Like some other commenters, watching this episode in 2020 at a time when Americans are literally at each other's throats makes it especially timely.
First, let's concede that TZ episodes were often dark fables with lessons about human flaws and frailties. This makes it easier to accept the "convenient" set up in which a brooding lonely young man who has turned to fascism for comfort was once supported in his childhood by a Jewish Holocaust survivor.
And of course it was easy to anticipate the identity of the dark voice hiding in the shadows - even the title "He's Alive" provides a major clue. It was probably a bigger jolt to "less media savvy" audiences back in 1962.
Backed by one of Dennis Hopper's better performances - as in Apoc Now he was always better when overwrought, the episode admittedly takes us on a very predictable story.
However, where the hour shines is in Serling's cautionary closing narration. Recall Serling saw active service in the Pacific during World War II and the grim experiences colored his worldview and his writing.
So he cautions that disaffected and prejudiced voices laying blame on minorities and "others" can lead to hatred, violence and upheaval at any time.
Sadly, society did not learn from history but simply repeats its costly mistakes.
29 Reviews
Is this 2019?
tinidrilcharon22 January 2020
What can I say other than I now realize I should not be surprised by today's hate. It's always there waiting for the courage to rear it's ugly head. This is a play by play of talking points of today's America.
Dennis Hopper's performance is perfect, so much that you want to punch him in the face. But also a reminder that men like his character are just scared little boys.
Rod Serling's closing speech should be posted everywhere.
Dennis Hopper's performance is perfect, so much that you want to punch him in the face. But also a reminder that men like his character are just scared little boys.
Rod Serling's closing speech should be posted everywhere.
Guess the evil fascist ?
darrenpearce1111 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
He's Alive has several merits ,although the 'mystery' figure in the shadow makes for something like the worst and most tasteless edition of 'What's My Line' ever. Dennis Hopper is believable as the volatile, misguided young man looking to an easy and despicable way to escape his own feelings of insignificance. Nowadays he would probably be trolling on the internet or hosting some horrible radio phone-in, but back then he had to rant his fascism on the streets.
Serling covers different ground here in an hour to that touched on in 'Death's Head Revisited'. Tactics and the rhetoric of fascism are coached by the 'mystery' nut-job. The unhappy childhood and a ruthless streak fuel the ambition of Vollmer (Hopper). There's enough narrative and infinitely enough substance for me to recommend this one.
Serling covers different ground here in an hour to that touched on in 'Death's Head Revisited'. Tactics and the rhetoric of fascism are coached by the 'mystery' nut-job. The unhappy childhood and a ruthless streak fuel the ambition of Vollmer (Hopper). There's enough narrative and infinitely enough substance for me to recommend this one.
Dark fable by Serling asks if evil can ever really die
mlraymond27 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This powerful, imaginative teleplay by Rod Serling was certainly motivated by the contemporary infamy of the American Nazi Party, founded in 1959 by George Lincoln Rockwell. In the period of the early to mid-Sixties when this Twilight Zone episode first aired, Rockwell's group frequently made headlines by clashing with outraged protesters, in the kind of street brawl that opens this episode. Rockwell thrived on such confrontations, and eagerly sought to provoke Jewish veterans' groups and integration supporters into fights, by infuriating people with his warmed over Nazi rhetoric and swastika banners. Most Americans regarded the American Nazi Party as a bad joke, that clearly belonged to the lunatic fringe, but Serling, like others, saw real danger beneath the absurd posturing, and sought to point it out in this fanciful, but disturbing episode.
Dennis Hopper is perfect as the leader of a tiny group of neo-Nazis, whose efforts to achieve success are laughed at by jeering hecklers. The desire for total power by the powerless is well represented in Hopper's tearful, neurotic misfit character. But things begin to change with startling speed when a mysterious benefactor speaks to Hopper one night from the shadows, and offers advice on how to sway a crowd. Before long, Hopper's fledgling movement is growing more popular, as his unknown mentor guides his hate speeches to greater and greater success. Finally, at what seems to be his moment of triumph, Hopper is reduced to a pitiful pipsqueak in front of a crowd by an old man who is a survivor of Dachau. The old man reminds the crowd of what happened before and mocks Hopper as a pathetic Hitler wannabe.When the audience is shocked by Hopper's striking of the old man to silence him, the true nature of what his group stands for is brought vividly home, and the crowd abandons him. What follows next will not be revealed here. See this classic episode and be reminded of why Serling was such a successful and respected writer of television's golden age.
