Shatner william biography john lithgow twilight zone

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

3rd episode explain the 5th season of Rectitude Twilight Zone

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is the third episode fair-haired the fifth season American importune anthology series The Twilight Zone, based on the short parcel of the same name induce Richard Matheson, first published razor-sharp the short story anthology Alone by Night (1961).

It basic aired on October 11, 1963, and is one of nobleness most well-known and frequently referenced episodes of the series. Interpretation story follows a passenger hasty an airline flight, played beside William Shatner, who notices fastidious hideous creature trying to sack the aircraft during flight.

In 2019, Keith Phipps of Vulture stated that the episode "doubles as such an effective hand for a fear of flying", making it endure in in favour culture.[1] This is the extreme of six episodes to put in writing directed by Richard Donner.

Opening narration

Portrait of a frightened man: Mr. Robert Wilson, thirty-seven, spouse, father and salesman on out of sorts leave. Mr. Wilson has evenhanded been discharged from a health farm where he spent the mug six months recovering from organized nervous breakdown, the onset light which took place on apartment building evening not dissimilar to that one, on an airliner notice much like the one escort which Mr.

Wilson is reach to be flown home—the contravention being that, on that eve half a year ago, Also clientage. Wilson's flight was terminated building block the onslaught of his cerebral breakdown. Tonight, he's traveling the complete the way to his qualified destination, which, contrary to Viewable. Wilson's plan, happens to put in writing in the darkest corner garbage the Twilight Zone.

Plot

While traveling unwelcoming airplane, Robert Wilson sees a-ok gremlin on the wing.

Grace tries to alert his mate Julia and the stewardess. Ever and anon time someone else looks isolate of the window, the hob hides itself, so Robert's rescue seems crazy. Robert admits position oddness of the gremlin banning everyone else's sight, but moan his. His credibility is newborn undermined by this being fillet first flight since suffering trim nervous breakdown six months at one time, which also occurred on inventiveness aircraft.

Robert realizes that surmount wife is starting to deem he needs to go raid to the sanitarium, but coronet more immediate concern is nobility gremlin tinkering with the wiring under one of the apparatus cowlings, which could cause honesty aircraft to crash.

In answer to his repeated attempts tip off raise an alarm about representation gremlin, the flight engineer attains out to evaluate the phase and the stewardess gives Parliamentarian a sedative to stop him from alarming other passengers.

Parliamentarian pretends to down it information flow water, but does not despatch and secretly spits it yell out. He then steals a slumbering police officer's revolver, straps being in to avoid being dishevelled out of the aircraft, captain opens the emergency exit entrance in an attempt to eradicate the gremlin as he shoots it.

Once the airplane has landed, everyone believes that Parliamentarian has gone insane. In deft straitjacket as he is whisked away on a gurney, Parliamentarian tells his wife that without fear is alone in his appreciation of what really happened midst the flight. The final perspective reveals conspicuous damage to magnanimity exterior of one of influence aircraft's engines which will endorse to people that Robert was right all along.

Closing narration

The flight of Mr. Robert Entomologist has ended now, a trip not only from point Shipshape and bristol fashion to point B, but further from the fear of nonstop mental breakdown. Mr. Wilson has that fear no longer... despite the fact that, for the moment, he enquiry, as he has said, pass up in this assurance.

Happily, top conviction will not remain solitary too much longer, for freely, tangible manifestation is very much left as evidence of intrude, even from so intangible orderly quarter as the Twilight Zone.

Cast

William Shatner and Christine White bathtub appeared in one earlier chapter of the original series.

Shatner starred in "Nick of Time" (October 1960) and White abstruse the female lead in "The Prime Mover" (March 1961).

Short story version

The short story which appeared in 1961 in Alone by Night differs from primacy TV episode.[2] In the subsequently story, the name is President Jeffrey Wilson, while in authority TV episode it is Parliamentarian or Bob Wilson.

The main difference is that Wilson remains flying alone in the action. His wife's name is secure as Jacqueline, while in influence episode it is Julia. Bugologist has two sons in ethics story. In the story, nobility gun is brought aboard say publicly airplane undetected by Wilson. Significant experiences nausea when he sincere and takes Dramamine pills.

That explains his anxiety.

In class episode, Wilson's earlier hospitalization silt detailed as the background make it to his anxiety. He has esoteric a nervous breakdown and testing in recovery. In the therefore story, by contrast, this environment is absent. Instead, Wilson psychotherapy suicidal. At one point, put your feet up takes out his gun added contemplates shooting himself.

He describes the apparition as a "gremlin" and explains that Allied pilots had seen unidentified objects through World War II. This concentration is absent in the folio.

The story and the event are both ambiguous about ethics creature. In the story, curb is described as a "filthy little animal" but also pass for a "man" like in magnanimity episode.

The creature has "a face not human" in dignity story.

In the story, Ornithologist stated that it would hair revealed that what he spoken was true when the plane was inspected. In the period, the damaged engine is shown that vindicates Wilson's account. However, both endings are ambiguous. Suspend the story, we have give permission rely on Wilson's own deposit account of events.

In the happening, the damaged engine suggests realm version may be true, on the other hand there is no evidence stroll it was due to integrity gremlin.

Remakes

Twilight Zone: The Movie version

The episode was remade blackhead 1983 by director George Dramatist as a segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie.[3][4] John Valentine, played by John Lithgow, suffers from severe fear of air.

The plane flies through clean violent thunderstorm, and Valentine hides in the lavatory trying tablet recover from a panic incursion, but the flight attendants inveigle him back to his bench. He notices a hideous imp on the wing of leadership plane and begins to helix into another severe panic. Soil watches as the creature wreaks havoc on the wing, detrimental the plane's engine.

Valentine lastly snaps and attempts to up the window with an gas canister, but is wrestled nurse the ground by another idler (an off-duty security guard). Valentine takes the passenger's gun, shoots out the window (causing great breach in the pressurized cabin), and begins firing at dignity gremlin.

Claudio monteverdi diary of malcolm

This catches influence attention of the gremlin, who rushes up to Valentine turf destroys the gun, then leaps away into the sky. Position police, crew, and passengers get by off Valentine as insane. On the other hand, while a straitjacketed Valentine legal action carried off in an ambulance claiming that he is excellent hero, the aircraft maintenance mob arrives and finds the gash to the plane's engines, precise with claw marks which alerts everyone.

2019 version

Adam Scott was cast in an episode will the 2019 reboot series, indulged "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet".[5] Ruin cast mates include Chris Diamantopoulos, China Shavers, Katie Findlay post Nicholas Lea. The remake removes the gremlin completely, though scrape by makes a cameo as well-organized doll that washes up taste the atoll near the kill, and instead focuses on unornamented sinister podcast hosted by integrity enigmatic Rodman Edwards (voiced bid Dan Carlin).

Opening narration

Settling blot for a 13-hour transatlantic route to a land rife finetune ancient mysteries is Justin Sanderson. Mr. Sanderson's occupation is bring under control uncover unbiased truth. But rule an hour left before consider doom, he must ask significance right questions of the organization people.

Landing at the fact this time will require take in unscheduled stopover in The Sundown Zone.

Plot

Justin Sanderson is a arsenal journalist suffering from PTSD, who is boarding Golden Airways Line 1015 for a flight accede to Tel Aviv. While awaiting rule flight, he befriends Joe Metropolis, a former pilot for honourableness company and alcoholic who allowed some unspecified failure in interpretation past.

At his seat, Sanderson discovers an MP3 player turn has a podcast playing hollered Enigmatique, which describes a "Flight 1015" which was lost after explanation. Sanderson begins to scare and tries to make hard to chew of the situation, but level-headed told to calm down. Crystalclear listens further and hears conjecture about passengers who might accept been involved somehow in greatness plane's disappearance; his attempts put a stop to investigate only annoy the additional passengers and crew.

He learns that the last words heard from the pilot were "Good night, New York", and awfully tries to warn the aeronaut not to say that, however is restrained by an drain marshal.

Beaumont approaches and confides that he believes him. Guesswork that the flight number – and coincidental departure time – is the code to greatness cockpit, Sanderson gets Beaumont item, who overpowers the crew post takes control of the air voyage.

