[David Wright]

Originally Posted by Cindylover

No one has ever made a film worth getting killed for.

Indeed. When movie critic dullards like Mark Kermode and Roger Ebert continue their campaigns against the digital and CGI revolution, one of the things they are really saying is that actors and stuntmen should continue to be placed in needless danger because computer generated imagery looks "fake" and isn't realistic.

CGI has made making movies much, much safer. Long may it continue.

Originally Posted by sheila blige

Still questionable as to whether Spielberg was there. People working on set say he was but when investigators arrived he wasn't. I think his people have always denied he was there when the incident happened. I don't think he was ever implicated in any charges. Was he?

Was this film released in the same year as ET?

Nobody ever got to the bottom of whether he was there or not, but as Executive Producer he must have known/talked through how Landis intended to do that stunt. The producers were also responsible for the working conditions and hours of the children. This incident happened in the middle of the night. The children shouldn't even have been on set, nevermind being placed in such danger.

Ultimately Spielberg wasn't as responsible as Landis, but he did have questions to answer and its about the only time I can ever remember his halo slipping a bit.

ET came out in the summer of 1982, so all of this was going while ET was in cinema's. Thankfully for him it didn't seem to harm buisness at all - But then again ET is a bloody good film.

[bryemycaz]

Jennifer Jason Leigh (Morrows daughter) and her sister sued Landis,Spielberg and Warner Brothers. The settled out of court for undisclosed ammount.

[sheila blige]

Originally Posted by David Wright

Nobody ever got to the bottom of whether he was there or not, but as Executive Producer he must have known/talked through how Landis intended to do that stunt. The producers were also responsible for the working conditions and hours of the children. This incident happened in the middle of the night. The children shouldn't even have been on set, nevermind being placed in such danger.

Ultimately Spielberg wasn't as responsible as Landis, but he did have questions to answer and its about the only time I can ever remember his halo slipping a bit.

ET came out in the summer of 1982, so all of this was going while ET was in cinema's. Thankfully for him it didn't seem to harm buisness at all - But then again ET is a bloody good film.

This is still really hot topic on the IMDb site. I've only regained interest in it after the initial post ... Vic Morrow was one of my favourite actors ever since I saw him in The Blackboard Jungle. On Vic's board too the subect is spoken about. Apparently, at one stage, the bloody pilot blamed the actor for the deaths!!!!!

[David Wright]

I'd like to see how the actors were blame given they were just doing what the Director was telling them to do. Put it this way, if the actors are to blame, then the Director is to blame even more so.

The thing thats always got me about this incident is the apparent lack of remorse or apology from Landis, Speilberg or anybody in authority. I mean, I can understand why at the time they would have been reluctant to say publically how sorry they were, because that could be seen as an admission of guilt, but all of these years on still none of them ever speak about it.

Even if their decisions were not to blame for what happened, three people, two of them children, DIED working on their movie. If you were a decent human being wouldn't you offer your regrets and sorrow on purely just a human level, for what happened?

The only thing I can equate it to is the remorse and sorrow that Sir Frank Williams continues to express to this day about Ayrton Senna's death in his Williams racing car. Williams and his team were never implicated in any way as being reponsible for Senna's death, yet the fact Senna was driving a Williams car means that Frank Williams will still offer his sadness and regret for what happened if he's questioned about it. Why have Landis, Spielberg and all the others involved with this film never done that?

[sheila blige]

Originally Posted by David Wright

I'd like to see how the actors were blame given they were just doing what the Director was telling them to do. Put it this way, if the actors are to blame, then the Director is to blame even more so.

The thing thats always got me about this incident is the apparent lack of remorse or apology from Landis, Speilberg or anybody in authority. I mean, I can understand why at the time they would have been reluctant to say publically how sorry they were, because that could be seen as an admission of guilt, but all of these years on still none of them ever speak about it.

Apparently (reportedly) he says that Morrow was asked to look up every few seconds to keep sight of the helicopter!!!! What the hell? The guy was wading through water with a child under each arm. I doubt there would have been much he could have done anyway.