Dennis Hopper is perfect as the leader of a tiny group of neo-Nazis, whose efforts to achieve success are laughed at by jeering hecklers. The desire for total power by the powerless is well represented in Hopper's tearful, neurotic misfit character. But things begin to change with startling speed when a mysterious benefactor speaks to Hopper one night from the shadows, and offers advice on how to sway a crowd. Before long, Hopper's fledgling movement is growing more popular, as his unknown mentor guides his hate speeches to greater and greater success. Finally, at what seems to be his moment of triumph, Hopper is reduced to a pitiful pipsqueak in front of a crowd by an old man who is a survivor of Dachau. The old man reminds the crowd of what happened before and mocks Hopper as a pathetic Hitler wannabe.When the audience is shocked by Hopper's striking of the old man to silence him, the true nature of what his group stands for is brought vividly home, and the crowd abandons him. What follows next will not be revealed here. See this classic episode and be reminded of why Serling was such a successful and respected writer of television's golden age.
"He's Alive" has found its time.
ksdilauri22 June 2020
Ten years ago, I'd have dismissed this TZ entry as a little overpreachy, but now this episode is well worth a watch--especially the later scenes. In 2020, it's as if Serling knew about the wave of intolerance, hate and brainwashing that would eventually infect the country. It was fifty years ahead of its time.
Dennis Hitler. Or Adolph Hopper. Whatever you prefer...
Coventry21 January 2022
Being Jewish by birth and having fought in WWII, where he also got injured, Rod Serling understandably has a deep hatred towards Nazism and the persona of Adolf Hitler. Luckily though, being the most genius Sci-Fi writer in history, he also has the gift to write off his disgust and turn it into powerful tales of the supernatural. He did it before in "The Twilight Zone", with the excellent "Death-Heads Revisited", and he does it again with "He's Alive".
A young Dennis Hopper gives an uncomfortably strong performance as Peter Vollmer, the fanatic spokesperson of a small (only four people...) Neo-Nazi party. They aren't taken very seriously, until a mysterious man starts giving Vollmer concrete tips to spread his propaganda and manipulation more effectively. The climax is a bit abrupt and silly, but Serling is exclusively interested in the moral of the story: exterminate Nazism! Make sure history never repeats itself. And right he is.
A young Dennis Hopper gives an uncomfortably strong performance as Peter Vollmer, the fanatic spokesperson of a small (only four people...) Neo-Nazi party. They aren't taken very seriously, until a mysterious man starts giving Vollmer concrete tips to spread his propaganda and manipulation more effectively. The climax is a bit abrupt and silly, but Serling is exclusively interested in the moral of the story: exterminate Nazism! Make sure history never repeats itself. And right he is.
Sadly a prescient episode.
dsalyer-4113822 September 2022
Serling was genius ahead of his time. I have loved the Twilight Zone series since I was a little boy rushing home from school to watch another rerun. However, this episode strikes me cold. The hate, the intolerance, the devotion to those who tell lies and push propaganda, it is sounding all too familiar.
I agree with the other reviews that note that one wouldn't have believed it plausible a few decades ago. But now, in this climate?
Same may offer a warning that "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The truth, as Friedrich Hagel pointed out is that "the only thing we learn from history, is that we don't learn from history." But then again, it can't happen again.... not here....
I agree with the other reviews that note that one wouldn't have believed it plausible a few decades ago. But now, in this climate?
Same may offer a warning that "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The truth, as Friedrich Hagel pointed out is that "the only thing we learn from history, is that we don't learn from history." But then again, it can't happen again.... not here....
