Changing the name to Snowblind on subsequent releases of this 1970s TV Movie was probably a good idea. On its initial airdate, it was called Ski Lift to Death. That was a more enticing name; however, it misrepresents the effort as a disaster film and describes only one nearly irrelevant part of the story.
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Other scenes don’t even build toward the key characters being trapped in two cars of a stalled ski lift. They just happen to board it one morning by pure coincidence to go to the top of the mountain. An important component of a disaster film is the anticipation, of which Ski Lift to Death has none.
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In car #1, we have Lee Larson (Deborah Raffin), the freestyle ski champion returning to her hometown. We have Ron Corley (Don Galloway), a television network executive from New York City. We have Ben Forbes (Howard Duff), the mob front man and target of an assassin because he’s going to testify in front of the grand jury. We have his wife, Vicki (Gail Strickland), who’s betrayed her husband to the assassin.
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In car #2, we have Mike Sloan (Don Johnson), up-and-coming champion. We have Wendy (Lisa Reeves), the underaged waitress who won the annual t-shirt dance competition the night before. We have Marv Gilman (Clu Gulager), the sleazy promoter making sponsor deals with the champions left and right.
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On the ground, we have Dick Elston (Charles Frank), declining champion and boyfriend of Lee Larson. Drama alert! Dick is compensating for the fact that Mike Sloan is becoming better than him at doing somersaults in the air after flying off a ski jump by hanging on to Lee so tightly that it’s limiting her career. He’s also a part time member of the “ski patrol.” I wonder if he’ll have anything to do with saving Lee?
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Finally, we have the assassin, Clevenger (Pierre Jalbert), whom I like to call, “Graybeard.” His target is a sitting duck but hardly accessible with all the rescue crew surrounding him, so he steals the sled on which he’s lying and skis down the mountain.
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Feeling guilty, Vicki cries out, “He’s a killer!” Dick takes off after him giving him opportunity to not only save the day, but to become somewhat of a champion again AND realize that if he loves someone, he’s got to set her free.
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I joke about Ski Jump to Death, but it’s entertaining. If you like long segments demonstrating somersaults in the air after flying off ski jumps and t-shirt dance contests accompanied by two complete disco hits of the 70s, you’ll love this movie.
Snowblind is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video. Visit the TV Terror Guide: 70's TV Movies playlist at ClassicHorrors.Club TV on YouTube to watch other great movies from this series.
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