Connection time at Newark airport

Thanks for all the help and input, everyone. I get the idea it's just going to be a crapshoot, but I think that I'm going to try it. The next available flight is almost $300 more, so even if I miss the flight and end up totally uncomfortable for the night, I think it's worth it. We'll see.

Thanks for the hint to have the check-in agent tag my bags "Priority." I've never done that before, so I probably wouldn't have thought of that.

Appreciate all your thoughts!

Continental has a very big presence at Newark, so they probably know what they're doing.

This past October, I had to play chutes & ladders at San Francisco, following directions to a little check-in spot for a shuttle bus from my arrival area to the international departures terminal, thus avoiding going thru security again. My plane from Orlando was rather late, so I just made it. The bags somehow were waiting for me at Osaka-Kansei.

A story, only vaguely related:

Once upon a time (last year, actually), I had a connection between two international flights in Frankfurt on Lufthansa. The first flight arrived in Frankfurt a few minutes behind schedule. I didn't think we were grossly late, but apparantly the airline did, because there was a Lufthansa agent at the gate collecting the handful of passengers connecting to San Francisco. He barked, "Follow me!" then proceeded to jog through the terminal, while we all tried to keep up, our carry-ons streaming behind.

I was focused on keeping mey eyes on the uniformed agent as he dashed ahead, dodging around lounging passengers, and not on the airport signage, so I don't know exactly where we went. But we must have been changing terminals, because had to take numerous passageways and pass numerous security and bureaucratic checkpoints. At each barrier, he flashed a badge and we cut to the front of the line. The entire process took us perhaps 10 minutes, and left us panting and sweaty. But we made our flight!

I would not be so confident that Continental knows what they are doing, but since you are pretty set on this decision, I will focus on the good news:

Newark is not a huge airport. This actually seems pretty reasonable to me, though I prefer a longer time for connections that include immigration and customs.

I made 90 minute connection through Newark from Hong Kong without any problem.

Flight delays out of Newark will help you, because the flight to Atlanta is likely to leave late.

In my experience, most flights from Asia to the U.S. arrive ahead of schedule.

These days, many airlines do hold the last flight of the day for connecting passengers. I've had several experiences where my flight arrived late and I ran to catch my next flight only to have several more people board from other late connections after me.

Your luggage may not make the connection, even if you do. But you will get it eventually.

If I could (barely) make a 45-minute connection at Schiphol even after an additional delay, you can make a 75-minute connection at Newark.