2. John Landis
John Landis is a director, screenwriter, actor, and producer best known for his comedies, his horror flicks, and his music videos with Michael Jackson. He directed National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), Michael Jackson's music video Thriller, The Blues Brothers (1980), and An American Werewolf in London (1981). In 1982, Landis was directing a segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie when actor Vic Morrow and two children were killed in a helicopter crash on the set. 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 other crew members were acquitted in the lengthy criminal trial that followed. He went on to direct Trading Places (1983), Three Amigos (1986), Coming to America (1988) and many other hits. The director has never acknowledged culpability for the accident.