turner%rand-unix@sri-unix.UUCP (07/05/83)
Greg's contention that the first two episodes of the new Twilight Zone movie were most like the show is interesting. I haven't seen the movie yet, but here in Los Angeles a local TV station showed a TZ marathon on the 4th, and they featured three original TZ episodes which were remade in the movie. These three were the kick-the-can episode, "The Cornfield" (i.e., the little boy who turned people into cartoons), and the airplane episode. I'd guess that the Vic Morrow episode was never a TZ episode, though I don't know that for sure. So the last two episodes in the movie were actually TZ remakes, which makes Greg's claim a little strange. Incidentally, the short story that "The Cornfield" was based on is very good. Anyone remember the title/author? -- Scott --
Rochlis%MIT-MULTICS@sri-unix.UUCP (07/09/83)
From: Jon A. Rochlis <Rochlis @ MIT-MULTICS>
Date: Tuesday, 5 Jul 1983 08:23-PDT
Subject: Twilight Zone the Movie (Semi-Spoiler)
Incidentally, the short story that "The Cornfield" was based on
is very good. Anyone remember the title/author?
-- Scott --
It was based on "It's a @i(Good) Life" by Jerome Bixby. You can find it
in the original Science Fiction Hall of Fame (vol 1). I haven't read it
in years (though I almost did after I saw the Twilight Zone move, but
got sidetracked) ... as I recall it is quite good. (Almost all of that
volume of SF Hall of Fame is very good).
-- Jon asente@decwrl.UUCP (Paul Asente) (07/11/83)
I believe the Twilight Zone episode was based on the short story "It's a Good Life," but I don't remember who wrote it. By the way, do you remember who played the little boy in the original TZ episode? -paul
ables@ut-ngp.UUCP (07/11/83)
Two of the episodes of the movie are direct remakes of existing TV episodes with slightly altered endings. The other two movie episodes are loosly based on old TV episodes. The one with the powerful boy is a new version of one with Billy Mumy playing a boy that kept a whole town in fear of his powers (did you notice Billy Mumy in the cafe in the movie??). The first piece of the movie I think comes from an episode where an American soldier wants to go into a cave and kill all the helpless wounded Japanese soldiers he knows are there, while some of his soldiers say: Can't we just leave 'em, they're not going to hurt us. Then things reverse and he's in a group of Japanese soldiers that want to go in and kill American soldiers in a cave and he says: Can't we just leave 'em, they're not going to hurt us? The one in the movie suffers a little from not having really been finished, but all things considered, not bad. I suggest you consult the Twilight Zone Companion for authors and actors in the old episodes, it's an excellent book. If you don't have/can't get a copy, I'll be glad to respond through mail to anyone wanting info on an episode. -king UUCP:...nbires!ut-ngp!ables ARPA:ables@utexas-11
trb@cbscd5.UUCP (07/12/83)
The "Cornfield" segment in TZ is from the 1953 short story "It's a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby. Mr. Bixby also wrote a number of the Star Trek series scripts. A copy of this story can be found in "The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol. 1".
franka@tekcad.UUCP (07/14/83)
#R:decwrl:-257800:tekcad:700006:000:152 tekcad!franka Jul 13 08:55:00 1983 The little boy who played the original "Anthony" on The Twilight Zone episode was Billy Mumy (who later went on to "Lost in Space"). Frank Adrian
alle@ihuxb.UUCP (07/15/83)
The short story that "The Cornfield" is based on is called "It's a Good Life" (not to be confused with the movie of the same name) by Jerome Bixby. Allen England
bmcjmp@burdvax.UUCP (07/19/83)
As a matter of fact, Billy Mumy was in that particular segment of the movie. He played the young man in the bar who didn't get mad at Anthony. Ironic sympathy, probably.