User reviews

... there is some degree of atmosphere (mostly taking place in the cargo room) in the movie, even though the acting looks like it leaped off the page of a graphic novel. Chuck Connors is Captain Slade, who flies the plane in the dark of night from London to New York. But something sinister is in the cargo hold: an ancient Druid altar containing a demon. Jane Merrow seems to know what is going on and blurts out the reason they are in danger, failing to leave anything to the viewer's imagination. William Shatner is a former priest who drinks far too much, and the inside temperature of the plane continues to drop. The big question is: will the airplane reach New York by sunrise?

Roy Thinnes, Russell (The professor) Johnson, Tammy Grimes, Paul Winfield and Buddy Ebsen provide reasonable support in this made-for-television movie. Best watched at the time I did (which was past midnight!), only one of the passengers makes a sacrifice to the demon.

A familiar cast of TV veterans star in this entertaining, reasonably effective TV movie that stars Roy Thinnes("The Invaders") as an architect transporting an old Abbey altar on an airplane from London to L.A. that comes to demonic life, threatening all aboard, like William Shatner("Star Trek") as a former priest called back into action to defeat the evil, and Chuck Conners("The Rifleman") as the pilot. Buddy Ebsen("Barnaby Jones") and Russell Johnson("Gilligan's Island") costar.

Interesting coincidences here: both Shatner and Johnson starred together on an excellent episode of "Thriller" called 'The Hungry Glass', and Shatner also memorably appeared on "The Twilight Zone" as a similarly tormented man('Nightmare At 20,000 Feet') Both Shatner and Conners would later costar in spoof "Airplane II: The Sequel"

Just out on DVD, and worth a look.

'The Horror at 37,000 Feet' has to rank as one of the lesser efforts from the era when the made for TV horror movie flourished. It has some great moments, but not as much atmosphere as one would like. Some viewers may appreciate the fact that the evil in this story is never really given a face, others may be underwhelmed. The acting is variable, the direction (by David Lowell Rich) competent if not distinguished, and the special effects entertaining enough, but mostly what this television movie delivers is laughter - I'm assuming most of it is of the unintentional variety. Be prepared for very dodgy accents, which is also part of the (mild) fun of this thing.

The cast of big names includes Chuck Connors as intrepid pilot Ernie Slade, Buddy Ebsen as pompous rich man Glenn Farlee, Tammy Grimes as the self-righteous Mrs. Pinder, France Nuyen as passenger Annalik, the almighty William Shatner as cynical boozing ex-priest Paul Novalik, Roy Thinnes as architect Alan O'Neill, Paul Winfield as dedicated Dr. Enkalla, Will Hutchins as cowboy film star Steve Holcomb, and Russell Johnson as Jim Hawley, another member of the flight crew on a plane travelling from London to NYC. Unfortunately, Alan has ruined the trip for everybody by bringing back architectural artifacts - specifically, the remains of an abbey - in the cargo hold. Bad idea. Apparently druids used this place in a previous century. The passengers and crew are then subjected to supernatural phenomena including freezing cold and wind, a lot of ooze, and cracks opening up in the floor. It remains to be seen if these people will figure out how to survive before the plane runs out of fuel.

In general, this is fairly entertaining, with Shatner stealing the show as the former religious man, treating us to some very Shatnerian acting. Grimes is also a total hoot as the crazed lady who seems to have all the answers. Director Rich does at least give this thing a good sense of pace; like many movies of this kind, 'The Horror at 37,000 Feet' clocks in at a trim 70 minute plus running time. Best of all is when the flight crew are making their way through the hold. The finale is likely to leave people busting a gut laughing, however.

Worth a look if one is really into the TV horrors of the 1970s.

Six out of 10.

The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

AIRPORT with demons is the best way to sum up this made-for-TV flick that isn't one of the best out there but thankfully there's a terrific cast that helps make it entertaining. What we've basically got is a flight from London to Los Angeles where a couple bring on board an ancient abbey. Half way through the flight an invisible demon breaks free and goes after the passengers. THE HORROR AT 37,000 FEET isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but if you enjoy these TV movies and you like the genre then you should be able to at least get a few kicks out of it. We get a pretty impressive cast that includes Chuck Connors, Buddy Ebsen, William Shatner and Paul Winfield and there's no question that these familiar faces help keep the film moving at times. I think out of all of them Winfield comes across the best as a good-hearted doctor trying to help people. Shatner is fun to watch as the former priest who has turned to alcohol instead of God. The screenplay offers up several interesting ideas, although not too much can be done with such a short running time of 74-minutes. I really liked how the demon was using the cold to work its magic as this here is something I've never seen before. There are some major problems in the picture and one is the incredibly bad and campy sound effects that play whenever the demon is at work. These things are never scary and quite often they kill whatever the film had working up. The shots of the plane flying are also quite laughable in how cheap they are but this here doesn't kill the film too much. THE HORROR AT 37,000 FEET is short enough and contains enough fun to make it worth viewing.

I watched this years ago as a kid, on television, and only had vague memories of it. I just recently re-watched at and I have to say it's quite the turkey. A made for TV horror film staring Chuck Connors, Buddy Ebsen and William Shatner that takes place on a 747 airliner...at apparently 37,000 feet. There's a Druid stone on the plane (being moved from England to the U.S. to be part of a private bar of a successful architect. It's the solstice, the ancient Druid god's are angry and demanding a sacrifice. So, the movie is pretty weak, as one might expect for a made for TV movie of this time (1973), and I doubt many would like it. I enjoyed it mostly due to the memories it brought back and my weird love of crappy movies. If you want to relive some TV memories from the 70's or also like cheesy bad movies, then I say go for it... If you don't fit this mold, just walk away and don't look back. Trivia: Paul Winfield also stars in this movie - William Shatner and Paul Winfieled would later go on to be in Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan nine years later in 1982.

Although not as good as that terrifying Twilight Zone episode starring Bill Shatner, this movie is definitely under appreciated. The plot is strange with all the Druid rituals, but the oddness of the subject matter adds to the atmosphere. It takes place on a virtually empty airplane which I myself have flown on before. With a full plane, the whole thing would have been a chaotic mess where as this sparse cast allows for a bit more calmness and thought. The characters work together to defeat this demon or ghost or whatever it's supposed to be, but they gradually fall apart as the terror gets more intense. You will recognize most of the actors and they all turn in decent performances. It's hard to pick a favorite, but Shatner's drunken defrocked priest is the most interesting. The special effects are good at times, but occasionally amateurish due to working under a TV budget as opposed to a movie one. The whole package is very entertaining though. When I realized it was coming to an end I was kind of disappointed as I wanted more. Overall, the film really impressed me and after watching this it made me want to look into many more 1970s made for television horror movies.

This movie is so bad, I haven't forgotten it even after thirty years. To begin with, it is a made-for-TV movie, and made-for-TV movies in 1972 were really really cheap. Secondly, it has perhaps the stupidest, most ridiculous script since Ed Wood's days. Add a number of TV icons to the mix, and it is definitely worth watching for the bad movie lover.

Only to find that Captain Kirk has taken a dump on the dance floor and Jed Clampett slipped and fell in it. What can you really expect from a made for TV movie starring a bunch of people who are at least a decade past their prime? Not much I'd say and that's what you get with this movie. My favorite part is when the little girl gives up on her lame British accent. While it is a dumb movie, it's probably Shatner's best work.

I was 9 years old when I saw this CBS Network movie when it first aired in 1972 and my brother, sister, and I were wide-eyed and scared silly by it! The next day in elementary school it was the talk of the playground and lunchroom discussion was lively! Nothing could beat this until at least Killdozer showed up two years later...

Why is it that after all these years, those of us my age that know such wise things as Scooby Doo went completely downhill with the introduction of Scooby Dumb and Scrappy Doo .....CAN'T get this film out of our heads and it is agreed it is one of the most memorable pieces of TV wackiness every created! I give Horror At 37,000 Feet such a high rating because it successfully ENTERTAINS, no matter how completely schlocky it is. TV movies in the 1970s were quite edgy, you must admit.

They TRIED, whether good or bad, and yet like a lot of music, we always refer back to the 1960s and '70s for pop culture references that just won't die.

