George Kennedy

[4] In this fourth installment (and final, by my count) of the disaster franchise, George Kennedy returns to pilot a super-sonic plane to Paris. Trouble is, the bad guy (Robert Wagner) wants to blow the plane out of the sky to stop an on-board news reporter (Susan Blakely) from uncovering his corporate shenanigans. For the most part, the Airport movies are a guilty pleasure, but …

[6] This star-studded best picture Oscar nominee is credited for kicking off the boom of disaster flicks that plagued (or bedazzled?) the 1970s. It’s entertaining enough, though I much prefer The Towering Inferno. All of the Airport movies (there would be two more over the next seven years) are fun if for no other reason than watching major Hollywood stars and revered actors slumming it …

[7] Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant star in this Stanley Donen (Singin’ in the Rain) film about a recent widow fighting off a handful of mysterious bad guys who believe she knows where her husband was keeping a stolen quarter million in cash. Charade is a successful blend of thriller, romance, and dark comedy with a number of twists and betrayals that will keep you …

[6] It’s not nearly as good as its predecessor, but I kinda like two out of the three tales in Creepshow 2.  The first story, Old Chief Wood’nhead, is about a wooden statue that comes alive to avenge the murder of a kindly old couple played by George Kennedy and Dorothy Lamour. Kennedy and Lamour are sweet, but the episode is too hackneyed to leave …

[5] Earthquake is one of many disaster films that came out in the early ’70s — the kind where a rag-tag team of waning celebrities band together to get thrown around for a couple of hours. In this one, Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner headline as a married couple on the outs. She’s a pill popper and he’s seeing a young widow (Genevieve Bujold) on …

[6] I don’t normally like bad movies. I don’t usually subscribe to the “so bad, it’s good” mentality. Bad is just bad. But there are rare exceptions and Airport 1975 is one them. First of all, the Airport franchise is ridiculous. I mean, they made four of these things, and it’s the same story every time: a plane full of celebrities falls into jeopardy and …