He's alive and kicking!
sol-kay6 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
(Some Spoilers) The biggest fault of the "Twilight Zone" episode "He's Alive" is just how obvious who the big mystery man in it is. You can see and hear right away that the guy in the shadows talking with a German accent is non other then the late notorious and possibly, in rumor's that followed his disappearance at the end of WWII, at large Adolph Hitler himself! Yet Neo-Nazi bigwig and Hitler lover Peter Vollmer, Dennis Hooper, had no cue to who he was! Even with him having a bigger then life size Hitler poster displayed in all the rallies he held in trying to convince the people in attendance just what a great guy Hitler was and that we, the American people, should fellow in his footsteps!
Hitler played by Curt Conway made his grand appearance, in the shadows and behind the scenes, when Vollmer's campaign to convert his mostly minority neighborhood to Nazism went bust. That's when Vollmer and his fellow Neo-Nazis got pelted with rotten tomatoes and beaten up by a bunch of outraged citizens who just had enough of his pro-Nazi BS. With his Nazi movement, that amount to less then a dozen misfits and wackos, now in shambles Hitler showed up to give Vollmer tips on how the sway the public to his side and agree to his way of thinking.
Of course Vollmer had no idea who this stranger was even though if he had read anything about him or seen him on TV newsreels and documentaries, not counting the dozens of movies about him, it would have been as obvious to him as the nose, that was earlier broken in a fist fight, on his face that he was Adolph Hitler. Following Hitler's advice Vallmer does in fact start to make progress in convincing the people that he, and his pro-Nazi ideas, is what America needs to get out of the mess that those, which is about 80% of its population, who are out to destroy it got it into.
It's later when Vollmer's surrogate father who raised him since he was a little boy, after his real father kicked him out of the house, the kind and elderly Jewish holocaust survivor Ernst Ganz, Ludwig Donath, decided to put a stop to his insanity that things started to really turn against him.
Given orders by his Fuhrer Adolph Hitler, who by now had reviled himself to a shocked and startled Vollmer, to do the old guy in before he, by talking too much, wrecks his master plan to take over America and later the world! Vollmer, showing at last a sign of sanity, hedges for a moment in him rethinking just what this, in going through with Hitler's wishes, would mean to him. How can he murder a man who was the only person in the world who ever treated him with love and kindness in-spite in how utterly rotten he was!
**SPOILERS*** It's in following Hitler's orders that lead to Vollmer and his ragtag Neo-Nazi Party's complete and utter destruction; Like the German nation who follow Vollmer's hero Adolph Hitler in the mid 1930's and early 1940's. The ironic thing about Vollmer's demise was not his murder of old man Ganz that had the police hot on his tail! But in his ordering the murder of his best friend and Neo-Nazi party member Nick, Howard Caine! It was at Hitler's insistence that Nick be killed and his murder made to look like the work of one the of the many, numbering in the tens of million, anti-Nazi vigilantes in the country. This murderous act in fact, according to Hitler, was to gain sympathy for Vollmer's movement and gain it new members. What it actually did was end up destroying Vollmer's Neo-Nazi movement together with Vollmer himself!
Hitler played by Curt Conway made his grand appearance, in the shadows and behind the scenes, when Vollmer's campaign to convert his mostly minority neighborhood to Nazism went bust. That's when Vollmer and his fellow Neo-Nazis got pelted with rotten tomatoes and beaten up by a bunch of outraged citizens who just had enough of his pro-Nazi BS. With his Nazi movement, that amount to less then a dozen misfits and wackos, now in shambles Hitler showed up to give Vollmer tips on how the sway the public to his side and agree to his way of thinking.
Of course Vollmer had no idea who this stranger was even though if he had read anything about him or seen him on TV newsreels and documentaries, not counting the dozens of movies about him, it would have been as obvious to him as the nose, that was earlier broken in a fist fight, on his face that he was Adolph Hitler. Following Hitler's advice Vallmer does in fact start to make progress in convincing the people that he, and his pro-Nazi ideas, is what America needs to get out of the mess that those, which is about 80% of its population, who are out to destroy it got it into.
It's later when Vollmer's surrogate father who raised him since he was a little boy, after his real father kicked him out of the house, the kind and elderly Jewish holocaust survivor Ernst Ganz, Ludwig Donath, decided to put a stop to his insanity that things started to really turn against him.
