Poseidon Adventure [VHS]

I really wanted to like this movie and after seeing the positive reviews, thought I would. However, I was sadly disappointed. Besides the bad acting, questionable dialogue and irritating amount of scenes which consist of people yelling at each other, there were so few likable characters that by the end I hardly cared whether they made it or not. The upside-down ship was the most intriguing character in the whole film.

New Years Eve 1972 turned out to be a deadly night for the S.S. Poseidon. A brief subplot of some guy who runs the shipping corporation telling the captain (Leslie Neilsen before he got funny) to hurry up, three days behind schedule, blah blah blah. Nothing really exciting until the wave hits.

Thanks to an undersea earthquake, a huge tsunami knocks the ship upside-down. Many die because they don't listen to Gene Hackman. Gene's character steals the show -- a rowdy preacher, he rallies around a small group. As a few die (Roddy McDowell, etc.) the viewer is rooting for the survivors, shocked at the barriers and dismayed at the death and destruction. The preacher curses God, then sacrifices himself. Very sad.

Irwin Allen's film was a big hit in the 70s and opened the door to other disaster flicks such as Airport, Earthquake and the Towering Inferno.

There was a sequel and a couple of remakes, but nothing beats the cheesy plot, the yelling and screaming! You know why Ernest Borgnine won an Oscar in the 50s (wasn't for McHale's Navy!) and that Shelly Winters can swim.

Maureen McGovern's hit song "The Morning After" came from this film. Great movie score by my favorite composer John Williams (Star Wars, etc.).

A bit dated, but an amazing film of survival and sacrifice. Must see.


The Towering Inferno (Special Edition)
Airport (Full Screen Edition)
Earthquake

Look for the film with Jim Brown in it, its called Slaughter, and in the film Stella shows off her headlights for your personal edification and your viewing pleasure.

I saw this movie for the second time just a few days ago, after seeing it when it first came out 37 years ago in 1972. Amazingly, it still holds up very well and remains one of the great disaster and adventure classics, along with The Towering Inferno and Earthquake, all of which came out during this frenzied period of disaster movie making.

It's funny which subjects seem to catch on in each decade. In the 60s we had cold war thrillers like The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May, Fail Safe, and the last of the epic western movies like The Magnificent Seven and Once Upon a Time in the West. In the 70s we had the disaster and adventure thrillers and the Star Wars series and other sci-fi blockbusters with their amazing special effects started hitting the silver screen. In the 80s we had the musical/dance movies like Flashdance, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Xanadu, and the martial arts dramas like The Karate Kid. Not sure what caught on during the 90s but I'm sure it was something.

The Poseidon Adventure stands as probably the best of the disaster genre. The tremendous all-star cast had won something like 15 Academy nominations and/or awards between them during their careers, and each gave a memorable performance. Speaking of which, someone told me recently that he heard Ernest Borgnine interviewed at age 94 and he says he feels great and that he still mast_rbates every day. LOL. Too funny. The famous ship rolling over sequence has to be one of the best non-special effects scenes of all time. The sets inside the overturned ship were totally believable and menacing what with all the ruptured pipes spewing hot steam, gas jets flaming, water rushing in and filling the corridors, and the dramatic boiler explosions.

Add to that the tension between Borgnine's and Gene Hackman's character, the tension early on in the movie between Leslie Nielson as the captain and the company representative, the eye candy of Carol Lynley , Pamela Sue Martin, and Stella Stevens (all of whom are running around in pretty skimpy outfits), and Hackman's famously unorthodox religious message that God isn't really listening to our prayers, doesn't want wimps and wants us to be strong and independent, and instead wants us to solve our own problems, and you have a truly entertaining potpourri of a movie.

The one thing that perhaps dates the movie is the religious message, which 60s and 70s movies often had a lot of. Not to mention all the movies with occult stories and themes that came out during that time, including The Omen and its sequels, Rosemary's Baby, The Mephisto Waltz, and so on. But all in all this is still a great movie whose dramatic visuals and sets are still impressive in an age of CGI and computer-generated special effects.

What can I say about the GREATEST disaster film
of all time. The film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won for best song as well as an honorary award for "Best Visual Effects" and this was all before CGI (blue screen),real fire, real smoke and real water. This film even out grossed it's re-make "Poseidon" with 1972 dollars. Great cast (combining the talents of 15 Academy Award winners) including the BRILLIANT Shelley Winters who gives a heart wrenching performance as a plump jewish grandmother trying to survive to see her grandson. Her underwater sequence alone deserved the Golden Globe win! and the Oscar nomination. Get you copy TODAY!!

Out of all the diaster flicks of the 70s, this has got to be the best. Not that Towering Inferno wasn't good, it was just too long for my tastes. There's only so many times I can see an exterior shot of the same building on fire. Anyway, unlike the recent remakes, this version makes you actually care about who survives. Hackman, Borgnine and Winters give the best performances. Some bits with Hackman are his talks with his priest friend about being renegade in the beginning along with his sermon. My absolute favorite scenes with Hackman are when he cries over the loss of Winters and when he sacrifices himself and denounces God. You can feel that he is furious that He would violently take away Stevens' and Winters' characters just when they're about to escape. He's upset about McDowell's death too but that wasn't as moving or gripping like the others. Borgnine is brilliant as Rogo. My two favorite scenes with him is at the end when they're about to be rescued. He just gazes in awe about what's happening but then glances back into the engine room, knowing what he's just lost, and cries and when starts yelling at Hackman, blaming him for the death of his wife. And Winters, her performance is excellent. You cheer her for saving Hackman one minute, then grieving as she lay dieing in his arms and gives him her necklace. This is when Albertson gives a great performance when he emerges from the water and sees his dead wife and breaks down. The one character I wish that they stuck with that died in the book is the boy. I know he is helpful, but he is just annoying. Not that I just hate all kid actors but if did die, like in the book, it would be a shocking moment and, at least in my opinion, add better development to his sister. Another film that really doesn't use a lot of music except for a few occasions. If only the remakes could've been this enjoyable with great performances.

