Twilight Zone The Movie is one of those rare movies that truly captures the magic of the material it is based on. The film is a compilation of four stories, each based on an episode from the classic television series. Each story was filmed by a completely different cast and crew, and featured some of the biggest directors in the business. The film features stories by Steven Spielberg, John Landis, Joe Dante and George Miller. It was truly a celebration of film-making and imagination. Ultimately, this is not what the film will be remembered for.
Unfortunately, the film was home to one of the saddest tragedies in movie history. During the filming of John Landis’ film, Actor Vic Morrow and two children (who were hired illegally) were killed in a horrible accident. While filming a scene set in Vietnam, a helicopter crashed and killed Morrow, who was running with two small children. Landis and crew were brought up on manslaughter charges, but ultimately found not guilty. The tragedy lead to a end of the friendship between Spielberg and Landis, and brought about a huge Hollywood backlash against those involved in the filming of Landis’ story. This tragedy will forever be a part of this film, and for many, will always define it.
The Movie
This review will feature a short review of each of the four stories. The film is bookended by a fun scene with Dan Akroyd and Albert Brooks. Two men, one a hitch hiker (Akroyd) are on a long road during the night when their tape-deck breaks. At a loss for entertainment, the two play a series of games until Akroyd asks “Do you want to see something really scary?”, and the film leads us into our first story…
First Segment
We are introduced to William Conner (the late Vic Morrow), a very angry and vocal racist. Conner is upset that a promotion he was aiming for is given to another man, a Jewish man. While at a bar with some friends, Conner goes on a loud, bigoted rant and leaves the bar in a hate filled rage. As he steps out, he is thrust into a world were he becomes the people he hates. Initially thrust into Nazi occupied Germany, he is hunted as a Jew by Nazi soldiers. He then finds himself on the receiving end of a KKK lynch mob, where he is hunted as a black man. As he escapes, he finds himself in Vietnam were he is attacked by American soldiers. He ultimately ends back up in Germany where he is imprisoned on a train heading to a concentration camp. Outside, he can see his friends leaving the bar as the train pulls away.
It’s not hard to tell this segment was hastily thrown together. The segment ends abruptly, and you can tell the ending was originally planned to be part of the opening Germany segment. But the tale is still effective, and shows the repercussions of being a vile human being. Morrow is fantastic, but in the end it feels unfinished. 7 out of 10
Second Segment
At the Sunnyvale Retirement Home, life is peaceful, but boring. A new tenant has arrived named Mr. Bloom (Scatman Crothers). Mr. Bloom gets the various residents to open up about what their youth was like. Mr. Bloom tells them that they are only old once they stop “playing” and feeling young. He promises them a chance to feel young again, with a nighttime game of kick the can. One man, Leo Conroy, believes that Bloom is simply stirring up trouble, and liable to get these old folks hurt, or worse. But as the group gathers and begins to play, they are transformed into young children, with a new chance to live a full life. But, one by one, the group realizes that they have lived full lives, and would rather spend their last years as active, playful adults. But as Bloom promises them a chance to be old again, one of the residents decides to stay young. Conroy, realizing he lost his chance to be young again, begs to go with him, only to be told he must stay. But this eye-opening experience makes Conroy realize that he can still live an active, fun-filled life in his old age. Bloom leaves, only to make his way to a new retirement home, full of new residents longing to be young again.
This is my favorite segment of the film. It offers a fascinating look at life, and what it’s like to be young again. As the residents realize that being young again means living through things they have long given up, it becomes easy to see why they would rather live their lives more naturally. It’s a touching story, and the most fun segment of the film. 9 out of 10
Third Segment
Helen Foley is a woman on the move. She is heading to a new life, but loses her way and stops at a diner. There she meets, and accidentally runs over, a young boy named Andy. Feeling guilty and obligated, Helen gives Andy a ride back to his home. But when she arrives, she finds that the family is strangely and overly nice to her and Andy. The house seems strangely built, and there are TV’s everywhere. Helen is invited to stay for dinner as the family shows more and more signs of being strange and even scared. But as Helen attempts to flee, Andy reveals his true power as he can wish for anything, and it will come true. As Andy realizes his family is only there out of fear, he wishes everything away until it is only he and Helen left. Helen promises to stay with Andy, and to help him hone his power, and use it for something good. Andy sends them back to the real world and they drive off into the sunrise, hopeful of a world filled with love and kindness.
