Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

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 | Retirement Home | Kick The Can | Anthology

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)
Margaret Prentice	....	special makeup effects cosmetic painter: Rob Bottin crew (segment 3 ) (uncredited)

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
Bob Munoz	....	best boy grip
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)
Emmanuel Vouniozos	....	on-set technician (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 (uncredited)

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 | UK:12 (re-rating) (2009) | 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:

John Landis' segment "Time Out" was originally entitled "The Bigot", a story he claimed would retain political and social commentary of the best Twilight Zone episodes from the original series.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the airplane, the window shade in the seat next to the main character repeatedly opens and closes between shots.

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:

Spoofed in Tiny Toon Adventures: Night Ghoulery (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

PURPLE HAZE

You wanna see something scary?

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