“All the Time”
The twilight zone episode "All The Time" is so haunting precisely because it is so evocative of the societal and cultural context of the time in which it was created. In order to create a modern adaptation, one would thus have to capture the subtle nuances of societal norms and politics that shape the way we think and interact in the 21st century. This is not necessarily that difficult, as the principles and motivations that influence our behavior generally stay the same regardless of what time period we live in. So given these guidelines, exactly how could the plot of "All The Time" be adapted to the present day?
The most obvious plot point that requires modernization is the mechanism in which the population of ear is decimated. The use of the atomic bomb was highly relevant to the political contexts of the era in which the film was made. A more scientifically up-to-date catastrophe would probably have more to do with recent controversial advances, such as biological warfare, drone strikes, and possibly even antimatter based explosives.
The next main update required is the protagonist's obsession with books. We must realize that the show's focus on this character's love of reading focuses less on books as items in themselves, but more on the inherent human need for mental escapes, on our endless quest to satiate our need for entertainment and occupation. in today's society, these needs are mainly fulfilled by the items that have, to a large extent, eaten up the market share of print books: smartphones and similar gadgets. It thus makes sense to have our modern protagonist be obsessed with obtaining the latest tablets and software, then discovering a hidden stockpile of brand-new hardware and computer sets after the disaster. He would then excitedly turn on an incredibly expensive and state of the art gadget, only to discover that none of them have any battery charge, and that there is no electricity available.
2013-20474
Marco Del Valle
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