Flight Risk!

Back in the day, traveling by air was an experience. Passengers dressed up to board a plane, flight attendants treated people with respect and airports were magnificent structures. NOW, flying is a drag. Planes are too uncomfortable to wear anything more than shorts and t-shirts, flight attendants look as beaten down as the passengers and airports are the most miserable places to spend time.

This weekend, Retroplex takes audiences back to the glory days of flying with a double dose of disaster flicks..."Airport" and "Airport 1975."

First up is "Airport 1975," which is probably the best of the bunch. After all, it stars the almighty Charlton Heston. Chuck has to save the day when a 747 collides with a small plane. Well, the smaller craft is immediately destroyed and the crew of passenger jet is killed (except for the captain who is left blind). Heston and sidekick George (King of the Disaster Movies) Kennedy come up with a plan to lower a pilot into the cockpit of the runaway jet. It's pretty nuts, but entertaining throughout. Read this past review from an earlier edition of the Weekend Drive-In. "Airport 1975" takes off at 5:10 a.m., Sept. 4.

The original blockbuster "Airport" (based on Arthur Hailey's novel) departs at 8:30 a.m., Sept. 4 This was a smash hit back in 1970 and was one of the movies that launched the decade's "all-star" cast craze. Dean Martin is the pilot, the HOT Jackie Bisset is his lover (HOW did that happen???) and Burt Lancaster is the airport manager. The plot centers on a nutjob demolition expert (Van Heflin) who wants to commit suicide so his wife can collect the insurance money. Unfortunately, he wants to do so by exploding a bomb on a plane!! Add a diamond-smuggling Helen Hayes (who won an Oscar for this) and George Kennedy to the mix, and you have a bonafide 70s celebrity smorgasbord.

Update: I just noticed that these movies AND "Airport '77" are on Movieplex On Demand on Comcast. If you missed 'em Sunday, you can experience the "Airport" series at your leisure.