1. Twilight Zone: The Movie
I have never been able to look at John Landis or one of his movies without thinking of The Twilight Zone tragedy, it is that unnerving. Whilst filming a scene for the film in which Vic Morrow's character is trying to save two Vietnamese children, the mixture of a dangerously low flying helicopter, pyrotechnics going crazy and the criminal misdirection of John Landis conspired to create a dire tragedy. The helicopter spiralled out of control and landed upon Morrow and the children leaving them decapitated and crushed. For a start, Landis was filming late at night and illegally using the child actors - going against Child Labour law regulations. It was the first time in Hollywood that a director was put on charges of deaths on a movie set. Morrow's family settled within a year, but the trials for the children's deaths were protracted and bitter and didn't end until 1987 when Landis & Co. were acquitted (although they made a lot of money in civil trials). In my view, Landis got off very lightly indeed. He was knowingly breaking labour laws and in his capacity as director, he set up a very high risk environment that was doomed to end in tragedy. And he got away with it. He himself has said that he regrets what happens every day and he thinks that it has had a negative effect on his career. As a director, he totally failed everyone on the set and he has blood on his hands.