Tower of Terror: Difference between revisions

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[[File:tower-of-terror_2889.jpg|frame]]
[[File:tower-of-terror_2889.jpg|frame]]
Before ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'', this [[Made for TV Movie]] was the first film to be based on a ride from the [[Disney Theme Parks]], in this case ''[[The Twilight Zone]] Tower Of Terror''.
Before ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'', this 1997 [[Made for TV Movie]] was the first film to be based on a ride from the [[Disney Theme Parks]], in this case ''[[The Twilight Zone]] Tower Of Terror''.


Steve Guttenberg plays the role of a disgraced reporter named Buzzy Crocker who is stuck doing tabloid stories after submitting a story that turned out to be false. He meets an old woman named Abigail who tells him the story of The Hollywood Tower Hotel, which was closed down after lightning struck the elevator and killed its five passengers. She claims that Emeline Partridge, the nanny of child actress Sally Shine, was responsible for the horrible event, which put a curse on the hotel, trapping their spirits there. She begs him to go into the hotel and collect some items she needs to break the curse. Along with his niece Anna, and the inheritor of the hotel, Chris "Q" Todd, Buzzy ventures into the hotel, and is surprised at what he finds.
Steve Guttenberg plays the role of a disgraced reporter named Buzzy Crocker who is stuck doing tabloid stories after submitting a story that turned out to be false. He meets an old woman named Abigail who tells him the story of The Hollywood Tower Hotel, which was closed down after lightning struck the elevator and killed its five passengers. She claims that Emeline Partridge, the nanny of child actress Sally Shine, was responsible for the horrible event, which put a curse on the hotel, trapping their spirits there. She begs him to go into the hotel and collect some items she needs to break the curse. Along with his niece Anna, and the inheritor of the hotel, Chris "Q" Todd, Buzzy ventures into the hotel, and is surprised at what he finds.


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{{tropelist}}
== This film contains examples of: ==

