EDITOR’S NOTE: The Survivor was on the CBS Late Movie on July 4, 1988.

This is not the 1987 film The Survivor or the 1984 movie Sole Survivor, which is also about an airplane crash with one survivor. It is also not Final Destination, despite Frank Herbert writing the book that inspired this in 1976. He also wrote a lot of books about mutant rats and sadly, only one movie was made from that series, Deadly Eyes, which had dachshunds in fur suits. His books Fluke, Haunted and The Unholy have all been made into movies.

Pilot David Keller (Robert Powell, Harlequin) is the only survivor of the crash of a Boeing 747-200 and he feels responsible for the loss of 300 passengers. He can’t remember the accident but starts having visions that lead him to believe that the crash was no accident. There’s also the matter of little girl ghosts stalked the paparazzi who trail Keller, killing one of them after revealing a scarred face. When his girlfriend tries to develop the photos, another ghost kills her with a papercutter.

After going to a vigil — and being screamed at — Keller meets a psychic named Hobbs (Jenny Agutter). She reveals that she has the same visions and they are overtaken by the emotions they both are possessed by and begin to fight one another.

Working with a priest (Joseph Cotten in his last role), the two learn that the killer was a fellow pilot, Slater (Ralph Cotterill). He saw the people on the plane as just collateral damage to ruin Keller. As they fight, a flaming airplane sets them ablaze and Keller barely walks out, burned up and dying. When crews continue to drag away the parts of the plane, they find his dead body. Was he always there?

Brian Trenchard-Smith cut the Milan Film Market trailer for this, shooting his own footage of Agutter before she even started making this movie. He also directed the trailer that sold the movie to audiences.

When interviewed by David J. Howe, Herbert said of his movies, ““I had nothing to do with those two films. I heard after the event that The Rats had been sold to Golden Harvest who did all those Bruce Lee Kung-Fu films. I sent a note to David Hemmings when I heard he was directing The Survivor to offer my assistance if he wanted it – I didn’t get a reply. I’ve seen them. They’re terrible … absolute rubbish. I can only say don’t blame me.”

That’s right. This was directed by Deep Red star David Hemmings. It was written by David Ambrose, who created the British TV movie and conspiracy nexus point Alternative 3, as well as The Final Countdown, Amityville 3-D, D.A.R.Y.L. and Blackout.

Sadly, Australia’s Actor’s Equity were upset that there were so many overseas cast members and refused to allow Susan George and Samatha Eggar to be in this movie. We nearly got the stars of Tintorera and Demonoid in the same movie?

You can watch this on YouTube.