Even though this movie seems dated in technique, I thought the filmmakers - Ronald Neame (director) , Wendell Mayes (screenwriter) and Paul Gallico ( novel) did an excellent job.

It was great to see a younger Gene Hackman , Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons and Shelley Winters.

The FX worked and I was interested all the way through.

And John WIlliams did the music!

A passenger ship, on her way to the scrap yard is pushed to her limits by the new owners to save on the dismantling fees. A tidal wave hits her, flipping her over so that all the internal rooms are upside down.

I was very pleased with the quality of the movie and the expedient service. Thank you!

I am somewhat stunned that the prevailing sentiment about this film is so overwhelmingly positive. Perhaps it is a cultural effect or wistfulness for the 1970's. If so, I was not similarly affected inasmuch as I had not seen this movie until now (2008). The film lived up to its reputation for being an expensive disaster film with an all star cast. I found the special effects (especially the giant wave) to be amazingly good for the time, and was entirely entertained by the film until the ship capsized.

The film is ponderous, preachy, and pretentious. Worst of all it took extremely talented actors who I normally enjoy watching and wasted their talents, particularly in two specific instances. In a nutshell, I had a Gene Hackman and Shelley Winters overdose in short order. Disregarding the whole contrivance of Hackman's character as a questioning-pseudo agnostic priest with a foul mouth and bad temper, I couldn't get past the excessive overacting, which was clearly not helped by the extremely unnatural dialogue screenwriter Wendell Mayes foisted on the cast. In this film Hackman makes William Shatner look positive sedate even at his eye-rolling extreme. I couldn't help but feel that "Reverend Scott" found his proper Biblical locale when he fell into the lake of fire.

Likewise Shelley Winters, while seemingly comfortable in her role as a whiny matron (and former swimming champ), was perfectly matched with Hackman and seemed to be in constant competition with him for who could be most over the top. I thought her saccharine dialogue with her husband about never seeing their grandson was as bad as it could get. I was wrong: a few minutes later after showing why she was the only one on the ship trained to swim down stairwells and through doors (huh?), she abruptly has a coronary event of epic proportions. I started keeping an eye on the running time at this point.

I found Ernest Borgnine as a policeman to give a much better (but by no means understated) performance, but found the setup of him on the ship with his wife and former prostitute Stella Stevens to be better suited to a sitcom than a serious drama. And there's the problem: this entire film is one giant soap opera at sea with wholly unbelievable characters, and like a soap opera the talented cast's efforts are largely wasted as the underlying material isn't very good. On the positive side, I thought Leslie Nielsen was quite good as the Captain: it's a welcome reminder of his past as a "serious" actor.

I know this is a beloved cultural icon, and I can see that it would have been more impressive to see in the theater, but I just couldn't get into it. It is an interesting glimpse into the precursor of the 1970's disaster movies, which I actually like in general. "The Poseidon Adventure" is technically infeasible: for example, the fire in the closed engine room would remove all the oxygen in short order, rendering the entire cast unable to breathe. Not that that's a bad thing. Worse than technical inaccuracy, though, it is relentlessly preachy and dwells superficially on the condition of man and particularly human suffering. The problem is that this is a disaster flick by Irwin Allen and Ronald Neame, not Sir John Gielgud in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

I like a good disaster flick or B-movie as much as the next person (and more than most), but I found "The Poseidon Adventure" to be bloated, ponderous, and worst of all, boring. I recommend this for viewing as a cultural icon of the 1970's: no more, no less.

Every New Years's Eve, I watch this film to remind me that "life does matter very much", a very profound line spoken by Reverend Scott. I also like to be reminded that in a crisis, if a group pulls together, more than likely there will be a desirable outcome.

Only the great Irwin Allen could produce a movie that artfully blends soap opera, drama, comedy and suspense. Especially memorable performances by Gene Hackman, Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters and Ernest Borgnine.

Simply because of the sheer grandeur with which this film was made by mega producer Irwin Allen, you have to overlook the cliches and stereotypes that fill the cast. Shelley Winters shines as Mrs Rosen, and even received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance. The basic plot - as if it needs to be told - involves a group of people trying to survive the terrible disaster which occurs aboard the S.S Poseidon when the ship is struck by a gigantic wave on New Year's Eve and turns completely upside down. The upside down set-pieces are exquisite, and still remain very realistic and convincing - as do the actions of, and the interactions between the survivors - by today's standards. If you enjoy disaster films then you'll love it. Fans of Shelley Winters, Gene Hackman or Ernest Borgnine will also enjoy it. If you've seen the remake Poseidon, then you might want to check out the original to see how its done. Five stars!

When I was growing up at the Jersey shore in Wildwood, I had a friend who's uncle worked for the company that owned the movie theaters in my area. This meant I could pretty much go to the movies whenever I wanted for free. I must have seen this movie at least 10 times that summer! This is a pretty cool movie even with some over acting by some big stars. The remake was awful and the new special edition for this version is very good and has some interesting extras. I know some would like to see a 5.1 mix, but really, I have watched many older film get that treatment and sometimes it barely makes a difference!

Among all of the swearing and foul language they should have closed the watertight doors. That would have given them more time to get out of the ship. Then the ship is upsidedown yet the catwalk lines up perfectly with the door to the propeller room. I find most of this realy hard to believe.

I saw this movie on television while I was a teenager ... quite an action-packed flick in its day and worth owning just because it was the first one made. I also own both of the remakes and enjoyed seeing how the years altered the basic plot here and there.

Highly recommended for nostalgia's sake ... watch all three Poseidon movies in order on a Sunday afternoon and see the boat always sink and the few passengers survive and escape (differently in each, and in all three equally entertaining). Fascinating! :-)

Irwin Allen's 1972 "The Poseidon Adventure," based on the book by Paul Gallico, pretty much started the disaster film craze in the 70s (e.g. "Earthquake" and "The Towering Inferno"). Gallico's inspiration for the story reportedly came from his personal experience on a vessel that almost capsized.

THE STORY: After a tidal wave capsizes an ocean liner on New Years Eve, ten survivors struggle to make it to the hull (which is actually the bottom of the ship) to possibly find a way out through the stern. The fact that everything's upside down presents major obstacles.

WHAT WORKS: The picture features a stellar cast. The major protagonist is Gene Hackman (fairly young and with hair) who plays fiery rebel preacher Rev. Scott. Scott looks down on prayer and passive faith while advocating a get-off-your-butt-and-TRY-to-win philosophy. He's at odds with Detective Rogo, played by a fit Ernest Borgnine. They're at each other's throats the entire film because, as Rev. Scott points out, they're two of a kind and Rogo doesn't like what he sees when he looks at Scott.

Both Hackman and Borgnine are nothing short of outstanding in their roles.

Leslie Nielson is perfect in the serious (minor) role of the Captain of the ship. If you don't think Nielson can play a serious role, think again.

One of the definite highlights of the film for red-blooded males is the three scantily-clad damsels in distress: Pamela Sue Martin (i.e. "Nancy Drew"), Stella Stevans and the incredibly lovely Carol Lynley. Be attentive and you'll observe that Pamela's character (Susan) dearly loves Rev. Scott; it's attention to detail like this that makes for great films.

Also on hand are: Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall, Shelly Winters and Eric Shea as Pamela's likable little brother. All the characters are great and you really start to CARE for them.

The sequence where the vessel topples over showing the revelers fall/slide to the ceiling is superb. The sets of the slowly sinking, upside down ship are very realistic.

The score by John Williams is perfect and memorable.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I've heard people criticize that some of the dialogue is silly and even campy, but -- c'mon -- we all KNOW people that act and speak just like this (or worse).

COMMENTARY: If all you're looking for is a great disaster/adventure flick you'll definitely get that but, as my title blurb points out, "The Poseidon Adventure" offers much more. At the very heart of the picture is the universal question: Why does a good God allow suffering and tragedy? Rev. Scott is a strong believer in God and His absolute goodness, yet he witnesses unspeakable tragedies and death after death. At the beginning, when all is calm, you'll sense that he's ALREADY a bit on-edge, but as the story progresses and the misfortunes mount his personal anger slowly surfaces and comes to the boiling point. The ending is incredible, potent and tear-inducing: The surviving members are almost homefree and yet another obstacle presents itself. Rev. Scott suddenly turns his entire focus to God Himself and "has it out" while attempting to save the others.

Highly recommended and worthy of repeat viewings.

Great classic TV film. A must have for all action film fans.

For a film nearly thirty years old, Poseidon Adventure is still so effective that it would cause anyone planning to take a cruise to think twice. You probably know the plot--luxury liner capsized by a tidal wave. This synopsis is brought to life with suspense, drama, and sometimes, terrifying reality. One of the most effective cinematic touches is that in nearly every scene, the camera is slowly swaying back and forth to give us a sense that we really are at sea. We follow the journey of ten survivors through the inverted ship to their hopeful rescue--narrowly escaping fires, explosions, and flooding corridors every step of the way. The sets are epic and nothing less than spectacular. Especially the inverted dining room when the Atlantic Ocean comes crashing in, and the engine room which is now a horrifying twisted metal inferno. No, the movie is not perfect, and it is of course starting to look a bit dated. However the suspense and dazzling effects will keep you glued to your seat and you certainly won't be bored. Poseidon Adventure is a true classic. A must see for everyone--not just disaster movie fans.
I'd still watch Titanic over this one anyday - but it's still pretty good.

It is possible to go one better than a lifeboat for oceanic claustrophobia... What you do is have a luxury liner completely capsized by a tidal wave, and you let ten people live on in a pocket of air, their only hope being to make their way through fire, dead bodies and endless amounts of water of the sinking ship to a propeller shaft, where the hull is thinnest and where there is a chance of rescuers cutting their way through...

This was the terrific idea set up in Paul Gallico's most well-known book, which descended with awful disappointment on to the screen, but caught the public fancy, and started a cycle...

And while the tense adventure lacks the austere presence of George Kennedy, no one could ask for a better set-up for suspense--naturally, when the genesis was with that old master of mass emotions, Gallico... But oh, what a waste was there in Ronald Neame's motion picture...

Partly it was due to the lack of the technical perfectionism of a Hitchcock, and much more to the stereotyping of the characters and the excruciating banality of their dialog... There was a muscular clergyman to lead, an old Jewish couple still in love after some time of marriage, a hot head detective and his well reformed happy hooker wife, a young lady Pamela Sue Martin, (and his nice younger brother) and a hippie girl singer who were there presumably to give a pleasant show of legs in hotpants, a lonely haberdasher, and a nice cool steward along for the ride...

Gene Hackman was cast as the preacher- the most unlikely reverend I could imagine... Presumably he was chosen because of his well-deserved success as the cynical, determined New York narcotics cop in "The French Connection." He played the character every bit as rough and tough... Whenever he heaved his muscles and opened his mouth I anticipated the coming of... "I got the God connection."

But one must not blame the cast... There were fine actors among them and it was not their fault that the situations were evidently prefabricated, that the characters were as realistic as the cutouts at the back of a cereal box, living and dying as contrived "incidents."

Watching 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure" again, after seeing the 2006 remake, has shown that no amount of bombastic digital effects can reduce the impact of the original "Poseidon Adventure." "The Poseidon Adventure" has all the heart and character development, and it makes you laugh, cry and your heart race-especially during the tidal wave sequence. That scene still gets me as much now, as it did when I first saw the movie as a little kid. The movie is simply brilliant on all levels, from the acting, to the special effects, to the atmosphere. And believe me, I don't throw the word 'brilliant' around loosely. The thing that always felt the most chilling to me about the film is the few seconds of dead silence in the ballroom as soon as the ship finished turning over.

