Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Directors:

Joe Dante
John Landis
(more)

Writers:

Rod Serling (television series The Twilight Zone)
John Landis (prologue)
(more)

Release Date:

24 June 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

You're travelling through another dimension. A dimension, not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!

Plot:

Four horror/sci-fi segments directed by four famous directors which are their own versions of classic stories from Rod Serling's landmark television series.

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Nazi | Kick The Can | Airplane | Retirement Home

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Dan Aykroyd	...	Passenger / Ambulance Driver (Prologue / Segment #4)
Albert Brooks	...	Car Driver (Prologue)
Vic Morrow	...	Bill Connor (Segment #1)
Doug McGrath	...	Larry (Segment #1)
Charles Hallahan	...	Ray (Segment #1)
Rainer Peets	...	German Officer (Segment #1) (as Remus Peets)
Kai Wulff	...	German Officer (Segment #1)
Sue Dugan	...	Waitress No. 1 (Segment #1)
Debby Porter	...	Waitress No. 2 (Segment #1)
Steven Williams	...	Bar Patron (Segment #1)
Annette Claudier	...	French Monther (Segment #1)
Joseph Hieu	...	Vietnamese (Segment #1)
Al Leong	...	Vietnamese (Segment #1)
Stephen Bishop	...	Charming G.I. (Segment #1)
Thomas Byrd	...	G.I. (Segment #1)
Vincent J. Isaac	...	G.I. (Segment #1)
William B. Taylor	...	G.I. (Segment #1)
Domingo Ambriz	...	G.I. (Segment #1)
Eddy Donno	...	K.K.K. (Segment #1)
Michael Milgrom	...	K.K.K. (Segment #1)
John Larroquette	...	K.K.K. (Segment #1)
Norbert Weisser	...	Soldier No. 1 (Segment #1)
Scatman Crothers	...	Mr. Bloom (Segment #2)
Bill Quinn	...	Mr. Leo Conroy (Segment#2)
Martin Garner	...	Mr. Weinstein (Segment #2)
Selma Diamond	...	Mrs. Weinstein (Segment #2)
Helen Shaw	...	Mrs. Dempsey (Segment #2)
Murray Matheson	...	Mr. Agee (Segment #2)
Peter Brocco	...	Mr. Mute (Segment #2)
Priscilla Pointer	...	Miss Cox (Segment #2)
Scott Nemes	...	Young Mr. Weinstein (Segment #2)
Tanya Fenmore	...	Young Mrs. Weinstein (Segment #2)
Evan Richards	...	Young Mr. Agee (Segment #2)
Laura Mooney	...	Young Mrs. Dempsey (Segment #2)
Christopher Eisenmann	...	Young Mr. Mute (Segment #2)
Richard Swingler	...	Mr. Gray Panther (Segment #2)
Alan Haufrect	...	Mr. Conroy's Son (Segment #2)
Cheryl Socher	...	Mr. Conroy's Daughter-in-Law (Segment #2)
Elsa Raven	...	Nurse No. 2 (Segment #2)
Kathleen Quinlan	...	Helen Foley(School Teacher)(Segment#3)
Jeremy Licht	...	Anthony (Segment #3)
Kevin McCarthy	...	Uncle Walt (Segment #3)
Patricia Barry	...	Mother (Segment #3)
William Schallert	...	Father (Segment #3)
Nancy Cartwright	...	Ethel (Segment #3)
Dick Miller	...	Walter Paisley(Diner Owner)(Segment#3)
Cherie Currie	...	Sara (Segment #3)
Bill Mumy	...	Tim (Segment #3)
Jeffrey Bannister	...	Charlie(Diner Patron)(Segment#3)
John Lithgow	...	John Valentine (Segment #4)
Abbe Lane	...	Sr. Stewardess (Segment #4)
Donna Dixon	...	Jr. Stewardess (Segment #4)
John Dennis Johnston	...	Co-Pilot (Segment #4)
Larry Cedar	...	Creature (Segment #4)
Charles Knapp	...	Sky Marshal (Segment #4)
Byron McFarland	...	Pilot Announcement (Segment #4)
Christina Nigra	...	Little Girl (Segment #4)
Lana Schwab	...	Mother (Segment #4) (as Lonna Schwab)
Margaret Wheeler	...	Old Woman (Segment #4)
Eduard Franz	...	Old Man (Segment #4)
Margaret Fitzgerald	...	Young Girl (Segment #4)
Jeffrey Weissman	...	Young Man (Segment #4)
Jeffrey Lampert	...	Mechanic No. 1 (Segment #4)
Frank Toth	...	Mechanic No. 2 (Segment #4)
Carol Serling	...	Passenger (Segment #4)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Burgess Meredith	...	Narrator (voice)
Rod Serling	...	Narrator (end of Segment #4) (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Carol Vogel	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Joe Dante		(segment 3)
John Landis		(prologue & segment 1)
George Miller		(segment 4)
Steven Spielberg		(segment 2)

