All 4 "Airport" Films From Universal -- Coming February 10th (1 Viewer)

[TonyDale]

One post does not a whine make; numerous posts do.
I am fortunate, my hubs worked just fine and dandy.
Although I still wish the hub held THE CONCORDE in place forever! I'd forgotten how bad that one was!

 

[MattHR]

Another trivial item in case it hasn't been mentioned...

In AIRPORT '77, at the 18:15 point, there's a scene featuring Magnavox's first "DiscoVision" (laserdisc) player. A stewardess is seen loading a disc into the (very large) machine to play a recorded video message from Jimmy Stewart's character to the passengers. The player didn't officially come to market until the following year, so I wonder what audiences thought of that scene a the time. It was a bit of "product placement" by Universal, since they were one of the initial investors in the DiscoVision technology.

Also, does anyone else notice several strange "squeezed" scenes in AIRPORT 1975? It's almost like watching a 16:9 image on a 4:3 monitor with the player set to output 16:9, but not quite as bad. The image seems to be somewhat squeezed vertically, causing people to appear a bit deformed. Most noticeable to me was right after the opening credits, when Heston is talking to Karen Black.
At first I thought it was just Karen Black, since she has those creepy crossed/close-set eyes, but I continued to notice it throughout the movie, but at seemingly random points.

Besides the slight "squeeze" problem and the crappy hubs mentioned in earlier posts, I was pleased with this set. The transfers are the best these films have ever seen. This set has got to be the best dvd value from a major studio. Four remastered films for only $25. Now, if I could only remember why I loved these movies so much as a kid. These films have the worst, bar none, collective peformances of any franchise series, including Police Academy! I guess that's what makes them so much fun today!

 

[Paul Linfesty]

I still can't get over that "G" Rating that "Airport 1" garnered. We've got abortion, death by bomb blast, three separate cases of infidelity, and several "Damns" and "Hells" along the course of the flick...but it *still* achieved a kiddie-type (family) rating. Most curious IMO.

Big budget films from studios often got G ratings when the system came out. Check out Planet of the Apes (backside nudity, violence, damns and hells), True Grit (among other things, a man getting his fingers shot off; this was originally an M, lost a cuss word and got the G), Oliver (hidden from view beating death of woman, children in jeapordy), Funny Girl (seduction scene), Ice Station Zebra (shootings, intensity), Song of Norway (audience put into comas).

 

[Dharmesh C]

Also, does anyone else notice several strange "squeezed" scenes in AIRPORT 1975? It's almost like watching a 16:9 image on a 4:3 monitor with the player set to output 16:9, but not quite as bad. The image seems to be somewhat squeezed vertically, causing people to appear a bit deformed. Most noticeable to me was right after the opening credits, when Heston is talking to Karen Black.
At first I thought it was just Karen Black, since she has those creepy crossed/close-set eyes, but I continued to notice it throughout the movie, but at seemingly random points.

I thought it was my eyes!!! Yes, I noticed the squeezed faces at the start of the picture.

Now seen Airport 77, I think it's the best so far, special effects have improved a lot and the performances are a bit better than 75. Onto Concorde...

 

[David Von Pein]

Also, does anyone else notice several strange "squeezed" scenes in AIRPORT 1975? ... causing people to appear a bit deformed. ... Most noticeable to me was right after the opening credits, when Heston is talking to Karen Black.

I didn't notice any oddball "squeezing" on my copy. Very curious.

One thing I *did* notice on Airport 1975, however, are the many instances of "added" sound effects to this print, most noticeable with "footsteps", where added "clicking heel" noises have seemingly been put it. Never noticed it on previous VHS prints. This is highly noticeable 7 minutes into the film, when Efrem Zimbalist and Roy Thinnes (the pilots) are walking toward (then up) the escalator.

This appears to be a trend of late I guess (just Universal titles?), with added peripheral sound effects. Like in "Jaws 1", with the extra clanking dish sounds coming from Mrs. Brody's kitchen. Why is it really necessary to add the exaggerated sound of a clanking dish, or to emphasize a footstep? (Good heavens, we know they've got feet and are walking around. Why the need to exaggerate the steps? It doesn't really detract from *my* enjoyment of a particular film, but I imagine it bothers people who desire their flicks in a totally "unchanged" state. )

 

[David Von Pein]

These films have the worst, bar none, collective peformances of any franchise series...

You mean to say you weren't overly enthralled by Charo's and Jimmie Walker's Oscar-worthy performances in Airport '79??

 

[Shane_Anthony]

Anybody else notice in Airport '77 when the plane is going down under water you can actually see strings on the plane holding it up. I guess they weren't able to erase effects like they do now..

I thaught Airport looked great but the other 3 were obviously not cleaned up as much as they could have been. I also noticed in A.'75 the framing was slightly off on my widescreen tv. Everybody looked stretched a little

Non the less considering the price this is a great set to own. Realising watching these all star casts so many of them are dead now. Kind of creepy! :frowning:

PS I hope they do SE's of other classic 70's disaster flicks like The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake and Towering Inferno

 

[Dharmesh C]

Finished watching Concorde; oh my, terrible f/x and terrible plot line. An abundance of dirt and grain was distracting :frowning:

The film felt like it was made for TV.

