Beyond Belief: Fact Or Fiction

I recently watched the first episode of the Netflix series Two Sentence Horror Stories. I thought of pairing that with Room 104 but realized it doesn’t make sense for the “classic” title to be newer than the current one.

I had to think of another middling anthology series that doesn’t neatly fall into the scifi/horror realm. Then I got this great idea!

I’m old enough that VHS tapes were a thing while I was growing up, but not so old that they were still expensive. Thus I had a TV-VCR combo in my room in high school. I remember I had my weekly timers set, and once I was done with my homework Friday I’d watch everything I’d recorded from throughout the week. Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction was one of those shows…temporarily. In the years since then I’ve told people, “I watched that show for a while but too many stories were along the lines of, ‘Someone meets someone else, and then finds out that person never existed or died years earlier.’”

It seemed like a perfect show to combine Room 104 with though. Luckily, we Amazon Prime subscribers can stream it for free (albeit with ads, because it’s through IMDB.TV).

I used my handy-dandy* random number generator to pick 48 numbers between 1 and 225, since there are 48 episodes of Room 104, 45 episodes of Beyond Belief, and 5 stories per each episode of the latter. Once I had 48 stories randomly chosen, I removed some that were less convenient to forward to in favor of others that I remember watching during the original run or added for different reasons that will be noted.

On with my final selection of 48 stories!

 

Season 1 –

Episode 1, Story 4: “Number One With A Bullet” – Story about a philandering husband who avoids karmic retribution – or does he? It’s pretty cheesy. It’s called FACT but apparently it’s based on the story of Henry Ziegland – a story that itself is merely an urban legend grown out of a practical joke. 22/100

Episode 2, Story 3: “Kid in the Closet” – Age-old story of a kid who thinks there’s a monster in his closet. This time there’s also a monster in his family – his older brother – and the story takes an absolutely incredible turn. Also, great character development for the mom and all three kids in such a short story. It’s called FACT and I got so excited wanting to learn the whole story but it seems the real story is just a kid climbing upwards out of his closet and hiding out at a friend’s for two weeks. 100/100

Episode 3, Story 4: “Imaginary Friend” – I remember watching the previous segment, “Love Over the Counter”, when the episode originally aired but not this one. Granted, it’s not very memorable, although good performances by the girl playing a child with a telepathic imaginary friend and the woman playing her creeped out** mother help. It’s supposedly FACT but I can’t find anything online about the true story. Probably because it’s so unremarkable – the basis would just be a woman saying her child had predicted things. 18/100

Episode 4, Story 1: “E-mail” – Not memorable. Supposedly FACT but again, nothing that would even make the news. Just a woman claiming that a dead person had emailed her a warning regarding his heir, although the power struggle added between the woman and her boss add something to the story. 30/100

Episode 6, Story 2: “The Diner” – Alan Young, the voice of Scrooge McDuck and the star of Mr. Ed*** plays the lead role. That’s the only good thing though. I can’t believe that a woman thought her son was alive and healthy but simply never contacted her or his father, and I refuse to believe that a couple could keep offing homeless people Arsenic and Old Lace-style and not once did the rampant dead bodies raise the police’s eyebrows. When told this was FICTION I thought “Well duh!”**** 14/100

Season 2 –

Episode 1, Story 2: “The Gun” – I chose this one because I remembered it from the original run. Just okay, although I do like stories about mother-son bonds. FACT but, as inclined as I am to believe in the supernatural, even I would attribute it to luck/exaggeration. Also, why did the mother keep firing AFTER seeing her son? It’s like they had to beat us over the head with “proof” the gun was magical. 44/100

Episode 1, Story 4: “The Pass” – I love urban exploring so I could understand the teens’ desire to explore somewhere they’re not supposed to be. The ending is unforgettable though – not just the twist but the ultimate revelation. You don’t normally see such an emotional wallop in such a short story. I was pulling for this to be FICTION because it would have been too devastating otherwise. 100/100

Episode 2, Story 1: “Firestation 32” – Remember how I told you I’ve said I watched the show “for a while but too many stories were along the lines of, ‘Someone meets someone else, and then finds out that person never existed or died years earlier.’” I realize now I gave up on Beyond Belief because of THIS EXACT EPISODE, where over half the stories used what will henceforth be referred to as “The Cliché”. This one was moving enough, but kind of treacly. FACT supposedly. 56/100

Episode 2, Story 3: “The Girl Next Door” – I actually found this one rather powerful. Despite using The Cliché, it deals with a powerful theme about how sometimes you can wrong someone and not have any way to make up for it. Haunting FICTION. 81/100

Episode 2, Story 5: “The Woods” – My opinion of the previous story shows that The Cliché doesn’t necessarily kill the story, but it does if you’re literally using it every other time. Fuck that. FACT but who cares? Nice setting yet out of sheer principle 10/100

