CAVE IN! (1983)

CAVE IN! is rumored to have been filmed in 1979 but not broadcast on TV until 1983...and I can see why.  This sucker is boring!  Things get off to a quick start with a police chase, but after just a few moments you can already tell that this movie is about as low-budget and quickly slapped together.  Next we're introduced to the cave and I swear to Satan that this cave has been featured in like a thousand movies and TV shows!  Anyway, the cave has been having some problems recently with dirt and small rocks falling down, but yet the people who run it insist on keeping it open.  So, of course, there's a cave in and some people are trapped inside.  Compared to all of the other Irwin Allen films I've seen, the disaster moment this time takes place waaaaay earlier than usual, but I guess that's because this time they figured it was kind of hard to drum up any build-up excitement over a cave.

Anyway, people are trapped and now they (kinda like survivors in THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE) have to find a way out.  Boiling water, swimming underwater, walking across an old rope bridge...all the same old shit we've seen a thousand times before, but this time neutered by being on network television.  I wish it could have at least been fun to laugh at, but for the most part everything was so bland there really wasn't much to laugh at.

Maybe good for a watch if you're a fan of old made-for-TV movies, but I found the entire affair to be too bland to be enjoyable.  Even ol' Ray Milland as a cranky professor didn't help much!  Skip it.

FIRE (1977)

Showing up on network TV less than six month after Irwin Allen's previous disaster outing, FLOOD, FIRE tells the story of a forest fire caused by a work crew prisoner (Neville Brand) looking to make a cover for an escape attempt.  Soon, the fire is totally out of control and not only does it threaten Vera Miles' hotel and Ernest Borgnine's lumber mill, but also an entire nearby town.  So now it's up to Borgnine to drive all over the joint in his big truck wrecking into shit and saving everybody.

I liked FIRE quite a bit.  It was a big improvement over the lackluster FLOOD...the pace was quick, the acting much improved (the highlights being Miles and Borgnine), the special effects were better, impressive cast (Vera Miles, Ernest Borgnine, Lloyd Nolan, Alex Cord, Neville Brand, Eric Estrada, Patty Duke), the action scenes much more exciting, plus it just looked better. 

Younger audiences would probably fall asleep, but it you have a soft spot of older TV movies then you should definitely check out FIRE.  Recommended.

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.