The Twilight Zone Zone

This week's podcast episode is really special! We're joined by Mark Alexzandr as we watch Season 5: Episode 36: The Bewitchin' Pool. In this episode, two wealthy children decide they want to become hillbillies by way of their olympic-sized water portal in the back yard. We talk about childhood anxieties and how to navigate coming of age while being raised in failing, hateful marriages! What fun! You can and should keep up with Mark on Twitter @mayIbefunny. Also, you should make an effort to go to one of the four shows he runs! Four! Count 'em! Four! They're all at Holy Grounds Coffee and Tea in El Sereno and are very great! The GentriFUNcation Open Mic - WEEKLY Thursdays at 6pm Sleeping with Mark and Albert - Every 1st and 3rd Thursday. Hosted by Mark Alexzandr and Albert Huber #ThrowbackThursday - Every 2nd Thursday. Hosted by Kevin Chu and Nthenya Ndunda SINprov - Every 4th Thursday. Hosted by Jennifer Tate and Camirin Farmer

We have a very special guest this week! We're joined by Nichole Bagby! Nichole is a wonderfully funny actor and we watch Season 1: Episode 4 "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" wherein an aging actress tries to recapture her past (with Twilight-Zoney results)! We talk about the creative process, navigating your own professional identity, and mansplaining! You can check out her work in the movie On The Rocks or at Channel 101! You can also follow Nichole on Instagram @bagbies

This episode of The Twilight Zone Zone is very special! We're joined by improviser Luke Jensen! We watched season 2, episode 25 "The Silence" wherein a particularly obnoxious man is bet that he can't be silent for a year, but in a clever play, he has his vocal cords sliced out. Take that sportsmanship! We talk about gambling, cruel twists of fate, and how long we could go without talking! You should totally check out Luke's improv troupe Harold Ramis and his podcast What Did You Learn? I'm not asking, I'm telling!

In this very special episode, we're joined by writer and improviser Mikey McCollor as we watch Season 3, Episode 8 "It's a Good Life" In this iconic episode, 6-year-old Anthony Fremont has infinite god-like powers and also happens to be a worthless piece of shit asshole. We discuss empathy, what we would do with god-like powers, and the sorts of fears that come along with living an oppressed life. Mikey is a very funny person and you can and should follow him on Twitter @MikeyMcCollor

Today's episode is really special! We watched Season 1, Episode 9: "Perchance to Dream". In an episode that gives us German expressionist vibes, A Nightmare On Elm Street Vibes, and David Lynch vibes, Edward Hall is convinced that if he falls asleep, he'll be killed in his dreams. We're joined by Geoff Adams and Ian Castellanos, pop artists from Los Angeles. We talk about dream journaling, the power of imagination, and how to treat rheumatic heart disease! You can find Geoff and Ian's work on their Instagram @crudeinc and you can also find it on Etsy so you can buy it and own it yourself! https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrudeInc

This week's episode is very special! We watch the classic episode "A Most Unusual Camera" Episode 10 of Season 2. When a group of ne'er-do-wells come into possession of a camera that predicts the future, they try to use it for for personal gains. Our guest is Erick Yaro Wessel. Erick is one of the owners of The Bearded Lady Mystic Museum in Burbank. It's a store that sells only the most curious items and features an art gallery in the back that is running a Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock themed show through May.

Like all episodes of The Calzone Zone, this one is very special! Our guest is Trevor Smith, a sandwich enthusiast. This week, we got our calzones from Desano Pizza Bakery on Santa Monica Blvd. We discuss the difference between calzones and stromboli and dish about garlic, scamorza, mozzarella di bufala, pecorino romano, soppressata and prosciutto. You can keep up with Trevor on Twitter @heytrevorsmith or check out his live stand-up show @cranescomedy

Wow, what a special episode this is! We watched Season 3, Episode 1 "Two". It features a young Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery who would go on to star as Samantha on Bewitched. In a future that's been destroyed by global war, the two sole survivors from opposing sides find love. We couldn't think of a better expert on being two people than two people! Our guests are New York comedians Martin Urbano and Kelsey Caine. The pair lend us some insight on finding romance in the apocalypse. What a treat! You can find Kelsey on Twitter @Kelsey_Caine and you can find Martin similarly @martinurbano