Given orders by his Fuhrer Adolph Hitler, who by now had reviled himself to a shocked and startled Vollmer, to do the old guy in before he, by talking too much, wrecks his master plan to take over America and later the world! Vollmer, showing at last a sign of sanity, hedges for a moment in him rethinking just what this, in going through with Hitler's wishes, would mean to him. How can he murder a man who was the only person in the world who ever treated him with love and kindness in-spite in how utterly rotten he was!
**SPOILERS*** It's in following Hitler's orders that lead to Vollmer and his ragtag Neo-Nazi Party's complete and utter destruction; Like the German nation who follow Vollmer's hero Adolph Hitler in the mid 1930's and early 1940's. The ironic thing about Vollmer's demise was not his murder of old man Ganz that had the police hot on his tail! But in his ordering the murder of his best friend and Neo-Nazi party member Nick, Howard Caine! It was at Hitler's insistence that Nick be killed and his murder made to look like the work of one the of the many, numbering in the tens of million, anti-Nazi vigilantes in the country. This murderous act in fact, according to Hitler, was to gain sympathy for Vollmer's movement and gain it new members. What it actually did was end up destroying Vollmer's Neo-Nazi movement together with Vollmer himself!
almost great
jcravens4211 April 2008
The most chilling thing to me in watching this episode is that now, more than 40 years after this episode first aired, all of the things that Peter Vollmer says in his speeches are heard on talk radio and several TV commentators now in the USA. Even the phrasing is the same. I would love to know the source of the item in the trivia section, that claims this episode generated more hate mail than any other episode -- what did people hate about it? This episode is almost great; I'm sure the identity of the man in the shadows was a big surprise to audiences of the time, but for those of us who have been raised on Serling-type surprises, you know what's coming. Why the episode is not great is the ending; it just kind of washes out. Still, Hopper's performance is frightening and believable, and this episode is must-see.
"He's Alive" gets a bit too preachy
chuck-reilly13 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The hour-long "He's Alive" starts off with a very promising premise, but ends up being a too-long sermon that endlessly belabors its point. Dennis Hopper stars as a young neo-fascist (similar to a young Hitler) who is attempting to build his small organization into a national movement. Along the way, he's coached by a mysterious unseen fellow who sounds a lot like the real Hitler. The fact that Hopper has as much leadership ability as a brain-dead juvenile doesn't give the episode too much credibility. To make matters more implausible, his financial benefactor is a Jewish guy (Ludwig Donath) who's helping him pay the bills. This unlikely mismatched relationship strains the boundaries of reality even further. Donath, of course, tries to set Hopper on the right path to no avail. Why he's attempting to help this Nazi in the first place is beyond anyone's guess. He does, however, get to deliver one boring sermon after another to Hopper about the evils of totalitarianism, all to the detriment of the flimsy plot. Paul Mazursky is also in the cast as one of Hopper's clueless disciples.
On occasion, creator Serling would forgo the usual sci-fi element of the "Zone" and deliver what he considered a worthwhile public message. Unfortunately for "He's Alive", that idea was much better suited for the half hour show. At the end of this entry, the "surprise" falls flat despite the casts' best efforts. "He's Alive" was directed by Stuart Rosenberg who later did many famous feature films including "Cool Hand Luke." Hopper, who already had an impressive body of work by the time he was 25, went on to legendary status a few years later with "Easy Rider." He hasn't slowed down since then and remains a Hollywood fixture. Mazursky's eventually became a first-rate Hollywood film director with a number of Academy Award nominations. He recently passed away this year (June 2014).
On occasion, creator Serling would forgo the usual sci-fi element of the "Zone" and deliver what he considered a worthwhile public message. Unfortunately for "He's Alive", that idea was much better suited for the half hour show. At the end of this entry, the "surprise" falls flat despite the casts' best efforts. "He's Alive" was directed by Stuart Rosenberg who later did many famous feature films including "Cool Hand Luke." Hopper, who already had an impressive body of work by the time he was 25, went on to legendary status a few years later with "Easy Rider." He hasn't slowed down since then and remains a Hollywood fixture. Mazursky's eventually became a first-rate Hollywood film director with a number of Academy Award nominations. He recently passed away this year (June 2014).
