With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
'Twilight Zone: The Movie' may serve as warning for Warner Bros
Listen
• 1:07
A still from the classic Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder."
(
Kollage Kid/Flickr
)
A fatal incident on a movie set 30 years ago Monday set off the kinds of arguments in Hollywood that have swirled around the opening weekend of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
“Twilight Zone: the Movie” was supposed to be an edgy update of the popular anthology TV series that inspired it. In one segment, veteran actor Vic Morrow played a character who traveled back in time in the shoes of people he despised, including villagers escaping a bombing during the Vietnam War.
On the last day of production, Morrow and two child performers, Renee Shinn Chen and Myca Dinh Le, died in a convergence of special-effects explosives and a low-flying helicopter. Warner Brothers — the same studio behind the latest Batman film — released “Twilight Zone” the summer after the incident.
At the time, some observers questioned whether that was a good idea. The movie met with mixed reviews, and with mixed feelings among people attracted or repulsed by its notoriety.
Support for LAist comes from
The families of the three actors killed sued the studio, claiming negligence. Prosecutors charged segment director Jon Landis, the helicopter pilot, the special effects coordinator and two other crew members with involuntary manslaughter. It may have been the first time a movie director faced criminal charges for occurrences on the set.
Five years after the fatal day, a jury acquitted all the defendants. But the episode led to revised laws regulating child labor, nighttime production and the use of special effects on movie sets.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist