'Twilight Zone: The Movie' Finally Gets a DVD Release
Filed under: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, New on DVD
.jpg)
I don't believe in movies being tampered with at all after their initial release, whether it's 'flashlights instead of shotguns' or the smallest visual touch-ups. I just think it's a terrible precedent to set and sort of fundamentally at odds with the point of film, which is to freeze a story in a certain place and time. The only time I usually change my position on this is with films like Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, which are completely raped by the studios in their theatrical release, and only really exist in the director's cut. I might also make an exception in the case of Twilight Zone: The Movie -- a solid, scary anthology film that's near-ruined by a couple of ridiculous and outlandish scenes that should be snipped out. I'm talking about those bookends -- an opening one in which a couple of guys traveling in a car along a lonely road get into a discussion about The Twilight Zone show and then one of them turns into the stupidest, most un-scary monster of all-time, and a closing one in which the monster returns for no reason whatsoever except to make us say 'Ooh, there's the monster from the beginning!'
Here's hoping there's a 'bookend-free' edition I can choose in the upcoming, long-awaited DVD release of the film from Warner Home Video. Looks doubtful, though -- aside from some cover art and a firm release date of October 9, there's very little detail given on the Amazon page. Surely they'll load it up with some TV show tie-ins, but I really wouldn't expect much else, although I'm pretty sure they could get Joe Dante to sit down and do a commentary for it. John Landis? Probably not.
_thumbnail.jpg)
Alec Baldwin Becomes Latest to Threaten Retirement
The First 'Iron Man 2' Poster Appears!
The Return of Jessica Alba?
Now 'New Moon' Prevents Skin Cancer!_thumbnail.jpg)
Discuss: Who Would be the Most Profitable Director if ...
_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-31-2007 @ 2:04PM
Richard von Busack said...
I remember the George Miller sequence with John Lithgow as being brilliant; if anything the "Kick the Can" sequence by Spielberg may be his worst film ever.
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 2:25PM
Camperton said...
Seriously? The opening bookend at least, is one of my favorite parts of the movie. "Wanna see something reeeally scary"? That's a golden 80's moment for me.
But I'm glad it'll be so much easier to skip over Kick The Can on DVD.
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 2:27PM
Camperton said...
@ Richard von Busack
It's not worse than Hook. But that ain't saying much.
Reply
7-31-2007 @ 6:47PM
mish said...
"look at that old man...he looks just like an ape!"
awwww...the bookends are great.
Reply
8-01-2007 @ 2:35AM
Judith Turner said...
Given that actor Vic Morrow and 2 Asian children(working after hours illegally) were killed when a helicopter crashed during the filming of the scene where Morrow is trying to rescue them from a Vietnam War helicopter attack, it's not too surprising this film was held up in dvd release.
There's a lot of interesting reading on the Net and several books about the trial of the principals involved in the stunt. The trial of director John Landis et al. was probably the most sensational Hollywood sensation trial of its era.
Reply