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35 out of 36 people found the following review useful: You wanna see something scary?, 27 March 2004 Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada
Feature film science-fiction / horror / fantasy anthology movie based on the classic TV series. There are four tales; three are based on actual episodes that aired. The original material are the prologue and segment 1, written by John Landis.I'll give you a review for each segment:Prologue: Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks play two guys in a car who try to entertain themselves while driving at night. Funny at first, gets kind of annoying (especially when they start humming the TV themes) but has a good payoff.1) Vic Morrow plays Bill Connor, an unrepentant racist and bigot who gets a dose of his own intolerance when he is mistaken for a Jew, an African-American, and a Vietnamese man. This segment is pretty entertaining, with a good performance by Morrow. Unfortunately, the thing about this segment that most people will remember was the tragic accident that killed Morrow and two young extras.2) Scatman Crothers plays Mr. Bloom, a mysterious man who arrives at an old folks home and gives the seniors a chance to relive their childhood. Pretty benign and uplifting; it doesn't seem to fit in with the other segments but I still liked it.3) Kathleen Quinlan plays Helen Foley, a traveling schoolteacher who makes the acquaintance of strange young Anthony (Jeremy Licht) who can bend reality to suit his whims and whose "family" lives in mortal terror of him. As befitting the work of Joe Dante, this is pretty twisted. Amusingly designed, with good visual effects. Look for Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) as "Ethel" and Bill Mumy (who played the boy in the original TV episode) as a diner patron.4) John Lithgow plays John Valentine, a horrified airplane passenger on a stormy flight who discovers a monster is at work destroying the airplane's engines. Well, you know what they say, "save the best for last"...this is very well done, very eerie. Makes a good impact.All in all, I really liked this movie. If you're a fan of any of these actors or film-makers, check it out.I wasn't able to grow up watching "The Twilight Zone" but I think I've caught an occasional rerun on TV. It WAS a good show.7/10
31 out of 36 people found the following review useful: Hit and Miss, 26 May 2005 Author: jrs-8 from Chicago
As is the case with movie anthologies, "Twilight Zone - The Movie" is hit and miss. If there was a movie destined to have four short stories that were all home runs it was this one. But the film falls short partially due to the expectations of the fans of the TV show and partially due to the fans expectations of the results of the four directors. What was most interesting back in 1983 was which ones hit and which ones missed.The prologue gets things going in the right direction with Albert Brooks and Dan Aykroyd as two guys traveling down a dark and seemingly lonely road. What transpires in pure Twilight Zone. Then we move into the first story which is directed by (as was the opening prologue) John Landis. Landis, who got the whole project off the ground, foolishly decided to go with an original story instead of updating a classic episode. His story is that of a bigot who constantly and bitterly complains about the minorities who are getting job promotions and moving into his neighborhood. Of course the bigot then gets a real taste of what it feels like to be frowned upon as a minority. Basically that is the whole story in a nutshell. Landis provides no real twists to his story to give us that Twilight Zone flavor after the first few minutes. Once we see where the story is headed it never changes directions. For film buffs Landis adds a nice touch with a subtle reference to his classic "Animal House" in the Vietnam section of the story. Of course it should be noted that this was the story being shot when Vic Morrow and two children were tragically killed which would explain its abrupt ending. The two children are never seen which would suggest perhaps Landis had more to tell but we'll never know. Of the four this is the weakest story.Story two is not much better then the first which is particularly surprising since Steven Spielberg is at the helm for this one. It's a remake of "Kick the Can" which was not one of my favorite episodes from the series and Spielberg adds nothing to his version. It's the tale of residents of an old folks home who encounter a new resident who promises them something no one of this Earth could possibly give them. While the story and individual moments are very sweet it goes absolutely nowhere. Having just come off "E.T." perhaps Spielberg was in that same gushy mood at that time.Story three picks things up drastically and heads us in the right direction. Directed by Joe Dante who, at that time, was best known for "The Howling" with films such as "Gremlins" still in his future, this is the story of a little boy who hears people's thoughts and has a way of "wishing people away" if he gets angry enough at them. Kathleen Quinlan plays an unsuspecting traveler who goes to the boy's home and realizes almost immediately things are not normal. The star of this story is the art direction and sets as we are transformed into almost cartoon like worlds that are both funny and frightening.The last and best story is the tale of a frightened airline passenger (well played by John Lithgow) who threatens the safety of everyone when he seems to be the only person that sees a creature on the wing of the airplane. George Miller, best known for the "Mad Max" movies, was smart enough to pick a popular episode from the series and he delivers with a bang. When you leave the theater this is the story you remember most.On the whole the film is worth watching especially after the first 45 minutes. Landis and Spielberg perhaps were a little too high on their horses and thought whatever they did would work. Apparently they under estimated the legions of Zone fans. I'd love to see someone try another Twilight Zone movie someday and try re-working some of the other most famous episodes. I should also mention the terrific musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. Its one of his least mentioned but I think it's one of his best.
