Stream it now Twilight Zone: The Movie Reset Status Want to Watch Already Watched Don't Want to Watch

this is definatly one of the most uneven film i have seen, not supprising considering it was directed by four people. as a original Twilight Zone fan, i was dissapointed this "Homage" didn't take most of it's stories seriously, instead coming across as spoof in many scenes, not supprising since it followed the supernatural comedy hit Ghostbusters. in that way this film was a complete train wreck for hardcore TZ fans like myself, only being able to redeem itself by John Lithgow's fantastic turn in quite thrilling remake of "Nightmare at 20,000 feet". the starting sequence of the film was ok and quite funny, but once the stories began it went downhill and dug it's own grave, that is until the final lithgow starring remake episode.

i give it 2/5 overall, but i give the "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" remake 4/5.

I caught this again the other day on cable. I have fond memories of my mom taking me to see it in the theater. The best segment is the nursing home its magical in the same way Speilberg's E.T. is. The beginning by John Landis still packs a punch as does the finale.

SOUNDS LIKE A TERRIFIC IDEA, BUT IT IS DISSAPPOINTING. ONCE AGAIN, SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE TALENT INVOLVED. BUT, IT HAS IT'S MOMENTS.

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983): 7/10

well, 4 for 5 at least

Wednesday, October 18th
71. Motel Hell. (1980) This is going to sound weird but I find this film almost totally relaxing. It's almost like watching The Sound of Music or something. Sounds like I'm joking but I'm dead serious! It's NOT because I like to see cruelty or suffering; for a flick like this it just goes with the territory. It's because this was the very first flick like it I saw as a kid. Quite a jolt in the early 80s! I'd never seen a horror movie where you're supposed to laugh at the cruelty and suffering of the victims and cheer for what are clearly the bad guys. To be honest, my jaw was hitting the floor while my cousins (who administered this initiation) were whooping it up. I'd been raised up on Universal classics, Hammer, Amicus and American International. But this was just crazy! Now, all that nostalgia makes this a special experience each year since the DVD was released. As a horror/comedy it really isn't half bad on either of those levels. No where near as scary as I'd bragged to my friends (yep, extreme bragging rights came with this one :) ). 7/10
They got sent "to the cornfield"! (who gets that one? :p )

Here's another film rating.

Twilight Zone: The Movie
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Kathleen Quinlan, Kevin McCarthy, and a very frightened John Lithgow.
Directed by Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller, and Steven Spielberg.
Written by John Landis, George Clayton Johnson, Richard Matheson, and Josh Rogan.
Rated PG (for violence and terror, disturbing images and language).
Running time approximately 1 hour 41 minutes.


Meh...yeah, kinda.

The only really good thing about the little-known and little-seen British shocker Dead of Night (a.k.a. Lighthouse) is that it's very bloody and the photography is lovely. There's not much else to say. It's worth a peek if you can find it. **1/2 (out of ****) C+

This was a big disappointment to me. I absolutely love the television show. I own the complete series and have seen every single episode, most of them more than once. This was a competently made movie, but it was just strange. It begins with a prologue, featuring Dan Ackroyd and Albert Brooks. What follows is somewhat disturbing and an okay little piece, but what immediately follows is awesome. The famous theme song is played, slightly redone by John Williams, and the famous opening is shown, this time in color and with narration from none other than former TZ star Burgess Meredith, because of Rod Serling's unfortunate death. Being a fan of the show, this is actually the highlight of the movie to me. The first of four segments is called Time Out and is directed by John Landis, fresh off of American Werewolf in London. It's the story of a racist who is transported back in time to be the subject of numerous acts of racism. It's okay in its own right, but as far as the irony goes, it's certainly sub-par for The Twilight Zone. It comes off a little rushed, I think. The second segment is a remake of the episode Kick the Can, this time directed by Steven Spielberg. This is far different from the original and I like the original far more. They both recount the story of old men and women desperately yearning for their youth, but the movie version doesn't end when it should, and instead drags on into sheer awkwardness. The third segment is another remake, this one of It's a Good Life, directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling). And this is just weird. The original is about a boy who rules a town because he has mind powers. It's a simple story but it's done so effectively and with some Serling satire on how no one wants to stand up for themselves and everyone lives in a status quo. This one takes another angle and has the boy dominate people with a television. It's just a display of cheesy 80s special effects, which I usually find charming, but they're just weird here. And what's this one trying to say? That television dominates our lives?! It really is unfortunate Rod Serling died so young. The final segment is another remake, this one of the classic Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, but this time it's 15,000 feet higher for whatever reason. John Lithgow is fantastic in the William Shatner role, a man recovering from a nervous breakdown who sees a creature on the wing of a plane. It's a simple "Boy Who Cried Wolf" story, but you're not sure if he sees the creature or if he's having another breakdown. The only thing that plagues the original episode is poor special effects (seriously, the creature looks ridiculous). And being 20 years later, that is greatly improved. I don't think this is quite as good as the original episode, but it compares. Overall, a below average movie, but that may be my disappointed bias speaking. Perhaps I'll see it again some time.

I thought The Twilight Zone was pretty cool when I was a kid. However, I rented it recently and found it to be an uneven flick. My favorite story is still the remake of Nightmare at 20,000ft. with John Lithgow. The episode with the creepy bunny deserves a thumbs up for originality. The remaining episodes, however, are too mundane to be memorable. I recommend it for a lazy Sunday afternoon, if you're feeling nostalgic.