The New Exhibit

Nothing says "horror" like a good old-fashioned tale involving creepy wax figures! It took four and a half seasons of "The Twilight Zone" to cover this lovely subject, but we can consider that box ticked as well now; - and how! It's clichéd, it's predictable, and it's derivative, but it's also a lot of fun.

Martin Balsam seems like an odd casting choice (or, at least, to me it did) for the role of wax-museum curator in charge of the serial killer section, but he is such a great actor that he can take full ownership of any role. And there are more fabulous names involved, namely writer Charles Beaumont (although allegedly a ghost writer) and the most underrated director of all times; - John Brahms.

There are only a few possible storylines and plot twists you can use in a story about wax figures, so the plot might not be very perplexing, but it delivers. Moreover, the atmosphere is excellent, and the wax statues look very menacing (and, the case of the French killer Landru, also very resembling). To save the best, "The New Exhibit" has something that sadly few other TZ-episodes have: murder victims!

If you have watched it once go and watch the beginning again It will be terrifying then

I am certainly not the first to comment that the 50-minute runtime for the episodes of season 4 was a bad change, and this is exactly why a lot episodes are so much weaker than they could have been. This is also no exception with this one, as the exposition especially is incredibly bloated. Things do not really pick up until about the 30-minute mark, but when they do, it is a real thrill.

Martin Balsam did a great job in the lead role, and all of the other performances were solid as well, albeit less memorable. There was also some dark humour which I liked a lot (especially after the unfunny trainwreck that was the previous episode with the Genie). This episode is really close to being a great, memorable classic, but I just cannot bring myself to rate it any higher than this. The thing is, if it was not for the runtime and the resulting issues, it could have been one.

In the Ferguson's Wax Museum, Martin Lombard Senescu has been the curator of the murderers' row for thirty years. When Ernest Ferguson tells his employee and friend Martin that he has sold the museum to a supermarket, Martin asks to keep the five statues from his row in his basement. Martin argues with his wife Emma, buys and air conditioning to the basement to keep the figures in the right temperature, increases the energy power bill and becomes obsessed by them. Emma tells her brother Dave what is happening at home and he suggests that she turns the air condition off to damage the wax figures. But something happens in the basement.

"The New Exhibit" is one of the best episodes of "The Twilight Zone", with an ambiguous story of obsession. Who the killer (s) is (or are) in Martin's basement is the great mystery. The performances are excellent, highlighting Martin Balsam in the role of an obsessed man. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Figuras de Cera" ("Wax Figures")

Martin Senescu (Martin Balsam) is a tour guide in a museum and is obsessed with the exhibits. They are mass murderers in wax about to be discarded as the museum's owner believes the public are no longer thrilled by Jack the ripper and the like. Senescu cannot give up his 'friends' and so keeps them in his basement.

For me this is an ordinary horror tale that lacks depth, meaning, and sensible human aspirations for true Zone standard. Senescu simply has an unhealthy obsession that cannot lead to any good. So you get a weird tale, but not a thought-provoking or an involving one. Martin Balsam was a very fine actor, but the mad single-mindedness of this character does not impress me. Having said all that, this would be one of the better entries in just about any other fantasy anthology series.