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Disaster on the Coastliner (1979)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Lloyd Bridges, Raymond Burr, William Shatner, Pat Hingle, E.G. Marshall, Robert Fuller and Paul L. Smith headline this made-for-TV disaster pic that contains some good suspense even though the actual story is perhaps the dumbest of the genre. A man (Smith) wants to prove that a derailment six years earlier was covered up so he hijacks a train, rigs all the computer controls and is prepared to crash the train into another one that just happens to be carrying the Vice President's wife. I love disaster films and anyone who does will probably want to check this thing out, although there's no question that the actual story might be the dumbest I've ever seen. Now, I'll admit that I'm no railroad expert but the bad guy had way too easy of a time getting his plan carried out and it seems like the good guys had way too much trouble trying to stop the train. We get a few reasons as to why they can't stop the train but these here are just incredibly silly and quite often had me laughing pretty hard. One of the stories is that the bad guy is communicating with the other engineer and tells him that terrorists are trying to take the train over. There are other small gimmicks that the bad guy uses to try and pull this off and they're just as silly. Half-way through the picture we get the reason that the bad guy is doing all this stuff and the film tries to make us feel sorry for him but this little plot point didn't work even though Smith gives the best performance in the film. Shatner gets to play a bad guy with a heart of gold. Burr pretty much just stays seated but he's at least entertaining. Bridges is a real hoot playing a government guy at the trains main station and seeing him pull out of gun twice in the film will give you a guaranteed laugh. As silly as many of the plot points are, there's no question that the movie also has some very tense moments. The entire lead-up to the disaster are very well directed and I thought the final fifteen-minutes were extremely tense. It's a real shame that a lot of these tense moments as well as some nice action pieces are letdown due to a rather weak screenplay. With that said, if you enjoy these made-for-TV movies then you might as well check this one out.

Being an avid railroad buff, I have to say that I really like this movie. There's a fantastic mix of light comedy, romantic drama, and high paced action here. Although the track splicing idea is totally rediculous in the time allowed, (and the foreman was 100% correct, the train was moving way too fast for the weld to hold), it was executed with taste and efficiency.

On the technical end, no train travelling 120 mph could survive a sudden 30 yard track switch. Here in NYC, the Metro North Commuter Railroad uses 100 yard switches that trains can only handle at about 50 mph. That train should have derailed instantly on such a sudden turn. Also, when uncoupling the cars from the locomotive, the sudden decompression of the air lines should have clamped the brakes on in the passenger coaches by locking all the wheels, and not as a slow gradual coasting as depicted.

This is one movie that really should be released on VHS/DVD. There's enough action and suspense here for any action lover. And its a family friendly movie as well.

Effective TV-movie about two trains on collision course due to sabotage. Not as silly as many other disaster movies, but equally star-cluttered. William Shatner is funny as a con man, who might not be such a bad person after all. Exciting with good special effects.

When speaking of disaster movies from the 70s decade, you automatically think of the gloriously flamboyant and heavily budgeted productions of Irwin Allen, with dazzling all-star casts and spectacular stunt work as most recognizable trademarks. As much as I worship those, I must admit that many made-for-TV disaster movies from that same era are just as awesome, or even more awesome, despite their much smaller budgets.

"Disaster on the Coastliner" is such a fantastic TV-film, but for some inexplicable and totally undeserved reason, it's unknown and entirely forgotten. I can't possibly fathom why that is, because it has a terrific yet textbook disaster movie plot, a downright fantastic cast and a more than competent director (Richard C. Sarafian of "Vanishing Point"). Paul Smith is terrific as an embittered and vengeful employee of the Railway company who sabotages the computerized controls and arranges for two passenger trains to head towards each other at high speed, and on the same tracks. In the control room, as well as on both trains and even at Amtrak headquarters, people slowly realize that a catastrophic head-on collision becomes unavoidable.

The film has everything! There's suspense, fast-paced action, a garden variety of interesting characters, odd humor and an edge-of-your-seat climax. Despite this being a TV-production, there are some impressive action sequences and the finale with the miniature derailment is excellent. The sequences in the control room, and especially the interactions between Lloyd Bridges and E.G. Marshall, are quite funny, since Bridges can complain non-stop about computers and modern technology, and you can't help thinking of him in "Airplane!" the entire time. Furthermore, the stellar cast includes Yvette Mimieux, Robert Fuller, Pat Hingle, Lane Smith and the great William Shatner who depicts a petty criminal who nevertheless becomes the hero who saves the day.

Two trains are about to collide and Lloyd Bridges is in the control room trying to sort things out.

I am a 1970s disaster movie lover, and I finally saw this long lost film on YouTube in 2012 or 2013. I think it has been taken down now. I remember being thrilled by the screening.

The thing that lingers in the mind is the amusing Airplane-type character played by Lloyd Bridges. Shatner is funny as well.

Being a TV movie, don't expect any lavish special effects, just enjoy the ride and the funny quirks of the people in the film.