THE TWILIGHT ZONE: THEMOVIE ( 1983)

The grisly deaths of two child actors and one adult on the set of The Twilight Zone has become its legacy. The sci- fi horror anthology film, directed by John Landis, became notorious for its fatal stunt helicopter crash. On July 23, 1982, at approximately 2.30am, actor Vic Morrow, and child actors Myca Dinh Le, 7, and Renee Shin- Yi Chen, 6, died in the brutal helicopter accident. Morrow’ s character had travel led back in time and found himself in a deserted Vietnamese village, where he met two Vietnamese kids, and a US Army helicopter starts to shoot at them. In the scene, they try to escape. But, unbeknownto a ground technician, the helicopter pilot was struggling to navigate through the fireballs created by the pyrotechnic effects.

The low- flying helicopter spun out of control and its top rotor blades decapitated Morrow and Le, while one of the struts crushed Chen to death. All three died on the scene.

Both Le and Chen had been hired unlawfully, in opposition ofa California rule that prohibits child actors from working at night, or near explosions, and which requires a socialworker or teacher to be present.

While Landis admitted that they mishandled that aspect of the shoot, he did not take responsibility for the accident itself.

Steven Spielberg, producer and co- director, was disgusted by theway Landis handled the situation, and severed their friendship. He also wanted an end of the ‘ New Hollywood’ era, where film directors were the key authority on a film.

Spielberg said: “Nomovie is worth dying for. I think people are standing up much more now, than ever before, to producers and directors whoa sk too much. If something isn’t safe, it’s the right and responsibility of every actor or crew member to yell,‘ Cut!’”