The Poseidon Adventure 50th Anniversary and beyond (3 Viewers)

[Stephen_J_H]

I'm surprised Shout! never tried to do a Irwin Allen Master of Disaster box since they have (had?) relationships with both Fox and Warner.

Could have included in a nice chipboard box:

-The Poseidon Adventure
-The Towering Inferno (in a two disc set with the complete tv cut remastered)
-Flood! and Fire! double feature
-Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
-When Time Ran Out

Alas.

Don't forget The Swarm!

 

[MartinP.]

I have read the novel and I also have a copy of the first draft of the script which was written by Wendell Mayes and largely followed the novel. It is to say the least, dreadful and had Allen filmed that script, the results would have been on par with his later duds, "The Swarm" and "When Time Ran Out."

I was surprised to find out recently that the original critics reviews for The Poseidon Adventure were not good. I do think you can qualify Airport (1970) as a disaster film. Then we had ten years of them! I think "When Time Ran Out" in 1980 ended them! Or, as an L.A. Times reviewer called it: "When Ideas Ran Out." And The Swarm! Poor Fred MacMurray and Olivia "A swarm of killer bees is headin' this way" DeHavilland. The worst disaster film that decade was Tidal Wave which Roger Ebert called "purely and simply a wretched failure." (For anyone looking up that title, look up Submersion of Japan on WIkipedia.)

I like The Poseidon Adventure more than Towering Inferno because the characters are more entertaining and people identify with various characters and even have New Year's Eve Poseidon parties (I've been to one). I went to a New Year's Eve screening of it once at The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood where they passed out those (popper?) streamers for the audience to participate in the party scene.

I went to a screening of it once at the same theatre. I can't remember the man's name, but it was someone involved in the special effects for the film. He was disappointed they ran out of money and could not do one thing he really wanted done in the film, have a shot of the capsized Poseidon at the end of the film when the cast was being rescued.

I'm realizing that I've seen this film a lot of times. It first came on television when I was in college and the entire campus shut down to watch it, it seemed. This would not be the case if I'd not seen the film before, but my favorite ever time I saw it was in the summer of 1973 at a Drive-In during an hour long thunderstorm. Talk about special effects!

 

[jayembee]

And The Swarm! Poor Fred MacMurray and Olivia "A swarm of killer bees is headin' this way" DeHavilland.

It certainly wasn't anywhere as exciting as the SNL sketches with Belushi &co. in bee costumes as bandidos.

 

[Jack P]

"Tidal Wave" in its original Japanese version is considered to be a classic. Reviews that only saw the mangled US version with added scenes with Lorne Greene were seeing a largely different movie.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Don't forget The Swarm!

I didn't. Only have so many slots on a a wal-mart shelf so Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and The Swarm had to go.

 

[Lord Dalek]

"Tidal Wave" in its original Japanese version is considered to be a classic. Reviews that only saw the mangled US version with added scenes with Lorne Greene were seeing a largely different movie.

I'm surprised that neither version of Japan Sinks in their original forms have made it to this country on home video. Strangely the other adaptations of Sakyo Komatsu works (the infamous Day of Resurrection and Sayonara Jupiter) have fared far better.

 

[Kaskade1309]

There has already been a remake of this, albeit a terrible one. It is hard to believe that it was the same director that made "Das Boot": Wolfgang Petersen.

Yes, the remake was by Petersen and I actually liked it (was simply called Poseidon); saw it in theaters when it came out and own the DVD.

I don't think this film gets enough love -- is it as good as the original? Of course not. But it's got the super-sexy Fergie in it, some cool CGI work (especially during the wave hitting the ship sequence) and Kurt Russell.

We watch it every New Year's Eve, along with the original.

 

[Kaskade1309]

View attachment 166592

Today, December 12 is 50 years that the S.S. Poseidon made it's ill fated final voyage and launched the Disaster genre of the 70's.

Since today is the golden anniversary of this classic and we're without a new anniversary edition(s), Do you think we'll ever see another edition in our lifetimes or is what was released back in 2012 on blu as good as it's going to get?

I own the Special Edition DVD, which 20th Century Fox did an amazing job on in terms of the video transfer. It also comes loaded with lobby cards and a host of special features; it really is a nice package. We watch this every New Year's Eve along with the Wolfgang Petersen remake (which I actually like, too).

I'm not sure if I'd opt for a 4K edition of this being that the SE DVD is so nice IMO, but it would be cool to see.

 

[Jack P]

Yes, the remake was by Petersen and I actually liked it (was simply called Poseidon); saw it in theaters when it came out and own the DVD.

I don't think this film gets enough love -- is it as good as the original? Of course not. But it's got the super-sexy Fergie in it, some cool CGI work (especially during the wave hitting the ship sequence) and Kurt Russell.

We watch it every New Year's Eve, along with the original.

Both remakes were terrible but Petersen's was worse. It had a half hour more in it's first cut that has never been seen.

I keep expecting Richard Dreyfuss to at one point shout, "This is NOT a boat accident!"

 

[Robert Saccone]

I would love a 4K version of The Poseidon Adventure. It's probably the first movie I have strong memories of seeing as a kid. In fact since it played in theaters for well over a year around NYC I made my dad take me more times than I can count to see it. Something about the situation, the characters (Hackman's in particular), and the dialogue just made it irresistible to me as a kid. It was the first pre-recorded VHS tape I bought (or rather my Mom bought) for me when it came out from Magnetic Video in the late 70's which I believe was the first time it was ever released to home video (except for Super-8 film condensed versions). Still have the tape (and the film reels). I was horrified to learn later on the Gene Hackman didn't like the movie. My original "The Poseidon Adventure" poster hangs on my office wall and it reminds me how great it was seeing that film in packed theaters in Manhattan. The scene when Mrs. Rosen dives in to go after Scott always got cheers in the theater.

I wanted very much to like the remakes but for me neither holds a candle to the original. It just worked well.

La La Land Records recently released a 3 soundtrack collection which is well worth your time if you are a fan of Poseidon, Towering and Earthquake. The scores were all done by John Williams. For me they are a foreshadow of all the wonderful scores to come in the years ahead. https://lalalandrecords.com/disaste...y-john-williams-limited-edition-4-cd-box-set/

 

[Les Mangram]

Airport was most certainly not regarded as a "disaster movie" when it was released. It was an old fashioned Hollywood melodrama from a best selling novel. Some people retrospectively call it the first of the disaster movie cycle (wrongly in my view). The Poseidon Adventure started the cycle of 70's disaster movies and Universal came up with the later "Airport" films to cash in, probably inducing people to regard the original film as part of a series, which it wasn't.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I'm surprised Shout! never tried to do a Irwin Allen Master of Disaster box since they have (had?) relationships with both Fox and Warner.

Could have included in a nice chipboard box:

-The Poseidon Adventure
-The Towering Inferno (in a two disc set with the complete tv cut remastered)
-Flood! and Fire! double feature
-Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
-When Time Ran Out

Alas.

I didn’t know there were extra scenes for the TV cut of Towering Inferno.

I regard Beyond The Poseidon Adventure as one of the worst sequels ever made, so if Shout did release this box set, that disc would never get played.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Airport was most certainly not regarded as a "disaster movie" when it was released. It was an old fashioned Hollywood melodrama from a best selling novel. Some people retrospectively call it the first of the disaster movie cycle (wrongly in my view). The Poseidon Adventure started the cycle of 70's disaster movies and Universal came up with the later "Airport" films to cash in, probably inducing people to regard the original film as part of a series, which it wasn't.

I respectfully disagree with that comment. The potential disaster aspect in that movie was definitely played up in its marketing campaign here in the States.

 

[darkrock17]

Here's Airport's original trailer, it really plays up the drama of the film; not so much of the disaster per say though.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Here's Airport's original trailer, it really plays up the drama of the film; not so much of the disaster per say though.

This is my last post on this topic as it's not really value added either way. Back then TV spots and radio ads were different than the full length trailer. It was easier to play up disaster themes than drama aspects of a movie. Also, radio ads were big back in those days, when people actually listened to their local radio stations. Anyhow, after introducing the large cast of actors that trailer does play up the disaster aspects including mother nature's one. Hollywood is a copycat business! It was the success of "Airport" that inspired movies with larger disaster storylines for Hollywood movies.

 

[jayembee]

Airport was most certainly not regarded as a "disaster movie" when it was released. It was an old fashioned Hollywood melodrama from a best selling novel. Some people retrospectively call it the first of the disaster movie cycle (wrongly in my view).

Well, generally speaking, the first example of something tends not to be recognized as such until other examples start appearing.

 

[Tino]

'The Poseidon Adventure' turns 50: How oceanic disaster film upended a genre

An all-star cast (and early visual-effects spectacle) brought new luster to the disaster-film genre with 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure."

www.usatoday.com

 

[Lord Dalek]

I didn’t know there were extra scenes for the TV cut of Towering Inferno.

Yes it was original shown over two weeks on NBC's Sunday Big Event with about 25 minutes cut back in. All the bits from that version are on the DVD and blu-ray in 1.33:1.

 

[Kaskade1309]

Both remakes were terrible but Petersen's was worse. It had a half hour more in it's first cut that has never been seen.

I keep expecting Richard Dreyfuss to at one point shout, "This is NOT a boat accident!"

I completely disagree about Petersen's film. Yes, Dreyfuss' character was totally out of nowhere and came across as "pandering" a bit, but the film as a whole wasn't nearly as bad as critics feel it is.

Of course, this is all our personal opinions on the matter.

 

[Kaskade1309]

I would love a 4K version of The Poseidon Adventure. It's probably the first movie I have strong memories of seeing as a kid. In fact since it played in theaters for well over a year around NYC I made my dad take me more times than I can count to see it. Something about the situation, the characters (Hackman's in particular), and the dialogue just made it irresistible to me as a kid. It was the first pre-recorded VHS tape I bought (or rather my Mom bought) for me when it came out from Magnetic Video in the late 70's which I believe was the first time it was ever released to home video (except for Super-8 film condensed versions). Still have the tape (and the film reels). I was horrified to learn later on the Gene Hackman didn't like the movie. My original "The Poseidon Adventure" poster hangs on my office wall and it reminds me how great it was seeing that film in packed theaters in Manhattan. The scene when Mrs. Rosen dives in to go after Scott always got cheers in the theater.

I wanted very much to like the remakes but for me neither holds a candle to the original. It just worked well.

La La Land Records recently released a 3 soundtrack collection which is well worth your time if you are a fan of Poseidon, Towering and Earthquake. The scores were all done by John Williams. For me they are a foreshadow of all the wonderful scores to come in the years ahead. https://lalalandrecords.com/disaste...y-john-williams-limited-edition-4-cd-box-set/

I absolutely love Hackman in the original, as well as Borgnine, who play off each other so well. The sequences wherein they're screaming at each other are absolutely drink-spitting-inducing hysterical -- notably when Hackman is like "I TOLD YOU I'M GONNA GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE AND GOD DAMN IT I'M GONNA DO IT!!!!!" or when Borgnine says to him "Now wait just a second...I'm getting tired of you, preacher! SO HE FELL.....SO?? THE SHAFT BLEW UP......AND HE FELL IN.....AND THAT'S IT!!!!!!! UNLESS YOU WANNA MAKE SOMETHING MORE OUT OF IT!!!!!!"

Good, good stuff here.

What always made me chuckle, also, was how Susan was staring at Hackman's character during the New Year's Eve bash on the ship as if he was a piece of meat....I was always like WTF? Or the way Shelley Winters' character's husband kisses that smokin' hot brunette -- on the MOUTH for more than a second, mind you -- standing next to him at midnight, like completely out of nowhere when it looks like he could be her grandfather. Real "WTF is going on here?" moments...