Amazing Stories (TV Series) Such Interesting Neighbors (1987) User Reviews

Where are they from?

[sonnyschlaegel · 7/10 · 15 June 2007]

A strange thing happens at the Lewis's home: there's a small earthquake and shortly afterwards they experience a déjà vu; it looks as if they went back in time a few seconds and then experienced these seconds for a second time. Does it have to do with the arrival of their new neighbours? They see Mr Hellenbeck destroy a strange machine. And that's not the only thing that's strange. Why do the Hellenbecks have a pot of water in their middle when they are sitting outside? And why does Mrs Hellenbeck eat the rose that Mrs Lewis gives her for a welcome present?

This is a quite simple story, but that is not necessarily a disadvantage since the running time is only about 20 minutes. However, I think that it could be better if it was a bit longer. I liked the scenes best when the Hellenbecks behave in a strange way, for example when Mrs Hellenbeck eats a rose. There was some suspense; I really wondered who the Hellenbecks are. (Interesting name: Hell and back?) But there are only a few of these scenes; with a longer running time, they could have included more. The ending was o.k., but I don't think it's very original; I think I have seen or read something like it before. (But, to be fair, perhaps the short story on which it is based was fresh and original when it first appeared. It's by Jack Finney ('Invasion of the Body Snatchers').)

All in all, an enjoyable episode in my opinion.

Remindful of 1950's B Movie Sci Fi

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 30 May 2014]

They missed the boat on the humor potential for this episode. The neighbors are great but needed a little development. Maybe time constraints got in the way. You start with these white bread people, about the only residents in a mega development that is framed out but waiting for finishing. The main characters have the only finished house that I can see. They live with a totally obnoxious male child who will be lucky if he survives to his eleventh birthday (if they all survive for that matter). Enter three humorless people who move into the house next door (even thought it's not finished). They sit in an unfinished bedroom, looking at a pan of water. The night before the first residents go to investigate their arrival and find the strange man beating the daylights out of a machine of some kind. The kid retrieves the parts of the machine from the dumpster and reconstructs it. It leads to an attack by some force that nearly kills everyone and almost destroys the house (including a huge meatloaf). The explanation for everything is quite strange and would have fit into one of those cheap 1950's movies after the Sputnik scare. Another pedestrian effort.

Such Interesting Case.. Only !

[elshikh4 · 29 January 2009]

It succeeded only in giving us a thrilling mystery, wonderfully imaginative details, and that was it. I mean I used to wait more when it comes to this show!

At first, the atmosphere, or even the characters, looked exactly like Steven Spielberg's movie as a producer (Poltergeist - 1982). But it turned out to be something else, however, with the suburban middle-class family as possible heroes, and a perfect environment for a wonder boy.

It got an inner-meaning anyway, whereas while the human's pursuit to catch perfection, or being better than nature, he will definitely lose his own nature, being exactly like the soldier that was pursuing the future's family. So this great progress for humanity will demand a great escape to win your very humanity.

Hmmm. Else that, there were these nice unexplained behaviors: eating flowers, knowing about traveling into time by the water's patterns, the nasty little stars, and the deja vu as a sign of someone that came or went into time which the script utilized smartly to save the good guys at the end.

One of the worst points is not seeing any real change in the present family after the leaving of the guests, or even knowing the new place-time of these guests.

It is fun time, but not that highly attractive, and it didn't stress its well meaning good.

PS: about the show's opening credits, I loved the sight of the flying books, but I have a question about the primitive man who was telling his tribe a story at the first shot: does he the same grandfather who's setting near the TV at the end, watching the primitive man?

what the heck did I just watch?!?!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 24 June 2015]

When you read through the reviews of the various episodes of "Amazing Stories", you'll probably notice that I tend to be a lot harsher in my assessments of the episodes. However, even a defender of this series would be hard pressed to stand up for this ultra bizarro and amazingly unsatisfying episode. Aside from starring Adam Ant, I can't think of any reason to see it.

The Lewis family moved into a nice new house recently. Oddly, however, they notice a new family living in the place across from them...even though the house isn't even finished! The Hellenbecks turn out to be total weirdos...and they also are potentially VERY dangerous for those around them. Why? See the show...or not.

The bottom line is that this show makes little sense and seems like it was written by a 7 year-old. Perhaps it was....that's the only way I could explain what I just saw! A twisted mess of a show that just seemed awful.