the cookbook reveal. Nothing came after in the original story. In any case, I've seen it the same way you did: a cautionary tale about people offering free things. Also, as the opening narration puts it, they are the Christopher Columbus to Earthlings.
Hey Nitori! Beware gift-givers! Yeah this was such a fantastic and timeless cautionary tale. And I totally hear you, the ending played out a lot more abruptly originally. I guess for me, the tweaked and expanded ending just sort of served as an ominous prologue.
Anyway, much thanks for the watch & the comment. Always awesome to hear from fellow TZ fans. Be well & have a good week ahead.
@@FeverDreamlandTheateroh I certainly agree the extended ending makes for a better watch for the visual medium. Thanks and you too!
I have the kements figure came with twilight zone package. Got him posed....
Aw that's awesome, yeah I really have to get some of those TZ figures.
They give you plenty of cigarettes on that spaceship.
😂😂😂 True. I guess the Kanamits aren't total monsters.
ka na mits sounds like can ni bals
when pronounced in an accent cannibals definitely sounds like kanamits....the name itself gave away a good chunk of spoiler.... but inspite of the name it was a really good episode
I never thought of that. I know The Twilight Zone had a play on words in other episodes. I knew that the title of this episode has a double meaning.
Another top five episode for me. I only have two more picks.
I always saw this one as pretty corny. The twist was a play on words that would not happen. I can suspend disbelief for an alien but not for a crazy mistranslation. It surprised me when I found out how beloved the episode is.
Great video mate, never seen this one before, not that I remember anyway.
Ha ha, well thanks for the watch anyway bro. Be well & Take care.
Easily my favorite episode
No worries Anthony! I actually watched it again coz your content, if I were to give it a Man of Movies rating, it's gonna be a "repeat watch!"
Kevin, thank you bro!
Sterling sent me. I watched. I subscribed.
Hey Martin! Sterling is an amazing fella. Great to have you here & thanks! Have a good weekend ahead.
I didn't work out the twist, even though it was in the title. Definitely in my top 20 of all 156 episodes. Wouldn't earthlings notice that people who have travelled to the Kananites home planet haven't returned? Plus it would be quite impossible to decode their language without some type of source element
Excellent point, but yeah with so many going away and vanishing you'd think those left behind would become suspicious. Little things like that always makes me wonder about an expanded version of this story which could cover some of those aspects.
Two jokes they could have made:
1. He's a humanitarian! (I don't know if that word existed back then.)
2. Since it says "To Serve Man", I guess women are safe. (Alternately, he could have been a woman, who wanted to do away with men.)
To serve gender fluid people would be the 2022 version of this classic episode. 😆 🤣
I wish Movie adaptation of To Serve Man Novel.
Runtime: 210mins (2 Hour)
Genre: Horror
Point of View: Third Person
Setting should be at White House instead of UN.
US President should be Far To Trusting SJW.
The Old Trojan Horse.
A onde eu consigo assistir os episódios antigos? Pois não consigo assistir em nenhum lugar.
Desde já agradeço.
Am I the only one who sees Michael Shannon in the head alien? Specifically Man of Steel Shannon lol
Well now that you said it, that's all I'll ever see. 🤣🤣🤣
Great review and a great TV Show.
Thanks so much, appreciate you checking in. Have a good one.
No problem man, still an excellent video
I appreciate it! Thanks CCR!
Good video! This was one of my favorite episodes. I just subscribed. Congrats on getting close to 1000 subs. I am trying to get there myself. #TheNote2SelfGuy
Hey Daniel, no doubt its a classic! Thanks for the sub! Be well.
Twilight Zone’s To Serve Man Episode should be 45min Episode
9:29...Naked Gun 2 1/2 The Smell of Fear...😆😆😆😆😆
I still love that movie. The opening scene with the lobster still holds up. 😆
@@FeverDreamlandTheater Still Classic
The fact that it the same actor that played the MC in the twilight zone episode makes it even funnier
It's... its a TH-camr 😱
Oh God Noooooo!!!! 😱😱😱 😂
Am I the first one here to correlate this episode to spirit cooking and adrenochrome?
Richard Keil ?
I see.fetterman