The first of the big all star 1970's disaster movies just happens to take place on New Year's Eve, so it's a perfect pick for this week. The SS Poseidon is overturned by a tsunami at midnight, and now it's up to Gene Hackman as a rebellious preacher to lead the small band of survivors through the bottom of the upside down ship to safety. This movie is silly and somewhat campy of course, but every minute is enjoyable all the same, thanks to the cast that includes Ernest Borgnine, Roddy MacDowell, Red Buttons, Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson and Leslie Nielson (before his Naked Gun and Airplane resurgence) as the Captain. This movie kicked off a wave of imitators (The Towering Inferno, Earthquake, Airport, etc.) but my favorite in this is the fiery Hackman, who makes everything better by just appearing in it- even a silly disaster flick like this one. There's nothing like a pissed off Gene Hackman screaming orders at people who won't listen to him- after all, who'd be stupid enough to dismiss Popeye Doyle of all people?
Original 1972 Trailer:
