In a film that’s sullied by real-life tragedies, Twilight Zone: The Movie is a genuinely entertaining horror-science fiction anthology that honors the striking themes of Rod Serling’s original The Twilight Zone series. Produced by John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and Steven Spielberg, the film also called upon Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) and George Miller (Mad Max) to fill up the other two directors’ chairs. The script contained only one original story written by Landis, called “Time Out,” while the others were remakes of the Twilight Zone episodes, “It’s a Good Life” and “Kick the Can.” Closing out the film is “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” a tense tale about a hysterical passenger who is convinced he sees a gremlin on the wing of the plane. Cast as the segment’s lead role, John Valentine, was relative newcomer John Lithgow, whose rendition of the character is the epitome of a nervous wreck.
John Lithgow Lets Go of Reality To Capture Pure Hysteria
The segment begins with Valentine cowering on the floor of the plane’s lavatory during a turbulent flight, trembling and struggling to swallow pills. Viewers get an immediate sense of his anxieties through his grimacing and stuttering speech. His interactions with the flight attendants and fellow passengers are terse as he mops at his endless forehead sweat. At this point, we haven’t even seen the creature on the wing. He’s just that deathly afraid of flying. Once he peers out the window, things escalate and his top-notch demonstration of panic and fear morphs into hyperventilating and unhinged screaming. The tension of the segment is inescapable as Valentine desperately tries to find composure. He tries to sleep, but his mind is a clenched fist that won’t let go, and he becomes totally inconsolable as his madness skyrockets.
Though the runtime was short, Lithgow’s paranoid performance commanded it and fully sold the terror and claustrophobia of the stormy scene. George Miller’s direction certainly helped extract the delirious mania from Lithgow. The intense score evokes palpitations right off the bat as lightning flashes and crashes around the entire set, making this the most jarring segment of the film.
Lithgow would continue to flex his affinity for extreme emotions in Brian De Palma’s psychological thriller Raising Cain nine years later. He landed the role of Dick Solomon in the American sitcom, 3rd Rock From the Sun, soon after. Dexter fans know him as the Trinity Killer, one of the series’ most ruthless and clever antagonists. His stern visage and controlled outrage made him an ideal candidate for all sorts of villains, even animated ones (looking at you, Shrek.) The actor was immediately aware of the impact Twilight Zone: The Movie had on his career, remarking in a 1992 interview, “I wish I had a nickel for every bad joke that a flight attendant has made about me flying on an airplane.”
The Nightmarish Segment Lives Up to the Original ‘Twilight Zone’ Episode
Lithgow followed in the footsteps of William Shatner, who originally starred in the 1963 episode. In the original, the protagonist is named Robert Wilson, and he is returning home from a rehab stay after a mental breakdown. Shatner’s portrayal was stoic and unraveled steadily as the dread pressurized. His performance was a simmering struggle that boiled over in a spectacular crescendo.
Comparatively, the entire John Valentine experience is a major uptick in energy. Contrary to his outright, unpredictable demeanor, the script wants you to know that he does have a good head on his shoulders. A flight attendant comments on the textbook he carries, “MicroChip Logic: The Liberation of the Left Brain,” that he himself wrote. This signals him as a logical academic, despite how irrationally he behaves. This small detail makes it even more exciting to watch this character grapple with his anxiety and the two extremes of his brain. The titular gremlin got a makeover too, appearing more alienoid and slimy than its furry predecessor.
“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” was written by author Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) and would go on to be one of The Twilight Zone’s most iconic episodes. After all, anything parodied by The Simpsons is forever cemented as pop culture gold, right? Retelling any tale from The Twilight Zone is intimidating, but Lithgow’s brazen acting amplified and reinvigorated the source material, impressing both his peers and audience members.
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