• One of the most famous and accomplished disaster films of the 1970’s- a popular subgenre of drama/thriller that included The Towering Inferno, Airport, Earthquake
  • The talented and star-studded ensemble – Gene Hackman, Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine— creating a sort of microcosm of society playing a cop, a preacher, a bachelor, etc—not far off from Grand Hotel or Stagecoach
  • In the wake of The Naked Gun in 1988 it’s tough to watch Leslie Nielsen straight here as the ship’s captain
  • The writing handicaps the story and performances in parts of the film- often the characters just tell others characteristics about themselves for no reason
  • Ronald Neame is no auteur but using the tilting camera to simulate the ship rocking mostly works
  • The “Morning After” song is nice, as is John Williams score though he hadn’t quite find his footing yet either in 1972
  • Hackman is a natural leader—and Borgnine a good sparring partner with him to keep from betting blown off the screen
  • Immensely watchable despite the flaws – often cited as guilty pleasure on such lists and I understand why
  • Recommend but not in the top 10 of 1972