It might've been unintentional dialogue by Earnest Borgnine, but during the scene where he's helping to move the Christmas tree, you can make him out saying: "Holy f--- it's heavy." But it's not really that noticable. That's just unusual for a PG movie in the 1970s.

Highly recommended DVD.

I'm not sure where "Songbird" in his or her 2000 review below is coming from as this is a NEW release, it's in stereo, and has a separate disk with 9 "making of" featurettes. Nevertheless, his comments about the film itself are true. This is a great classic film that has aged well. The outstanding cast is led by ever reliable Gene Hackman as the unofficial leader of this small tribe trying to survive this upsidedown nightmare. Hackman always excelled at these kinds of roles. It's the kind of sure-footed overly-confident, and arrogant character that Tommy Lee Jones now plays (Fugitive, Volcano). The effects are top-notch even by today's standards and John Williams' score is memorable. The script, although faulty at times, does assist us in caring about these characters. I recall seeing this upon it's release in single auditorium theater (remember those?) and the film really filled the screen if you know what I mean. I love disaster films and this was one of the best of its genre.

This is a truly great film. The Poseidon Adventure remains to be one of the ulimate classics in disaters films. The storyline is very simple, when an ocean cruiseship gets turned over by a giantic tital wave. Those who want to escape, must do so by getting to the bottom of the ship. Before, it gets pulled under. Gene Hackman did a great job as the preacher who leads the group through the dangerous traps of Poseidon. Ernest Borgnine wasn't too bad as the cop who butted heads with the Preacher. Shelly Winters was wonderful as the kind hearted, Mrs. Rosen. Who tries to help the group to escape. Even Red Buttons was good as Mr. Martin, the friendly and helpful man. Who keeps the peace in the group. Poseidon is a true disater film. Cause, when you watch it. You will understand why the tagline for the film is " Hell Upside down". Cause it is, but at the same time when you watch it. You will also see how six ordinary people can triumph over one of the mother nature's worst and most horrific disaters ever!!!

It may not seem like anything particularly new these days, especially after the revival of disaster films in the late 90s. But in 1972, The Poseidon Adventure was a somewhat groundbreaking film. But we're used to a group of survivors fighting against floods, earthquakes, storms, sinking vessels, zombies, volcanoes etc so you have to keep this in mind when watching it.

Taken from Paul Gallico's novel (who himself was one a ship that almost capsized) the film features an all-star cast (though young viewers will probably not recognize a single one of them save Gene Hackman or Leslie Nielsen) with 7 Academy Awards between them. Surely, the bigger the stars have a bigger chance of survival! Not so! A capsized ship has many different ways of killing you as our unfortunate stars learn...the hard way. None of it is particularly graphic but there is a lot of tension and claustrophobia that makes it work. And the sets are quite impressive, if a little dated. When the Poseidon flips over it's already an ancient ship heading for the scrapyard. It would have been better if they destroyed something brand new and pretty, but I guess that means it wouldn't be so dirty and menacing when upside-down and full of salt-water.

Followed by a sequel in 1979 and a new version in 2006, TPA has become famous as the film that started the disaster genre and Irwin Allen as its creator. Truth be told, Allen only ever directed 2 (and a bit) of these movies and produced a couple more. I guess it's because TPA made such an impression that his name was linked to disaster movies he wasn't even involved with.

Strange though to think that Gene Hackman hated making the movie and has apparently, to this day, refused to watch it. Much like Ed Harris in the Abyss. I guess some bald actors should just stay out of the water.

The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 2.0 sound.

I love disaster movies, or any disaster movie that involves water - Titanic, Hard Rain, Titanic, Pearl Harbour, Titanic ... Yeah I love Titanic. But I was shocked when watching this film how much Titanic resembles it! There's a lot where you can see where James Cameron might have got some of his ideas from.

I felt very claustrophobic watching this film, not only were we watching it in the darkness, but there were also fireworks going off outside, and the film itself is very claustrophobic. There's no natural light, as the boat is capsized.

I had an awful time recognising actors in this, particularly Gene Hackman. I knew the name, I could NOT pick out which one he was. (Very blonde moment there.) I eventually recognised him, cos he was the main character (big clue there), and he was also using Simon Cowell's fashion sense - high waisted trousers, and polo neck TUCKED IN. I don't know why it took me so long to recognise him, but I managed to recognise Ernest Borgnine, who played Rogo, as being in Little House In The Prairie, in one or two episodes.

The Poseidon Adventure is a really good film, with no need for special effects or CGI, apart from the odd one or two. Nearly all the stunts were performed by the actors themselves, when possible, and they would have ended up with many bumps. What made this film all the more better was the lack of special effects, and it made it all the more real. I was holding my breath during many scenes - which was quite difficult considering I was blocked up with the cold at the time - and because it was so claustrophobic, it made it all the more worse.

The Poseidon Adventure is definitely up there as one of my favourite disaster movies now, and I really look forward to seeing the sequel, and the 'remake'.

And I just discovered by looking at IMDB, that Red Buttons (what a strange name) was also in Little House On The Prairie, in two episodes!

The ultimate edition of this movie, lots of extras and the image and sound are great.

** This is only for the Special Edition DVD**

This is a must own for fans of action/adventure films, and DVD collectors alike. The features are A+, including all:

*Commentary by Ronald Neame
*Commentary by Pamela Sue Martin, Stella Stevens, Carol Lynley
*Interactive 3-D Game while watching the movie, "FOLLOW THE ESCAPE"
*9 Featurettes
"The Cast Looks Back"
"Falling Up with Ernie"
"The Heart of Disaster: Stirling Silliphant"
"The Heros of Poseidon"
"The Morning After Story"
"The RMS Queen Mary"
"Sinking Cooridor"
"Generations of Fans"
"Turning over the Ship"
*AMC Backstory

COOL EXTRA IN THE DVD!!: The DVD includes 8 Lobby cards from the feature film!