"Cross off the fat one!"
classicsoncall21 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This is the first Dennis Hopper work I've managed to come across since he passed away a little over three weeks ago. I've always admired his work and consider him one of the finest character actors of all time. In this episode of The Twilight Zone, he gives a compelling portrayal of a conflicted revolutionary, a street corner peddler of hate who leaves no doubt that his followers are a neo-Nazi splinter group even before the revelation of it's unseen benefactor. Rod Serling often presented stories about man's unrelenting quest for personal freedom and liberty, citing the danger of dictators and governments who would usurp that freedom in the interest of the state. It didn't matter if the target of the hate was a race of people or an economic system; purveyors of hate will latch onto an ideology and twist their rhetoric to make it appeal to the masses.
The stunning lesson of this story from the vantage point of 2010 is that the world never seems to learn from the mistakes of the past. The Hitlers of the world are replaced by those who, if it's possible, are even more evil in their intent to elevate themselves and their cause at the expense of their populace. Defenders of freedom like Ernst Ganz (Ludwig Donath) may sound the alarm, but can be easily dismissed with the passion of rhetoric. For 'Never Again' to hold any value, we must not let ourselves be lulled into that kind of complacency.
You really have to keep an eye on Hopper in this story as he takes his character through a range of emotion. He can be a whimpering failure or a determined zealot at the drop of a hat. I once saw him in a TV interview where the host asked him if he could cry on demand. Without taking time to answer, tears started streaming from his eyes and his voice choked with emotion as he put his answer on display instead of verbalizing it. Ever since that time I've been a huge Dennis Hopper fan.
As mentioned earlier, Serling took aim at Nazi depravity in a couple of other stories, notably #1.10 - Judgment Night and #3.9 - Deaths-Head Revisited. There was also #2.2 - The Man in the Bottle that summoned up Adolph Hitler in a twist ending. For an even stronger argument against statism and the threat of government intrusion into daily life, you have to see #2.29 - The Obsolete Man. All are slightly different takes on a common theme, owing to Rod Serling's unbridled passion for individual freedom and personal responsibility.
The stunning lesson of this story from the vantage point of 2010 is that the world never seems to learn from the mistakes of the past. The Hitlers of the world are replaced by those who, if it's possible, are even more evil in their intent to elevate themselves and their cause at the expense of their populace. Defenders of freedom like Ernst Ganz (Ludwig Donath) may sound the alarm, but can be easily dismissed with the passion of rhetoric. For 'Never Again' to hold any value, we must not let ourselves be lulled into that kind of complacency.
You really have to keep an eye on Hopper in this story as he takes his character through a range of emotion. He can be a whimpering failure or a determined zealot at the drop of a hat. I once saw him in a TV interview where the host asked him if he could cry on demand. Without taking time to answer, tears started streaming from his eyes and his voice choked with emotion as he put his answer on display instead of verbalizing it. Ever since that time I've been a huge Dennis Hopper fan.
As mentioned earlier, Serling took aim at Nazi depravity in a couple of other stories, notably #1.10 - Judgment Night and #3.9 - Deaths-Head Revisited. There was also #2.2 - The Man in the Bottle that summoned up Adolph Hitler in a twist ending. For an even stronger argument against statism and the threat of government intrusion into daily life, you have to see #2.29 - The Obsolete Man. All are slightly different takes on a common theme, owing to Rod Serling's unbridled passion for individual freedom and personal responsibility.
Lots of Verbiage; Little Plot
Hitchcoc21 April 2014
I have to admit that I did like Dennis Hopper in this role. He was a young, rising star in the day. While he had some important roles, he never really became the new Marlon Brando that some expected. In this effort, he plays a Neo-Nazi who spouts the standard ravings and continually pushed off the stage, sometimes in peals of laughter. He has a connection to an old Jewish man who knows what a loser he is, but who still gives him shelter and a sort of father figure to latch on to. This really confuses the issue. We ask why, with this role model, he has become so jaded. Things are going bad for these nasties until Hopper meets a man whose face is in the shadows. He gives advice on how to control the masses. Pretty soon our hero is able to exude his venom, using the shortcomings of his audiences to pull them in. He falls totally under the control of this guy and starts to get a lot attention. The problem with this episode is that the Hopper character is utterly unconvincing. He is too malleable on the one hand and incredibly decisive on the other. He has no consistency. And then there is his old friend and mentor. It's silly and melodramatic.
