Disaster! mini season at the Electric Palace cinema is a short season of four classic blockbuster American movies that used a looming or ongoing disaster as their main plot device, a genre which enjoyed a brief golden age during a period through the early 1970s.
With two screenings back to back on both Sunday 13th and Sunday 20th October, settle in for a quartet of handpicked films from the season's curator, writer and Electric Palace volunteer, Jamie Sellers.
See nailbiting thrillers with A-list ensemble casts of Hollywood stars past and then-present, and directors with an eye for the dramatic.
"Irony is all but absent – no-one’s tipping the wink to the viewer, everyone’s deadly serious, and quite often very angry too. It IS okay to laugh though, on occasion – in fact, we defy you not to!" says Jamie.
Describing what to expect of the season a little more, Jamie continues:"Plot devices might feature an arrogant or careless authority figure whose actions (or lack of) are partly or entirely responsible for the unfolding chaos; a blue-collar folk hero whose down- to-earth commonsense ultimately averts an even worse scenario; and often a stupid kid who ignores every danger sign and puts him or herself in grave mortal danger. Warning: it’s the early ‘70s, and chauvinism is not in short supply."
What's on in our Disaster! mini season?
All screenings are introduced by the Disaster! season curator, Jamie Sellers.
Airport
Sunday 13 October 11.30am
Nominated for 10 Oscars, see the first of our Disaster! season movies, with an enviable all-star cast showing off glorious '70s fashions and hairdos! With Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Van Heflin, Helen Hayes, and Jacqueline Bisset.
The Poseidon Adventure
Sunday 13 October 3pm
A group of passengers must embark on a harrowing struggle for survival after a rogue wave capsizes their cruise ship at sea. Starring Gene Hackman, Roddy McDowall, Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters, and Leslie Nielsen!
Book now for The Poseidon Adventure >>
Earthquake
Sunday 20 October 11.30am
Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California. Earthquake won three technical Academy Awards, including Best Sound, and a special award for its impressive visual effects.
The Towering Inferno
Sunday 20 October 3pm
An architect has designed the world's tallest building, but is concerned that his wiring specifications may have not been followed, and fire breaks out. With William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Jennifer Jones, Robert Vaughn and Robert Wagner.
Book now for The Towering Inferno >>
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