* [[Actor Allusion]]: Of a sort. Sally Shine, obvious parody of Shirley Temple, is played by Lindsay Ridgeway. This isn't the only time Lindsay played a Shirley Temple [[Expy]] - in fact, the same year this movie was made she was the singing voice for Darla Dimple (in which Shirley Temple meets [[Enfant Terrible]]) in ''[[Cats Don't Dance]]''.
* [[Actor Allusion]]: Of a sort. Sally Shine, obvious parody of Shirley Temple, is played by Lindsay Ridgeway. This isn't the only time Lindsay played a Shirley Temple [[Expy]] - in fact, the same year this movie was made she was the singing voice for Darla Dimple (in which Shirley Temple meets [[Enfant Terrible]]) in ''[[Cats Don't Dance]]''.
* [[California Doubling]]: Weird, albeit justified, example. Most of the scenes involving the hotel were filmed at the actual attraction in Disney World, which was the only version of the ride in existence at the time. Thus, although the movie is set and mostly filmed in [[Los Angeles]], it switches to Florida whenever anyone gets close to the tower. Fortunately, Florida and southern California have a similar climate and the area around the attraction was made up to look like Hollywood anyway. The Florida scenes were filmed first, in case you were wondering.
* [[The Cassandra]]: No one believed Abigail about what happened {{spoiler|which is good, because she was lying}}.
* [[The Cassandra]]: No one believed Abigail about what happened {{spoiler|which is good, because she was lying}}.
* [[Children Are Innocent]]: Sally repeatedly show's this quality time and time again. By the end of the movie it becomes something of a plot point, and in the end {{spoiler|breaks the curse.}}
* [[Children Are Innocent]]: Sally repeatedly shows this quality time and time again. By the end of the movie it becomes something of a plot point, and in the end {{spoiler|breaks the curse.}}
* [[Dead All Along]]: {{spoiler|Claire Poulet}}
* [[Dead All Along]]: {{spoiler|Claire Poulet}}
* [[Defanged Horrors]]: Though don't think for a second there isn't any [[Nightmare Fuel]].
* [[Defanged Horrors]]: Though don't think for a second there isn't any [[Nightmare Fuel]].
* [[Divorced Installment]]: The theme park ride is based on ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'', complete with the [[Fake Shemp]] being used to feature the late [[Rod Serling]] hosting the pre-show introduction. The movie drops the ''Twilight Zone'' connection, probably to avoid paying royalties. (The version of the ride at Tokyo Disneyland also drops the connection to ''The Twilight Zone'', though partly because the TV show isn't well-known in Japan, and partly because of the fact that the Japanese had different beliefs and customs in regards to the occult and the supernatural.)
* [[Divorced Installment]]: The theme park ride is based on ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'', complete with the [[Fake Shemp]] being used to feature the late [[Rod Serling]] hosting the pre-show introduction. The movie drops the ''Twilight Zone'' connection, probably to avoid paying royalties. (The version of the ride at Tokyo Disneyland also drops the connection to ''The Twilight Zone'', though partly because the TV show isn't well-known in Japan, and partly because of the fact that the Japanese had different beliefs and customs in regards to the occult and the supernatural.)
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* [[Everyone Is Related]]: When it is revealed that {{spoiler|Abigail is actually Sally's sister}}.
* [[Everyone Is Related]]: When it is revealed that {{spoiler|Abigail is actually Sally's sister}}.
* [[Evil Laugh]]: Emeline gives one in Abigail's {{spoiler|inaccurate}} flashback.
* [[Evil Laugh]]: Emeline gives one in Abigail's {{spoiler|inaccurate}} flashback.
** Littered all over the hotel when Buzzy is getting the book. {{spoiler|when the creepy owl laughs, before Buzzy nearly gets stabbed with a pen dropped from the ceiling, when he's looking around after that...}}
** Littered all over the hotel when Buzzy is getting the book. {{spoiler|when the creepy owl laughs, before Buzzy nearly gets stabbed with a pen dropped from the ceiling, when he's looking around after that...}}
* {{spoiler|[[Forgotten Birthday]]: Played straight, aside from the birthday girl having the biggest overreaction ''ever'' in the history of this trope. She finds out sixty years later that a surprise party had been planned. Oops.}}
* {{spoiler|[[Forgotten Birthday]]: Played straight, aside from the birthday girl having the biggest overreaction ''ever'' in the history of this trope. She finds out sixty years later that a surprise party had been planned. Oops.}}
* [["Friend or Idol?" Decision]]: {{spoiler|Buzzy has to decide between helping the ghosts and getting his career back. He gets both}}.
* [["Friend or Idol?" Decision]]: {{spoiler|Buzzy has to decide between helping the ghosts and getting his career back. He gets both}}.
* {{spoiler|[[The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry]]: Abigail's whole motivation.}}
* {{spoiler|[[The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry]]: Abigail's whole motivation.}}
* [[Glowing Eyes of Doom]]
* [[Glowing Eyes of Doom]]
* [[Golden Age of Hollywood]]: When the accident took place.
* [[Golden Age of Hollywood]]: When the accident took place.