I agree on the lack of apology from Landis ... and I feel ashamed that I actually like a lot of his films.

[pillowtalk87]

Originally Posted by David Wright

I'd like to see how the actors were blame given they were just doing what the Director was telling them to do. Put it this way, if the actors are to blame, then the Director is to blame even more so.

The thing thats always got me about this incident is the apparent lack of remorse or apology from Landis, Speilberg or anybody in authority. I mean, I can understand why at the time they would have been reluctant to say publically how sorry they were, because that could be seen as an admission of guilt, but all of these years on still none of them ever speak about it.

Even if their decisions were not to blame for what happened, three people, two of them children, DIED working on their movie. If you were a decent human being wouldn't you offer your regrets and sorrow on purely just a human level, for what happened?

The only thing I can equate it to is the remorse and sorrow that Sir Frank Williams continues to express to this day about Ayrton Senna's death in his Williams racing car. Williams and his team were never implicated in any way as being reponsible for Senna's death, yet the fact Senna was driving a Williams car means that Frank Williams will still offer his sadness and regret for what happened if he's questioned about it. Why have Landis, Spielberg and all the others involved with this film never done that?

They probably did but privately but I understand what you're saying. It's like as though it never happened but it's probably something they don't want to think about, but I think they should be reminded. The fact that 3 people lost their lives should amount to something, but Landis and Speilberg are never going to forget it (I hope not) and are living with that guilt.

[Lily Rose]

Originally Posted by AppleTango

There's a video of Morrow and the kids getting mashed on YouTube if you want to see it.

Disgusting.

Why do YouTube allow stuff like that on their site? I thought it was bad enough when some sicko posted footage of Tommy Cooper's death there.

[Picklebum]

Were the parents aware that their children were working more than they were legally allowed to ?

[David Wright]

Originally Posted by sheila blige

Apparently (reportedly) he says that Morrow was asked to look up every few seconds to keep sight of the helicopter!!!! What the hell? The guy was wading through water with a child under each arm. I doubt there would have been much he could have done anyway.

I agree on the lack of apology from Landis ... and I feel ashamed that I actually like a lot of his films.

The only differance looking up would have made is that Morrow would have seen the blade coming towards him and made his death even worse (as it was, at least he didn't know what was gonna happen until it hit him)

Don't feel ashamed. Its like I wrote in the Roman Polanski thread. When it comes to movies (and all art really) you have to seperate the people, who can be horrible, ghastly, disgusting people, from their work, which can often be brilliant.

Originally Posted by Picklebum

Were the parents aware that their children were working more than they were legally allowed to ?

These were Vietnamese kids and their families, so chances are they didn't even realise what sort of hours their kids should have been working.

Sadly, I suspect, had the kids and their families been white, well educated American kids Landis and co would have found it a lot harder to wriggle out of it.

[Keyser Soze]

I remember this at the time. As it was pre-internet, it became the stuff of endless re-tellings/versions over the years.

[peckinpah1976]

Originally Posted by David Wright

Indeed. When movie critic dullards like Mark Kermode and Roger Ebert continue their campaigns against the digital and CGI revolution, one of the things they are really saying is that actors and stuntmen should continue to be placed in needless danger because computer generated imagery looks "fake" and isn't realistic.

CGI has made making movies much, much safer. Long may it continue.

Sorry and all but that's complete bollocks - even without CGI that scene should never have been shot in the way it was, it could all have been achieved in a perfectly safe way using stunt doubles and editing - how the hell do you think things like the Bond movies were made before the advent of digitial effects? A sequence like the one in question should ordinarily have taken days to film but the producers/director cut corners to save money.

[Sweet FA]

OMG, I never knew this! Horrendous.

[Alvar Hanso]

its been a while since I read it, but am pretty sure that in the Andrew Yule, book Father to the Man, an unofficial biography of Steven Speilberg, that it indicates that Morrow had a premonition he was going to die and that it had involved a helicopter

[SillyBillyGoat]

Originally Posted by Moggio

Would look rubbish though.

I think it's worth the danger.