Writing credits
Rod Serling		(television series The Twilight Zone)
John Landis		(prologue)
John Landis		(segment 1)
George Clayton Johnson		(segment 2) screenplay "Kick the Can" and
Richard Matheson		(segment 2) and
Melissa Mathison		(segment 2) (as Josh Rogan)
Jerome Bixby		(segment 3) story "It's a Good Life" and
Richard Matheson		(segment 3)
Richard Matheson		(segment 4) short story "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and
Richard Matheson		(segment 4) screenplay "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"
Robert Garland		uncredited

Produced by
Jon Davison	....	associate producer
Jon Davison	....	producer (segment 3)
Michael Finnell	....	associate producer
Michael Finnell	....	producer (segment 3)
George Folsey Jr.	....	associate producer: prologue and segment 1
Kathleen Kennedy	....	associate producer
Kathleen Kennedy	....	producer (segment 2)
John Landis	....	producer
Frank Marshall	....	executive producer
Steven Spielberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Allen Daviau		(segments 2, 4)
John Hora		(segment 3)
Stevan Larner		(prologue and segment 1)

Film Editing by
Malcolm Campbell		(prologue and segment 1)
Tina Hirsch		(segment 3)
Michael Kahn		(segment 2)
Howard E. Smith		(segment 4) (as Howard Smith)

Casting by
Marci Liroff

Production Design by
James D. Bissell

Art Direction by
Richard Tom Sawyer		(segment 1) (as Richard Sawyer)
James H. Spencer		(segment 4)

Set Decoration by
Jackie Carr		(segment 2) (segment 3) (segment 4)
Barbara Krieger		(segment 1)

Costume Design by
Deborah Lynn Scott

Makeup Department
Rob Bottin	....	special makeup effects artist (segment 3)
Rob Bottin	....	special makeup effects designer (segment 3)
John M. Elliott Jr.	....	makeup artist (segments 2-4) (as John Elliott)
Michael McCracken	....	special makeup effects artist (segment 4)
Craig Reardon	....	special makeup effects artist: segments 1-4
Bob Westmoreland	....	makeup artist (segment 1) (as Robert Westmoreland)

Production Management
Dan Allingham	....	unit production manager (segment 1)
Dennis E. Jones	....	unit production manager (segments 2-4)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daniel Attias	....	second assistant director (segment 2, 3 & 4) (as Dan Attias)
Elie Cohn	....	first assistant director (segment 1)
Andy House	....	second assistant director (segment 1) (as Alan Smithee)
Pat Kehoe	....	first assistant director (segment 2, 3 & 4)
Alan Smithee	....	second assistant director (segment 1) (really Anderson G. House)

Art Department
Henry Alvarez	....	sculptor
Larry Clark Bird	....	property master
Gregory Pickrell	....	set designer
William James Teegarden	....	set designer (Segment 2, 3 & 4) (as William J. Teegarden)
Daniel Turk	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Thomas Causey	....	production sound mixer (Segment 2, 3 & 4) (as Tommy Causey)
Carl Fischer	....	boom operator (prologue & segment 1)
Richard Bryce Goodman	....	sound mixer (prologue and segment 1)
William B. Kaplan	....	production sound mixer (Segment 1) (as Bill Kaplan)
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist
David E. Stone	....	sound editor
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Lewis Yewdall	....	supervising sound editor (as David Yewdall)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Rob Bottin	....	monster effects (segment 3)
Gene Grigg	....	special effects assistant (segments 2-4)
Kevin Pike	....	special effects supervisor (segments 4)
Paul Stewart	....	special effects supervisor (segment 1)
Ed Verreaux	....	monster effects (segment 4)
Michael Wood	....	special effects supervisor (Segments 2, 3 & 4) (as Mike Wood)

Visual Effects by
Dave Allen	....	visual effects (segment 4)
Jim Danforth	....	effects photography
Jim Danforth	....	matte artist
Rocco Gioffre	....	matte artist (segment 3)
Peter Kuran	....	visual effects (Segment 4)
Hal Miles	....	titles producer and director
Eric Guaglione	....	matte photography: DQI (uncredited)
Hoyt Yeatman	....	matte photographer: DQI (uncredited)