Completely serious yet unable to escape its hokey execution, it still comes across as genuinely creepy (that whole thing with the doll as a sacrifice was a jaw-dropper!), and you can't deny that any time this is broadcast on television (thanks to the TNT network lately!), you'll drop what ever you're doing and watch it no matter what time it's on. For an "obscure" TV movie to maintain pure entertainment value after 30 years is an accomplishment, and it's quite alright to LOVE this one and laugh at it.

Chuck Connors and Russell Johnson as pilots, William Shatner as the most drinkingest ex-priest I've ever seen, Buddy Ebson looking like he showed up thinking he must be in some other film, Tammy Grimes with that inexplicable evil smile of glee ("my beautiful dog..." she laments but never actually seemed to worry about it before, rather relishing the nastiness creeping up from the cargo hold). Major plus points for the scene where the stewardess tells Grimes not to say anything to the other passengers about what she just saw, and a split second later a passenger asks what happened and Grimes matter-of-factly states a pilot is dead, and walks away without missing a beat. Also, you gotta love a film that uses that "cricket" sound effect that seems borrowed from War Of The Worlds. Man, and everyone on that plane has SUCH an attitude or issue with something, those who survived the evil creeping up from the cargo area must have at least been left with an ulcer. I've never seen so many actors look like they've just been goosed when trying to look terrified.

Gosh, to think that people once freely walked around in a plane and smoked. 9/11 has truly changed our lives because when I recently saw this film again and the scene where the woman opens a kit with scissors and clippers I just looked at the TV screen as if I couldn't believe what I saw her holding. This film will truly take you back to days when things were just, well, different.

UPDATE May, 2014: It's now available as a barebones DVD, but what would be a dream come true would be a complete DVD treatment with commentary and production information -- Horror At 37,000 Feet is too outrageous to be a lost enigma of the 1970s. With an obvious cult following (as I know many are of the likes of this one, Killdozer, and The Car), it could be a collector's dream come true. How many other TV movies this bizarre can you REALLY remember as well as this one? They just don't make 'em like this anymore, and I cherish each minute I am subjected to when watching HORROR AT 37,000 FEET!!

A transatlantic airliner full of stereotypes finds itself terrorised by an evil supernatural force that resides in the container hold. William Shatner stars in this one and he had this to say about his appearance, "I get sucked out of an airplane while carrying a lit torch into the airliner's baggage compartment while trying to confront a druid ghost." If that isn't a recommendation then I don't know what is! It is a film with some silly plot developments for sure (the doll!) but I am a sucker for any 70's movie set on a Boing 747 where disaster strikes and this is another one, even if it makes Airport '79 seem believable by comparison.

This movie has it all......Everything except a big budget, plot, character development, special effects, believable premise and a good hair piece for William Shatner. The question is......What do you do when possessed stones take over the airplane, the co-pilot gets offed, there's a frozen dog in the cargo hold, Shatner has drank all the booze on board, a fecal-like substance is bubbling up through the floor and a bunch of midgie druids are running around the fuselage attacking Chuck Connors?.....What do you do? While I rated this movie a 3 out of 10, I'm sure that the score would have doubled if I had watched it in the right "frame of mind", which is what I would suggest to anyone even considering seeing this movie. Otherwise, don't even bother.

Disaster movie meets horror movie as supernatural events happen on a passenger plane.

This might be just a TV movie but this is more fun than Airport 1975 and Airport 79 put together!

1960s sci-fi stars William Shatner (Star Trek) and Roy Thinnes (QM's The Invaders) dealing with more out-of-this-world dangers in the early 1970s, that is what draws me to this movie.

But if you don't view the film that way, well, you might not get such a blast out of it. The horror element is very mild, in fact the first 30 or 40 minutes of the flick are more about the quirks of the passengers and crew of the plane...not much horror.

Produced by Anthony Wilson who was the story editor for all 83 episodes of Lost In Space.

I just found this long lost gem of a movie on YouTube with a surprisingly good print. I hope others enjoy it on YouTube, if it does not get taken down.

I was only interested because Kirk (William Shatner) and The Professor (Russell Johnson) were in it. I remember that it was pretty cheesy and that at one point there was a strange special effect of having some kind of weird gooey slop bubbling up out of the floor. I saw it a couple times too, and to tell you the truth, they were not fulfilling experiences. Yet, after all these years, like another who pointed this out, I still remember it. It just goes to show you what the '70's did to the minds of bright, innocent young kids.

The Horror at 37,000 Feet is not worthy of more than a 6 star rating, yet it falls in that film category of it's so bad its good!

The all-star cast, the mid 1970's clothes and the luxury airplane set all make for a fantastic set-up. And then, the plot is just down right crazy! Packed in the plane is a medieval chapel built on a druid ritual site that is being shipped to America to become a bar in a rich white man's house! Well, the ghost aren't too happy at being airlifted to America, and the passengers aren't too happy when the haunting begins. For such an all-star cast, it is hysterical to watch how much bad acting is in this film. All the characters are angry about something or another and just keep snapping at each other. And most of them are drinking non-stop, especially Bill Shatner. It all just adds to the nuttiness of this film.

It's stunning to consider this movie came out in 1973, so after the book and movie Airport as well as the novel The Exorcist. Yet, the film pre-dates Stephen King AND Airplane! The Movie.

The fear factor is minimal but that is more than offset by the rest of this movie which, for a 73 minute made for TV movie, packs a lot in.

I really was hoping for better with this cast and the idea behind this film but I found it somewhat disappointing - mainly some of the characters that ruined this movie. 3 female passengers that are witchy with a capital "B". Two that are "witchy" wives and one zealous religious nut - I really wanted to slap all 3 of them. There is also one really screwed up crazy woman, one irritating child and one freaking clownish cowboy. The rest of the characters are okay enough it's just the 6 I mentioned that got on my nerves. (Notice I said the characters NOT the actors themselves).

The story is good enough for a film of this type but I wasn't crazy about the pea-soup coming out of the baby doll... that was just dumb.

5/10

WARNING: A DOG IS KILLED AS A PLOT DEVICE (this is NOT a spoiler, but a warning, for those of us who find animal cruelty in TV & movies, deplorable.)

If you like the guilty pleasures that TV movies provided, then you might like this. It's a supernatural thriller, at times hilarious, although not meaning to be, is a fun way to spend an hour an half.

If you're expecting realism, this is not for you. It's got good actors, including a stand out performance from Paul Winfield. The ending is a bit anticlimactic, but the build up to it was a fun romp.

I totally loved this blast of 70s disaster horror campery. It's got everything and something and more besides. A boozed up William Shatner does not fail to entertain. There's a Rosemary's Baby-esque scene with a twist. The whole cast literally rock in this film. And Mrs Pinder is now my spirit animal.

Honestly, if you don't enjoy this movie you must be dead inside! 10/10 bish x

I don't know what satanic cult my parents prescribed to, but I clearly remember being scarred for life with the vision of a real hair stuffed baby doll being offered to an ancient druid demon on a plane (and melting). Thanks for that, Mum and Dad. Although it might have been the babysitter watching that while you were out dealing crack.

So, William Shatner is an alky priest on a plane losing his faith and hitting the hooch while a couple wonder if taking the ancient remnants of a druid altar on a plane to America is a good idea. Probably not as the druid demon goes nuts (in a polite English fashion that only results in about two fatalities, and a dog) while everyone screams and all that crap.

Seriously, this one stuck in my mind for years, but the version in my mind turned out to be more freaky than the actual version. I had a vision of a huge hooded figure type scaring the crap out of the passengers, but that didn't happen. The baby doll thing did happen, and it is still kind of freaky, but the scariest thing is some blue screen work at the end.

Still, it's worth a watch and is rather good for a TV movie. Grizzly still gives me the fear (seriously, what the feck was wrong with my parents at the time?) but this one is a cheese-or-rama.

With a title like The Horror at 37,000 Feet and the fact that it features William Shatner you can't help but think it is trying to emulate the Twilight Zone episode. However, the two really don't have anything else in common. Of course in terms of quality this TV movie is nowhere near as compelling as that episode but it's also just different overall. The monster in this case, well there isn't really one at all. There's just a chilly draft and some goo that occasionally appears on things to represent it as the ensemble of bad actors (excluding Shatner of course) argue and panic in some very dull and incredibly stupid scenes in this incoherent, pointless mess.