Airport, the movie

Bill Watson

Bill Watson

En-Route
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
2,704
Location
Durham NC
Display Name
Display name:
MauleDriver
Currently watching on Flix. It’s like a trip down memory lane back to adolescent dreams of airliners and airports and adult dynamics yet to be experienced.

This was the first of the disaster movie genre. Top drawer cast, high quality production, some award nominations and it stars a B707 and an airport. What could be more fun!

Came out at a time when my RC buddy and I used to sit under the approach lights at KPIT to watch the jets come in.

Lots of effort spent in getting the flying, ATC and airport operations depicted accurately.

Went way over budget but was a big hit at the time. Spawned a whole genre of disaster disasters and of course, Airplane, the movie.
feb9acc84dc2cb8dca27ed829a9b4245.jpeg




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
What's Flix? Never heard of it. A search of Netflix doesn't find Airport.
 
It was filmed at the Minneapolis St Paul airport and if I remember correctly there wasn't much snow during the shooting so they had to haul a lot of the snow in to the airport.
 
alfadog said:
Wikipedia

Flix is an American premium cable and satellite television network that is owned by the Showtime Networks, Inc. subsidiary of CBS Corporation. Its programming consists solely of theatrically released feature films released from the 1970s to the present day, interspersed with some films from the 1950s and 1960s
Click to expand...

Yes, and presented in low-def unfortunately. But I guess if you get Showtime, you get it.

Can be rented on Amazon.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
champ driver said:
It was filmed at the Minneapolis St Paul airport and if I remember correctly there wasn't much snow during the shooting so they had to haul a lot of the snow in to the airport.
Click to expand...

...and they certainly blew a lot of it across the front of the plane with a spotlight on it. Lot’s of snow...

It really was kind of cheesy but very entertaining. It spawned some real dogs; an ocean liner disaster, a high rise fire disaster, etc. Didn’t see any of them. But Airport I was all over.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
I probably haven't seen Airport since the early eighties when I was brand new to aviation. I should watch it again.
 
Always wanted to see a combined remake of Towering Inferno and Earthquake....:p
 
I read the book too; it was in our school library. That's what I don't get about the current airline business models of charging for baggage. Who goes to Europe without baggage?

Also saw Airport 75. The heroine stew in that one looked just like my best friend's older sister, who was a teacher in our jr high.

Always thought there should be been an Airport 76 with the a/c disabled after being hit by Bicentennial fireworks.

And people who think Airplane is funny without seeing the Airport movies don't know how much funnier it is if you have seen them.
 
Damn Sunday pilots holding up airliners with thousands of people aboard. Where do they get off!!

Reminds me, I still have to log yesterday's flight.
 
Bill Watson said:
This was the first of the disaster movie genre.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure Zero Hour pre-dates Airport.

Van Johnston said:
And people who think Airplane is funny without seeing the Airport movies don't know how much funnier it is if you have seen them.
Click to expand...

It's even funnier when you realize that Airplane follows the plot of Zero Hour almost exactly.

I really wish I could get Zero Hour on DVD.
 
Well, I just finished watching Airport 1970 and quite enjoyed it. Not as overdone with the subplots as some disaster movies and the airplane stuff was pretty spot-on. A few minor fumbles but nowhere near reaching my threshold.
 
I read somewhere that they actually bought the rights to Zero Hour before making the film. They felt it was necessary since it followed the script so closely.
 
Anymouse said:
I'm pretty sure Zero Hour pre-dates Airport.

It's even funnier when you realize that Airplane follows the plot of Zero Hour almost exactly.

I really wish I could get Zero Hour on DVD.
Click to expand...

Ha! After a bit of YouTube work I can recall having seen Zero Hour. Though I’m not a big Airplane movie fan, it really does seem to be a parody of Zero Hour.

And the Hailey connection is interesting; Airport is a kind of refinement of Zero Hour. I love watching a story idea or theme get worked through several movies (how many pre-war Casablanca-like films were made before perfecting the genre?).

After seeing Sterling Hayden do a bit of his shtick, I’m ready for some Dr Strangelove.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
I didn't know about the Hailey connection until I watched Deonb's YouTube video.

I've read two of his books, Airport and Hotel. Both were turned into movies. Hotel was actually a tv series for a short time. He has a way of describing all parts of the industry so the reader can get a pretty good idea of what happens on a daily basis.
 
Anymouse said:
I'm pretty sure Zero Hour pre-dates Airport.
Click to expand...
"The High and the Mighty" came out three years earlier than "Zero Hour." Stars Robert Stack from "Airplane," and John Wayne. Written by Earnest K. Gann. Directed by a former Lafayette Escadrille pilot. Movie won an Oscar, even.

Ron Wanttaja
 
wanttaja said:
"The High and the Mighty" came out three years earlier than "Zero Hour." Stars Robert Stack from "Airplane," and John Wayne. Written by Earnest K. Gann. Directed by a former Lafayette Escadrille pilot. Movie won an Oscar, even.

Ron Wanttaja
Click to expand...

And it is a great movie, too.
 
Just watched it last week. I've seen it a gazillion times, but I don't usually catch the very beginning (the plows clearing the parking lot and Dean Martin's visit to Gwen's apartment).

If you've not done so, read Arthur Hailey's book on which the movie is based. It's very interesting reading and while most of what is remains in the movie is pretty true to the book (moreso than most), they by necessity had to leave a lot out (and drop the names of some of the real airlines used). There's also an entire plotline about the stress that a particular air traffic controller is going through during the whole thing.
 
Anymouse said:
I'm pretty sure Zero Hour pre-dates Airport.



It's even funnier when you realize that Airplane follows the plot of Zero Hour almost exactly.

I really wish I could get Zero Hour on DVD.
Click to expand...
Disregard. I was beaten to the punch by a fine individual, upthread...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top