Stunts
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunt double
Terry James	....	stunt double: Jon Lithgow
Gary McLarty	....	stunt coordinator
Thomas Byrd	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddy Donno	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joseph Hieu	....	stunts (uncredited)
Al Leong	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Debby Porter	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dale Alexander	....	key grip
Jamie Anderson	....	camera operator (segment 3)
Richard Benda	....	first assistant camera (prologue and segment 1)
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator (segments 2-4)
John J. Connor	....	camera operator (segment 1)
Rick Fee	....	assistant camera (as Richard Fee)
Mark Ludwig	....	second assistant camera (prologue and segment 1)
Steve Lydecker	....	camera operator (segment 1)
John C. Moulds	....	first assistant camera
Lee Redmond	....	assistant camera
Arnold L. Rich	....	camera operator (Segment 1) (as Arnold Rich)
Randall Robinson	....	first assistant camera: helicopter unit
Roger L. Smith	....	camera operator: helicopter unit (segment 1) (as Roger Smith)
John Toll	....	camera operator (segments 2-4)
Michael Hofstein	....	additional camera operator (segment 3) (uncredited)

Animation Department
Sam Cornell	....	cartoon researcher (segment 3)
Sally Cruikshank	....	cartoon supervisor (segment 3)
Mark Kausler	....	cartoon researcher (segment 3)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Nadoolman	....	costume designer: segment 1

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Bruce Botnick	....	recording mixer
Robert Fernandez	....	music scoring mixer
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor
James Newton Howard	....	song producer
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar

Other crew
David R. Lawson	....	medic
Carol Serling	....	project consultant
Kathleen Switzer	....	assistant to director
Dorcey Wingo	....	helicopter pilot

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1984) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1984) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1983) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (19??) (Finland) (VHS)
• V8 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1985) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Dream Quest Images (matte paintings) (segment 3)
• Visual Concept Engineering (VCE) (visual effects) (segment 4)
• Effects Associates (visual effects) (segment 4)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  titles
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Lip-Shtick  post-production dialogue
• Novocom Inc.  titles

Runtime:

101 min | UK:97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Vietnamese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:14 | France:Unrated | Singapore:PG | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:12 | South Africa:10V | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG (certificate #27045) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Canyon Country, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Frank Marshall, producer of the latter version, plays one of the ground crew members checking the plane's wing for damage.

Goofs:

Continuity: Anthony discovers a hidden note, which he holds flat in the palm of his hand. When the camera cuts closer to reveal what's printed, the note is pinched between his thumb and forefinger.

Quotes:

Mrs. Weinstein: Remember this one, Mrs. Dempsey? Not last night but the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at my door, as I ran out, they ran in and this is what they said to me.

Movie Connections:

Features "Jeopardy!" (1964)

Soundtrack:

PURPLE HAZE

Watch Me Pull A Rabbit Out Of A Hat....

I'm a huge fan of the series, and I remember being obsessed with TZ The Movie when it was released. I was 12, after all!!

Recently watched the film again for the first time in at least 15 years. I was blown away by the final segment, it's truly a classic which really scared the stuffing outta me. That evil little girl who takes Polaroids of everything freaked me out to no end. For me, it's the only segment in which the quality of the writing matches the direction and visuals from beginning to end.

I saw the original episode upon which Joe Dante's (3rd) segment is based when I was spending the night at my friend's house in 4th grade. It, too, really frightened me. I remember thinking to myself how hopeless the situation was-- if you even TRIED to not think bad thoughts about Anthony, you would end up thinking them, and he could still get you!! And didn't he "wish someone away to the cornfield"?? Man, that's some serious freakiness.

I thought the design of that segment in the movie was incredible, I'll never forget the mom holding the fishbowl, or the ferocious rabbit creature, or what happens to Ethel ("Run, Ethel....!") But the ending is truly atrocious and almost ruins what has come before.

What can I say about the other two segments? Better scripts were needed in order to make them work. And in the case of "Kick the Can", sticking more closely to the original episode would have given it more impact. (Not to mention firing Steven Spielberg.)And it's sad seeing Vic Morrow in his final role-- I'll always think of him as the sadistic coach in THE BAD NEWS BEARS, which is one of my all-time favorites.

All in all, a very uneven movie which improves steadily as it goes along. 6/10.