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A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Poseidon Adventure -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Ken Volok

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KPmusmag said:
That's funny; we went often to the drive-in and my mother would tell me to turn around and look out the back window when something violent or otherwise inappropriate came up. I was 9 when POSEIDON came out and I insisted we go see it. My mother thought it would be too scary for me, but acquiesced. Well, I couldn't sleep for two nights and lying in bed at night I swear I could feel the motion of being in a boat. I still enjoy viewing it now and then.
We went to DisneyLand soon after I saw this film (6-7yo) and I was terrified the Jungle Cruise boat was going to capsize!
 

Dr Griffin

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Lord Dalek said:
Not gonna happen, the dialog elements are long gone and its a huge stretch (despite the claims of LaLa Land Records) to call the soundtrack master tapes "stereo".

Considering this was released on DVD in mono originally due to element deterioration you should be happy with what you got.
Thank you Lord, for telling me how I should feel. :rolleyes:
I have been able to improve the audio experience of this BD by using the high input on my sub-woofer. I have a REL sub and the high input feeds off of bass from the front L&R's. This is giving me more bottom end and improving the sound effects.
 

Tom St Jones

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As for Roger Ebert (God rest him)'s nitpicking on the Christmas tree being "conveniently constructed of aluminum tubing", sure it was convenient but if this hadn't been available, surely Hackman and the other passengers with him would have found some other way to climb up there?

I've never felt it made much sense to criticize details like this for the reason I point out. This scene in the film was just one of those oversights (whether unintentional or intentional) that the producers probably figured the audience would, no matter how sophisticated they may or may not be, forgive in the name of having a good time. I think Irwin Allen could produce a work of art when he set out to, but mostly I think he was out to entertain. This picture does that.
 

Brian McP

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Fantastic movie -- pre "Star Wars" and "Jaws", these disaster movies were as good as it got for thrills and special effects for 10 year old kids (which I was delighted to hear Ronald Neame say on the audio commentary track that these kids were their main target demographic, which is probably why so many people in their 50s love the picture so much)

And that cast -- all wonderful, great actors, many very familiar to kids watching a few of them in tv reruns on a daily basis (my idol Ernest Borgnine, yelling his head off Monday to Friday on "McHale's Navy" especially)

Many interesting things about this movie that may have made it even more kid friendly than the producers and scriptwriters realized -- the movie has only one villain ("Mr. Linarcos" played by Fred Sadoff, rushing the old ship to the wrecking crew in Athens, ordering stoic captain Leslie Neilsen to not take on ballast and go "full ahead") -- also, the entire screenplay (by Sterling Silliphant and Wendell Mayes) is made up of continuous one-liners from everyone (except Fred Sadoff) that kept the kids in the theatre laughing throughout -- a couple toilet gags (involving actual toilets, upright and upside down), fat jokes, scenery chewing by nearly the entire cast kept the 6 track stereo blasting away -- nobody could ever fall asleep during this movie.

This movie played here in Melbourne at Hoyts Cinema Centre in 70mm for 14 months and returned the following year (in 70mm) on a double bill with "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" for another month and a half. ("The Towering Inferno" was by then playing up the street, also in 70mm and ended up playing 13 months, ending its season in the middle of the box office success of "Jaws" in early 1976)
 

Everett S.

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Brian McP said:
Fantastic movie -- pre "Star Wars" and "Jaws", these disaster movies were as good as it got for thrills and special effects for 10 year old kids (which I was delighted to hear Ronald Neame say on the audio commentary track that these kids were their main target demographic, which is probably why so many people in their 50s love the picture so much)

And that cast -- all wonderful, great actors, many very familiar to kids watching a few of them in tv reruns on a daily basis (my idol Ernest Borgnine, yelling his head off Monday to Friday on "McHale's Navy" especially)

Many interesting things about this movie that may have made it even more kid friendly than the producers and scriptwriters realized -- the movie has only one villain ("Mr. Linarcos" played by Fred Sadoff, rushing the old ship to the wrecking crew in Athens, ordering stoic captain Leslie Neilsen to not take on ballast and go "full ahead") -- also, the entire screenplay (by Sterling Silliphant and Wendell Mayes) is made up of continuous one-liners from everyone (except Fred Sadoff) that kept the kids in the theatre laughing throughout -- a couple toilet gags (involving actual toilets, upright and upside down), fat jokes, scenery chewing by nearly the entire cast kept the 6 track stereo blasting away -- nobody could ever fall asleep during this movie.

This movie played here in Melbourne at Hoyts Cinema Centre in 70mm for 14 months and returned the following year (in 70mm) on a double bill with "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" for another month and a half. ("The Towering Inferno" was by then playing up the street, also in 70mm and ended up playing 13 months, ending its season in the middle of the box office success of "Jaws" in early 1976)
This opened the National theatre on Broadway NY.NY. They had a 3 way turning marquee! It showed 3 different full sized pictures!!! They only used it this once,but what a great way to open a theatre. If you did not see & hear it in 70mm six track big lost.
 

