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Reviews
Airport (1970)
Afternoon filler
Based on the Arthur Hailey novel, this was the first of four films in the series of the airborne disaster. Generally the plot involves staff at Lincoln international airport coping with a heavy storm that has crippled the area. Intermitten with a love triangle, pregnancy and a mad bomber, you have all the ingredients of part soap part film. Although very dated when viewed these days, the heavyweight cast packs a punch together with a well written script. Helen Hayes, the stowaway won an Oscar for her role. Dean Martin suits his character of airline pilot taking his plane to safety after a mid air incident, and the delightful sexy Jacqueline Bisset is the perfect stewardess. Takes quite a period to get to the main action, but once there most viewers will be satisfied. The rest of the movie is filled with relationship dialogue mostly and bogs the picture down. Perfect nostalgia movie of the 70's and still fondly remembered, even categorised as perhaps cheesy. See also Airport 75, Airport 77 (AKA Airport 3, Airport 80: The Concorde.
Blackout Effect (1998)
Good time filler
I watched this one night when it appeared on TV and really enjoyed it. The storyline involves a air traffic controllers screen blanking out for three seconds causing two planes to crash. The authorities try to use the controller as their scapegoat and are prepared to let him take the rap. The crash investigator on the case notices some evidence is not what appears at first glance and decides to dig deeper uncovering some surprising results. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the viewer interested and the storyline raises it above par for a TV movie. The acting is very good and characters like team friends in the air traffic control room dominate a lot of the film. Ending up more like a whodunit/mystery than suspense but the finale is worth waiting for and you will be rooting for poor Henry, the air traffic controller.