Like all episodes of The Twilight Zone Zone, this one is very special! We watched Season 1, Episode 34 "The After Hours". Better known as "you know, the mannequin episode" it features Anne Francis playing a real lady who is actually a fake lady. Our guest is Zara Mizrahi, a human comedian. We talk about reality, perception, and how it's weird that bathroom attendants are a thing. You can keep up with Zara's live show dates on her website zaramizrahi.com or listen to her podcast The Preposterous Sessions on iTunes OR you can follow her in the vast and infinite Twitterspace @TheZaraMizrahi

This week we watch "Sounds and Silences", a particularly campy episode of the Twilight Zone (Episode 27 of Season 5). In a fitting punishment for being both noisy and emotionally abusive, Roswell G. Flemington becomes deaf to the world. Our guest is Jacob Shelton. Jacob is a writer and very funny boy. We discuss the open-endedness of this episode and wonder whether or not we're supposed to sympathize with the protagonist. Is he a veteran with PTSD or simply a horrible husband and boss with a paranoid delusional fantasy about having been in the war? All this and more in this gripping episode of The Twilight Zone Zone! Jacob also shares some very interesting and entirely true facts about Rod Serling. Jacob is the author of Minor Phrases, a collection of short stories about found photographs. You can find it here: http://www.minorphrases.com/ or peruse his other things here: http://www.thisisjacobshelton.com/

This week, we're joined by the stellar Lauren Davis! Lauren is a stand-up comic and improviser living in Los Angeles. We watch Season 1, Episode 16: The Hitchhiker. In this episode, Nan Adams can't escape a hitchhiker that appears to be following her on her cross-country trip. We discuss loneliness, the challenges women face when traveling alone, and what this episode has to say about feminism in the '60s and the present. You can follow Lauren on Twitter @laurenorwhatev

This week we're joined by the stellar and funny and immediately likable Danny Palumbo! Danny's a stand-up comic from Pittsburgh who cut his teeth in Austin before making it to LA! Three different places! Anywhoozle, we watch "The Jeopardy Room" . It's Season 5, Episode 29 and one of very few episodes that doesn't feature any paranormal elements! We discuss villain accents, the Saw franchise, and the elements of dramatic tension! You can follow Danny on Twitter @Palumbros

On the Twilight Zone Zone, we always say our guest is special and it's always true! Today our guest is especially special! We're joined by Rachel Curry, an incredibly talented bookbinder and letterpress artist. We watch Season 2, Episode 29: "The Obsolete Man" which stars Burgess Meredith. In a dystopian future, books are a crime and god is long since dead. Burgess Meredith plays a librarian who is sentenced to death for being obsolete. We discuss the importance of learning and the joys of having niche skill sets. You can find Rachel on Instagram @currycheeks or you can buy her wonderful art on Etsy right here! https://www.etsy.com/shop/CurryArts

Today's episode is really special, because it's the first time we have a returning guest! Our resident expert on immortality is Ryan Cownie and he joins us for season 1, episode 24: Long Live Walter Jameson. This episode focuses on a man who's over 2,000-years-old, and Ryan helps us gain some perspective. We talk about life, death, and the many pitfalls of having to live forever. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @RyanCownie or keep up with the antics of Lil Wimp by googling his damn name!

This week's guest is exactly as special as our other guests! We're joined by Veronica Gruba as we watch Season 3, Episode 13 "Once Upon A Time" starring Buster Keaton! We discuss the translation of early-'20s silent film humor to the marginally more modern era of the '60s and what time periods we feel we'd be more comfortable in! What a joy! You can check out Veronica's stellar podcast "Who We Used To Be" where guests discuss things that used to be important to them. It's available on iTunes! You can also find Veronica on Twitter @vtown and see her troupe Totally Heather at UCB!