SST: Death Flight (1977)

Truly Dreadful Film

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

The truth is that about 80% of the people who see (have seen) this movie won't like it. Why? Because it is not that original. But in saying that, I happen to belong to the 20% who really like it.I first saw it back in the eighties when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Now almost 20 years on I saw it again, and it really brought back nostalgic memories from when I was a kid.Some people say this movie has bad acting. I don't agree at all. While the story might not be the best ever, there is definitely nothing wrong with the acting. And the supersonic Maiden One plane looks absolutely stunning, even though it is 70's B-TV-movie material.I really recommend it to fans of disaster movies. It is hard to get a hold of these days, but if you have a chance to see it, do so.

This, according to most, was not the best film of all time! And, perhaps they're right, but one never knows just what can happen when you see a film. My winter vacation had already been planned when, one Monday evening in February 1982, I saw "SST: Disaster in the Sky" (one of its other names). It only took me 'til Friday to call my travel agent and change my destination from Columbus, Ohio to Dakar, Senegal. I took off within a few days and with no hotel, old French and a small bag, I landed in Dakar. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. For that reason, this movie for me is a 10! No one ever said that a film had to win Oscars in every category to have a profound effect on the viewer. This one did it for me and that is why I watch it whenever it's on TV. Unfortunately, so many years have passed, that no channel shows it anymore. Ah, if only there were a DVD. I'd buy it immediately.

Being a fan of the boys of Route 66, I just had to see this movie. However, I was very disappointed that they never even bothered to give Marty and George one scene together. Nevertheless, I kept watching and laughed all the way through. Of course, I was watching the MST3K version and I would suggest all do the same if you can find it. I mean, George Maharis is mad at Burgess Meredith (who built the plane), so he puts detergent in the hydraulic system, hoping that when things get bad, Robert Reed will turn the plane around. Bobby doesn't listen to him, and well, you can figure out the rest. That, along with a bunch of other ridiculously funny happenings, including nice-guy Bert Convy dating a bimbo (Miss SST!), make this a MUST SEE for fans of all that was bad 70's TV.

Let me say straight away that this movie is toxic waste for the mind. This movie is not watchable because it has a good story; it doesn't. It's not watchable because there's good acting; there is none. It's watchable because of the cast. This will take you down TV memory lane...how many former TV stars can you pick out?As with any TV "Movie of the Week", the drawing power is in the stars. The story involves the inaugural flight of "Maiden One" the first supersonic transport plane. (The movie ignores the fact that it was a British-French conglomerate that first built the Concorde, and had to sue for the right to land in America during this time.) In this movie, we have a disgruntled worker who sabotages the flight by putting detergent in the hydraulic lines in order to get revenge on his boss (Burgess Meredith).We also have Doug McClure trying to get back into Tina Louise's pants, Billy Crystal playing a rather fey steward, John Delancie in training for his future role as Q, and Peter Graves as one half of a former May-December romance. Did I mention that there also happens to be a plot line about the airplane carrying the Senegal flu, which is now spreading among the crew? If you don't have sabotage, you've got the untamed strain of flu floating around.There are two references that date this movie. One is a reference to the "Swine flu". The other is the way that Burt Convy discusses abortion with his bimbo girlfriend -- the concept is mentioned, but she won't let him say the word.The movie does have a reverse natural selection -- the megastars like Meredith & Graves die, but losers like Convy, McClure, etc. live to make another bad TV movie. Check out the cameo of Regis Philbin (and his hair) as an annoying TV reporter.Sterno says SST Death Flight is a guilty pleasure.