Based on a real person
toddholmes-8888331 October 2019
Most people today would not remember the name George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party. In the early 1960s he was mostly reviled by the mass media of the day, and was well-known in his day for opposing integration, and driving what he called "The hate bus" as a way of mocking the Freedom Riders. He was arrested numerous times for inciting riots, and had even assaulted Martin Luther King Jr. during a protest march No doubt Rod Serling based the character of Volmer on Rockwell.
Scary how familiar this sounds
rliston-855548 June 2018
Interesting that some of the most recent reviews have started showing declining ratings on this episode. It is eerie how similar the message and complaints being spouted by Dennis Hopper are to the narrative coming from the White House and other quarters in the year 2018. I would imagine this episode makes a lot of people very uncomfortable these days. Watch it and pretend it's not the Twilight Zone from the early 60's, just listen to the message. Sound familiar?
Rise and fall of a lost man.
searchanddestroy-115 April 2019
This little feature reminds me strongly Elia Kazan's FACE IN THE CROWD scheme, except the neo facism matter. Dennis Hopper is of course outstanding in this so difficult role. But I think that's very interesting to show the difficulties this young facist movement to exist and grow. Look out the scene where they can't get the money to rent the hall where meetings take place.
Evil is in the Air
claudio_carvalho5 August 2023
The mediocre Peter Vollmer is a young neo-Nazi that has neither leadership no charisma to excite the masses. He is frequently humiliated and his emotional support is the Jewish Ernst Ganz, who raised him like a son. Out of the blue, a black shadow becomes his mentor, teaching him how to speech and to attract the masses despite the costs.
"He's Alive" is a reasonable episode of "The Twilight Zone", mainly supported by the performances of Dennis Hopper and Ludwig Donath. Evil usually prevails in movies, but not in this episode. However, it is a warning for future generations that unfortunately are not followed by many groups. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Ele Está Vivo" ("He's Alive")
"He's Alive" is a reasonable episode of "The Twilight Zone", mainly supported by the performances of Dennis Hopper and Ludwig Donath. Evil usually prevails in movies, but not in this episode. However, it is a warning for future generations that unfortunately are not followed by many groups. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Ele Está Vivo" ("He's Alive")
Rod Wrote This Way
johcafra-150-6584026 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
...and if this episode of The (original) Twilight Zone is your introduction to him then you've a good deal more of Serling to sample. The man was a warrior, a fighter, a teacher, and above all a writer with Something To Say. I can't imagine a more direct approach to the topic, with an element of fantasy that is not only typical of the Zone but at times is graced with lyrical yet hard-hitting dialogue. As a storyteller Serling truly did know when to stop.
I'd lately (and fortuitously) viewed this episode after some decades; my first viewing was at an impressionable age while I was still trying to get my head around the underlying horror. With the benefit of hindsight one user's reminder of the then-contemporary George Lincoln Rockwell is quite apt. Indeed, by today's standards the treatment is mild but understandably so (primetime Stateside network television broadcast, understand), and I don't for a moment doubt the sincerity of all concerned.
A youthful Dennis Hopper is something of a revelation. Catch Howard Caine, Ludwig Donath and the director Paul Mazursky as well. But one misgiving? At the moment of the Great Reveal of Peter Vollmer's mysterious benefactor what steps out of the shadows but a silent and well-dressed caricature bearing an expression that reads, "Well, who did you expect, the Good Humor Man?" A glimpse in three dimensions of the sociopath behind the words in uniform would likely have sent viewers scurrying...along with "tonight's sponsors".
I'd lately (and fortuitously) viewed this episode after some decades; my first viewing was at an impressionable age while I was still trying to get my head around the underlying horror. With the benefit of hindsight one user's reminder of the then-contemporary George Lincoln Rockwell is quite apt. Indeed, by today's standards the treatment is mild but understandably so (primetime Stateside network television broadcast, understand), and I don't for a moment doubt the sincerity of all concerned.
