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Earthquake [1974]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

The disaster-movie trend of the early and mid-1970s was starting to wear out its welcome when Earthquake was released in 1974. It’s another one of those enjoyably mindless all-star marathons, and the title tells you all you need to know about the plot. Charlton Heston offers his trademark brand of macho courage as the citizens of Los Angeles brace for the Big One--an earthquake that rattles the city to its crumbling foundation. It's got all the sophistication of a Love Boat episode, but the movie's momentum scores high marks (at least on the Richter scale), and the Oscar-winning sound design and special visual effects are still impressive, especially when you consider that advanced computer-graphics effects were still two decades in the future. Genevieve Bujold adds a touch of class to the all-star ensemble, and of course, what self-respecting disaster flick would be complete without a role for George Kennedy? In more ways than one, this cheesy movie rocks! (If you want to re-create the movie's original sound process known as "Sensurround," you’ll just have to crank up the bass and subwoofer on your home theater system until plaster cracks and windows shatter!) --Jeff Shannon


Shaken but not stirring
Review date: 2008-11-28 Rating: 6 out of 10

Earthquake was 1974's other big disaster movie, but despite the big budget and the `all-star' cast it's dated much worse than The Towering Inferno. Part of the problem is the soap operatics in the foreground, with Charlton Heston torn between neurotic wife Ava Gardner and his young mistress Genevieve Bujold taking centre-stage among various minor daytime soap subplots courtesy of writer Mario Puzo. Rather than making you care about the fate of the characters, they just leave you impatient for the quake to finally hit LA, but once it does there's not much focus to the destruction: whereas the S.S. Poseidon and the Glass Tower confined their characters in one perilous structure to add a sense of claustrophobia and tension, here the cast are spread all across the city when the aftershocks that cause the real damage and start depleting the cast arrive. This wouldn't be too much of a problem if the film had any real sense of scale to it, but despite the all-star cast and the big budget, it has the feel of a backlot movie rather than being shot on location. The film has the flat 70s TV-movie version lighting and photography that was a feature of most 70s Universal films, which just adds an extra helping of cheese to the proceedings. Even John Williams' score feels at times like a lounge music variation on his work on The Towering Inferno, as if the whole film was put together with whatever was lying around the studio. The result is watchable enough if you're in an undemanding mood, but resolutely unmemorable.

Of the supporting cast, George Kennedy's cop fares best while Lloyd Nolan comes off worst, all but fluffing his lines as if he'd only been given the script seconds before the camera started rolling. Of the remainder - Lorne Greene, Richard Roundtree, Marjoe Gortner, Victoria Principal - only Walter Matthau's drunk (billed as Walter Matuschanskwyaski) makes much impression in a running gag that sees him drift through the film unperturbed by the chaos. The DVD can't replicate the Senssurround effect that made the cinema seats rumble on its original release, and it doesn't come with any of the deleted scenes from the extended TV version - the only extra is a trailer - but it at least has an acceptable 2.35:1 widescreen transfer.


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Reviews


One of the greatest disaster movies ever made!
Review date: 2008-08-14 Rating: 10 out of 10


Certainly one of the greatest disaster movies ever made, and one of the biggest movies of the 70s. Stars Lorne Greene, Charlton Heston, George Kennedy and Ava Gardner. A story of ordinary life with everyday problems that swiftly melt into insignificance when a massive earthquake strikes and threatens the survival of a large city!

This has some great special effects for its day, and some interesting stories woven into the disaster. Also stars a young Victoria Principal (Dallas)

Great movie!

Earthquake
Review date: 2003-01-06 Rating: 8 out of 10

This has to go down as being one of he most exciting and best-executed film of all time. The actors enhance the reality of the disaster without being over the top resulting in a believable picture.
The film is also best remembered for its use of special effects, which show the evolution from early film making to the modern equivalent that relies so much upon capturing an audience with computer animation rather than a good, believable storyline.
It may also be noted that the success of the movie has been credited by its smaller scale recreation at 'Universal Studios' Florida, sum what enhancing the respect that this film is entitled too.
Without a doubt, this movie is an all time great, that holds its own with the likes of "The Towering Inferno" and "The Possidon Adventure"

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Pedro Armendariz Jr.
Gabriel Dell
Barry Sullivan
Charlton Heston
Richard Roundtree

Creators:
Charlton Heston (Primary Contributor)
Richard Roundtree (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 3259190280991
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-05-05
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 116 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1974
Language: English (Original Language)

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