I hadn't seen this film before watching the remake, and I gave the remake a generous 4 stars ( I say generous because it was undeserved) and after seeing this film and seeing what the remake had to work with I'm appalled the remake wasn't better. At least the ending to this film make sense. The acting here is decent, for a 70's film, and Hackman (who is always top notch) and Winters both did wonderfully. The action and adventure is this film is high intensity, and while the remake did copy a few of this films best scene's the brilliance was lost in the translation. Point being that the original, in this instance, is much better than the remake and should be enjoyed by all who haven't had the opportunity to see it yet. The story is similar in both, both involving a cruise liner flipping over due to a rogue wave, each set in their own time periods, but what makes the films differ is the people aboard. In this film you have a priest (Hackman) struggling to make his way right with god, and he is the one who ushers everyone to safety. He wants to help everyone. In the remake you have a professional gambler only concerned with his own safety. Not that that is the main reason this film is better, for this film also gets you involved with the cast of characters, understanding all of them, knowing all of them and so you thus can be concerned about all of them. I guess all that really needs to be said is that if you're like me and you've only seen the remake, please rent this movie and see the masterpiece that inspired the flop.

including gene hackmans best performance (i haven't seen french connection yet) nelson and mcdowall were among the best charecters in my opinon though the others were great, next to jesus of nazareth,and die hard one of the best movies ever made!

What would have been a merely tolerable motion picture is made very viewable by the presence of three of the hottest babes working in 1972. Pamela Sue's slender and beautiful persona draws every male viewer's eyes to her when she's on screen. Carol Lynley is also terrific to look at, especially when she lip-synchs the theme song. And Stella Stevens's mature figure was far too appealing to be wasted on the likes of Borgnine. Forget about the disaster. Concentrate on the dames.

This was the original movie and the star cast was the best;
plot was great and the quality of the dvd was good.
So, if you view the 2006 movie; you may want to see this one 1st
to get a better idea of what the movie was about.

It's a great classic filled with amazing actors that ring tuer then the newer version. Why must we remake great films into good film . i see nothing new the remake offered but i feel like this veriosn is better.

I was really upset at the low level of presentation of this edition. I intended to give it as a gift but I couldn't give something looking that cheap.

The original The Poseidon Adventure isn't exactly a film so good that it couldn't stand remaking. The first half hour before the wave hits is like a very badly written episode of The Love Boat, with painfully on the nose dialog ("What kind of priest are you?" "I'm a renegade! The very best kind!") and hideously stereotyped characters. In fact, truth to tell, it's a pretty pedestrian affair even after the ship goes bottom up: strip away its high concept and all you're really left with is a long, slow wade to the grave for some of the characters en route to the cheapest closing sequence ever fobbed off on an audience in a major studio picture. Aside from the odd bit of dialog about the importance of life in the face of death or Gene Hackman's occasional tirades about or against God that hint at someone striving for a big theme, there's not that much of Paul Gallico's original religious allegory left either (if memory serves, in the novel the Reverend Scott had 12 passengers following him on his path to martyrdom). Worse, some of the performances are just excruciating to watch (particularly Red Buttons) while Roddy McDowall's attempt at a Scottish accent is particularly painful. It has its moments, but far fewer than you'd think.

No complaints about Fox's special edition - a surprising commentary from Ronald Neame (who has never made any secret of his dislike for the film in the past), several featurettes, trailers and stills gallery - although it is irritating that Fox have inexplicably cropped the original 1972 making of featurette to 1.85:1 when it was originally fullframe.

I remember when this movie was released in 1972! I was 5 years old. When it came on TV a few years later I was mad because I had to go to bed because it was a schoold night! Well about 3 years after that I got to see the whole movie. I loved it. Yes the acting is a little over the top. Some of the F/X is not so hot. However what this version has is STARS. The remake sadly has bland & boring people/charectors. This movie has the infamous Shelley Winters scene. Calling this a camp-classic would be wrong! Its a classic. Skip the remake and see this!

My parents bought this movie, but I wasn't extremely excited about watching it. It was filmed about 30 years ago, so I expected it to be fuzzy with lame special effects like so many of the other older movies I had seen. After I saw it, I got really into it and watched it again. The special effects were amazing, especially considering it was made in 1972. Right now, I'm doing research on the S.S. Poseidon ship to learn more about what really happened on that New Year's Morning.

As someone who's just seen the new "Poseidon", and having just seen the original after a long "hiatus", I felt compelled to put my two cents in.

While the new "Poseidon" was taut with non-stop action and special effects, I found it severely lacking in the character-development department.

Which brings me to the original. Although the dialogue is somewhat dated and the special effects do not match anything by today's standards, "The Poseidon Adventure" works far better in that it is a fine piece of cinematic story-telling. You get to know and care about these people, not witness two-dimensional characters taking a backseat to computer graphics technology. The people and the story of their escape and survival remain the primary focus of the movie, while the special effects enhance and supplement this goal; not the other way around.

For its time, "TPA" was brilliantly conceived and its effects, amazing. I was reminded, as I sat and watched the original, of just how real everything seemed. Never did I get the feeling that I was looking at a set. What also makes this film even more horrific and intense, imo, is that much of what happens is left to your imagination. There isn't this constant need to repeatedly display death and carnage for shock value or in order to prove that it exists. In fact, one of the most horrowing scenes is when parts of the ship explode, thereby putting those who have chosen to stay with the ship's Purser in peril. Thereafter, you witness these very same people frantically clammoring up the Christmas tree as they try to escape certain death. Heartbreakingly, the tree falls over from the passengers' weight, and all Reverend Scott can do is sorrowfully close a door to the screams and agony of those left behind. To me, that is one of the more powerful scenes in this film because of what you DON'T see.

As for the acting, the performances in this film really stand out and make up for any "cheesiness" in the dialogue. Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine are "over-the-top" as two of the main characters, and Shelly Winters more than holds her own as a Grandma yearning to make a difference. All of the actors do a splendid job in making you believe in their dilemma and in taking you along for the ride. You won't be disappointed.

Lastly, I had forgotten how "diverse" the dialogue was for its time, given the few curse words and light comedic moments. Stella Stevens' character declaring that she wanted to go first up the Christmas tree because she didn't "want to get stuck behind fat-*ss" took some edge off of the horror of their situation and made their characterizations even more real.