* [[Happily Ever After]]: Hey, even at it's scariest, Disney is Disney.
* [[Happily Ever After]]: Hey, even at its scariest, Disney is Disney.
* {{spoiler|[[Heel Face Turn]]}}
* {{spoiler|[[Heel Face Turn]]}}
* [[Hell Hotel]]: [[Captain Obvious|Duh]].
* [[Hell Hotel]]: [[Captain Obvious|Duh]].
* [[Ironic Nursery Tune]]
* [[Ironic Nursery Tune]]
* [[Jacob Marley Apparel]]: Subverted in that Claire was able to appear in different 1930s outfits {{spoiler|when she was pretending to be a present-day actress}}. Otherwise played straight.
* [[Jacob Marley Apparel]]: Subverted in that Claire was able to appear in different 1930s outfits {{spoiler|when she was pretending to be a present-day actress}}. Otherwise played straight.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Buzzy and Gilbert.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Buzzy and Gilbert.
* [[Like a Son to Me]]: {{spoiler|[[Gender Flip|Genderflipped]] with Sally and Emmiline. After being accused of being the one who wanted to kill Sally, Emmiline is horrified at the mere ''notion,'' and says that she loves Sally. "I couldn't love her more if she were me ''own'' daughter!"}}
* [[Like a Son to Me]]: {{spoiler|[[Gender Flip]]ped with Sally and Emmiline. After being accused of being the one who wanted to kill Sally, Emmiline is horrified at the mere ''notion,'' and says that she loves Sally. "I couldn't love her more if she were me ''own'' daughter!"}}
* [[Lightning Can Do Anything]]: Though it is magic lightning, so...
* [[Lightning Can Do Anything]]: Though it is magic lightning, so...
* [[Motive Rant]]: {{spoiler|Abigail}} gives one at the end, about {{spoiler|how everyone loved her sister but didn't care about her, and how her perceived [[Forgotten Birthday]] was the last straw. Her rant gets derailed when the ghost of her sister, the person who loved her the most, shows up in person.}}
* [[Motive Rant]]: {{spoiler|Abigail}} gives one at the end, about {{spoiler|how everyone loved her sister but didn't care about her, and how her perceived [[Forgotten Birthday]] was the last straw. Her rant gets derailed when the ghost of her sister, the person who loved her the most, shows up in person.}}
* [[Next Sunday AD]]: The movie was released in 1997, but took place in 1999. Either that or the characters are rounding up when they refer to 1939 as "sixty years ago".
* [[Next Sunday A.D.]]: The movie was released in 1997, but took place in 1999. Either that or the characters are rounding up when they refer to 1939 as "sixty years ago".
* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]: Sally Shine is quite obviously [[Shirley Temple]].
* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]: Sally Shine is quite obviously [[Shirley Temple]].
* [[Non Sequitur Thud]]
* [[Non Sequitur Thud]]
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* [[Recursive Adaptation]]: This is the best ever [[Overly Narrow Superlative|TV movie based on a theme park ride based on a TV show]].
* [[Recursive Adaptation]]: This is the best ever [[Overly Narrow Superlative|TV movie based on a theme park ride based on a TV show]].
* [[Room Full of Crazy|Trunk Full Of Crazy]]: {{spoiler|Abigail has a trunk filled with photos of Sally with her face slashed out, decapitated/mangled Sally dolls, and "I HATE SALLY" written all over the place in red.}}
* [[Room Full of Crazy|Trunk Full Of Crazy]]: {{spoiler|Abigail has a trunk filled with photos of Sally with her face slashed out, decapitated/mangled Sally dolls, and "I HATE SALLY" written all over the place in red.}}
* [[Shirley Template]]: Sally Shine is a Temple-esque 1930s child actress.
* [[The Unfavorite]]: {{spoiler|Abigail to Sally, or so she thought}}.
* [[Unfinished Business]]: The ghosts can't leave until {{spoiler|they reach the party on the top floor}}.
* [[The Unfavorite]]: {{spoiler|Abigail to Sally, or so she thought}}.
* [[Unfinished Business]]: The ghosts can't leave until {{spoiler|they reach the party on the top floor}}.


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]
[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]
[[Category:Tower of Terror]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Film]]

Latest revision as of 08:15, 4 February 2022

Before Pirates of the Caribbean, this 1997 Made for TV Movie was the first film to be based on a ride from the Disney Theme Parks, in this case The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror.

Steve Guttenberg plays the role of a disgraced reporter named Buzzy Crocker who is stuck doing tabloid stories after submitting a story that turned out to be false. He meets an old woman named Abigail who tells him the story of The Hollywood Tower Hotel, which was closed down after lightning struck the elevator and killed its five passengers. She claims that Emeline Partridge, the nanny of child actress Sally Shine, was responsible for the horrible event, which put a curse on the hotel, trapping their spirits there. She begs him to go into the hotel and collect some items she needs to break the curse. Along with his niece Anna, and the inheritor of the hotel, Chris "Q" Todd, Buzzy ventures into the hotel, and is surprised at what he finds.

Tropes used in Tower of Terror include:
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