Good morning, House of Madness anthologists:
Sometimes it's hard to fathom why someone or something so good never received the love and adoration compared to its peers and predecessors, seemingly ignored by the mainstream masses, yet too humble to complain about the lack of notoriety received. When people speak of the hockey greats of old and new, rarely will you hear a whisper about Marcel Dionne, a man who only scored 731 goals and almost 1800 points, yet unless someone is speaking directly about him, you rarely hear his name. I guess that's what happens when you play in the Gretzky and Lafleur era. Every time I see Jeremy Sisto doing TV, I'm reminded of "Wrong Turn", "May", and "Population 436" and remember just how much I enjoyed him in the horror genre, yet to most he's a relative unknown. Back when I should have been in college, every time I was intoxicated on alcohol or some crazy substance (most of the time), my buddy Pete would always forestall the munchies with his secret concoction of potatoes, onions, and mushroom soup, and to this day I'm not sure I've had anything better, yet the mention of it to others warrants me looks more confused than a cowboy in a wedding dress. Yep, sometimes the mainstream menu just isn't up to par, and needs to begrudgingly take a back seat to someone or something lesser known.
When it comes to television horror anthologies, just about everyone's mind goes straight to "The Twilight Zone", and deservedly so, followed up by "Tales From the Darkside", "Tales From the Crypt", and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Then you have a second tier of memorable compiled stories such as "The Outer Limits", "Black Mirror", and "The Hitchhiker"; all worthy of a binge watch if you haven't already. But one forgotten gem that may have been beloved at the time, but never even gets a mention of positive reflection nowadays is "Night Gallery"; a television anthology series which was also brought forth by the absolutely brilliant Rod Serling, the master and legendary short story guru and anthology wizard. There's a little something for everyone inside the "Night Gallery", from tales that will creep your bones, to touching stories that will make you laugh and cry simultaneously. This series is so enthralling and thought provoking, that I would pit it against any one of the aforementioned anthology projects and fully expect it to hold its own. I'm sure there are quite a many that would dispute my opinion of "Night Gallery's" relative anonymity, and I'm not trying to spark an argument, I'm simply trying to bring recognition and credence to a show that has long been overshadowed, and deserves its day in the sun. Now, somebody pass me those potatoes!
Madness Meter: 8.9/10
NB
