Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1983
Running Times: 120 mins
Format: Technicolor 35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Warner Bros.
Executive Producer: Frank Marshall
Producers: John Landis, Steven Spielberg ; Kathleen Kennedy (story 2); Jon Davison, Michael Finnell (story 3)
Associate Producers: Jon Davison, Kathleen Kennedy, Michael Finnell; George Folsey Jr (prologue / story 1)
Production Manager: Dan Allingham (story 1)
Production Manager: Dennis E. Jones (storys 2-4)

SCRIPT
Script: John Landis (prologue / Story 1); George Clayton Johnson, Richard Matheson, Josh Rogan (real name: Melissa Mathison) (story 2); Richard Matheson (story 3; story 4)
Original Scripts: Kick the Can by George Clayton Johnson (story 2); It's a Good Life by Rod Serling (story 3); Richard Matheson (story 4)
Short Stories: It's a Good Life by Jerome Bixby (story3); Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson (story 4)
Television Series: Rod Serling

DIRECTION
Directors: John Landis (prologue / Story 1), Steven Spielberg (story 2), Joe Dante (story 3), George Miller (story 4)
1st Assistant Director: Elie Cohn (story 1)
1st Assistant Director: Pat Kehoe (stories 2-4)
2nd Assistant Director: Alan Smithee (real name: Anderson G. House) (story 1)
2nd Assistant Director: Dan Attias (stories 2-4)

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: Stevan Larner (prologue / story 1); Allen Daviau (stories 2, 4); John Hora (story 3)
Camera Operators: Arnold Rich (story 1), John Toll, Jamie Anderson (stories 2-4)
Steadicam Operator: Garrett Brown (stories 2-4)
1st Assistant Cameras: Richard Benda (story 1), Eric Engler, Norm Cattell (stories 2-4)
2nd Assistant Cameras: Don Cropper (story 1), Rick Fee, John Moulds (stories 2-4)
Gaffers: Allen Goldenhar (story 1), Pat Kirkwood (stories 2-4)
Best Boys: Stephen Shaver (story 1), Gerald Rhodes (stories 2-4)
Key Grips: Rich Borchardt (story 1), Gene Kearney (stories 2-4)
Dolly Grips: Robert Gaynor (story 1), Ben Haller (stories 2-4)
Stills: Morgan Renard (story 1), Ralph Nelson (stories 2-4)
Panaflex Cameras and Lenses: Panavision
Colour Timing: Aubrey Head

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editors: Malcolm Campbell (prologue / story 1); Michael Kahn (story 2); Tina Hirsch (story 3); Howard Smith
Assistant Editors: Steve Kemper, Zach Staenberg, William Meshover, Miriam Weeks, Jill Demby
Negative Cutter: Donah Bassett

MUSIC
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Orchestrator: Arthur Morton
Songs: Jerry Goldsmith, John Bettis (Nights Are Forever); Joseph Williams, Paul Gordon (Anesthesia); John Fogerty (The Midnight Special)
Songs Performed By: Jennifer Warnes (Nights Are Forever); 213 (Anesthesia); Creedence Clearwater Revival (The Midnight Special)
Songs Produced By: Bruce Botnick, James Newton Howard (Nights Are Forever); Bruce Botnick (Anesthesia)
Music Editor: Kenneth Hall
Music Scoring Mixer: Bruce Botnick, Robert Fernandez
32-Track Digital Recorder: Mitsubishi Digital Audio Systems
Digital Synthesizers: Yamaha

SOUND
Sound Mixers: Bill Kaplan (story 1), Tommy Causey (stories 2-4)
Sound Engineer: Jon Evans
Re-Recording Mixers: Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker
Supervising Sound Editor: David Yewdall
Sound Editor: David E. Stone
Dialogue Editor: Ken Sweet
Post-Production Dialogue: Mickie McGowan, For Lip-Shtick
Sound Effects Editors: Warren Hamilton, David Stone, Duane Hartzell
Loop Editor: Caryl Wickman