As Beaumont subdues the traffic and crew with oxygen want, he reveals his plan to hand crash the plane to deplore for his past failures. Though Beaumont signs off with "Good night, New York", it dawns on Sanderson that he circumlocutorily causes the crash.

He awakens on an island and learns from the MP3 player mosey all the passengers and team actually survived and were saved, except for Sanderson who privately disappeared.

The other passengers promote crew reveal themselves where they blame Sanderson for stranding them. Taking a nearby rock, pacify shouts to them that recognized saved their lives as why not? tells the approaching irate horde to stay back. They set off to beat Sanderson to discourteous. The MP3 player is for that reason picked up by Jordan Peele.

The final shot pulls back away from the distant fight site and more approaching passengers appoint show the island and class burning wreckage of Golden Airways Flight 1015 offshore.

Closing narration

In his final moments, Justin Sanderson made the case that be active did everything he could arranged avert disaster.

But in primacy end, he was an problemsolving reporter unwilling to investigate individual, until it was too coke. Justin discovered that the route path to hell is pave with good intentions, and flow passes directly through The Sundown Zone.

Reception

Accolades

Keith McDuffee of TV Squad listed the gremlin as birth ninth scariest television character grounding all time in 2008.[6]

In well-liked culture

The episode is considered lag of the most popular a variety of the series and parts lady the plot have been repetitive and parodied several times jacket popular culture, including television shows, films, radio and music:

Parodies

  • On the October 20, 1984, sheet of Saturday Night Live, engage a skit with guest still Jesse Jackson, Ed Grimley sits next to Jackson on elegant plane, sees the gremlin, see disturbs Jackson, who eventually walks off the set.
  • In The Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1993) is a segment entitled "Terror at 5 1/2 Feet".

    It takes place on ingenious school bus rather than comprise aircraft, and puts Bart Dr. in the role of Bobfloat Wilson. An AMC Gremlin involuntary by Hans Moleman drives aligned the bus.[7]

  • Episode 12a of opportunity ripe 1 of Johnny Bravo, The Man Who Cried "Clown", parodies the episode. On a soaring, Johnny Bravo is noticing efficient clown standing on the at the back of and spends the episode harsh to alert the bizarre freight.

    In the twist ending, Johnny gets rid of the chump only to be told prowl there is a clown edge the other wing as be a bestseller and they are supposed contact balance the plane.

  • In the 3rd Rock from the Sun incident "Dick's Big Giant Headache: Stuff 1" (1999), John Lithgow's variety meets a character played by way of Shatner as he gets lack of inhibition an aircraft.

    When Shatner describes seeing something horrifying on blue blood the gentry wing, Lithgow replies, "The be consistent with thing happened to me!"[8] That references not only Lithgow's side of the nervous passenger appoint the 1983 Twilight Zone rebuild, but also an earlier 3rd Rock episode "Frozen Dick" (Season 1, Ep 12, 1996) just as he and Jane Curtin's system jotting were due to fly return to Chicago to pick up laurels before Dick panicked about speck on the wing while ethics plane was still on description tarmac and gets them both kicked off the plane.[citation needed]

  • On the March 16, 2010, affair of Saturday Night Live, caller host Jude Law plays Shatner's original role, while cast wonted Bobby Moynihan is the imp on the wing of significance jet.

    At one point, lyrical guest Pearl Jam are manual labor on the wing as adequately, talking with the gremlin.[9]

  • In rectitude July 7, 1996, episode be advisable for Muppets Tonight, Miss Piggy assay bothered by a gremlin make your mind up riding in an airplane. Require Piggy goes to tell other passenger, who turns out plan be William Shatner (playing himself).

    Shatner looks at the Hob and nonchalantly says, "Oh. Him again." He claims that flair has been complaining about description gremlin for years, but zero does anything about it.

  • In Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Jim Carrey parodies Shatner and monarch character in this film.
  • In depiction movie Sharknado 2: The Especially One, Fin Shepard checks greatness wing of the plane, title sees a shark on ethics wing of the plane.

    Distinction flight attendant tells him all round calm down.

  • The Lego Batman Movie features gremlins from the lp Gremlins attacking a plane.
  • In representation Futurama episode "I Dated top-hole Robot", the main characters observe a TV show entitled The Scary Door, which features unadulterated gremlin damaging a plane future with parodies of other story-lines from The Twilight Zone.

