Flood! Blu-ray (original) (raw)

Shout Factory | 1976 | 98 min | Not rated | Sep 12, 2023

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Flood! Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf, November 12, 2023

Feeling indestructible after scoring major theatrical hits in 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure" and 1974's "The Towering Inferno," producer Irwin Allen brings his disaster movie formula to television for 1976's "Flood," hoping to give home audiences more of his special ways with pandemonium. Of course, with T.V. comes limited money, but director Earl Bellamy and screenwriter Don Ingalls do their best to secure some panic and personal issues facing a large community of characters. The pressure point here is a breaking dam, with "Flood" looking to juggle the needs of the subgenre and the personalities of the characters. The production is far from remarkable, but the feature gets the job done thanks to a committed cast and some interestingly low-fi ways to sell aquatic horror.

Lake culture means everything to the small town of Brownsville, but the local dam is starting to leak due to recent rainstorms, with rising waters threatening to break through. Helicopter pilot Steve (Robert Culp) stays busy bringing fishermen to local resorts, but he notices something wrong, reporting his findings to his friend and fellow pilot, Paul (Martin Milner), who's been pushing the need for dam repairs for years. Paul takes his concerns to the city council, with mayor John (Richard Basehart) denying the need for any action, including emptying the dam, which would ruin the fishing season. Getting nowhere with town leaders, Paul joins dam tech Sam (Cameron Mitchell) in a plan to figure out how to stop the leaks, which are multiplying, soon declaring that the flood is inevitable, launching an effort to clear Brownsville before the dam breaks, putting an entire community at risk, including Abbie (Carol Lynley), Sam's pregnant wife, who's stuck inside their home.

Perhaps helicopter rental is extremely expensive, as "Flood" sticks with the flying machine as much as possible throughout the picture, but really focuses on the vehicle's usage in the opening act, following Steve's journey around the area, soon picking up a fare in Franklin (a cameoing Roddy McDowell), bringing him to Sam's Fern Lodge. Fishing is the big moneymaker for Brownsville, and everyone knows it, with lake tourism keeping the community alive, finding John doing whatever he can to protect it. Of course, recent rains aren't in agreement, with the local dam reaching a breaking point, with leaks first discovered by young Andy (Eric Olson), John's son, who's out doing some fishing himself, only to get slammed by a flying rock when water begins to push out of containment. Andy's injury is discovered by Steve, who helps the boy, which triggers some hidden pain from his own life, and this incident is the first sign of danger to come in "Flood," which eventually trades lengthy shots of helicopters on the move for more dramatic happenings in town.

As with most Allen productions, the script contains a cat's cradle of character relationships that need explanation. Paul is engaged to Mary (Barbara Hershey), a nurse ready to experience wedded bliss with her love. She's also John's daughter, refusing to believe her father would be capable of denying a dam disaster, which is what Paul is trying to prove, receiving information that the city council intentionally lost a dam inspection report. Sam is dealing with Abbie, who's ready to give birth, but he's also beholden to John, trying his best to contain the dam. Steve is ready to fly away with Daisy (Francine York), who's also a nurse, with the pair dreaming of a San Francisco holiday, which amusingly increases the pilot's reluctance to stick around and help. John's also testing his wife's faith in him, with the spouse gradually understanding that her husband is responsible for the imminent destruction of Brownsville.

"Flood" does a superb job bringing these people together, following subplots and rising antagonisms, with Paul furious with everyone, working to break through restrictions and sound the alarm on the dam disaster. There's a slow build-up of tension, finding Steve roped into transporting a hospital patient in his helicopter, while Sam battles failing machinery at the dam. It's not nail-biting stuff, but the actors mostly put in some effort to sell the enormity of such impending doom, save for Culp, who keeps Steve slightly annoyed by everything in a way that doesn't feel like a performance choice. He's still fun to watch, and "Flood" does establish some future survival challenges to come, including Abbie losing consciousness in her house, and Andy, who can't stay out of trouble, elects to get close to the dam once again.

Flood! Blu-ray, Video Quality

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a good look at the television production of "Flood," securing decent detail with skin particulars and fibrous period costuming. Small town tours are also dimensional, and special effects carry some texture as miniatures are revealed. Color is steady, with a nice sense of primaries on signage and paint. Greenery is distinct. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is nicely resolved. Source is in good condition.

Flood! Blu-ray, Audio Quality

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides a clear understanding of dialogue exchanges, with performance choices open for study. Scoring supports with crisp instrumentation and balance. Sound effects are basic but appreciable.

Flood! Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

"Flood" finally floods in the final act, showcasing some miniature work to sell the scale of the disaster, while file footage is used to explore the damage, with a few shots in black and white, while others are pulled from a catastrophe that occurred decades earlier. Financial limitations are easily spotted in the endeavor, but Bellamy does his best to explore survival situations and mass destruction, while Ingalls makes sure to reinforce the loss of human life, adding some unexpected gravity to what's basically bubblegum cinema. "Flood" is entertaining, leading to an explosive finale, and while it doesn't offer true cinematic polish, it gets the job done for more permissive television viewers.

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