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Robert Westmoreland, Melanie E. Levitt (story 1), John Elliott (stories 2-4)
Hair: Virginia Kearns, Ellen Powell (story 1), Cheri Ruff (stories 2-4)
Costume Designer: Deborah Nadoolman (story 1)
Costumers: Susan Patricia Dugan (story 1), Deborah Scott, Dan Moore (stories 2-4)

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make-Up: Craig Reardon (story 1)

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Mike Wood (stories 2-4)
Special Effects: Paul Stewart (story 1)
Monster Effects: Rob Bottin (story 3)
Monster Conceptual Design: Ed Verreauxv (story 4)
Special Effects Assistants: Gene Grigg, Kevin Pike (stories 2-4)

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Peter Kuran/V.C.E., Jim Danforth/Effects Associates, David Allan (story 4)
Effects Photography: Jim Danforth
Animation Director (Story 3): Sam Cornell
Animation Sequence Designer (Story 3): Sally Cruikshank
Matte Artist: Rocco Gioffre (story 3)
Matte Paintings: Dream Quest Images (story 3)
Titles Producer and Director: Hal Miles
Titles: Peter Donen / Mark Peterson / Cinema Research / Novocom

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: James D. Bissell
Art Directors: Art Director: Richard Sawyer (story 1), James H. Spencer (story 4)
Set Designer: William J. Teegarden (stories 2-4)
Set Decorators: Barbara Paula Krieger (story 1), Jackie Carr (stories 2-4)
Property Masters: Michael Milgrom (story 1), Craig Raiche (stories 2-4)
Construction Coordinator: Ernie Depew (stories 2-4)
Sculptor: Henry Alvarez

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisors: Katherine Wooten (story 1), Katherine Wooten (stories 2-4)
Auditor: Bonne Radford (stories 2-4)
Assistant to Frank Marshall: Mary T. Radford (stories 2-4)
Assistant to Kathleen Kennedy: Kate Barker (stories 2-4)
Assistant to Steven Spielberg: Kathy Switzer (stories 2-4)
Assistant to Joe Dante and George Miller: Michelle Zeisel (stories 2-4)
Production Secretaries: Cynthia Nigh (story 1), Rosalyn Catania (stories 2-4)
Cartoon Supervisor: Sally Cruikshank (story 3)
Cartoon Researchers: Sam Cornell, Mark Kausler (story 3)
Transportation Coordinators: Jeff Renfro (story 1), Gary Hellerstein (stories 2-4)
Helicopter Pilot: Dorcey Wingo
Medic: David R. Lawson
Project Consultant: Carol Serling
Unit Publicist: Saul Kahan (story 1), Hilary Clark (stories 2-4)
Jeopardy courtesy of Merv Griffin Productions
Video game supplied courtesy of and used by permission of Atari Inc

LOCATIONS
Studio: The Burbank Studios, Burbank, California, USA
Location Manager: Richard Vane (story 1), Richard Vane (stories 2-4)

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinators: Gary McLarty (story 1), Bill Couch (stories 2-4)

CASTING
Casting: Mike Fenton, Jane Feinberg, Marci Liroff

CAST
PROLOGUE
Dan Aykroyd (passenger)
Albert Brooks (car driver)

STORY ONE
Vic Morrow (Bill Connor)
Doug McGrath (Larry)
Charles Hallahan (Ray)
Remus Peets (real name: Rainer Peets), Kai Wulff (German officers)
Sue Dugan, Debby Porter (waitresses)
Steven Williams (bar patron)
Annette Claudier (French mother)
Joseph Hieu, Al Leong (Vietnamese)
Stephen Bishop (charming G.I.)
Thomas Byrd, Vincent J. Isaac, William B. Taylor, Domingo Ambriz (G.I.s)
Eddy Donno, Michael Milgrom, John Larroquette (K.K.K.)
Norbert Weisser (soldier)

STORY TWO
Scatman Crothers (Mr Bloom)
Bill Quinn (Leo Conroy)
Martin Garner (Mr Weinstein)
Selma Diamond (Mrs Weinstein)
Helen Shaw (Mrs Dempsey)
Murray Matheson (Mr Agee)
Peter Brocco (Mr Mute)
Priscilla Pointer (Miss Cox)
Scott Nemes (young Mr Weinstein)
Tanya Fenmore (young Mrs Weinstein)
Evan Richards (young Mr Agee)
Laura Mooney (young Mrs Dempsey)
Christopher Eisenmann (young Mr Mute)
Richard Swingler (Mr Gray Panther)
Alan Haufrect (Mr Conroy's son)
Cheryl Socher (Mr Conroy's daughter-in-law)
Elsa Raven (nurse)

STORY THREE
Kathleen Quinlan (Helen Foley)
Jeremy Licht (Anthony)
Kevin McCarthy (Uncle Walt)
Patricia Barry (Mother)
William Schallert (Father)
Nancy Cartwright (Ethel)
Dick Miller (Walter Paisley)
Cherie Currie (Sara)
Bill Mumy (Tim)
Jeffrey Bannister (Charlie)

STORY FOUR
John Lithgow (John Valentine)
Abbe Lane (senior stewardess)
Donna Dixon (junior stewardess)
John Dennis Johnston (co-pilot)
Larry Cedar (creature)
Charles Knapp (sky marshal)
Byron McFarland (pilot announcement)
Christina Nigra (little girl)
Lana Schwab (mother)
Margaret Wheeler (old woman)
Eduard Franz (old man)
Margaret Fitzgerald (young girl)
Jeffrey Weissman (young man)
Jeffrey Lampert, Frank Toth (mechanics)
Carol Serling (passenger)
Dan Aykroyd (ambulance driver)

Burgess Meredith (narrator)

PLOT SUMMARY

A four story anthology: a racist businessman finds the roles are reversed in the Twilight Zone when he become sthe target for unreasoning ahtred; the residents of an old peoples' home magically regain their lost youth; a young teacher befriends a boy with incredible and terrifying powers; a nervous airline passenger has the trip from hell when he spots a gremlin trying to dismantle the aircraft at 20,000 feet.

A surprisingly good revamp of the classic TV series for the big screen. The last story, with John Lithgow's hysterical passenger menaced by the gremlin intent on destroying the airliner he's on, is by far and away the best and Spielberg's schmaltzy offering is the weakest. It's no masterpiece but it's a fun way to pass a couple of hours. Sadly notorious for the on-set helicopter accident that killed Vic Morrow and two young Vietnamese children.

Brazil
Video Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo

UK
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Warner Home Video (11314 LV)

Australia
Rating: PG

Finland
Rating: K-12

Norway
Rating: 16

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: PG

West Germany
Rating: 16

1984
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor (John Lithgow) - winner

Fantasporto, Portugal
International Fantasy Film Award Best Film (Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller) - nominated

Young Artist Awards, USA
Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Jeremy Licht) - nominated
Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Christina Nigra) - nominated

1983
June
24: USA – theatrical release

October
21: Sweden – theatrical release

November
25: Finland – theatrical release

December
3: Norway – theatrical release

1984
January
20: West Germany – theatrical release

February
Day Unknown: Portugal – show at the Fantasporto Film Festival
1: France – theatrical release

Ai confini della realtà - Italian title
En los límites de la realidad - Spanish title
Hämärän pelottavat varjot - Finnish title
No Limite da Realidade – Brazilian title
La quatrième dimension – French Canadian title
Twillight Zone - På gränsen till det okända – Swedish title
Unheimliche Schattenlichter - West German title

SEQUEL TO
The Twilight Zone (1959)

SEQUELS
The Twilight Zone (1985)
Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994)
The Twilight Zone (2002)

INCLUDES FOOTAGE FROM
Behind the Meat-Ball (1945)
Bimbo's Initiation (1931)
Case of the Missing Hare (1942)
Feed the Kitty (1952)
It's Hummer Time (1950)
Mouse Wreckers (1948)
The Power of Thought (1948)
Quasi at the Quackadero (1976)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
40,000 Years of Dreaming (1997)

MAGAZINES

Première February 1984 p.8 (France)
review (by Philippe Salanches)

KEYWORDS

aircraft, anthologies, ku klux klan, gremlins, lightning, nazis, old age, racism, reverse aging, storms, the supernatural, surrealism, television into film

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008