poseiden

THE FLICKS: Just as the history of art can be traced from crude cave drawings to the finely detailed work of Michelangelo and Renoir, so too can we follow the development of the Hollywood disaster movie in the form of Irwin Allen’s The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno, the producer’s two greatest contributions in the often embarrassing but always entertaining genre of movie star spectacle and miniature scale destruction. Airport (1970) may have launched the disaster craze, but Poseidon (1972) perfected it. Cast with an eclectic mix of has-beens (Shelley Winters), new blood (Gene Hackman) and familiar faces (Roddy McDowall), every line of dialogue is as subtle as a slap in the face, and all delivered at full scream. I’m not kidding, these people had to be hoarse when this film wrapped! But, as with modern-day examples like The Day After Tomorrow, the larger-than-life concept is the real selling point, as Allen’s effects and design crew stage the thrilling (by ’72 standards) capsizing of a luxury liner after an underwater earthquake. Director Ronald Neame’s camera choreography as half the passengers are washed away in suitably Old Testament fashion is biblically impressive, enough so to have inspired a number of sequences in James Cameron’s Titanic. Still, the actors perform most of the hard labor. Forced to work their way to the top of the ship, which is now actually the bottom, Hackman leads his rag-tag group of passengers (which include an ex-prostitute, ship’s porter, hippie musician, and one precocious kid) against the odds and against popular opinion in hopes of some sort of rescue. There’s plenty of fire and brimstone in the form of explosive special effects, not to mention the script’s obvious religious implications. But the biggest conflicts come from within the survivors themselves, as they must choose between blind faith and passive resignation. Thanks to a bigger budget, Allen delivers even more destruction in The Towering Inferno. But despite the high-profile talent and more elaborate effects, it can’t top Poseidon in terms of sheer camp appeal. Paul Newman is the architect of San Francisco’s tallest high-rise, which catches fire from faulty wiring and traps some big-name party guests on the 130th floor. Steve McQueen (who doesn’t make his appearance until 45-minutes in) is the cool-headed fire chief. And as in Poseidon, there are a number of familiar faces coughing, catching fire and jumping out of plate-glass windows, among them Fred Astaire, Robert Wagner, Faye Dunaway, O.J. Simpson and Mike Lookinland (aka Bobby Brady). The blaze itself is scary enough, especially when filmed in slow-motion as is the case during Robert Wagner’s untimely demise. Most of the wide shots were created in miniature, but there’s enough floor-level action going on to put the actors in what appears to be serious jeopardy. Allen certainly outdid himself is terms of filling up the movie poster with a first-class cast, yet other than Steve McQueen (whose blue eyes positively glow in contrast with his soot covered face), no one really gets their hands dirty. The Towering Inferno lacks Poseidon’s creative set design and scripted tension. Only the explosive finale, which dumps a million gallons of water on everyone’s heads, comes close to besting Allen’s previous effort. THE FEATURES: Fox however made quite an effort in restoring and revamping these films on DVD. Both arrive as 2-disc special editions sporting impeccable new transfers and enhanced sound. Poseidon features two-commentary tracks (one with director Ronald Neame, the other with select cast members) and a cool interactive “follow the escape” feature that allows you to access a map of the ship with icons representing each character’s current position. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg (ha ha...a little nautical humor, for ya). Disc Two kicks off with AMC Backstory: The Poseidon Adventure, a half-hour documentary produced for the cable channel that provides a concise history of the film. It’s supplemented by nine featurettes, which run over an hour in length, with titles ranging from The Cast Looks Back to Turning Over the Ship. This is all good stuff, covering specific stunts, famous songs (The Morning After, featured in the film, won the Academy Award), and the religious symbolism hidden in Sterling Silliphant’s script. Storyboards, Still Galleries, and Trailers complete the set. The Towering Inferno boasts two commentaries and nine featurettes, but it also contains over 30 deleted/extended scenes, which were originally part of the broadcast version of the film. Unfortunately, these weren’t in good enough shape to be incorporated into the finished restoration so they are presented separately The AMC Backstory: The Towering Inferno provides more background and goes along with some very retro vintage promotional material, including interviews, trailers and behind-the-scenes stuff. Irwin Allen’s tenacity resulted in the first studio co-production (between Warner and Fox) and set off a firestorm of thespian rivalries between the film’s competing stars. Storyboards, Trailers and Stills bring up the rear once again. The attention lavished on these films is nothing short of monumental, which, considering Allen’s penchant for the grandiose is entirely appropriate. Both Poseidon and Inferno are representative of their era, warts and all. And Fox has served them up with no apologies...just plenty of perks.