chez-3

"TZTM" is a blown opportunity. Not that it's a bad film. Just a disappointment considering all the material to choose from. Only the final story is worthy of a repeat for this film. After a nifty pre-credit opening we settle in for some good scares but have to wait nearly 90 minutes for them. Story one is now known only as the sequence in which Vic Morrow was killed. As a bigot fed-up with minorities getting the promotions he feels he deserves, Morrow is thrust out into the zone where he is treated as a minority would be. It's an interesting premise by writer/director John Landis that ends abruptly and unsatisfactorily no doubt due to the horrific accident during filming. But why do an original? Zone fans want to see their favorites updated.

Steven Spielberg helms story two called "Kick the Can" which is a nice enough story but nothing special. Things get moving in story three with Joe Dante's tale of a child who can read minds and will things to happen. Good effects but, again, nothing special. But it's the last story, "Nightmare at 40,000 Feet" that saves the film with John Lithgow as a VERY nervous plane passenger who sees a creature outside his window damaging the engines. It's scary and exciting....as we expect from the Twilight Zone.

This was a golden opportunity shot to hell. The story of a meek businessman in suburbia whose life is turned upside down in a 24 hour period by his wild new neighbors. The casting of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd seems inspired. But some dimwit got the bright idea of giving Aykroyd the wild role and Belushi the meek one. Why? Because we saw Belushi play it in "Animal House" and "1941?" Well that was what he was good at. But we try in vain to watch Belushi act mild mannered and we wait for him to explode which he does in the last scene which is a decent one. Other then that there are no big laughs and just a few chuckles. Cathy Moriarty is nice to look at but that is it.

And the musical score by Bill Conti gets my vote as the worst score ever for a major motion picture. This film is a HUGE disappointment.

"When Time Ran Out" is the film that killed the disaster movie. And no wonder. It's an awful film about a volcano that erupts and the traditional all star cast striving for survival in its aftermath. There is no tension, no excitement, no nothing. It's a yawner from start to finish and an embarrassment for Paul Newman and William Holden who must have earned big salaries to see thru the witless script and do this film.