An okay, if not exceptional tribute to The Twilight Zone series, the 1983 movie nevertheless shines through with respect and love for its source. The movie opens with Albert Brooks and Dan Ackroyd, wittily referencing the original series. (�That was an Outer Limits episode.�) We then get Burgess Meredith�s form of grand guignol narration standing in for Rod Serling�s likeable cheese (himself a veteran of the original show, of course), and some updated titles based on season four�s, which, as this film was made in the 80s, have dated far more than the original series. The basic concept of the movie seems to be a chance for four directors to recreate their favourite episodes from the show. This is actually bypassed by John Landis, who invents his own story, which could be said to be inspired by tales A Quality of Mercy and Death�s-Head Revisited. It�s adequate, like most of the movie, nothing more. Next up, we have a remake of Kick The Can, an already treacly episode that only Steven Spielberg could make more sentimental. So it is that the children don�t run off leaving one of their number at the end, and the old archetype of a kindly black character is added to the mix. Best of the bunch are the final two entries, the only two to stand up to the originals. Joe Dante�s take on It�s A Good Life uses special effects and visuals to tell its story, in direct opposition to the original. Yet it does succeed in having a beginning, middle and end, something the good but ultimately plotless �61 episode didn�t. The final segment is a recreation of Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, which sees John Lithgow�s likeable hammery replacing William Shatner�s likeable plank diction. And that�s another thing that will effect anyone�s judgement of this tribute: just how much did you like the episodes being recreated? For my money, all three, while decent enough, are criminally overrated, and if I had to choose four to make up a motion picture I�d opt for Nothing In The Dark, Nick of Time, Miniature and The New Exhibit. But then we have to move on to the further question as to whether four such episodes would blend together well, and whether they would make for a strong motion picture? Although the film wasn�t a huge hit, it did well enough to prompt CBS to bring back the series for a worthwhile return from 1985-1989. Sadly, the thing the film was most famous for was the deaths of Vic Morrow and two child actors during the making of the John Landis segment. With a helicopter flying too low to avoid pyrotechnic explosions on set, it spun out of control and decapated Morrow and one child actor, and crushing another. Due to the accident the redemption Morrow�s character was due to obtain wasn�t filmed, and the ending is somewhat abrupt. More importantly, the tragedy brought much negative publicity onto the movie, as well as a legal battle that lasted nearly a decade. * * *