Whether or not you believe anyone can survive such a disaster, the story and performances in "The Poseidon Adventure" will make you think that it is possible, and herein is why the picture works and remains one of the greatest disaster films of all time.

I first saw Poseidon Adventure on Christmas Eve 1972. I was nine and my brother was almost twelve. I vividly remember calling the theater and, because it was rated PG, asking the lady if my brother and I had to have an adult with us in order to see it! Well, needless to say, my 9-year-old eyes had never seen anything like it and to this day the movie has a certain hold on me. I bought the special edition dvd the day it came out. I watched it four times the first two days. Both commentaries are great but I think I like the commentary by Stella Stevens, Carol Lynley and Pamela Sue Martin a little better than the director's. It's fun to listen to the three ladies reminisce and laugh together. I have seen the new movie and I like it, probably because I like the premise of the story. It's just a very different take on the same premise. Poseidon Adventure will always be among my favorite movies.

Today it seems that every third movie leans on CGI to a point at which the term "special effects" has little meaning--but there was a time, and not so very long ago, when the words had a very literal meaning. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, loosely based on the novel by Paul Gallico, was very special indeed. So much so that it was not simply a movie. It was an event.

The film's fame is such that the story is extremely well known. An aging passenger liner, the Poseidon, is making a final voyage at an unsafe speed and with insufficient ballast. Shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve it encounters a ninety foot tidal wave and capsizes, leaving a handful of survivors to fight their way to the only point in the hull from which rescue might come.

The opening sections of the film, during which we meet various passengers, was filmed aboard the Queen Mary. Once we enter the Grand Salon for New Year's Eve festivities, however, every set has been constructed to full size. There are no CGI effects, no rear projections, and (with the exception of long shots of the ship itself) there are no minitures. The cast works exclusively in the middle of tangible effects, and then as now, the result is remarkably disturbing. It looks real because it is real.

And it is really that sense of reality that puts THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE at the forefront of its genre. Disaster films have been popular since the silent era, but THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE was virtually without precedent in 1972. It is difficult to convey the visual shock the film had in its first theatrical release. People screamed and jolted in their seats, and when the ship capsized the entire audience leaned to the right, clutching at their arm rests and each other. You left the theatre physically drained, your conversation laced with nervous laughter.

It is true that the film's dialogue is more than a little corny, but this was indeed made at a time when children still said 'No, Sir' and 'Yes, Ma'am;' the film reflects its era, and many viewers were as shocked by the profanity as they were by the special effects. But whatever the film's shortcomings in terms of dialogue, there can no dispute about the plot: this is one movie that really moves, and with such speed and logic that you can barely catch your breath.

The cast reads very much like a Who's Who of acclaimed actors of the day. Leading man Gene Hackman was fresh from his Oscar-winning performance in THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Shelly Winters, Ernest Borgnine, and Red Buttons were all former Oscar winners. Carol Lynley received heavy-weight critical acclaim in earlier films and Stella Stevens was the popular star of many light comedies--and gave the performance of career when she stood her image on its head. Jack Albertson and Roddy McDowell were noted character actors, and even comparatively minor roles such as the ship's captain and chaplin went to such notables as Leslie Neilson and Arthur O'Connell. Together they make the unlikely nature of the story seem entirely plausible.

The recently released "Special Edition" DVD cannot, sadly, compensate for the loss of the big screen--but that aside it is really quite fine. The print is virtually pristine, and while the sound is a bit lacking it is solid enough to make me wonder at those who complain. The bonus material is also very good, including considerable "Making Of" information, brief interviews with surviving members of the cast, thoughts about iconographic subtext, and story board samples. The commentary track by director Ronald Neame is both informative and entertaining, and while the commentary track by Carol Lynley, Stella Stevens, and Pamela Sue Martin is somewhat spotty it is enjoyable none the less. Recommended as a classic of its kind.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

this still is the best of the disaster movies to come out in the 70's and is still a very fine action movie today. gene hackman leads the cast as they are caught by a tidal wave on new years eve and capsized by it. now up is down,down is up,and the only chance to live means climbing to the bottom of the boat where there is a chance to survive. after that the movie moves so fast you won't have time to care about the holes in the plot or the things that don't make sense. turn off the brain and just lrt this one roll(no pun ment)

... is rediculous. Why would they bother putting all these extra special feature on this release, and not re-do the soundtrack in 5.1 surround or DTS? Why? That is so f***ing lame! You suck FOX!

The new Special Edition DVD by Fox is AWESOME!
-Meticulously restored picture with not ONE spot, speck or scratch!
-Deep, colorful, vibrant transfer!
-Great Special Features on a second disc!
-20 Lobby Cards!
-Souvenir Book!
-Great Packaging!
-Cheap Price!
-And, oh yah-A Fantastic Movie with my favorite actor Gene Hackman!

THANK YOU FOX! THANK YOU FOR GIVING THIS MOVIE THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES!
BUY THIS DVD AND SUPPORT FOX FOR SPENDING SOME MONEY ON A CLASSIC MOVIE.