28 out of 34 people found the following review useful: The first movie to give me nightmares, 23 July 2002 Author: Agent10 from Tucson, AZ
When I first watched this film at the age of seven, I must have been freaked out for weeks. Never had a movie had that kind of effect on my psyche, especially "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." While some will label this as a bad film due to the fact it didn't faithfully reproduce the original stories very well. I say 'Who Cares!' Sometimes, fear and entertainment is all that one needs in regard to a cool movie such as this one. While it is certainly not a film that will rank highly in the greatest films of all time category, at least it proved this concept in story telling is pertinent today, even in today's cynical culture.
10 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Good homage to the classic anthology TV series, 18 September 2000 Author: jhaggardjr from Chicago, Illinois
"Twilight Zone: The Movie" is a mostly entertaining anthology film based on Rod Serling's classic TV series of the 1960s. Four bizarre tales are told through the minds of four different filmmakers: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller (Landis and Spielberg also produced). "Twilight Zone: The Movie" starts with a brief prologue starring Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks. Then comes segment #1, directed by Landis. This is the part of the movie that made headlines around the world when a freak accident killed actor Vic Morrow and two children while shooting a helicopter scene (which is not seen in the film). This story is about an angry man (played by Morrow) who is not happy with America because of all the different races that are living in the country. Then something strange happens. When the man steps outside of a bar, he finds himself on a street in Nazi Germany; a few minutes later he's confronted by the Klu Klux Klan; then he discovers he's in the middle of the Vietnam War; and so on. As for how this segment goes, it's only so-so. However segment #2, directed by Spielberg, is the weakest story of the bunch. Scatman Crothers stars as an elderly man who comes to live at a retirement home. After making friends with some of the elderly people living there, he talks them into playing a spirited game of kick the can. This is no ordinary game. Let's just say that its a game with a fountain of youth twist to it. I found this segment real boring. Up to this point, "Twilight Zone: The Movie" is disappointing. But then the film picks up with the strong last two segments. Segment #3, directed by Dante, stars Kathleen Quinlan as a woman who meets a little boy after accidentally knocking him off of his bike with her car. She decides to give the boy a ride home. But this is no ordinary home. It's a house where every TV set has a cartoon on, and the boy's family act like a bunch of crazy people (like their cartoons themselves). Quinlan begins to realize that this kid is not normal. This segment works because it's creepy (the look of the house on the inside is fascinating) and funny (every member of the kid's family is a complete nut). Ah, but the best segment comes last. Segment #4, directed by Miller, is a truly scary tale starring John Lithgow (from TV's "3rd Rock From the Sun") as a terrified passenger of an airplane flying through a severe thunderstorm. Things get worse when Lithgow see's something on the wing of the plane. What is it? A man? Or is it a monster? This segment literally had me on the edge of my seat. It's an excellent finale to "Twilight Zone: The Movie". So my advice is skip the first two segments, but watch the last two.Here's my separate ratings for each segment (out of four stars):Segment #1: **1/2; Segment #2: *1/2; Segment #3: ***1/2; Segment #4: ****This adds up for an estimated combined rating of *** stars.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: A good film tainted by a senseless onscreen tragedy, 20 June 2002 Author: virek213 from San Gabriel, Ca., USA
