A fair attempt There are moments in TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE that capture the spirit of the original television show. I really love THE TWILIGHT ZONE...at its best it was both terrifying and thought-provoking. Rod Serling was a genius,and when he wasn't writing,they had some of the best writers of that era available.
TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE is not a complete success. However,the
filmmakers' hearts were in the right place. There are four segments, and they improve as they go on:
The prologue,featuring Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks,is very funny until the rather shocking ending. Then comes the rather worthless first segment,directed by John Landis,which isn't even based on a TWILIGHT ZONE episode. Vic Morrow was killed filming it. He plays a bigot transported through Nazi Germany, a Klan hanging and Vietnam. This one's only noteworthy for the appearance of Mr. X himself,Steven Williams. ("How about PLEASE hold it down?")
Second on the program is Steven Spielberg's goopy,sentimental
butchering of "Kick The Can." The original "Kick The Can" had
an ambiguous feel to it. Here,Spielberg revels in what the
original merely suggested,and it's cute,but come on. Featuring a wonderful performance from Scatman Crothers and one moment of
genuine emotion ("I'm READY...")
Third: Joe Dante gets his hands on "It's a GOOD Life." Some seriously warped images in this one. Peanut butter hamburgers. Monster bunnies. Nancy "Bart Simpson" Cartwright being eaten by a cartoon. A cameo by Dick Miller. A genuinely cool climax ("Where are we?" "Nowhere...") and Kathleen Quinlan. What more could you want?
Fourth and best: George Miller's take on "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet." Definitely the best. John Lithgow's performance is nothing less than sensational. The music in this segment is closest to the TV series; it almost feels alive.
Overall,TWILIGHT ZONE THE MOVIE is definitely worth watching. I
wish they'd make another one. With modern technology,it'd really rock.