SilverWook

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Tom St Jones said:
As for Roger Ebert (God rest him)'s nitpicking on the Christmas tree being "conveniently constructed of aluminum tubing", sure it was convenient but if this hadn't been available, surely Hackman and the other passengers with him would have found some other way to climb up there?

I've never felt it made much sense to criticize details like this for the reason I point out. This scene in the film was just one of those oversights (whether unintentional or intentional) that the producers probably figured the audience would, no matter how sophisticated they may or may not be, forgive in the name of having a good time. I think Irwin Allen could produce a work of art when he set out to, but mostly I think he was out to entertain. This picture does that.
The shopping mall in my town used to erect a giant tree over the water fountain in the center every year, going way back to the 70's. It was all aluminum tubing on the inside. As a kid, I used to think it would be pretty neat to climb up inside.
 

Dr Griffin

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Brian McP said:
Fantastic movie -- pre "Star Wars" and "Jaws", these disaster movies were as good as it got for thrills and special effects for 10 year old kids (which I was delighted to hear Ronald Neame say on the audio commentary track that these kids were their main target demographic, which is probably why so many people in their 50s love the picture so much)

And that cast -- all wonderful, great actors, many very familiar to kids watching a few of them in tv reruns on a daily basis (my idol Ernest Borgnine, yelling his head off Monday to Friday on "McHale's Navy" especially)

Many interesting things about this movie that may have made it even more kid friendly than the producers and scriptwriters realized -- the movie has only one villain ("Mr. Linarcos" played by Fred Sadoff, rushing the old ship to the wrecking crew in Athens, ordering stoic captain Leslie Neilsen to not take on ballast and go "full ahead") -- also, the entire screenplay (by Sterling Silliphant and Wendell Mayes) is made up of continuous one-liners from everyone (except Fred Sadoff) that kept the kids in the theatre laughing throughout -- a couple toilet gags (involving actual toilets, upright and upside down), fat jokes, scenery chewing by nearly the entire cast kept the 6 track stereo blasting away -- nobody could ever fall asleep during this movie.

This movie played here in Melbourne at Hoyts Cinema Centre in 70mm for 14 months and returned the following year (in 70mm) on a double bill with "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" for another month and a half. ("The Towering Inferno" was by then playing up the street, also in 70mm and ended up playing 13 months, ending its season in the middle of the box office success of "Jaws" in early 1976)
I am also a Borgnine fan, and really want to see a Blu-ray of Emperor of the North.
Does anything play for 13 months anymore?!
 

darkrock17

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Does anyone know if this is set for a re-release (maybe a 4K upgrade?) It seems to be hard to get ahold of at the moment.

Who wouldn't want to see the classic Disaster films get an upgrade. Earthquake got a big upgrade earlier this year, so it would only make sense for the rest to follow suit. However though since Disney now owns 20th Century Fox, they would be the one's to release it and The Towering Inferno as well not unless Disney where to license out select titles to other companies like Shout Factory, Kino Video, and Arrow Video.
 

Lord Dalek

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Since I finally had time to complete the 70s disaster movie holy trinity with Poseidon Adventure (which took forever to show up, thanks Amazon!) I can give some thoughts. The video quality is surprisingly good. Yeah its not as sharp as one would like, but who knows what shape the elements were in (this was a big hit in 1972 and that usually means overprinting the negative to death) so I would not be surprised if this is as good as it gets. At the very least its better than the poorly aged, rather thin and oversharpened looking Towering Inferno. Sound wise......well its in stereo...sorta. Yeah I'm not gonna lie, the original 4-track mix of Poseidon, while nice to have for the first time ever, sounds pretty godawful. A smeary mess mostly confined to the fronts (I think the rear kicked in twice but that's it) with the occasional attempt at directional dialogue ruined by the clogged claustrophobic soundstage. Also even parts of this version are still in mono! They just didn't care back then did they? Clearly Earthquake wins this battle even though the LFE channel is a bit low on the 2.1 track and the stereo separation also isn't the greatest (still better than it is on Poseidon though).

Extras are the same as the old 2 disc. I miss the better cover art and the cool lobby card reproductions though. Oh well.
 

Robert Saccone

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One of my all time favorites. It would be nice for its 50th to get a 4K UHD of this movie. Also wouldn’t mind seeing it on the big screen again.
 

Nick*Z

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The original Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno are classics not to be missed. As both reside with Disney, the likelihood of either getting a genuine 4K release is slim to nil. While both sport competently rendered hi-def releases to Blu, each could benefit from a new hi-def scan and, of course, a 4K remaster and re-issue. In the world of pipe dreams, all things are possible. This isn't that world. Just saying.
 

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