 

[TonyD]

One thing I *did* notice on Airport 1975, however, are the many instances of "added" sound effects to this print, most noticeable with "footsteps", where added "clicking heel" noises have seemingly been put it. Never noticed it on previous VHS prints. This is highly noticeable 7 minutes into the film, when Efrem Zimbalist and Roy Thinnes (the pilots) are walking toward (then up) the escalator.

i noticed this too, right at this same moment, then after that scene people are waLKING DOWN A CORRIdor and i noticed over cooked stepping sounds there too.
sounded like they were wering tap dancing shoes.

i also thought i saw some add image squeezing too but cant remember were.

 

[Joe Bernardi]

Also, does anyone else notice several strange "squeezed" scenes in AIRPORT 1975?

I noticed it early in the movie. I knew Helen Reddy was slender, but her face [exaggeration] nearly had the proportion of a pencil [/exaggeration].

I agree that the special effects in Concorde were terrible.

However, owning the four movies for $19 and change is a true bargain.

And after wrestling the discs from the case, they were much easier to remove a second time.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Yes, I noticed the "squeezed" moments at the early stages of AIRPORT 1975.

AIRPORT '77 has been my favorite so far, followed by AIRPORT 1975 (which I've seen many times already for Chuck Heston).

AIRPORT was my first visit and it was rough. I'm all in favor of character development and trying to get the audience familair with the cast members, but the original took it to dull-defying depths. Still fair, though.

I have yet to see CONCORDE; frankly, I'm afraid to!

Regarding the annoyingly tight hubs, I know they're a real pain, but I agree that the movies are the main focal point of importance here, so let's concentrate on them.

 

[David Von Pein]

...sounded like they were wearing tap-dancing shoes.

Yes, exactly.

Another highly-exaggerated "footstep" sequence is the very small glimpse we get of a police car pulling up to the ambulance (which is supposed to be carrying Linda Blair to the airport). When the cop gets out of the car and walks around, the metallic-sounding footsteps rise well above all other sounds. It's silly. Oh, well....such is life.

BTW...I checked for these exaggerated sound effects on the GoodTimes DVD version of the movie (which came out in 1998)....and they are not on that print. There are *some* slightly-heightened footstep effects, but definitely not to the degree that we get on the new Universal print.

Universal must have an underworked "sound effects coordinator" in the office just waiting to add in some useless, unneeded ambient sounds for the DVD-viewing
public.

 

[David Von Pein]

Yes, I noticed the "squeezed" moments at the early stages of AIRPORT 1975.

Question .... Do you viewers who see this "squeezed" image ALL have Widescreen TVs?

Because on my 4x3 set (with compression capability), this film looks just fine. Helen Reddy doesn't appear to me to look like a #2 pencil; nor does anyone else.

Makes me wonder if, for some strange reason, the difficulty only shows up on widescreen TV monitors??

 

[David Von Pein]

AIRPORT was my first visit and it was rough. I'm all in favor of character development and trying to get the audience familiar with the cast members, but the original took it to dull-defying depths.

 

[David Von Pein]

Funny gaffe (sort of) on Airport 1975. .... Why is it that all the passengers are forced to use the much more dangerous and risky escape route of the emergency evacuation slide, but Mr. Heston and Karen Black seem oblivious to any potential danger of the Boeing 747 aircraft bursting into sudden flames, and simply stroll calmly and very slowly down a regular staircase, which was wheeled up to the front of the plane?

(You'd *think* that at least the very sick girl (Linda Blair) would have been allowed to exit the plane in a less-jarring, normal fashion (via the air stairs), instead of being shoved down the escape slide. Not to mention the ancient Gloria Swanson.)

 

[Paul_Scott]

i'm really distressed to hear all the negative comments regarding Airport '79.
this is a film that has Jimmy(J.J.)Walker, John Davidson, Charo, and George Kennedy making love by the fire.
how can anyone not love this film?!

 

[MattHR]

this is a film that has Jimmy(J.J.)Walker, John Davidson, Charo, and George Kennedy making love by the fire.

As a kid, I always thought that Charo was such a wholesome girl. Now I understand that whole "cuchee-cuchee" thing.

 

[Brent Avery]

I admit to not reading the entire thread so if someone mentioned it, my apologies. It relates to George Kennedy's character, Joe Patroni - seems he decided to give up his career on the maintenance side of airline operations and ended up a pilot - and so late in life!! Glad to see him make the switch and command the Concorde - way to go Joe! I had only had the pleasure of watching Airport 75 on the previous Goodtimes dvd release via a 26" tv. I finally setup a front projector ( Panasonic AE500 ) viewed on a 102" 16x9 screen - and the Universal version is pretty good overall. The various in flight scenes are great to watch - especially those where the 747 was filmed flying low through the mountains from a stationary point. The actual pilots must have had some fun setting up the aircraft for those shots! Airport 75 and 77 seem to be the best overall - the first too melodramatic and the last - well, everyone agrees with the consensus that it deseves last place- although there are some good shots of the Concorde itself.

 

[Steve_Pannell]

Joe Patroni - seems he decided to give up his career on the maintenance side of airline operations and ended up a pilot - and so late in life!!

In Airport '79, Patroni told the other pilot that he had been flying for 30 years, I think. I thought that was weird in that it doesn't fit the storyline of the other 3 movies.

 

[Eric Paddon]

Yep, especially since in the first movie it's established that Joe Patroni is only licensed to taxi a jet, not fly.

'79 is a wretched mess of a film that actually make 75 and 77 seem like works of quality. I still maintain though that the TV cut is the only version of 77 worth watching.