Three people died. I'd say life is more important than now good a film looks.

[BeethovensPiano]

Originally Posted by Moggio

Footage of the accident can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djVBzrucNLY

Is not gory.

Really???

What happened to them is as clear as day

[CRM]

Originally Posted by notfussy

Seriously... a film showing a double decapitation isn't gory? I very much doubt that.
Why on earth that kind of content continues to be hosted by Youtube I do not know.

Agreed. I can't watch something like that.

[Akane Tendo]

Originally Posted by BeethovensPiano

Really???

What happened to them is as clear as day

Can't see in ang great detail can you?

[xflare]

Originally Posted by Akane Tendo

Can't see in ang great detail can you?

Well, while im not going to study the video in great detail so for anyone who doesnt want to view it, the video consists of a wide view and a close up view of the actors. I'd heard about this accident and always assumed that the body of the helicopter crashed down on them, but in fact the rotor blades come right down on them.

You can clearly see whats happened to them in the closeup video frames at the 24 second mark. Also, around the 27-29 second mark, in the wide view you can see an object flying off towards the back of the helicopter - i'll leave it at that.

[Sweet FA]

Originally Posted by xflare

Well, while im not going to study the video in great detail so for anyone who doesnt want to view it, the video consists of a wide view and a close up view of the actors. I'd heard about this accident and always assumed that the body of the helicopter crashed down on them, but in fact the rotor blades come right down on them.

You can clearly see whats happened to them in the closeup video frames at the 24 second mark. Also, around the 27-29 second mark, in the wide view you can see an object flying off towards the back of the helicopter - i'll leave it at that.

Thanks. To each his/her own: no way will I be clicking on that link. Did the film still get made? If so, hope it bombed.

[soundstory]

Originally Posted by PrincessPerfect

I've heard about this guy called John Landis on DS, and apparently he's done some awful thing. Now excuse my ignorance, but could someone explain what he did wrong? I am 19 so perhaps it was before my time........

Eviesmum is correct


On July 23, 1982, during the filming of Twilight Zone, actor Vic Morrow and child extras Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen were killed in an accident involving an out-of-control helicopter. The National Transportation Safety Board reported in October 1984:


The probable cause of the accident was the detonation of debris-laden high temperature special effects explosions too near a low flying helicopter leading to foreign object damage to one rotor blade and delamination due to heat to the other rotor blade, the separation of the helicopter's tail rotor assembly, and the uncontrolled descent of the helicopter. The proximity of the helicopter to the special effects explosions was due to the failure to establish direct communications and coordination between the pilot, who was in command of the helicopter operation, and the film director, who was in charge of the filming operation.


Landis and several crew members were subsequently charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. The prosecutors attempted to show that Landis was reckless and had violated laws relating to child actors by not telling parents and others of the children's proximity to explosives and helicopters and of limitations on their working hours. Numerous members of the film crew testified that the director was warned, but ignored these dangers. After an extended jury trial, Landis, represented by criminal defense attorney Harland Braun, and other crew members were acquitted of the charges.

Landis was later reprimanded for circumventing the State of California's child labor laws in hiring the two children killed in the accident. This tragedy resulted in stricter safety measures and enforcement of child labor laws, in the State of California.

The parents of the children sued, and would later settle out of court with the studio for $2 million per family. Morrow's children, one of them being actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, who was 20 at the time, also settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Despite these settlements, Landis has never publicly accepted responsibility for the accident. During an interview with Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan, Landis said:

When you read about the accident, they say we were blowing up huts—which we weren't—and that debris hit the tail rotor of the helicopter—which it didn't. (...) The FBI Crime Lab, who was working for the prosecution, finally figured out that tail rotor delaminated, which is why the pilot lost control. The Special FX man who made the mistake, by setting off a fireball at the wrong time, was never charged.

[soundstory]

Originally Posted by Sweet FA

Thanks. To each his/her own: no way will I be clicking on that link. Did the film still get made? If so, hope it bombed.

The film did get made, it's pretty good, the Landis segment is just part of the movie there are other stories directed by other directors such as Joe Dante