The Flight That Disappeared (1961)

What makes it different from others?

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Little-known film about a cross-country flight that is transported to another dimension where time stands still. There are some scientists on board the flight that are responsible for building a new kind of nuclear weapon. They are put on trial in this other dimension by people from the future. It's a talky movie about ideas and Cold War fears that gets a little heavy-handed at times. The "logic" of the prosecutor is riddled with holes. The first half-hour is pretty dull before it slowly starts to pick up. Still, it's nearly an hour into the film before the trial starts. All of the characters are as exciting as cardboard. There are no big actors associated with this, though I did recognize a few faces. It's an interesting idea for a movie or even an episode of the Twilight Zone. I could see Rod Serling doing a lot with it. It's a slog to get through the buildup but the last 20-30 minutes is worth watching.

As I write this review the rating stands at 4.6, which is way too low for this film. The acting is adequate, the story line well flushed out. Very interesting premise for a movie. What seems to be routine flight to D.C. ends up in a place where time is suspended. Plenty of time is spent introducing the characters and setting up the storyline. 3 scientists, each in their own way a part of the team to produce a "super bomb" are aboard. The plane climbs incredibly and without reason. When everyone is apparently in a state of suspended animation, these 3 are made to stand trial by future human beings whose existence may not happen if the bomb is created. It all sounds fantastical, and it is - but the film is very well put together. A bit too heavy on the moral judgements perhaps, but you must remember the time in which this film was made. Every American feared a nuclear attack from Russia. It really is a gem of a little movie and well worth the time invested to watch. I'm glad I ignored the rating and went with my instinct that this could be a good film and watched it - I was right.

It is 1960. One of the last prop-driven plane flights containing two scientists and a cutie mathematician seems to be off schedule, for that matter off altitude and possibly out of time. What mysteries can this foretell and are we on for a heavy-handed warning? Can't say much about this film as it is a short subjects similar to the twilight zone programs. However a side added plus is being able to see the old prop-driven planes and 60s clothing. If you expect to see scanty closed space girls that I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.Much of the time is given to introducing characters as you would normally have in a mystery such as "Ten Little Indians." During one of the conversations a passenger that seems to be a little unhinged expresses an attitude that parallels Randy Newman's song "political science." You may want to listen to a copy and see if he is not correct.This film is worth watching and wondering if the heavy-handed warning still applies today.

I watched this movie for two reasons: 1) I was practically raised on low-budget sci-fi & horror, having spent many a Saturday mid-morning watching this stuff on a local independent station's "creature feature" matinee, and 2) nowadays to see whether it would be enjoyable on "Mystery Science Theater 3000."Yes, "Flight ..." would've done very well on MST3k (it is indeed yet another bittersweet addition to my ever-growing list of Episodes That Might Have Been(tm)). Its low budget, bland directing and forced, stilted dialogue, all combining to take the edge off its high-minded intent, serve to guarantee that. There are riff opportunities aplenty, including a comment by one of the primary characters regarding the pilots' capabilities which has to be one of the most unintentionally ready-made straight lines in film history. And although his initial appearance lasted literally only three seconds, with no dialogue, I took a small measure of pride in calling out the character who would undeniably prove to be the film's Annoying Guy.The goal of this film, of course, is to comment on the Cold War (and thus get the audience to think more about it), and so now the Minor Spoiler Alert is in effect: The three primaries are revealed to be closely involved in the development of a new super-weapon. Although their judgement is done in a very "Twilight Zone"-esque manner, the film nonetheless poses a question with significant moral and ethical aspects: To what degree are the makers of a device guilty should someone use their device destructively? Their super-weapon is intended more to be defensive, precisely in that it is so destructive it should frighten aggressors through fear of retaliation -- but what if it is used as a first strike, to eliminate an enemy nation before it can strike?While the film presents a legitimate concern regarding escalation, even during a so-called "cold" war, it makes the mistake almost always made regarding such a concern, slipping too easily to the socio-political left in presuming that those who commissioned such a weapon are unrepentant war-mongers who absolutely WILL use it aggressively (neglecting the simple fact that in most wars, only one side was the aggressor, while the other was merely reacting in self-defense or in defense of an ally). One of the minor characters is even clearly meant to reflect this presumption, brandishing an over-the-top "Hit them before they can hit us!" attitude.However, the film's poor production quality overall is of course the bigger weakness. It's almost painful to watch the film's younger male lead, who actually turns out to be a Decent Joe Caught In The Machinations Of The Cold War(!), ham-fist his way through horrid introductory dialogue with the female lead regarding "young women who don't wear wedding rings", which has him coming off as some zealous masher. As the film winds down, it devolves almost instantly from an essentially respectable parable about Cold War escalation to what looks like an ad-hoc panel discussion about ESP. Nearly at the end, the film steps down even further, turning itself into an opportunity for hushed snickering by the primaries as certain minor characters learn of the incident almost as an aside, in an unintentionally(?) funny "Hey! Didja hear what happened?!"manner.If you're looking for a well-made (or even a moderately well-made) treatment of the Cold War, this movie is NOT it; it clearly, almost desparately, wants to be, but it simply fumbles too much. If, however, you want low-calorie fare that still satisfies, I recommend this film with a 6.5 out of 10; it's done in the best tradition of "B" sci-fi & horror, tackling a serious subject in the midst of laughably weak production, but it's slow-paced and repetitive. And if you're a MSTie, I think you'll agree this film deserves a 9 out of 10 for its sheer riffability.