Timed to coincide with the big-screen remake "Poseidon," 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment are releasing 2-disc special editions of two classic star-studded disaster movies, including the 1972 original "The Poseidon Adventure" starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Roddy McDowell among a crew of 15 Academy Award winners. Produced by the legendary Irwin Allen (who made a career in the 1970s of turning out big-budget disaster movies) the movie, based on a novel of the same name by Paul Gallico, tells the story of the aging liner Poseidon, which is hit by a 90-foot tidal wave that knocks her over on her final voyage from New York to Greece.
Featuring impressive special effects for its time and excellent performances from its cast, the movie manages to rise above a trite script and corny dialogue as they travel through an upside-down world, into the bowels of the ship in the hope of rescue from above.
Perhaps the main attraction of this movie is the sets, which effectively create a world turned on its head that leaves passengers walking on the ceilings of a maze of passageways and falling into what was just seconds before the roof of a giant ballroom. The movie proved to be a smash hit in 1972 and itself garnered nine Oscar nominations.
The movie was previously released on DVD as a relatively bare-bones effort, an oversight which has been corrected here in what is a virtual embarrassment of riches for those of us who love to scour through the special features of those shiny discs. Alongside two audio commentaries, one featuring director Ronald Neame and a second with cast members Pamela Sue Martin, Stella Stevens and Carol Lynley are ten all-new featurettes that include a retrospective by the cast and crew and the AMC Backstory that looked behind the making of the movie. The longest of these short documentaries by far is the Backstory presentation that clocks in just short of a half-hour at 25:08 and details not just the fight by Allen to bring the novel to the screen, but also on-camera interviews with the likes of Roddy McDowell, Sheila Metthews Allen and Stella Stevens.
Fox apparently was reluctant to finance the $5 million picture and tried to kill the movie even after work had started on it. It was up to Allen to raise half of the budget, something he managed when he interrupted two rich friends playing cards at the neighboring country club who said "Yes, but let us get back to the game." The two men subsequently became even more wealthy.
The shortest documentary "Turning over the ship" on the effects shots in the picture is a mere 2:26.
The other documentaries cover such elements as the song "The Morning After," the religious themes of the movie, how some of the scenes were created and a featurette, which this DVD shares with "The Towering Inferno," on writer Stirling Sillipant.
Even given its short length at 6:27 is the featurette "The R.M.S. Queen Mary" which gives a fascinating history of the liner which served not only as a location for exterior shots of the "Poseidon" and the design of the ship, but also in the genesis of the idea for the novel. Apparently Gallico had taken a trip on the Queen Mary in the 1950s when it had been hit by a large wave. Tilting slightly plates and glasses went flying until the ship righted itself. Years later as Gallico sat down to write a novel the memory came back to him.
Perhaps the most famous shot of the movie is of the character Terry falling from a table into the glass ceiling below. This stunt was performed by actor Ernie Osatti, who was asked to do it so the movie could say that a number of the stunts had been performed by the actors themselves. This is recounted by Osatti in the 4:09 documentary "Falling up with Ernie."
Of the two commentaries the solo effort by Neame is the most involving with the director commending his cast for spending virtually an entire movie being "damped down" with hoses before practically every shot. Neame also reveals that he was "terrified" when he heard that Gallico would be seeing the movie because he had not stayed faithful to the novel, but was relieved to find out that the novelist loved the film.
Neame also explained the use of the "title" on the front of the movie which would seem to a casual observer to be a spoiler. As the movie opens we learn from a blurb on the screen that "only a handful of survivors" made it through the capsized ship. As Neame tells us, this was included as a means of holding the audiences attention through the first 20 minutes of the picture as we are introduced to the impressive cast with the audience trying to figure out who will survive.
The second cast commentary by Martin, Stevens and Lynley has, strangely enough, more periods of silence as the three seem to become involved in watching the movie unfold. It is also more anecdotal in nature. Stevens, for example, recounts getting into trouble recently for having her picture taken with the model of the ship (which apparently is on display at the maritime museum in Long Beach, Calif.), until it was learned she had appeared in the movie.
The three also talk about the casting and even mention how they had expressed an interest in making cameo appearances in the new movie, a notion which was met with no enthusiasm by the studio.
Perhaps the most interesting special feature is also the most unusual, an interactive feature that allows the viewer to follow the escape through schematics of the ship as they watch the movie. With a boat graphic in the lower right corner of the picture as a prompt, a screen comes up that shows the viewer where the survivors are, the path they took to get there and who is left. The schematic is based (as the movie and book were also) on the R.M.S Queen Mary.
Rounding out the DVD is a 10-minute archival 1972 promotional feature on the movie, two teaser trailers and the theatrical trailer, three storyboard comparisons and the transcription of an article that appeared in an edition of "American Cinematographer" with selectable images that take the viewer to image galleries.

"The Poseidon Adventure" is a great disaster film from Irwin Allen, who eventually became known as the Master of Disaster after this came out in 1972. This was the movie that started the disaster film craze of the 70s, and deservedly so. "The Poseidon Adventure" is about a luxury liner traveling the open seas on New Year's Eve that has the unfortunate task of running into a 90 foot tidal wave that proceeds to capsize the ship and turn it upside down thanks to an undersea earthquake. Afterwards a small group of survivors try to make it to the top (or bottom) of the ship hoping to be rescued. "The Poseidon Adventure" starts off as a silly comedy for the first 20 minutes, where they introduce the main characters. These characters are portrayed by an all-star cast: Gene Hackman as a priest who's always barking orders at everyone; Ernest Borgnine as a cop who's constantly complaining about everything; Stella Stevens as Borgnine's wife, a former prostitute; Shelley Winters and Jack Albertson as a Jewish couple; Red Buttons as a lonely bachelor; Carol Lynley as the ship's pop singer; and Leslie Nielsen as the ship's captain. After the opening 20 minutes the real excitement begins. The passengers have to endure many dangers while trying to escape, and during the course of the film the real question is the same as it is in every disaster picture: who will die and who will survive? I won't dare say who dies and who survives. "The Poseidon Adventure" is an excellent movie for most of its two hours, and I enjoyed the action, special effects, and the performances (which are terrific). Sure Borgnine has the worst written role in the film, but so what. He'll either make you laugh or get on your nerves. I felt a little of both. Same goes for Stevens who is a good foil for Borgnine. Hackman plays the reverend to the hilt, a man who won't let anyone give up. Winters is very funny as the Jewish woman who worries she won't make it because she's overweight, and Albertson plays off of her very well as her husband. Buttons is very good as the bachelor who's sweet and caring. Lynley gets to show off some singing talents, and does a decent job of singing as she does at trying to escape from hell upside down. Nielsen is a lot of fun to watch as he plays it deadly straight here long before playing it deadly straight in "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun" comedies. "The Poseidon Adventure" is pure adventure indeed. Terrific entertainment. And I can't wait to see the upcoming remake "Poseidon", which opens in theaters May 12th. It's the one movie opening this summer that I'm anxiously awaiting. Whether it'll be as good as the original film remains to be seen, but I'm sure it'll be better than the awful TV movie remake that aired on NBC last November.