A youthful Dennis Hopper is something of a revelation. Catch Howard Caine, Ludwig Donath and the director Paul Mazursky as well. But one misgiving? At the moment of the Great Reveal of Peter Vollmer's mysterious benefactor what steps out of the shadows but a silent and well-dressed caricature bearing an expression that reads, "Well, who did you expect, the Good Humor Man?" A glimpse in three dimensions of the sociopath behind the words in uniform would likely have sent viewers scurrying...along with "tonight's sponsors".
Not bad!
mm-3917 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Not bad, but average for a Twilight Zone episode. Written by Rod Serling and He's Alive has a few good plot twists and a surprised dark figure. The social message become old with the redundant lurking evil story line we see through out the T V series. But W W 2 was fresh in society's mind back in the early 60's which must had an influence with Serling. I believe evil will be the same but transform into a different unpredictable spin, which I think could have helped with the script. What shines and save He's Alive is Dennis Hopper character shines as Peter Vollmer a Nazi wannabe. One feels and experiences the Vollmer character. Adolf Hitler/mystery character was very accurate an chilling. Stuart Rosenberg directed He's Alive with the proper ebbs and flows, with highs and lows, which mixes characters with each act. 6 out of 10 stars.
1963 is 2022
computersprockets4 July 2022
I haven't seen this episode in a few years and as I watched it this time I found it incredibly frightening and prescient. Fascism exists today as much as it ever has. The difference is a large group of people would agree with the Hitler loving character portrayed perfectly by Dennis Hopper. His ability to switch quickly from the man-child he is in front of his elderly friend to a cold blooded Nazi at his rallies brings forth a depth and a sad psychological assessment of his character.
The man in shadow whose face is hidden advising him on how to relate to his crowds of angry bitter people is very reminiscent of today's most extreme politicians. Far-Right populism sticks to a tried and true playbook: appeal to the crowd's fears and prejudices and offer simplistic solutions designed to sound convincing to them no matter how ridiculous or evil those solutions may be. Perhaps most importantly, by telling your followers the same lies over and over again and those oft repeated lies begin to gain an appearance of plausibility.
Written by Rod Serling himself, this episode is dark and contemporary, it could have been filmed last week with little added or subtracted.
The man in shadow whose face is hidden advising him on how to relate to his crowds of angry bitter people is very reminiscent of today's most extreme politicians. Far-Right populism sticks to a tried and true playbook: appeal to the crowd's fears and prejudices and offer simplistic solutions designed to sound convincing to them no matter how ridiculous or evil those solutions may be. Perhaps most importantly, by telling your followers the same lies over and over again and those oft repeated lies begin to gain an appearance of plausibility.
Written by Rod Serling himself, this episode is dark and contemporary, it could have been filmed last week with little added or subtracted.
Guess who?
ericstevenson18 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This episode tells the story of a Neo-Nazi struggling to get followers. He meets up with this shadowy figure who encourages him. Considering the fact that the episode is titled "He's Alive", you can guess who he is. Yep, it's Hitler. This is still a great episode, because of how strong the performances are. I knew Dennis Hopper was one of the most prolific actors around.
Well, he certainly worked with a lot of people. It's a shame it ends on a downer ending. Then again, it does give a powerful message. It ends by saying that even if Hitler is dead, he can live on in people who share his ideology. Let us make sure no one does. Rod Serling said this was one of the most significant episodes. ***1/2
Well, he certainly worked with a lot of people. It's a shame it ends on a downer ending. Then again, it does give a powerful message. It ends by saying that even if Hitler is dead, he can live on in people who share his ideology. Let us make sure no one does. Rod Serling said this was one of the most significant episodes. ***1/2
Uggh!
planktonrules17 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Perhaps one of the reasons the one hour episodes done for season 4 failed to connect with the audiences was that the shows were too long and drawn out--making the inevitable twist seem long overdue and far too easy to anticipate. Perhaps another reason is that some of the shows, like this one, were really dumb.
A young and clean-shaven Dennis Hopper stars as a very troubled young nut-job. He's a neo-Nazi and preaches sewage throughout much of the show. At the end, however, he learns the identity of a secret man who has been helping him with his campaign to stir up race hatred--it's Hitler himself!!! This is not ironic--just dumb and what's dumber is that somehow Hopper's character is shocked and even unhappy about this--he should have been thrilled. Overall, a lame episode that is hard to justify as anything other than overdone and silly.