Episode 3, Story 1: “The Wall” – Powerful story about police brutality and karma. Great performances add to the tension. It’s supposedly FACT but I HIGHLY doubt that, considering it’s an interesting enough story that there would be SOMETHING in the news. Despite my disappointment in wanting to learn more and finding out they’d lead me on, I’ll still give a great score. Edit: It’s apparently based on the story of Alexander Campbell. There’s no corrupt cop in the true story though; simply a man who said he was innocent and whose handprint never went away. 98/100

Episode 3, Story 2: “The Chalkboard” – Very beautiful, moving story about some teens in detention and their school’s deafmute janitor. Again, I can find nothing about it despite being excited to learn more about this supposed FACT but, again, I won’t penalize a great tale much. 99/100

Episode 3, Story 3: “The Getaway” – The Cliché again but there’s more to it this time. Plus there’s a reason for the events happening. Solid entry. A good piece of FICTION. 72/100

Episode 3, Story 5: “Summer Camp” – As a survivor of bullying, I thought this was a great story about grace and redemption, while also being thrilling! AGAIN, I got excited wanting to learn more about the FACT and was sorely disappointed. You’re killing me people! I hope someone saves me and that’s not fiction. 98/100

Episode 4, Story 1: “The Wrestler” – This one wasn’t randomly generated but I had to watch it for obvious reasons. Real-life wrestling legend Terry Funk stars as an elderly wrestler scheduled to put over a rising star until he decides to take matters into his own hands. Terrific story about one of my favorite subject matters, and a great way to kick off this episode that aired on a Friday the 13^th. I knew it had to be FICTION, though, or I would have certainly heard about the real life story. 100/100

Episode 4, Story 5: “The Lady in a Black Dress” – I remember this segment so I must have seen the episode originally. How could I possibly forget a wrestling segment though, especially one that featured Terry Funk? That almost seems like a mystery straight out of the show. Regardless, this story about a woman seeing her deceased aunt right before dying is okay. I can’t find anything to support its being FACT, though, and comments on a YouTube video of the segment point out that the main character couldn’t have told anyone what she saw if she’s dead. 50/100

Episode 5, Story 4: “Town of Remembrance” – Intriguing and well done. An amnesiac finds her memory start to come back in a little town – does she have roots there? I’m glad it’s FICTION; otherwise the ending would have left me sad. 76/100

Episode 5, Story 5: “The House on Barry Avenue” – Neat premise about a couple whose home keeps catching fire and I didn’t expect the twist at the end! FICTION 67/100

Episode 7, Story 3: “Grave Sitting” – I watched this segment by accident when I was trying to forward to Story 4. Worked out perfectly though, because this story was right up this urban explorer’s alley. Especially because my best friend and I specifically love to explore graveyards. How is this as a story though? Great! Surprised it was FICTION, however, as this one was actually believable.  98/100

Episode 7, Story 4: “Murder on the Second Floor” – Pretty entertaining murder mystery with a satisfying twist ending. Still, the whole footprint clue was unexplained. Supposedly FACT, but I refuse to believe that considering I can’t find anything about the incident and the cop who figured out the twist in the story seemed to want to keep it a secret. 88/100

Episode 7, Story 5: “They Towed My Car” – Crazy to see that at the time the episode was made key remotes were a new invention. The story was moving and well-done, with a great twist. Bit disappointed it was FICTION when I was hoping to learn more about it. 79/100

Episode 8, Story 1: “Kirby” – I love stories about Hollywood, and this was fun stuff. Not surprised it was FICTION, as, again, I’m sure I would have heard of it otherwise. 71/100

Episode 8, Story 2: “Dust” – Another urban exploring story about two male buds. Involves a house, and it is creepy, but relies on The Cliché again. FICTION 73/100

Episode 9, Story 5: “The Chess Game” – I was hoping this Fox anthology from 20 years ago would provide a lot of “Before They Were Stars” moments but, alas, until this point there was nobody I recognized. Now here I knew the star’s name, but he was a famous TV dad from before I was born: Eight is Enough’s patriarch Dick Van Patten.

The episode is heartwarming. Supposedly FACT but Google searches only lead me to The Seventh Seal. It would make an unremarkable true story anyway; people would just write it off as an old man going senile. Edit: There is a true story and it actually has a wrestling connection! A man named Patrick Kelly used to play chess with his wrestler friend Maurice Tillet, the real-life inspiration for Shrek. After Tillet died Kelly noticed the electronic chess game he bought would work even when not plugged in, and he attributed that to Maurice playing from beyond…belief: fact or fiction! Sorry, couldn’t resist the dad joke. 65/100

Episode 10, Story 1: “The Motorcycle” – Now I get a “Before They Were Stars” moment, with a star I met after he became famous. It’s funny – on Titus I thought the titular actor showed a horrible lack of talent, even by the standards of sitcoms with laugh tracks. But this episode that predated his self-titled show made me see Christopher Titus is more than a standup comedian – he can act well in the right dramatic role.