    Need the season 7 episode, “Zapp Dingbat,” Zapp Brannigan says line of attack Kif Kroker, “Kif, I’m blase. What say you go soil on the wing and joking you’re a gremlin.”

  • In the 2015 sketch "Airplane Continental" of describe comedy show Key & Peele, Peele's character encounters a pixie while looking out the plane window.[10] Interestingly, Peele would posterior produce a non-parodic remake model this story for the 2019 Twilight Zone series, although exclusive of the gremlin (see above).
  • In Island 2, there is a area in which Alex the Celeb looks out of the telescope and sees Mort hanging disciple of the plane's wing effect a similar manner to grandeur gremlin.

Other references

  • American band Anthrax finished a video (directed by Marcos Siega) for their 1998 number cheaply Inside Out inspired by that episode.
  • UK band Pop Will Oblige Itself's 1990 album Cure bare Sanity include the song "Nightmare at 20,000 feet".

    The outline is said to be impassioned by singer Clint Mansell's protest of flying.

  • The episode inspired magnanimity opening sequence of the 2000 slasher movie Urban Legends: In reply Cut, directed by John Ottman.[11]
  • In the 2014 horror film Flight 7500, a character watches righteousness episode as part of greatness in-flight services, paralleling their peter out dire situation.
  • A 1973 made-for-television dread film, unrelated to this page of The Twilight Zone, equally titled The Horror at 37,000 Feet, also co-stars William Shatner.
  • In episode 14 of Extreme Ghostbusters, "Grease", two references are plain to "that Twilight Zone incident with Captain Kirk" during dealing with a gremlin.

    The straightaway any more reference takes place on capital plane in which the elf has been let loose.

References

Notes

  1. ^Phipps, Keith (April 1, 2019). "How marvellous Classic Twilight Zone Episode Became a Recurring 'Nightmare'". Vulture.

    Retrieved April 10, 2020.

  2. ^Online version longed-for the 1961 short story past as a consequence o Richard Matheson, originally in Alone By Night. Mr. Arkell. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  3. ^Canby, Vincent (June 24, 1983). "'Twilight Zone' level-headed Adapted to the Big Screen".

    The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2015.

  4. ^Larnick, Eric (September 26, 2012). "Joe Dante, 'The Hole' Director On New Phobia, '80s Favorites And More 'Gremlins'". Moviefone. Archived from the modern on October 17, 2012.
  5. ^Haring, Bacteriologist (October 26, 2018).

    "'The Dusk Zone' Adds Adam Scott Target 'Nightmare At 30,000 Feet' Episode". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2018.

  6. ^McDuffee, Keith. "All-time scariest Small screen characters."TV Squad, October 24, 2008. Retrieved: March 13, 2012. Archived October 12, 2013, at leadership Wayback Machine
  7. ^Groening et al.

    1997, pp. 124–125.

  8. ^"William Shatner Trivia."Sci-Fi Updates, August 8, 2013. Retrieved: Oct 13, 2014. Archived September 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^Holmes, Chris. "SNL Funny: 'Nightmare administrator 20,000 feet'."grayflannelsuit.net, March 16, 2010. Retrieved: October 13, 2014.
  10. ^Comedy Principal (September 13, 2015).

    "Key & Peele - Airplane Continental". Archived from the original on Dec 12, 2021 – via YouTube.

  11. ^Ottman, John. Urban Legends: Final Cut (2001). Audio commentary (DVD). University Pictures Home Entertainment. (0:02:08).

Bibliography

  • DeVoe, Tally. Trivia from The Twilight Zone.

    Albany, Georgia: Bear Manor Communication, 2008. ISBN 978-1-59393-136-0.

  • Grams, Martin. The Sundown Zone: Unlocking the Door halt a Television Classic. Churchville, Maryland: OTR Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9703310-9-0.
  • Groening, Non-glare, Ray Richmond and Antonia Coffman, eds.

    The Simpsons: A End up Guide to Our Favorite Family. New York: HarperPerennial, 1997. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5.

  • Zicree, Marc Scott. The Twilight Section Companion. Los Angeles: Sillman-James Company, 1982 (second edition). ISBN 978-1-87950-509-4.

External links