Avalanche (1978)

Sadly Over-hyped

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I'm not a fan of the disaster genre, they're always the same. Introduction of charactersExpert warns people of imminent disasterPowers that be ignore expertDisaster happensThen either a lot of running and talking about what is happening until it ends or some pseudo science to fix itThis is no different and what's strange is just how little of the film the disaster takes up.Starring Robert Forster, Rock Hudson and Mia Farrow this is more like a soap opera where an avalanche just so happens to take place.Swinging 70's, polystyrene snow and merciless deaths this has it's merits but certainly pales in comparison to the better films within this sub genre.The Good:Cast do a decent jobThe Bad:PredictibleSoap opera likeSFX are poor even for its timeThings I Learnt From This Movie:Unless your name ends in Campbell don't be a Bruce, you are no worthyDeath by polstyrene looks as painful as it sounds

Once again, I'm not so certain if it were not for the return of Mystery Science Theater and having this particular title (one of the many that they've taken on over the years from Roger Corman) I would have gone out of my way to see it. And surprisingly it has a pedigree cast, and for a Corman production for one of the handful of times in his career he spent a little extra money - though, also as well, it didn't make money back. The reasoning to make it seems fair enough: cash in on the disaster-movie binge of the period (Irwin Allen became for a short time a little like a bigger-ish spending Corman for these disaster flicks with Towering Inferno for example), and have a little of Jaws in there for good measure. Of course the creature this time is the actual avalanche itself, though that doesn't happen for more than halfway into the movie.What we get stuck with, then, are the human beings and their (sorta) dramas and conflicts; a day later after seeing the movie, I remember that Mia Farrow - who looks like she sorely needs some actual direction to work from - is trying to avoid having to talk long with her ex played by Rock Hudson, though since they're in the same spot she doesn't have much of a choice. While he is running what is a sports competition (I think?) and there's also some small drama involving an ice-skating competition (yes, this is a plot point, and it comes back around during the act of the title), and not to mention Robert Forrester, who I didn't even know was in the movie until watching it, who is the Sheriff ala Jaws of the movie trying to warn people about the oncoming avalanche that could happen.So many stupid things happen here (not least of which how the avalanche gets started), and Farrow and Hudson have less than zero chemistry. What makes it fun (outside of the robot commentary) is that the actors are taking this ever so seriously, even Farrow who seems like she should be having fun (and, occasionally, like when she's in the car trying to get away with some of the others after the avalanche happens, is having *too* good a time, smiling and looking like she has that less-than-zero direction going on), and the cheesiness of the effects. But the funniest WTF part of all goes to Rock Hudson's character's mother, who has some of the battiest dialog in moments. Oh, and I'd be remiss not to point out a moment where a character falls out of a moving/spinning-out-of-control car as it then careens off a cliff. That's pretty hysterical and awesome to behold, commentary besides.I think the frustrating part of Avalanche is how long it takes for it to happen, and then how comparatively to what comes before how fast the post-avalanche events occur. There's a death-defying rescue of characters, and Hudson and Farrow sharing some champagne (I won't say when they do it, that's a spoiler, pshaw me to do such a thing for AVALANCHE!) And then... the movie just ends. It's a slim 90 minutes where we get to see characters who don't have much chemistry act off one another - Forrester is a little better than Hudson with Farrow, but not by much - and other side characters who don't get much developed aside from their tropes. So it's a knock-off of what was already a silly genre of the 70's - and man oh man is this very 70's (a performance midway through at the ski-lodge by the rock band Paladin is evidence of that), but for the purposes of MST3K it works like gangbusters.

An avalanche kills people on holiday.Firstly, I should admit that I am a sucker for disaster movies, even those made-for-TV disaster films that came out of the 1970s. Now that we have cleared that up, the review:My main problem with this flick is that we just don't connect to the characters, however the acting of Rock Hudson holds you for the whole time.The scene of the actual avalanche is very well done with cool miniature effects...however I was a bit surprised that obvious stock footage of a real avalanche was sometimes being used. But anyway, whatever, see the flick for this part of the film and don't expect too much from the rest of it.The musical score is very well matched to the disaster of it all, so film score fans might wish to see this movie for the music.In a word, the movie is: average.

I am a bit embarrassed to admit I was in this movie. A bit, but, hey I had fun filming & was paid pretty well. Actually I was several scenes. I was a student at Fort Lewis majoring in Theater. Our troupe was invited to audition to be paid extras. It was spring break & I was earning money for my upcoming wedding. Not bad pay for a college student.The snow and cold was real. It snowed the whole time we did any outdoor scenes. A fun mess when you add shredded plastic, Styrofoam boulders, and huge wind fans.I lived in the area for quite a while & I too find this movie funny. I love the scene when Rock Hudson walks over to a window and states when he saw that mountain he knew he had to live there. That mountain is nowhere near Durango. As for the avalanche, well lets just say it is very hard for an avalanche to travel up mountain. But this one did to start at Tammeron and end up wiping out Purgatory mountain (now known as Durango mountain). Very funny stuff if you are from the area.In the original credits Fort Lewis College Theater Department was listed but I see we are not here. As I was the only member to stick around during th break to work on the movie I must say I am disappointed but not surprised.One of the premieres were held in Durango. I was not as pleased with the final product as I was when we filmed. We never saw the whole script so the movie was very different from what we were told. But all in all a good time and a not as bad as it could have been film. Wish I could say I went on to better movies but I went on to be a full time mommy and wife.If you ever lived in the area it is a fun watch. You will see bloopers in things others will never notice.