This is the one story that never quite worked. The entire premise is built around a boy who loves cartoons, and wishes to live one. The build up is quite fantastic, but the end payoff feels shoehorned in, and overly optimistic. Helen seems to be oddly comforting to a boy who may have killed numerous people, and the ending never touches on those insinuations. Not to mention that the effects work looked sub-par, even in the 80’s. 6 out of 10
Fourth Segment
A passenger plane, filled with people, flies into the middle of a heavy storm. One man, John Valentine (John Lithgow) is terrified beyond control, huddled in the bathroom hoping to remain safe. He is finally coaxed back into his seat. His paranoia continually gets the best of him, and he begins to anger the passengers around him. As he seemingly descends into madness, he peers out the window. He cannot believe what he sees. Upon a second look, he realizes there is something on the wing, tearing at the engine. His warnings are met with skepticism, and eventually anger. But as he continues to witness the creature destroying the wing, he attempts to kill it by smashing the window and shooting it with a pistol he steals from an air marshall. He distracts it long enough for it to flee as the plane lands, but he is escorted away in a straight jacket after landing. As he is taken away, the crew is stunned to see that something had torn huge chunks out of the engines, and realizes John Valentine may not have been so crazy after all. In the ambulance, Valentine chats with driver, the Dan Akroyd character from the beginning, who asks if he “Wants to see something really scary?”
The film ends with a fantastic segment, and a remake of one of the most memorable episodes of Twilight Zone. Lithgow is absolutely fantastic, the effects work believable and the whole claustrophobic vibe is spot on. It’s right up there with the kick the can segment, and ends the film very strongly. 9 out of 10
In the end, the film is enjoyable, but uneven at times. The tragedy surrounding the first segment will leave many with a bad taste in their mouths. But those that can look past it will find two astounding segments, and an overall decent compilation.
Overall: 8 out of 10
The Video
The film is presented in a 1080P VC-1 encode that looks better than it has any right to. Somehow, Warner Bros. was able to pull a nearly pristine print out of their vaults. The transfer is mostly clean of dust and scratches. Black levels are deep and detailed, and the colors are vibrant when needed, and subdued when they should be. There is no noticeable bleeding, artifacts or edge enhancements. Some of the segments, particularly the kick the can segment, were intentionally filmed with a soft focus, that is much more apparent in hi-def than it would have been upon its original release. While details never truly “pop” like they do in some older transfers (Wizard of Oz for instance), it is easily the best the film will ever look. There is a bit of grain throughout, but that is expected from film stock of that generation, and it gives the film a natural, film-like quality. It’s a commendable job by Warner to take this much care in a transfer of a 25 year old film.
Overall: 8 out of 10
The Audio
Twilight Zone has multiple audio tracks. The highlight being the PCM 5.1 Surround sound track. There is also a Dolby Digital 5.1 track available. The overall audio experience is…uneven. The first and last segments benefit the most from the PCM track (obviously), and the opening segment is filled with some great use of your speakers. But the middle two segments are mostly flat. The kick the can sequence is especially dull, as there is little ambient noise to fill out the audio presentation. It’s an acceptable performance overall, but not one to showcase your surround setup by any means.
Overall: 6 out of 10
The Extras
The only thing on this disc is an atrociously encoded trailer. It’s an awful, grainy and poorly transferred trailer that is practically unwatchable. A film with such a rich history really deserves better treatment than this. I guarantee Landis would refuse to have anything to do with the release, but there has to be other directors, producers, actors or film historians who could lend commentary of some kind.
Overall: 0 out of 10
Bottom Line
Twilight Zone is a worthwhile film to watch, not only because of its tragic events, but because there are two really fantastic stories, and one good story that capture the magic of classic film. But it’s almost impossible to recommend this disc to anyone but the most die-hard of Twilight Zone fans. One can only hope that Warner will one day release a worthwhile disc. Until then, the video presentation makes this a worthwhile rental, but nothing more.
Overall: 5 out of 10
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