Twister film: Encyclopedia - Twister film

Twister (film)

Twister is a 1996 disaster movie starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as storm chasers researching tornadoes. It was directed by Jan de Bont. The film was based upon a script by Michael Crichton and his wife, former actress Anne-Marie Martin.

Twister currently ranks 37th in all time box office gross with USD 241,708,908. Twister also has a famous scene of a flying cow, a scene that was the subject of many parodies. The film also became the theme of a ride at Universal Orlando Resort called Twister...Ride it Out.

According to IMDb, Twister was the first movie commercially released on DVD.

In the movie, a team of "storm chasers" try to perfect their new instrument, while competing with another team.

Twister film - Plot

The story revolves around two married storm chasers, Dr. Jo Thornton-Harding (Helen Hunt), and her soon to be ex-husband Bill Harding (Bill Paxton). As the film begins, Bill has gone into the fields of Oklahoma to find Jo and her team of storm chasers. Bill is a former weather researcher and storm chaser who has taken a job as a weather reporter and is about to marry his new girlfriend, Dr. Melissa Reeves (Jami Gertz), a psychologist. Bill is seeking Jo’s signature for the final divorce papers.

When they meet, Bill discovers that Jo has built DOROTHY, a device that Bill invented. DOROTHY is designed to release hundreds of sensors into the center of a tornado. He also meets up with Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes), a smug fellow meteorologist and storm chaser. Miller is a savvy fund raiser but has little instinct for field work and has questionable professional scruples. When Bill discovers that Miller has “invented” a device almost identical to DOROTHY, Bill is enraged and vows to deploy DOROTHY before Miller can claim credit for his idea.

He joins Jo and her eccentric team of storm chasers which includes Dustin Davis (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Robert 'Rabbit' Nurick (Alan Ruck). Jo's team enjoys the thrill of the chase but to Jo, it's personal. Her father had been killed by a tornado when she was a child. If successful, DOROTHY will help increase warning times and save lives.

Tensions rise between Jo and Bill as they have several close calls with dangerous tornadoes as they try to implement the new device. Through these ordeals, it becomes obvious to everyone but them that they still have strong feelings for one another. Melissa also sees it and leaves Bill.

While stopped for the night, a powerful tornado rips through the town of Wakita, Oklahoma and nearly kills Jo's aunt Meg (Lois Smith). Jonas Miller bumbles into the path of a tornado and is killed.

Jo and Bill decide that they will have to come dangerously close to the tornado in order to successfully release the sensors. They also modify the sensors with an idea inspired by Meg's windmill sculptures. They successfully release the sensors into the tornado.

Twister film - Ride

Twister... Ride It Out is a ride located at Universal Orlando Resort. It is based on the 1996 blockbuster film staring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. The ride takes you to a small mock up of the Oklahoma town of Wakita with prop signs and vehicles around you. There are several video monitors above showing actual home videos of tornados shot by common every day people. Signs are laid out all over the place informing people about the different levels tornados on the Fujita Scale.

As you enter the "Introduction" part of the show, you are show clips from the film, then Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt welcome you to Twister and talk about their experiences they had while filming the movie. Helen Hunt then say "join us on the stage and see for yourself... just how powerful... a Twister can be."

Then you are taken into the "Preshow" area which is a fairly accurate recreation of the inside of Aunt Meg's tornado damaged home. There are monitors above, showing the actual damage Twister's can cause and did cause while they were filming Twister.

The cable goes out and it begins to storm as you are taken into a recreated Drive-In which was used in one of Twister's most frightening scenes. Everything seems calm, crickets chirping, dogs in the distance barking, rain drops falling it seems almost calm but then BOOM! A bolt of lightning spits a tree in front of you. A weird howling freight train sound emerges as the tornado destroys the movie screen in the distance. Then it appears right in front of you and all you can do is watch as signs blow away, cars smashing into fire hydrants and gas pumps; and sends a poor cow flying right past you. Eventually it starts to die as the gas station catches on fire sending up a huge ball of fire as the stage drops giving the guests a final scare to remember the Twister's fury.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Twister film", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki