tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post5584429169357826793..comments2024-03-20T15:28:13.030-05:00Comments on The Twilight Zone Vortex: "Jess-Belle"JPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14808904189056290207noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post-64893134420859028382019-10-05T15:25:33.428-05:002019-10-05T15:25:33.428-05:00When I watched the episode I was struck by the fac...When I watched the episode I was struck by the fact that the banjo player at the square dance was Earl Scruggs. Can anybody tell me if this was the case, and, who was the fiddler.<br />Banjerbob@comcast.netBanjerbobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10547004873557083600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post-30804640575665223582019-07-03T09:22:42.050-05:002019-07-03T09:22:42.050-05:00When I viewed this one for review it'd been a ...When I viewed this one for review it'd been a long while since I'd last seen it and I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. My appreciation for Hamner's writing has grown a great deal since I started this blog several years ago. This episode is a love letter to rural American folklore and I think the negative reactions are from viewers who are unsympathetic to that mode of storytelling. This series had so much to offer and of such variety it no longer surprises me when viewers dislike episodes I hold in high regard. Fortunately, it doesn't damper my enjoyment of them. Thanks for reading! JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14808904189056290207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post-54143962399340478052019-07-02T13:27:12.300-05:002019-07-02T13:27:12.300-05:00I was glad to finally find ONE retrospective on &q...I was glad to finally find ONE retrospective on "The Twilight Zone" that rated "Jess-Belle' as highly as I do. Most of the negative criticism of it that I've read elsewhere leaves me wondering if the writer and I saw the same episode. It's been condemned for making country people appear "stupid" (not one of the characters is the least bit stupid, and at least two -- Jess-Belle and Granny Hart -- are pretty sharp). It's also been condemned by the more dismal feminists for not taking a harder line with Billy Ben's womanizing; what it actually shows is that two people can interpret the same relationship in completely different ways. Billy Ben saw his brief flirtation with Jess-Belle as a passing fancy, while she had a wellspring of genuine deep feeling in her that he unwittingly tapped and released. If this episode had nothing else going for it, Jeanette Nolan's WONDERFUL turn as Granny Hart, and Anne Francis' smolderingly passionate (and thoroughly convincing) Jess-Belle would make it a gem.Thomas DiMaggiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15528586971282008329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post-58516799653954587062019-06-25T08:40:13.916-05:002019-06-25T08:40:13.916-05:00I can understand that perspective. I definitely th...I can understand that perspective. I definitely think that Jess-Belle is a very tragic character and I, too, was sad to see her fall. The episode certainly loses some of its power once the story focuses on Billy-Ben and Elly. All of the characters in this play feel like broad archetypes but I think that is by design as it is an homage to the rural folklore of the eastern region of the U.S. I think the atmosphere is top-notch and the episode is a very unique entry on the series. Thanks for reading! JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14808904189056290207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post-61250992619354765682019-06-24T13:20:17.822-05:002019-06-24T13:20:17.822-05:00I'll admit, I didn't like this one because...I'll admit, I didn't like this one because of the ending. I was rooting for Jess Belle the entire time. I found the other girl unrelatable and Billy Ben came across as a total slimeball. I remember losing a lot of interest in the episode once Jess Belle disappeared and the episode made it clear that Billy and Elly were the main characters. <br /><br />I did think the episode itself was very well done though, with a very catchy ballad throughout. AJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936523249816908065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post-47735130538004108412019-01-08T14:34:27.235-06:002019-01-08T14:34:27.235-06:00Thanks, Hal. Nolan really steals the show for me b...Thanks, Hal. Nolan really steals the show for me but I like everyone in the cast. I really enjoy Rod Serling's opening narration on this one as well. Great script, great acting, great music. Never understood hearing dislike for this one from some viewers. JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14808904189056290207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318310043864039191.post-21868920956425257842019-01-08T00:01:37.850-06:002019-01-08T00:01:37.850-06:00I agree completely. This one is a personal favori...I agree completely. This one is a personal favorite (I like Hamner's "The Hunt" also, in spite of its flaws) and probably my favorite Hamner script, period. One moment that sticks in my mind is Nolan's introduction to the viewer, and the delight with which she later encourages Jess-Belle to give him "witches' love". Highly rewatchable.Halhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09291930694234773688noreply@blogger.com