KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Coventry Instead of snakes, it's "malicious druid-spirit on a Plane" in this overall pitiable, sluggish and dreary attempt at supernatural horror/thriller. I'm usually ecstatic when stumbling across made-for-TV thriller from the blessed year 1973, because this period brought forward some of the absolute best and most atmospheric horror stories in history (like "The Night Stalker", "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", "Scream Pretty Peggy"), but "The Horror at 37,000 Feet" clearly doesn't belong in the same list of honor. Instead, it's a poor attempt to cash in on two contemporary popular film genres at once, with a cast that is full of famous faces but a screenplay that is even more full of imbecilic content. Director David Rowell Rich and his crew simultaneously try to benefit from the successful disaster-movie formula ("Airport 1970" is the obvious role model) as well as from the hype of demonic/satanic possession chillers (like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist"; - although I'm not entirely sure the latter one was already released). They seemingly forget, however, that they are working with a TV-movie budget and the inevitable TV-movie restrictions. The result is a totally anti-spectacular disaster movie, with laughable images of a plane supposedly "stuck" in the air and stewardesses desperately trying to look hysterical, mixed with an embarrassingly lame horror picture with ordinary play dolls being sacrificed to the evil demon and allegedly possessed women babbling words in Latin. An obnoxious architect has chartered a plane from London to New York to transport pieces of an abbey - including an ancient altar - that belongs to his wife's family heritage. There's also a small dozen of other passengers on board, including a former priest turned drunkard (the one and only William Shatner), a religious freak, a young model and a black doctor. Oops, the altar apparently homes the vengeful spirit of a druid! The invisible demon attempts to possess one specific passenger while the plane is stalled in the sky and largely covered in frost. Shatner's performance as the foul-mouthed ex-priest is hilarious! I'm not sure if he depicts the arrogant drunkard perfectly because he's so naturally talented or because he also thought the script was sheer rubbish and got drunk for real. The script is a mess and clearly nobody had any bright ideas for the climax. The ending is a vague hodgepodge of miserable special effects and a ridiculously random self-sacrifice. Oh well, at least it deserves two extra points for Shatner's wonderfully hokey performance and the cool DVD-cover.

Obarr777 This film was representative of the early 1970's and ABC was taking full advantage of what was popular. Disaster movies like Earthquake and The Towering Inferno. Passenger disaster movies like the Airport series. Finally, movies that featured the devil. The Exorcist was out that year along with all the cheap rip offs like Beyond the Door. This movie had a little of everything in it and I remember I had trouble sleeping that night. I must have had a guilty conscience and thought the devil would be tugging at my toes or standing over my bed as I tried to fall asleep. I bet the nuns at school were partially responsible as well.The movie of the week during that time was trying to take advantage of the popularity of devil themes however they usually were not that scary. I guess because it was 1970's TV, they were required to tone everything down. The Terror at 37,000 Feet was better than most other movies of the week because they had a fairly large cast of known TV actors like the disaster and airport movies that always had a large cast of known film actors. The story established quickly that almost everyone on board probably deserved to get hurt or die because they were not nice people, and that whatever evil was in the cargo hold was not going to let up until things were made right. Although I have to say that the Professor (Russell Johnson of Gilligan's Island) and the dog, did not deserve to die in the first reel.If you saw this movie as kid I would recommend that you not see it again. The memory you have of it will always be precious and you are going to ruin that memory by seeing what a slow paced, hole filled plot, terribly acted movie this really is. I gave it 6 stars based on my memory from 42 years ago. You also may remember the Trilogy of Terror with Karen Black. I thought it would be fun to watch again and I was terribly disappointed. Most of the TV movies from this era were one long tease with 10 minutes of a payoff at the end. Sometimes.

ersinkdotcom Once upon a time, there was a world where (brace yourselves and try not to faint) cable, internet, and satellite TV didn't exist. Many would say it was a dark time best forgotten. During this time, movies would be created starring actors from television shows that were well-known.These productions would then air as special events or movies of the week on whatever one of the three major networks created them. CBS DVD reminds audiences of this by-gone era with their release of "The Horror at 37,000 Feet."A luxury flight is booked by a rich architect (Roy Thinnes) to transport the remains of an ancient abbey to the United States. The passengers are an odd combination from different walks of life. As the airplane climbs into the sky, it becomes all too apparent that something sinister has hitched a ride. The deadly situation causes the motley bunch and flight crew to come unraveled. Can a priest (William Shatner) who's lost his faith help destroy the evil that lurks at 37,000 feet?"The Horror at 37,000 Feet" is as ridiculous as it sounds. It's a fairly entertaining time-waster that no doubt did its job in 1973. CBS needed something to stick in a particular time slot off-season and this schlocky horror flick is the result.The ensemble cast of TV stars is typical of the movies-of-the-week being made during this era. Although the stars weren't as bright as the ones seen on the silver screen, they were familiar to audiences who kept up with television shows. Chuck Connors was well-known from his roles in "Branded" and "The Rifleman." Buddy Ebsen grew to fame through shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Barnaby Jones," "Gunsmoke," and "Bonanza."Not quite the household name he is today, William Shatner was growing in fame thanks to "Star Trek" and his many guest spots on different high- profile series like "Mission: Impossible" and "Marcus Welby, M.D." Tammy Grimes had her own show in the mid-1960s and was appearing in "Love American Style," "NBC Children's Theatre," and others.Overdramatic acting, goofy sound effects, and sub-par special effects add to the beauty of this made-for-TV masterpiece. You can't help but get drawn in to the nostalgia. You'll find yourself yearning for a more innocent time where you watched what you had to because there weren't a million choices to choose from."The Horror at 37,000 Feet" is a somewhat enjoyable product of its time. It's a supernatural thriller rooted in the occult and reflects the Satanic Panic felt at the time. Imagine a unique blend of "Airport," "Rosemary's Baby," and "The Exorcist" that only the 1970s could make work.

Aaron1375 you know it is going to be a really cheesy movie that is really bad, but at the same time it is also going to be fun to watch in the so bad it is good kind of way. I saw this movie a couple of times, but it has been a very long time since I last saw the movie so I only remember bits and pieces of this film, but what I do tend to remember is a rather bad movie, with a bad plot (a bit of brick is somehow haunted, bad acting (actors and actresses collecting a paycheck) and a very forgettable ending as I have no recollection of it at all. I do remember them trying to sacrifice a doll in a woman's stead, the plane somehow being stuck in the air as its fuel supply continued to dwindle and William Shatner being William Shatner. The rest of the movie is inconsequential as there are no scares to be had, but then what does one expect from a made for television movie that has a runtime of 73 minutes so they can take time off for commercials and such. If you can find it though it is good for some laughs.