Watching this film again really does bring back the memories of seeing it for the first time in the cinema as a kid.
The 1970s saw a glut of disaster films but the Poseidon Adventure remains one of the best.

The plot sees an ageing liner - the SS Poseidon on her last cruise before being scrapped. Sailing out on this last voyage, on the cheap and with a disregard for safety by her owners, she encounters a tidal wave which capsizes her in spectacular fashion. From that point onwards, it is a desperate struggle for the surviving passengers and crew, to climb upwards through the stricken ship in search of rescue.

Casting and characterisation is generally good (with just some corn at times, hell this was the 1970s...).
Gene Hackman is a rebellious preacher who finds his own particular brand of very passionate faith, severely tested by the unfolding events surrounding the unfortunate SS Poseidon.
The ever dependable Ernest Borgnine is a cynical cop who has to dig deep into his own character as events threaten to overrun both him and his fellow survivors...
Shelley Winters makes her famous underwater swim in this film when she has to save Hackman's character.
You also get to see Leslie Neilson in a straight role as the ship's captain, infuriated by the reckless cost cutting of the owners...

The film used the original SS Queen Mary as the set and the result is a convincing, and at times gritty realism. The film is surprisingly brutal for its time and the band of survivors really does keep dwindling, as they make their desperate trek through the upturned and very dangerous hull of the ship. The upturned hull itself is a brilliantly realised world where all points of reference are changed. Ceilings have become floors and staircases are inverted. Fires, scalding stream, twisted metal, and flooding all add to the chaos and confusion.
The film runs along at a cracking pace and keeps the viewer's interest until the end.

That said, I would like to add my criticism to that already expressed by other reviewers of the fact that the existing dvd is in mono. Why?
I just hope that Twentieth Century Fox are to remedy this on the upcoming special edition dvd this year and give it the 5.1 soundtrack that both the film and viewer so richly deserve.

Hands down, this is the greatest disaster film of all time.

I Love this Movie .... But Where's the Great Stereo Sound from the release in 1972?

I remember back in my younger days when this movie came out and remember how well it sounded in the theater with 6 Track Stereo Sound. The sound made this movie even more fantisic and remember watching it on TV and it didn't seem the same.

Why after the first release (That wasn't in Stereo) now this New 2-Disk set with all the added extra's, doesn't even have Dolby Stereo 5.1? I would think that any Action or Disaster picture wouldn't be completed unless it has Stereo Surround sound.

Will I buy it? Maybe....

But will I enjoy it like I did 35 years ago? ... NO WAY BABY!!!

Please Take a Note FOX DVD... You still have time to correct this for the fans who love this movie.

I GIVE A 1 STAR FOR THIS DVD, NOT THE MOVIE. JUST TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW DUE TO WARNER BROTHERS BIG SCREEN VERSION OF THE NEW POSEIDON ADVENTURE COMING OUT IN MAY OF 2006, WARNER BROTHERS WILL BE RELEASING A BRAND NEW 2 DISC SET VERSION OF THIS OLD FILM. READ BELOW.
20th Century Fox has announced that on 5/9, look for The Poseidon Adventure: Special Edition and The Towering Inferno: Special Edition. Each will be a new 2-disc set with the film in anamorphic widescreen video (SRP $19.98 apiece).

The Poseidon Adventure will include audio commentary (with Ronald Neame, Pamela Sue Martin, Stella Stevens and Carol Lynley), the Follow the Escape "interactive" featurette, 7 behind-the-scenes featurettes (including The Cast Looks Back, Falling Up with Ernie, The Heart of Disaster: Stirling Silliphant, The Heroes of the Poseidon, The Morning After Story, The R.M.S. Queen Mary and AMC Backstory: The Poseidon Adventure), 3 Ronald Neame featurettes (including Sinking Corridor, Generations of Fans and Turning Over the Ship), storyboard comparisons for 3 scenes, the original 1972 promotional featurette, the film's teaser and theatrical trailers

The special effects might be a bit dated; the subplots somewhat corny; the characters and dialogue unintentionally funny (I've always found Red Buttons more than a little creepy !). The remake might even become the definite version to coming generations.
Still, if you saw the Poseidon Adventure in the early '70s you will never forget the long lines; the shock of seeing the ship turn over; the sight of Shelly Winters (all of her !, RIP) swimming in order to save the day; the unexpected fate of Gene Hackman's character.
I already own the original edition of this DVD and absolutely hate DVD upgrades still, with the following (announced) extras, what else is one to do ?

" The Poseidon Adventure will include audio commentary (with Ronald Neame, Pamela Sue Martin, Stella Stevens and Carol Lynley), the Follow the Escape "interactive" featurette, 7 behind-the-scenes featurettes (including The Cast Looks Back, Falling Up with Ernie, The Heart of Disaster: Stirling Silliphant, The Heroes of the Poseidon, The Morning After Story, The R.M.S. Queen Mary and AMC Backstory: The Poseidon Adventure), 3 Ronald Neame featurettes (including Sinking Corridor, Generations of Fans and Turning Over the Ship), storyboard comparisons for 3 scenes, the original 1972 promotional featurette, the film's teaser and theatrical trailers, a trailer for The Towering Inferno, an interactive American Cinematographer article and galleries of marketing, publicity and behind-the-scenes images "

I found the dialogue impossible to get through, almost embarassing to listen to. And then at the point when they have to go under water, shazam!, the old lady used to be an underwater swimming champ. Wow, were audiences that gullible in 72? Looks like it was shot on about five different sets and at no point do you ever buy it. Cheezily acted by Borgnine. Letter box squashes the look of it. I hear a new version is coming out, maybe it will be better with modern efx.