[Part I in a series on disaster movies]
A few weeks ago, James Lileks wrote something that struck a nerve. It was as if his hand reached all the way from Minnesota to New York and slapped me right where my film aesthetics lie.
And now back to the Towering Inferno, which just sucks.
My first reaction was childish. I stuck tongue out at The Bleat and said does not!
Maybe we just have to define our meaning of the word disaster. See, there's disaster as in so bad that anyone who worked on this movie should never be allowed to work in the film industry again (see Uwe Boll). And there's disaster, as in Death! Destruction! Former A-list actors emoting! Special effects gone wild! One cannot apply the word sucks to the latter.
I'll admit it. The Towering Inferno does, in a small way, fit both categories. The dialogue was cheesy. The special effects elicited laughter. And, thanks to my fireman father, I can recite from memory the litany of things they just got wrong in regards to fighting fires.
So what does Inferno have going for it, then? Simple. The 1970's were the heyday of the disaster genre and Inferno - even though it wasn't the first of its kind -paved the way for all other movies like it because of its critical success.
We had our first disaster in 1972, with the Poseiden Adventure. The success of that party cruise gone wrong movie spawned Inferno (also directed by Irwin Allen of Poseidon fame) and Earthquake in 1974, and Airport '75 in, yes, 1975 (the first Aiport movie came out in 1970, but that was so lame as to not count) as well as Swarm ('78) and Meteor ('79). Inferno, Earthquake and Poseiden formed the Earth, Water and Fire trifecta of 72/74 (Wind didn't make an appearance until the 90's with Twister, unless you count Wizard of Oz).
The Big Three of disaster flicks had similar threads running throug them: children in peril, clandestine love affairs and what would become the staple of all disaster movies - the greed/laziness/evilness of man. After all three of this movies, the viewer is left thinking, is nature our enemy or is progress our enemy? Or, are we our own worst enemy?
No, not really. I think I might be the only person who went off on a philosophical/sociological bent after watching these films. And I was only ten when Poseidon came out. Most people, after watching any of the films, were left thinking, holy shit, the cheese in that movie could feed an army of mice or, did you see when that boulder bounced off the actor's head?
This is why Inferno rules above all other disaster flicks. It's not just about the fire. 
Sure, there are people to rescue, flames to douse, love to be rekindled (no pun intended). But there's a message, too. A deep, resounding message that is made quite clear when Steve McQueen as Chief O'Halloran says:
Now, you know we don't have a sure way to fight a fire over the seventh floor, but you just keep building 'em higher and higher.
Damn you and your filthy progress!
Another choice quote from the Chief:
You know we got lucky tonight, body count's less then 200. Someday your gonna kill ten-thousand in one of these firetraps, and I'll keep eating smoke and carrying out bodies until someone asks us how to build them.
Article comments
1 - uao
I was a kid when disaster movies were big, and Towering Inferno was my favorite (I was 9; my cheese detector had not yet developed), with Poseidon Adventure #2.
My biggest quarrel with the film (even at that time) was how could there be enough water in the rooftop water tower to extinguish a fire that was burning on 50 floors? It would've reuired a water tower as tall as the 138-story building itself.
You're right on about the dialogue; they don't quite write 'em like that anymore.
I look forward to future entries in your series. Hope you include Airports '75, '77, and '79.
2 - Jak Castro
Interesting perspective Michele. However Poseidon Adventure was definetly the more prominent of the early 70's disaster flicks and certainly has the longer "sea legs". Poseidon has spawned a regretable sequel, and has been remade as a four hour TV miniseries. Warner Bros is also undertaking a big screen remake as well, starring Clive Owen. Poseidon also received nine Oscar nominations including Best Supporting Actress for Shelley Winters (who won the Golden Globe for the same performance), and won two of it's Oscars including Best Special Effects. Poseidon has spawned an International fan club with a huge database of fans, numerous stage re-enactments, and more than a few documentaries on the fan base. Towering Inferno, as great as it was, just didn't live on....
Also want to clarify that neither Poseidon nor Inferno were directed by Irwin Allen. Allen produced both films but each had their own director of note.
Looking forward to your statement in support of Poseidon.
Keep on capsizing....
3 - DrPat
I'll put in my vote for Volcano - no Fred Astaire, but Tommy Lee Jones, and I just have to cheer when the lava crosses Selpuveda two blocks from where I used to work.
Make some popcorn, hon, we're watching LA burn tonight (in a good way, of course.)
4 - Clay Coey
While a great argument is made in defense of The Towering Inferno...I must chime in to say that it doesn't even hold a candle to The Poseidon Adventure OR Cameron's Titanic. The Towering Inferno (while still one of Irwin Allen's Crown Jewels) is INFINITELY inferior to Poseidon.
---While the above writer seems in awe of Fred Astaire (who had about 15 total lines of dialogue in the whole film), she seems to forget that his "nomination" (or rather "abom-inomination") was probably Oscar's way of throwing old Fred a bone for over-looking all his greatness 25 years prior in perhaps the greatest5 musicals of all time.
---Add to that, the fact that OJ Simpson, Robert Vaughan, Robert Wagner, Susan Blakely, AND Dabney Coleman AND Mike Lookinland are in this film...and it seems more like a gathering of the All-Time Worst Actor's to Carry a SAG Card Convention." THANK GOD McQueen took heart in his role, because Newman phoned his in, and Bill Holden goes from dopey dialogue to punching Richard Chaimberlain in the gut all in one minute.
---Towering Inferno plays more like "The Days of Our Lives On Fire" and less like a true disaster film. While I personally LOVE the film (as I am, a HUGE Irwin Allen fan)...I honestly cannot say that I think it is really that much better than say...Airport '75.
---However, to add some fuel to the debate...HERE are the 5 greatest "disaster films" in my opinion.
1) THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
2) TITANIC
3) AIRPORT '77
4) TWISTER
5) ARMAGEDDON
5 - terry
I think all of seventies childeren were damaged by these movies. But...... my favourite is earthquake especially when the bell tower collapes. Love the seventies design of towering inferno, used to hate the colors but actually the sets are gorgeous. U guys ever think a remake could be made or is it not a good subject these days. The elevator collapse still scares the bejebubs out of me.