It is very hard to think of another film anywhere that had such a great potential as TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE had, only to have a senseless and totally preventable tragedy--the deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two illegally hired Asian child actors--mar the impact. Aside from that, and some heavy-handed moralizing that even the original show's creator Rod Serling would have had problems with, this is a fairly good tribute to what was perhaps the best TV series in history.The prologue (with Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks) and Segment 1 are both originals, written and directed by John Landis. The segment deals with a very embittered white man (Morrow) who, after being dealt the denial of a promotion at work in favor of a Jew, unleashes his bigotry at a bar. But when he steps outside, he soon gets a dose of his own bitter medicine: persecution by the Nazis in Vichy France circa 1943; stalked by the KKK in Alabama in 1956; attacked by US soldiers in Vietnam circa 1969. Landis' penchant for hamfisted dialogue and erratic direction dilute what could have been an effective piece; and the tragedy that occurred on his watch taints not only this segment but much of the rest of the movie.Segment 2, a remake of the 1961 episode "Kick The Can", directed by Steven Spielberg, stars Scatman Crothers as an elderly magician who brings a sense of youth to the residents of a senior citizens home, though over the objections of a veritable old fuddy-duddy (Bill Quinn). Spielberg has often been attacked, mostly unnecessarily, for his tendency toward sloppy sentimentality, but here a lot of the attacks may be justified, despite the best of intentions. He is still my favorite director, but this is one of his weakest.Segment 3 remakes "It's A Good Life." Under the inventive hands of director Joe Dante (THE HOWLING), this film stars Jeremy Licht as a boy with the power to enslave and terrorize his family when he comes to feel that they hate him. Kathleen Quinlan stars as the teacher who unintentionally gets caught up in the melee, only to wind up volunteering to teach Licht how to better use his powers before they become too big for him to control (a la CARRIE). Dante's use of inventive special effects (courtesy of Rob Bottin) and black comedy enliven this segment, despite some weird overacting from the rest of the segment's cast (including William Schallert and Kevin McCarthy).Segment 4 is a reworking of the famous episode "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet." With George Miller (MAD MAX) at the director's helm, the segment stars John Lithgow as an incredibly anxious passenger with a morbid fear of flight who constantly sees a monstrous gremlin tearing apart at the wings of his plane during a severe storm. His anxiety explodes into terror and madness, and the other passengers think he is certifiable. But when the plane lands, and the damage is inspected...The final score on this is that Landis and Spielberg, who also produced, come up with the weaker segments, and Dante and, especially, Miller come up with the best ones. Miller's segment is a truly kinetic piece of suspense and terror, though I did find the little girl (Christina Nigra) an extremely obnoxious and unnecessary presence. Lithgow, who takes over for William Shatner (who had the role in the TV episode), gives a bravura performance, arguably paving the way for his role in "2010" as an astronaut deftly afraid of heights.Jerry Goldsmith's usual efficient score and some good special effects work help to make TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE not only an above-average tribute to a great TV show, but also a good anthology film that combines fantasy, suspense, and mystery. It is a shame that the film is tainted by a pointless tragedy. But if one can ignore that, there are rewards to be had by seeing this.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: The TV shows were better..., 17 October 2006 Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.
After the opening prologue with DAN AKYROYD and ALBERT BROOKS, as bored drivers on a lonely country highway who like to play pranks, TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE offers four stories, supposedly in the vein of stories that Rod Serling wrote for the famous TV series. Not until the final segment, NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET does it offer the kind of fright stuff worthy of being in this anthology.And it's a minor gem of its kind with JOHN LITHGOW giving an amazingly deft performance as a man totally afraid of flying who should have taken tranquilizers before he peered out the window. What he saw on the wing of the plane would have frightened anyone out of their wits--and, of course, no one believes him.It's this final episode that makes the film itself worth watching. None of the other segments have enough punch to keep the viewer awake, let alone entertained. VIC MORROW's unfortunate accident came about during filming of a Vietnam sequence which does not appear in this version of the film--but he does give a convincing portrait of a bigot who gets his comeuppance. Very ironic.Summing up: All of these stories were told with more style and suspense on the old TV shows. Strictly second-rate.