A young and clean-shaven Dennis Hopper stars as a very troubled young nut-job. He's a neo-Nazi and preaches sewage throughout much of the show. At the end, however, he learns the identity of a secret man who has been helping him with his campaign to stir up race hatred--it's Hitler himself!!! This is not ironic--just dumb and what's dumber is that somehow Hopper's character is shocked and even unhappy about this--he should have been thrilled. Overall, a lame episode that is hard to justify as anything other than overdone and silly.
Don't make this about current events.
glennsmithk3 November 2019
Tying this episode to current events fails to acknowledge Dennis Hopper's stellar performance. It trivializes the historical evil that the episode references. It testifies to the fact that some people can not recognize good theater. This is The Twilight Zone, not Fox or CNN. Save politics for the ballot box. Most of us simply want to be entertained.
Unfortunately all too relevant
rtrtl7 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This was the episode Rod was most proud of having written, and he had an almost prophetic vision. Whoever would have thought that a demagogue would be president in a country so entrenched in democracy?
The characters were well-thought out, and there is depth in the neo-Nazi organization. It's actually Frank, one of Pete Vollmer's lieutenants, who seems most dedicated, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they revealed he was the one who got Vollmer into the organization. He probably wanted to be a "power behind the throne".
There were actually two characters who experienced a struggle between humanity and evil. In the lead character evil ultimately won, but in his other lieutenant, Stanley, it was ultimately humanity that won. While not spelled out in the episode, it seems a safe bet that it was Stanley who tipped off the police about Nick's murder. Stanley already had misgivings about the murder of his friend and tried to express those to Pete and Frank, but they dismissed him. Seeing Pete strike the elderly Ernst who had been good to Pete would be the final straw. If Stanley is released on bail, I can even see him visiting Ernst's grave just to say "I'm sorry."
The characters were well-thought out, and there is depth in the neo-Nazi organization. It's actually Frank, one of Pete Vollmer's lieutenants, who seems most dedicated, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they revealed he was the one who got Vollmer into the organization. He probably wanted to be a "power behind the throne".
There were actually two characters who experienced a struggle between humanity and evil. In the lead character evil ultimately won, but in his other lieutenant, Stanley, it was ultimately humanity that won. While not spelled out in the episode, it seems a safe bet that it was Stanley who tipped off the police about Nick's murder. Stanley already had misgivings about the murder of his friend and tried to express those to Pete and Frank, but they dismissed him. Seeing Pete strike the elderly Ernst who had been good to Pete would be the final straw. If Stanley is released on bail, I can even see him visiting Ernst's grave just to say "I'm sorry."
Ghost Of Evil
AaronCapenBanner3 November 2014
Dennis Hopper stars as a young Nazi named Peter Vollmer, who stages small rallies in an American city with little success. One day, a mysterious benefactor decides to back Peter with his encouragement and money, and before he knows it, Vollmer is packing in the halls where he gives his stirring speeches, but his long-time involvement with an elderly Jewish man forces this benefactor to tell Peter to either kill the old man, or else he'll come out from the shadows and take over... Well-intentioned but too heavy-handed drama has some good dramatic points but Hopper is unconvincing, motivations muddled, and ultimate reveal too predictable. "He" could only be one person...
Tedious Serling lecture
cjevans19 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Sometimes Rod Serling throws any semblance of entertainment out the window and just gives us a lecture on the virtues of tolerance. This is one of those episodes. We watch as a tiresomely whiny, unconvincing Dennis Hopper makes an effort to rise as an American neo-Nazi leader, aided by an old man who turns out to be...Adolph Hitler!--or, more accurately, a figment of the Hopper character's tortured imagination. But there's never any real tension or suspense, just a loooong narrative unwinding (it's a fifty-minute episode) till we get to Serling's undeniably true moral lecture at the end. You'd be much better off watching Downfall or Judgment at Nuremberg or a documentary. I add one star for Curt Conway's excellent Hitler impression.
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