Cassandra Crossing, The

Rating: ***/*****, or 6/10

Slow paced disaster flick, released at the time the disaster movie cycle of the Seventies had already almost worn itself out, yet still featuring all the typical hallmarks of the genre. This isn't the worst of the bunch though, as it features a fairly intriguing disaster scenario. A terrorist releases a deadly disease on an international train traveling through Europe, after which governments conspire to let the train travel to its doom rather than see the disease spread (a plot exemplary of the overall grim atmosphere running rampant in movies of the Seventies). As the train heads towards the infamous Cassandra Crossing with its immense ravine and poorly constructed bridge, survivors on board, led by Richard Harris, try to find a way off before they arrive at their destiny of death. Being a disaster movie, it'll come as no surprise when we see the train crashing into the depths of the crossing in a way that was supposed to look epic but features a model train a bit too obviously. Still, decent try, and not as tiresomely long as the likes of Earthquake and The Towering Inferno.

Starring: Richard Harris, Sophia Loren, Martin Sheen

Directed by George P. Cosmatos

UK/Italy: Associated General Films, 1976