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Very good, 6 February 2006 Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States
An affectionate homage to the old TV series. Three old episodes were updated and a new one was written. It's also narrated by Burgess Meredith who starred in quite a few of the original TV series episodes.It starts off with a quick little prologue with Albert Brooks and Dan Aykroyd. It's quick, funny and provides a nice little jolt.The first segment was newly written for the movie. It involves a bitter and racist man (Vic Morrow) getting a taste of his own medicine. This episode is clouded by the three deaths it caused--Morrow was decapitated by a helicopter blade and two Vitenamese children were crushed. John Landis (who directed this) was found not guilty in the deaths. As it stands this isn't very good. It's simplistic and heavy-handed--like a bad Zone episode.The second one is directed by Steven Spielberg. It involves an old man (Scatman Crothers) gently bringing to life the old people at a retirement home. I'll be the first to admit that this is way too syrupy--but I have a fondness for it. The acting is good, it has a great music score and, I admit, it leaves me a little misty-eyed.The third is directed by Joe Dante. It's a remake about a little boy who can make all of his wishes come true. It's well-directed with some truly incredible special effects and a good performance by Kathleen Quinlan. But it's seriously damaged by a silly happy ending (the original didn't have that). Billy Mumy (the star of the original) has a bit part and Dante regular Dick Miller shows up as Walter Paisley.The fourth is the best. It's directed by George Miller and is a remake of the William Shatner episode where he spots a gremlin tearing apart the plane he's flying on. The gremlin in the original looked pretty ridiculous--like a teddy bear. Here John Lithgow plays the passenger and the gremlin is more than a little scary-looking. This segment moves and has a few great jolts. Also Carol Serling (Rod Serling's wife I believe) has a bit part.All in all an enjoyable film. I liked it when I saw it in a theatre in 1983 and it still holds up today. I give it an 8.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: You've just entered The Twilight Zone!, 24 January 2007 Author: DAVID SIM from United Kingdom
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Not many SF, horror and fantasy tales have had the impact of The Twilight Zone. Classic stories that were juxtaposed with real human dilemmas that crossed over into the boundaries of pure fantastical flights of fancy (God I'm starting to sound like Rod Serling!).TTZ, if you ask me, is ripe for recreation on the big screen. But to date, the 1983 version is really the only one that made it. And the only one that's worth a look. Even if it is admittedly disjointed. Four stories to tell. And out of them, only two are really worth watching. Its a slow ride, but eventually the film reaches dizzying heights and goes out with a bang.The film begins promisingly with a 3 minute prologue directed by John Landis (also director of the infamous first segment). Its a witty little story with Dan Ackroyd and Al Brooks driving down a highway at night humming TV theme songs. Eventually they bring up The Twilight Zone, and that's where the story has the twist in the tail. Its a wonderful shocker, and wouldn't have looked out of place in the show.Its just a shame that Time Out, Landis' follow-up, doesn't deliver on the promise of the prologue. A racist, bigoted man is plunged through one period in time after another. The victim of Nazis, KKK members and being mistaken for a VC in Vietnam. Its not possible to enjoy this segment. Especially with hindsight concerning what happened to Vic Morrow during the shooting of this segment, as well as two children who were all killed in a helicopter crash.Watching Morrow being shot at, and seeing him carted off to the gas chamber at the end makes the story very depressing. It's also much too short (for obvious reasons), not to mention unimaginative. There isn't really much to the film beyond the initial conceit, and in the end, leaves you cold.The next story isn't much better, all the more surprising considering it was directed by Steven Spielberg. Kick the Can is one of Spielberg's weakest efforts to date. Gushing with false sentiment, the idea of geriatrics regaining their youth was handled much more skilfully in Cocoon. Where Cocoon had a fine ensemble cast of veteran actors, KTC is completely forgettable. Its dull, it aims for wistful and comes out as self-indulgent and eventually becomes mawkish. When Spielberg stays on the right side of sentiment he can create extraordinary motion pictures like Schindlers List. But when he doesn't, he creates slush like Hook, ET, and this. Yuk!After a restless 45 minutes, the film really picks up speed with the next story, directed by one of my favourite filmmakers, the underrated Joe Dante. A boy traps an innocent woman inside a house with a bunch of strangers. This child has extraordinary mental powers. Anything he wishes for comes true, and he transforms the house into an astonishing cartoon universe come to life.The cinematography in this segment is superb, as well as the set design. Some rooms painted in hyper-real colour tones, contrasted with pure B&W corridors. With TVs all over the place, its Dante's trademark of tying in what's going on inside the TV with what's going on in the real world. And the special effects work is good too for the 80s. Dante manages to bring fully realised three dimensional cartoon characters to life. The giant rabbit out of a hat is amazing. Not to mention scary. And we even get a Tasmanian Devil. All before Who Framed Roger Rabbit came on the scene. Dante's segment deserves the same acclaim.The only complaint I have is the tacked on upbeat ending where Anthony lets them all go. Its completely out of step with the rest of the story, almost as if Spielberg insisted on an uplifting ending. Pity because it was a great ride up until then. Also this film provided a stepping-stone for Dante to direct Gremlins. His single finest hour.But the final segment. This is the one to tune in for. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet is a miniature masterpiece. John Lithgow plays an airline passenger who spots something like a gremlin on the starboard engine during a violent thunderstorm. Or does he? Lithgow gives a grandstanding performance as he slowly goes to pieces trying to convince everyone of the danger.George Miller's direction is exceptional. Closeups, dizzying, frenzied quick pans of the camera, and a firm knowledge of narrative structure. Its a masterful epic story of paranoia, thrills, spills and lots of laughs. All things the film delivers in spades. The joys are plentiful everywhere. From John Lithgow's slowly unravelling mental state, the Gremlinsesque musical score from Jerry Goldsmith, the eccentric passengers. Even Christina Nigra's precocious brat is a considerable delight. It manages to be both funny and scary. Often all at the same time.I like the way TTZ comes full circle at the end, providing the perfect cap on events, almost like an extended punchline. But overall, the film is a bit of a disappointment. The final story is the only one that fires on all cylinders. But if you can sit through the first two underwhelming entries, enjoy the last two stories for what they are. Dante's three quarters of a good tale, and Miller's marvellous miniature opus.Wanna see something really scary?!
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Very Fun Movie, 1 July 2006 Author: (factualnatural@yahoo.com) from United States
I got tired of all the comments about remaking old episodes and decided to share how good this movie is. The Twilight Zone movie is very fun to watch. As you've probably read it's split up into several different plots/episodes but there's no credits it just rolls right into the next situation with a little narration. It is well directed with names like John Landis and Steve Spielburg you can understand why. The movie starts off with a couple friends (one of whom is Dan Akryod )driving down a cross county road at night guessing tunes off the radio and talking stories. The dialogue between them is pretty classic not to mention Creedence Clearwater Revivals MidNight Special playing in the background just sets the mood great. Everything just seems so normal and the spontaneity makes you feel like you're there. Akryods friend says do you wanna see something scary? he says alright. So he turns off the headlights and its pitch black, you can't see the road at all - Akroyd says hey turn the lights back on this isn't funny. His friend laughs and turns em back on saying its a straight road and they were really safe. Again this really gets you comfortable with Akroyds character as the passive one of the two. Where it gets driven home is a few minutes later when Akroyd asks his friend if he'd like to see something REALLY scary? He convinces him to he has to pull the car over to show him so they do. His friend says alright what is it? Akroyd holds up his finger hinting just a sec, and turns as if to put on a mask or do some magic trick. When he turns around he has a hideous face and you realize it isn't a mask at all ! He grabs his friend and chokes him to death. The camera pans up off the car still running on the side of the road and the classic twilight zone tune plays to the title. And all this happens before the title ! Needless to say anyone who likes interesting and new perspectives should check this movie out. There's not a lot of blood, it isn't a gorry film, it's an intelligent film with at least something for everyone to see at least once. By the way the gremlin segment is absolutely one of my favorite sequences in any movie ever. Again,don't miss this one just because someone told you it has episode remakes in it, please watch it ! -christopher haggerty
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Twilight Zone The Movie, 19 June 2006 Author: ricky roche from Canada
Distributor: Warner Home Video Plot: In tradition of the popular series "The Twilight Zone", this movie has 4 thrilling tales. The first is about a bigot that gets a taste of his own medicine, The second is about a group of elderly people that wish to be younger again...they might just get their wish. The third is about a child that has telepathic powers to enslave his family. And the last (which is the best), is about a man on a plane that see's a monster on the wing of it.Audio/Video: Pretty good from Warner Bros.Extras: None.Final Thoughts: Nothing beats the television series, but the movie is a pretty average horror movie. Some of the stories are a bit of a bore, but some are really exciting. Check it out if you can find it. I hear it is pretty rare.
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