The release of ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie' 40 years ago was met with harsh criticism, but little did audiences know the tragic events that unfolded behind the scenes.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, John Landis, Joe Dante, and George Miller, the film received mixed reviews from critics, with many labeling it as mediocre.
However, the true tragedy lies in the negligence and lack of professionalism that led to the deaths of two children and actor Vic Morrow.
Upon its release on June 24, 1983, ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie' faced scathing criticism from reviewers.
Vincent Canby of The New York Times described it as a “flabby, mini-minded behemoth,” while Colin Greenland of Imagine magazine called it unimpressive.
Dave Kehr of The Chicago Reader found one segment tolerable but labeled the others as mediocre.
Even though critics were aware of the tragedy that occurred during production, they avoided mentioning the blatant negligence involved.
Despite the negative reviews, ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie' managed to gross over $6 million in its opening weekend and ended up making $42 million worldwide.
While it was a financial success, the film didn't achieve the massive hit status that executives had hoped for.
Ironically, the accidental deaths during production inadvertently fueled effective marketing campaigns, similar to other accident-marred films like ‘The Raven,' ‘Top Gun,' and ‘Jumper.'
Making movies has always been considered a high-risk sport, as director Werner Herzog once said.
However, no one could have anticipated the disastrous execution that occurred on the set of the ‘Twilight Zone' segment directed by John Landis.
On July 23, 1982, Landis made a series of reckless decisions that ultimately led to the deaths of Vic Morrow and two Vietnamese-American children, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen.
During the filming of the segment titled “Time Out,” Landis decided to add an alternate ending to humanize the main character, Bill Connor, played by Vic Morrow.
In this scene, Connor rescues two Vietnamese orphans from a bombing.
Landis wanted to capture immense explosions on film, reminiscent of ‘Apocalypse Now.'
However, the decisions made by Landis and his team were shockingly irresponsible.
The first glaring mistake was hiring two child actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, who were in direct violation of California law that forbade employing children at night.
Additionally, no special permit was obtained for hiring minors.
The situation was resolved with a hasty agreement involving Renee's uncle, who accepted a cash payment on behalf of the families without any formal contract or insurance.
To recreate the bombing scene, a Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter was used.
During an explosives test, the pilot, Dorcey Wingo, noticed that the helicopter shook abnormally but was warned not to say anything by a colleague.
Once filming began, pyrotechnic fireballs engulfed the helicopter, causing Wingo to suffer a panic attack.
Conflicting instructions were given to the crew, with one urging them to leave the area while Landis insisted on descending further.
The helicopter eventually crashed, resulting in the deaths of the two children and Vic Morrow.
An official investigation concluded that the tragedy was caused by excessive explosions and the helicopter's low flight path, indicating a planning issue rather than specific human errors.
Landis, along with other crew members, faced charges of involuntary manslaughter but were ultimately acquitted.
The families of the victims pursued a civil lawsuit against the film's producers and received a substantial settlement.
The accident on the set of ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie' had a profound impact on the film industry.
Stricter safety regulations were implemented by the Director's Guild of America, and the Screen Actors Guild included clauses in contracts that allowed actors to step away from unsafe sets.
This tragic event marked the end of the irresponsible practices of directors like John Landis, who seemed unaffected by the suffering he caused.
Reflecting on the incident years later, Landis expressed deep remorse for the tragedy and admitted it continued to haunt him.
Steven Spielberg, who was also involved in the film, considered it the worst experience of his career and distanced himself from Landis.
Today, industry professionals are more aware of their rights and assert themselves when faced with dangerous demands on set.
