Flood! (1976)

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In this TV movie from producer Irwin Allen (The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno), several inhabitants of a small fishing town debate whether or not their dam is about to break after several weeks of rain. The mayor refuses to believe the town is in danger until the flood waters are upon them. In typical Irwin Allen fashion, we get an all-star (B-level, since it’s television) cast playing stock characters whose interpersonal conflicts comprise the first half of the movie, while the disaster takes center stage in the second half.

Since Flood! is a TV movie from the ’70s, I went in with low expectations. I just wanted to wrap myself in nostalgic kitsch, really. Unfortunately, Flood! is such an inferior product compared to Allen’s theatrical hits, that it’s barely entertaining. The effects are subpar, often relegated to stock photography, and the cast can do little to compensate for such a significant deficit in a disaster movie. Their characters are all either two-dimensional or too tedious to enjoy. Robert Culp (TV’s I Spy) gets a bigger share of screen time than most, playing a rogue helicopter pilot who reluctantly participates in several rescues — but he needs to be more colorful to leave an impression. I was most looking forward to seeing Roddy McDowall in the movie, but his contribution is sadly relegated to just one scene.

With characters too dull or annoying to distract your attention, Flood! leaves you waiting impatiently for the disaster to strike. By the time it does, you might find yourself rooting for the water.

With Barbara Hershey, Martin Milner, Richard Basehart, Teresa Wright, Leif Garrett, and Gloria Stuart (Titanic).