Poster of Twilight Zone: The Movie

Twilight Zone: The Movie

Horror, Sci-Fi

Director: Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller

Release Date: June 24, 1983

Where to Watch

If I had paid money to see Twilight Zone: The Movie in the theaters, I would have felt ripped off, but seeing it on tv was almost as fun as the anthology series except felt more dated than classic. Did we really need to remake classic episodes that were already perfect such as Nightmare at 20,000 Feet? No one believes that William Shatner would lose his marbles and become hysterical, but it is a short trip for John Lithgow, and I love him. Kick the Can adds a Magical Negro so I guess that IS an upgrade. Thanks, Spielberg. The only original segment, Time Out, was controversial because it resulted in the death of Vic Morrow and two children. In my mind, this incident was as notorious as all the sudden deaths of Poltergeist’s cast members except due to negligence, not the supernatural. Unfortunately the clever premise falls apart with some false historical equivalency between Nazi era Germany and Jim Crow South with the Vietnam War. Oddly enough, the best parts of Twilight Zone: The Movie are the prologue and epilogue so either I love Dan Akyroyd or I prefer punchier stories.

Stay In The Know

Join my mailing list to get updates about recent reviews, upcoming speaking engagements, and film news.