Spielberg's Amazing Stories: Brimming with positivity, but less-than-amazing after all these years

With theatres shut, we at Original-Cin are doing what you’re probably doing, watching movies at home. We’ll review films that would have opened in theatres, but are now streaming, plus other worthy watches on cable and streaming services.

By Jim Slotek

Rating: C-plus

The Steven Spielberg-created Amazing Stories debuted on NBC in 1985 – the reboot of which debuted this month on Apple TV+. I was a TV critic back then and vividly remember the sense of disappointment.

This was the most successful filmmaker in the world, deigning to do TV. I’m not sure if “Spielbergian” was an adjective yet, but ET had already delivered that sort of wistful fetishism of things suburban, with indefatigable kids, and the sense that no matter how dire events on the screened seemed, it would all work out okay.

Two teen track stars communicate across the spirit world while sprinting in the Amazing Stories ep The Heat

On the other hand, Spielberg’s big break had been courtesy of Rod Serling (at age 21, the wunderkind directed a segment of the 1969 pilot episode of Serling’s Night Gallery). And he went on to direct Jaws, one of the scariest popcorn movies ever, to say nothing of the thrilling psycho-trucker TV-movie Duel. So, there was hope for a nail-biting anthology series that lived up to its title and maybe even inherited a bit of Serling’s dark, creative DNA.

But – though it boasted some high points and still has a cult following - that version of Amazing Stories was seen as soft, and never caught on with the public (despite the efforts of episode directors/pals like Martin Scorsese, Joe Dante and Robert Zemeckis). The fact that it ran two seasons was more a case of network execs not wanting to say no to Spielberg.

The version on Apple TV+ might well be called Amazing Stories, But Not So Amazing That Heart Patients Can’t Watch It. There are provocative premises and solid acting turns – the best of which is by the late Robert Forster (Jackie Brown) in one of his final roles, as a disabled furniture factory worker who acquires super-powers.  That episode, the third of the three, is titled Dynoman and the Volt! and was directed by Susanna Fogel (The Spy Who Dumped Me).

As is the case throughout this version of Amazing Stories, the set-up is better than the follow-through. There is a generational conflict between the grandpa (Forster) and his comic-book-loving grandson Dylan (Tyler Crumley), that the “super powers” plot is merely a device to resolve. But Cocoon made far better use of the possibilities of achy and ailing seniors suddenly being offered vitality, strength and even immortality by paranormal means.

Episode 1, The Cellar, offers up an aimless millennial named Sam (Dylan O'Brien) who’s killing time working for his brother’s reno company, and who, while working on an old farmhouse, falls in love with the engagement photo of a young woman (Victoria Pedretti) circa 1919. It turns out that - along with DeLoreans, phonebooths and hot tubs - root cellars can act as time machines if the barometric pressure is low enough.

Episode 3, The Heat (from Stomp the Yard director Sylvain White), has an off-beat conceit – two teenage track stars (Hailey Kilgore and Emyri Crutchfield) are best friends, separated by a fatal accident. But they discover they can communicate if they’re both running alongside each other. Again, interesting set-up, but an overstuffed plot that doesn’t know where it wants to go. 

Still to debut: Episodes 4 and 5, Signs of Life (Friday, March 27) and The Rift (April 3).

Whereas Serling’s stories tended to end with the protagonist in some kind of ironic hell, these Spielbergian tales - in the production hands of Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis - often seem to be an exercise in the universe straightening itself out, if not outright happy endings. I suppose given current events, it’s not the worst thing in the world to offer up positivity, even if it falls short of amazing.

Amazing Stories. Series streaming on Apple TV+. Created by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg.