Ronald Neame directs Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine and Shelley Winters in this sinking ship disaster movie produced by the master of the genre Irwin Allen.

Gene Hackman made plenty of action flicks that just happened to be set over Christmas. This one actually takes place on New Years Eve, a festive tree is used as an improvised ladder and he plays a bolshy, turtleneck sporting priest. 75% of The Poseidon Adventure is Hollywood has-beens screaming at each other, drenched in sweat and seawater, populating obvious faked upside down passageway soundstages. I love it. The loudness. The griminess. The regular kills. The philosophical arguments. It is a big, big, big entertainment with just enough gruff grit to feel like it is saying something more. More than let’s flood this set, then blow this set up and feed one more Hollywood also-ran to the meat grinder.

10

Perfect Double Bill: The Towering Inferno (1974)

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