It is basically a cross between Outbreak and The Train. A terrorist attack on the "International Health Organisation" in Geneva results in a deadly strain of bubonic plague being released. One of the terrorists escapes and boards a train heading for Stockholm. As the authorities realise the potential consequences of the plague reaching the outside world, they seal the train and send it towards a "test centre" in Poland. But in order to get there, the train must cross the treacherous Cassandra Crossing, a rickety bridge which has been closed since 1948. As the passengers begin to show symptoms of the disease, Geneva must make a choice - risk the disease spreading or allow the train to plunge off the Cassandra Crossing into oblivion.

The questions begin to pile up after the first few minutes. If the American military are developing a strain of bubonic plague, why do they keep it in glass jars in what looks like a store cupboard ? Why are there no staff at the International Health Organisation apart from a cleaner, two guards and three doctors ? If they can't contact the train when it leaves Geneva Station, how can they transmit messages to it later in the film ?

Needless to say, none of these questions are answered, so our attention drifts to the other shortcomings of the film. Burt Lancaster, playing the Colonel in charge of deciding the fate of the train, strides purposefully around a room full of maps that give no useful information, while his hair mysteriously changes colour. Meanwhile, the train is full of stock characters left over from the last Airport film. We have Martin Sheen as a mountain climbing gigolo drug dealer. Ava Gardner is the wife of a "German arms billionaire". Everybody's favourite innocent man O.J.Simpson appears, to hilarious effect, to be playing a priest, but turns out to be a Drug Enforcement Agent in disguise. There's a concentration camp survivor who goes mad upon hearing he has to go back to Poland. A sub-sub-Eurovision singing group are performing happy-clappy numbers in the first class carriages. As if this wasn't enough to encourage frequent use of forward-search, Richard Harris and Sophia Loren are present, spitting invective at each other as a twice divorced couple. Luckily, Richard - who, unsurprisingly, heads for the bar after twenty minutes - is a "brilliant neurosurgeon", so he's put in charge of looking after those passengers who start frothing at the mouth. For some reason, he's considered an expert on what to do when bubonic plague strikes a train full of rich women and mountain climbing gigolos.

This is such a bad film that criticism is virtually redundant. The script is a collection of banalities such as "We've played so many games that neither of us know what's real anymore". Jerry Goldsmith's music score becomes increasingly hysterical in a vain effort to create some semblance of suspense. The back projection is some of the worst I've ever seen in a supposedly 'major' film, and the model train shots have to be seen to be believed. George Pan Cosmatos - known to all as George Pan Comatose - directs in his usual lethargic fashion, waking up briefly in some of the action scenes, and saving most of his energy for the frequent helicopter shots. The film might not seem so bad if it weren't for the ridiculous overlength. Two hours and three minutes of this stuff is the sort of experience that will soon be outlawed by Human Rights legislation. The only redeeming feature, apart from the unintentional comedy, is the very attractive location photography of the European countryside.

This is another of Carlton's budget releases, although personally I would suggest using your ten quid towards something less likely to induce narcolepsy.

The picture quality is surprisingly acceptable. The film has been transferred in 1.85:1 letterbox, which is better than pan and scan, even if it isn't the 2.35:1 ratio of the theatrical release. There's the expected cropping, but it looks like Cosmatos has deliberately filmed in the middle of the frame for most of the time. The image is fairly crisp and there's not too much grain. Some artifacting is evident, but it's not the major problem it is on some of the other Silver Collection releases.

The sound is mono, which reflects the original film presentation. It's acceptable, although the music seems a bit strident and some of the dialogue is a little difficult to decipher.

There are no extras, but there is the usual animated menu with a scene from the film and an extract from the music score. There are a rather mean 15 chapter stops, the titles of which give away certain plot points. On the bright side, you could read the chapter headings and go and watch a proper film instead.

Even by the standards of seventies disaster films, this is a really terrible film. The DVD would be good value for money if the content were better. As it is, however, avoid.

Mike Sutton