Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I think John Q. Public has to be at risk if it's to be classified as a Disaster Film. Astronauts don't count.

Raising the question of what makes a disaster film. Is it sufficient that people be put in peril? Does the peril have to be a gigantic natural force? Does the peril have to be a form of man's arrogance or complacency coming back to bite him on the ass?

Towering Inferno had arrogance but not a great natural force. Poseidon had both a natural force and man's greed/complacency in that the ship was insufficiently ballasted because they wanted to get it to port faster to scrap it.

If peril and complacency are enough, then maybe a little movie like "The Incident" is a disaster film: New Yorkers terrorized by thugs on a subway train. Or is that urban horror or a monster movie? Is "Alien" a disaster movie or a monster movie or both?

Apollo 13 was exciting, I suppose, but I don't think it inspired much reflection.

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