FLOOD (1976)

Mildly interesting, mid-70's, made-for-TV disaster movie about the small town of Brownsville, who's entire economy depends on the fishing tourism dollar.  And what's the best way the get a lot of fishermen to spend money in your town?  Have a big ass body of water full of fish!  Unfortunately, Brownsville's big ass body of water full of fish is about to overflow the dam that's holding it back.  And if that happens...bye, bye Brownsville!

For an Irwin Allen production, I was hoping for a lot of excitement, but while the build-up was alright, the actual disaster itself was pretty lame.  The dam conveniently doesn't bust until nighttime, so the viewer really can't see much, just some lame miniature with water rushing over it.  Following that, there's only a few unexciting scenes of people splashing around in waist high water.  Whoopee!

Good cast, passable story that could have used more tension, lots of helicopter footage, 1970's vehicles and fashions, pretty scenery, Leif Garrett, runtime padded with stock footage of real life floods.  If you're into older disaster movies, then FLOOD is worth checking out, but most other people will probably be unimpressed.  My number one biggest gripe is Roddy McDowall's appearance was just a cameo!  That really pissed me off.

I've read that network publicity at the time said this film cost $2.5 million dollars.  Producer Irwin Allen and legendary TV director Earl Bellamy teamed up again the next year to make the much improved FIRE starring Ernest Borgnine, Vera Miles and Lloyd Nolan.

OVERBOARD (1987)

Dirt poor carpenter Kurt Russell is hired by wealthy Goldie Hawn to do some work on a closet on her yacht.  The job doesn't go very well and in the end she stiffs him his $600 fee and throws him and his tools overboard.  Russell is really pissed off, so later on when Goldie falls off the boat and loses her memory he rushes in and claims to be her husband.  For whatever reason the hospital freely turns her over to him and he then takes her home with the intention of using her as a slave for one month to earn back his $600.  Oh yeah, he also rapes her.

Now that might sound like the plot to a dozen different horror movies, but since this was the 80's it's actually a comedy!  Turns out Goldie's real husband is overjoyed when she turns up missing, so he doesn't claim her at the hospital.  That leaves the door open for Kurt to take her home and tell her that his four uneducated cavemen children are hers.  He then tortures her by tricking her into working nonstop around his dump of a house.  As expected, a spark appears and they fall in love and fuck, but since Kurt knows the truth and her previous self would have never given him the time of day I would consider that a case of rape through deception.  Add onto that kidnapping, fraud and a host of other charges and Kurt would probably be spending a long time in jail.

To say enjoying OVERBOARD requires a suspension of disbelief is an understatement, but even so it was just too much for me.  The comedy isn't funny enough, the direction is bleh, the story completely unbelievable and those kids are going to be emotionally fucked up for years.  Hardcore fans of 80's comedies might find the story endearing and funny, but I just found it more depressing than anything.  If you need me, I'll be in my room watching GROUNDHOG DAY.

Remake - Overboard (2018)