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Thursday, March 21, 2019

AIRPORT '77 (1977)

When did movie sequels stop being Hollywood Second-Class Citizens? Hard to pinpoint an exact year* (STAR WARS/’77, conceived as a Trilogy, doesn’t count; JAMES BOND an anomaly), but surely sometime after this AIRPORT stinker. Produced by Universal schlockmeister Jennings Lang/megged by tv hack Jerry Jameson, it’s loaded with amusingly cheesy effects courtesy of Albert Whitlock, grainy process shots (typical of Universal labs at the time) and a ludicrous story about a hijacked plane loaded with old masterpieces & old movie stars. They’re all flying down to open James Stewart’s new museum in Florida.* (Apparently, he’s planning on unpacking & hanging the Rembrandts & Renoirs during cocktail hour.) But the hijackers (tv rather than film personalities) screw up and the model plane bounces down and sinks in The Bermuda Triangle. Suddenly, it’s AIRPORT meets THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE as Captain Jack Lemmon (hiding behind a mustache, but we know it’s you, Jack!) floats to the surface to save the day . . . if not the priceless masterpieces. A long list of semi, and semi-retired, stars booked seats (Darren McGavin & Olivia de Havilland manage to keep their self-respect), but only baddie Monte Markham gets to wear a really big bow tie! Lang got one more of these sequels ‘green lit,’ THE CONCORDE . . . AIRPORT ‘79, before switching vehicles for ROLLERCOASTER/’77; the latter with 'SensuRRound Sound' theater shaking woofers. Yikes!

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *Stewart must have had a look at his toupee in THE SHOOTIST/’76. This year’s model much improved.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *Note that Steven Spielberg passed on directing JAWS 2 a year after this, but not on the JURASSIC PARK sequel, THE LOST WORLD/’97. Prestige tipping point for the Hollywood sequel?

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