Irwin Allen's back as producer for another expansive disaster movie of the 1970s, but the difference this time is that he'd left 20th Century Fox and was now working with a TV budget. That means a big, big drop in the kind of SFX we're used to in the likes of EARTHQUAKE and THE TOWERING INFERNO; the disaster scenes are limited to the last third and are generally handled in a rushed and mildly disappointing way. Overall the film isn't so bad, although there's not as much viewer involvement in the proceedings as in Allen's Hollywood classics. Robert Culp is a helicopter pilot who gets involved when a local dam threatens to break and flood a township, and an exemplary supporting cast includes the likes of Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Hershey and Roddy McDowall. It's enjoyable enough and decent for a TV movie, just don't go expecting a screen classic like Allen's earlier '70s films.
Review of Flood
