Caffeinated Clint
An additional wither hangs over the first story which makes it harder to enjoy – and to an extent, the film as a whole – but all things considering, I’m sure even Morrow would’ve been proud by the end result here.
Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Kathleen Quinlan, John Lithgow, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers, Kevin McCarthy, Dick Miller
As I see it, the “Twilight Zone” movie is known for two things:
1. That unforgettable prologue featuring Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks as a couple who buddies, out driving, who recite to each other a couple of scary stories before the former shows his buddy something “really scary” – like transforming into a grotesque monster.
2. The fact that Vic Morrow, as well as two child actors, was killed on the set. (The actor was carrying the two Vietnamese children in a scene that involved his character being chased by a helicopter. A special effects explosion caused the helicopter to crash and it landed on top of them, killing them all instantly. Absolutely tragic stuff.)
It should also be known as one of the few good TV-to-film adaptations.
Thanks to directors John Landis, Joe Dante, Steven Spielberg, and George Miller, the film spin-off of the classic 60s TV series was exactly what it needed to be – loyal [to the original – a couple of the segments were even remakes of episodes from the show], fun, creative and satisfyingly twisted.
Sans the fabulous prologue, there are four segments – one from each of the abovementioned directors.
Morrow stars in the compelling (but obviously not fully realized) first segment, as a racist who gets to experience first-hand what it would be like to be a Jew, Asian or African American. It’s classic “Zone” stuff.
In the second segment, the residents of a retirement home are granted their wish to be young again – only to realise that they’d rather be the age they were all along. It’s a sweet “Cocoon”-esque episode. Not so much spooky, as touching.
The third segment is a favourite with many – it’s the one where a young boy has the supernatural ability to make anything he wants happen. It’s a very loony chapter, with some choice special effects and a totally off-the-wall storyline, which could easily have been fleshed out into a feature.
The fourth segment – a remake of one from the 60s that starred William Shatner – features John Lithgow as an airline passenger who believes he sees a man on the wing of a plane. Its, like the Morrow segment, a pretty compelling episode.
What works about the “Twilight Zone” movie is the balance of tones – you’ve got four totally different segments not only in terms of distinct storylines but in the way they play; one plays frightening, another plays sweet; another is just zany funny… and then there’s over-the-top horror.
An additional wither hangs over the first story which makes it harder to enjoy – and to an extent, the film as a whole – but all things considering, I’m sure even Morrow would’ve been proud by the end result here.
Dissapointingly, there aren’t any extras on the DVD.
Rating : 
