Airport '77 - DVD

This is my favourite on the AIRPORT series(the second best being the CONCORDE - AIRPORT 79 for its sheer hilariousness - although look what happened outside Paris in the news today!) with some rather impressive special effects for its time. The plot revolves around an art billionaire Philip Stevens, played by JAMES STEWART, who invites an assortment of characters on to his private 747, piloted by JACK LEMMON. Lo and behold, his co-pilot(ROBERT FOXWORTH, who was also in THE PROPHECY and OMEN 2) has masterminded a hijacking, which goes horribly wrong when the plane hits an oil rig, ditches into the sea and settles underwater! Somehow the fuselage remains intact - who will survive! We can surely guess the outcome. Also there's a vet treating human injuries - this was done a year earlier for spoof value in Paramount's disaster movie send-up THE BIG BUS! Dear me! But this is a great piece of 1970s vintage cheese which will be enjoyed by all. The effects and underwater photography during the submarine-style rescue attempt are still superb, the plane interior sets are quite realistic for this type of movie and the cast of stars, as well as LEMMON and STEWART you get JOSEPH COTTEN, Dynasty's PAMELA BELLWOOD, Buck Rogers star GIL GERARD, LEE GRANT, OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND and once again GEORGE KENNEDY as Joe Patroni, liasing with the US Navy(some great military action here as well!) with the rescue attempt. I saw this on TV not so long ago for the first time in ages, and it'll definitely be included in my DVD collection!