The story’s well-written, well-directed, and really powerful, as a man in his 30s attempts to salvage the family farm after his grandfather’s death…and the insights of a horse on the land prove invaluable. I’m surprised host Jonathan Frakes said this was FICTION while also admitting it had turned into an urban legend, considering normally that’s clearly good enough for them to call something fact. I suppose since this story is connected to Jay Leno it’s easily disprovable though. 100/100

Episode 10, Story 2: “Blind Man’s Dog” – Talk about finding a way to tug at the heartstrings, making the main characters a blind man and his service animal. It’s actually a beautiful story though, despite its dubious claims of being FACT. 100/100

 

Season 3 –

Episode 1, Story 1: “Morning Sickness” – I accidentally watched Episode 1 of Season 3 instead of Episode 3 of Season 3 and that affects this segment and the next. Oh well.  A good story with strong tension but the cheesy direction was straight out of a soap opera. Also, although this is a popular urban legend, they admitted it was FICTION, possibly because it’s actually debunked on Snopes.

Episode 1, Story 4: “Blood Bank” – A patient in a hospital is apparently a vampire. Really dumb. Also, FACT? Yeah right! 0/100

Episode 8, Story 2: “Louie the Dip” – A pickpocket steals someone’s winning lottery ticket but then it magically vanishes until….you’ll see. Other than an unexplained plot hole (why would he not cash in the ticket immediately?) this is awesome. I can’t find any proof of this supposed FACT, although I did find cases just in the past few years of thieves getting arrested trying to cash in winning lottery tickets. Perhaps an unremarkable such story was the inspiration for this remarkably entertaining episode (helped by a really fun lead actor). 98/100

Episode 10, Story 3: “The Bloody Hand” – The mystery was okay in this tale about a new dead body and an overturned existing dead body in a funeral home. The direction was so over the top it came across like a parody of film noir though. The FACT comes across no different from this.

45/100

Episode 11, Story 4: “The Sleepwalker” – Kept me engrossed the whole time, right up until the awesome ending! Frakes not only said it was FACT, but said something similar happened in Florida. That was apparently a new thing for the show – providing very minor detail to bolster its claims of truth. Robert Tralins, whose book(s) the show was based on, also claimed he saw the doll.

Searching for the truth, the closest I could find was the story of the “Camera Shy Doll”. That’s much less exciting, as it was simply a doll coming to life and leaving, not a man leaving and coming back as a doll.

Still a great story adapted into an even better one! 92/100

Episode 12, Story 3: “Makeup Magic” – A very beautiful, emotional story about sacrifice, gratitude, and inner beauty. FICTION 100/100

Episode 12, Story 5: “Charlie” – If seeing Christopher Titus was a “Before They Were Famous” moment and seeing Dick Van Patten was an “After They Were Famous” moment, seeing John Fugelsang was probably a “While They Were Famous” moment. This was while the pundit was most visible – the time period he hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos (although I still love seeing his social media posts attacking Trump).

Although he was okay in the lead role, it’s The Cliché again. Also, the musical chord that ended the show was dumb in its theatricality. FACT supposedly, and they even cited Miami as a location, but now I’m wondering if they just randomly assigned the “fact” designation to some stories and threw in locations to lend credibility. 32/100

 

Season 4 –

Episode 4, Story 5: “You Are Next” – Hilarious nailbiter about a man who pays the ultimate price for gambling debts!

Okay, maybe this guy actually payed the ultimate price.

FICTION, so congratulations to whoever thought of it. 98/100

Episode 5, Story 1: “House Of Shadows” – A chilling story with a great heroine.

All the specificity provided (it happened on the Oregon-California border in the early 80s) still didn’t make me buy the claim of FACT though. 99/100

Episode 7, Story 2: “Terror Night” – Scary and beautifully directed. Once again claiming FACT, with the added details that this happened on the east coast in the late 80s. 77/100

Episode 7, Story 3: “Tants” – Moving story about a woman who discovers an incredible connection to the old lady she paints in the park. Once again claiming FACT, with the added details that this happened in New York in the mid 70s. 65/100

Episode 7, Story 4: “The Candidate” – Funny story about a Republican politician who starts telling the truth against his will. Of course it’s FICTION. 87/100

Episode 9, Story 5: “Mental” – A phony psychic summons power the one time she and her husband really need it. I keep getting annoyed that these so-called FACT stories have no corroborating evidence, even when Frakes throws in details like the couple was Midwestern and it was in the late 80s. Still, it was entertaining. 71/100

Episode 10, Story 1: “Moonstruck Beach” – Unsettling little thriller where a woman rents a house in the woods to work on her writing. FICTION. 65/100

Episode 10, Story 2: “Healing Hands” – The cliché again but it was touchingly done. Old lady visited in hospital by her dead husband while waiting for her Navy sailor son to see her. Loved the segment but irritated at how often they tried to bolster their suspicious claims of FACT with the general geographic area and time period (in this case it was “Pacific Northwest” and “late 80s”).  86/100

Episode 10, Story 4: “Night Walker” – Nice thriller but the ending was lame. Did they think we could possibly believe it wasn’t FICTION when the guy had fangs in his mouth and two teeth punctures on his neck? Frakes’s attempts to give alternate explanations were lame. 55/100

Episode 10, Story 5: “Hot Car” – The hippies were dumb and Frakes’s usual pun at the conclusion of the segment was a reach this time. Also, I’m getting tired of their throwing the broad details in there to claim FACT. 16/100

Episode 12, Story 3: “The Phrenologist’s Head” – Okay story but disturbing implications – someone could potentially have brain surgery when their brain is fine! You know the routine as they claim FACT. 8/100.

Episode 12, Story 4: “The Bridge” – Hauntingly beautiful, both content and presentation. Ahem, FACT. 100/100.

Episode 12, Story 5: “The Cigar Box” – An old man approaches a single mother and daughter who bought possessions of his at a garage sale. Very touching “FACT”. 100/100.

Of course, Modern Family  taught me that garage sales can be hysterical.

Episode 13, Story 4: “Above the Clouds” – Frightening and I didn’t guess the ending! I liked the diner setting, especially since it featured a jukebox. I’m glad they admitted it was FICTION from a talented screenwriter, instead of saying “uhh…it happened…in the South…in the 70s”. 89/100.

Episode 13, Story 5: “Screen Saver” – It was interesting seeing technology new enough that they had to explain it at the time being obsolete now. Not a good story though. The protagonist is too weak to be compelling. Bad attempt at FICTION. 11/100.

 

Miscellaneous thoughts on the show:

• Jonathan Frakes is a great host! Jordan Peele hosting the latest Twilight Zone series and Forrest Whitaker hosting the previous one try too hard to be scary and serious. Although Beyond Belief is definitely a different show from TZ, Frakes deserves props for being just like Serling in his attitude: “We’re hosting a show with sci-fi and horror. How awesome is that!” His charisma made me such a fan that I asked my Star Trek: TNG fan friends to recommend good self-contained episodes focusing on Riker.
• I repeatedly criticized the music during the individual segments for being cheesy but the theme music is awesome!
• I loved the visual puzzles Frakes would often start the show with – stuff such as this!

• Much as I normally hate dad jokes, especially puns, Frakes made them work and this show’s constant use of them became an asset!
• Thematic episodes such as the Friday the 13^th one were a nice touch.

Now the criticism. They present so many stories that they claim are fact but provide only the vaguest info for corroboration in the later seasons and nothing at all in the early seasons. Where are all these “facts” coming from? If Robert Tralins, the author you keep citing, or someone else you know just made them up then admit they’re fiction. If they’re actually a part of folklore in whatever area you claim the stories happened, then talk about the origins of the story and any evidence it might have happened. I feel the Amazon series Lore, in its first season, was more of the show Beyond Belief should have been.

Lore in its second and final season cut out the history lessons to its own detriment but that’s a topic for another time.

The stories I discussed average out to a rating of 68, but I’ll deduct 5 points for the show stimulating my intellectual curiosity and letting me down when I saw there was almost never any such real-life incident to study.

Nonetheless, taken just as a series, Beyond Belief definitely has its moments. It’s absolutely one of the better anthologies I’ve reviewed! Plus I’ll add back 3 points for the strength of Jonathan Frakes and his framing segments.

 

Bottom line: Accept it as pure fiction and seek out the good stories.

 

*Handy-dandy? Maybe I am old enough for VCRs to have been expensive while I was growing up…or for phonographs to have been expensive.

**Have to throw in a plug for my post prior to this series.

***Also the host of The Alan Young Show, a program from the dawn of television that led to TV Guide proclaiming him “The Charlie Chaplin of television”. He eventually earned a star on the Walk of Fame for that program’s success on the radio, but sadly he never came close to Chaplin-esque heights in his career.

****I do love diners though. Feel the need to mention the cool one I checked out in Villisca, Iowa on my trip to the Midwest last month.

Wow that chocolate cream pie was amazing. After getting to experience that maybe I’ll one day forgive The Gigantic Greedy Glutton (my sister) for the time she gobbled up all the chocolate cream pie my mom bought.*****

*****Who am I kidding? No I won’t.