All-Star Cast, but only 5.6.
Evidently there was a big budget to put out a lousy movie.
The movie was actually good, but it's dated. So, people watch it now and laugh at it, when it was just how things were back then. People might not think the effects are so great in this cgi generation, so they drop points for that, or they don't know who any of the cast was, so more dropped points.
People have to give credit to a movie based on the merits for the time it was made, not how things are made now.
I really think you're totally wrong. This film is just awful on every level, production values, acting, pacing. Has absolutely nothing to do with the time it was made. I can think of hundreds of films made around the same time, or years, or even decades prior to this that are vastly superior.
As an example, I'll choose Towering Inferno because it's from the same period, and it's the same genre. Can't compare the two films -- Inferno is so brilliant on every level, it puts this film so completely in a shadow.
I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man with no sole. ~ Ancient Disco Proverb
I think you're totally wrong. Although this movie isn't fantastic, it has pacing, editing and production values equal to most movies of its era and as good as any TV dramas diff not better.
Not a great flick, but great entertainment at the time, or if you want a hoot now.
I agree with you. For it's time, in 1974 it was quite a technical achievement. Sensurround was very impressive in the theatre, I loved it. Also not mentioned is that Earthquake is an Academy Award winning film. It won for Sound and technical achievements including the development of Sensurround. Also Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner did their own stunts. Yes the stories are a tad soap operish but it has an all star cast and was made years before cgi effects.
I just wish that Universal would release this on blu ray.
I agree, I have no complaint about the special effects, special effects. I found the acting scenes static, and the relationships cold. Robson's VOTD was the 2nd highest grossing film of 67', but it was an awful film, and only watchable to see Patty Duke make you smile with her displaced intensity. It's not about the box-office.
Ava Gardner pretending to be asleep, then her big wide eyes open suddenly when the quake hits was embarrassing. Victoria Principal runs out of the theatre, then looks up with an instant "waaauuugh"-look. Gardner with "you're seeing that slut again, aren't you!?" was awful, and not because her character was supposed to be a bitch, but how she enacted it.
One wonders what would have happened if Mario Puzo had completed a full working script for Earthquake before he was whisked off to do the Godfather sequel and Universal had had the money to do his script justice? instead we got a watered down paint by number style script by Mark Robson.
While I reckon Charlton Heston is pretty good in this overall especially after viewing the cringe worthy sexist slop he played in Airport 75 at the same time I just cant buy into his love affair with Geneviève Bujold, he has just supposedly made love to this beautiful young lady and he holds her like a dead fish, the whole scene is just dull, flat and lifeless like Robson's direction throughout most of the movie.
You lost me with sexist slop . I liked Airport75. How was he sexist ?
shareHis dialogue which consisted of Nancy Babeee and Nancy honey , cringe worthy dialogue.
shareShe was dating him. You dont' call you a loved one honey? If you think that's "cringe worthy", you expect too much. You're looking for things.
shareOne time me and some friends did a drinking game where we did a shot every time Chuck called Karen "baby". We got drunk before Myrna Loy.
shareI can think of hundreds of films made around the same time, or years, or even decades prior to this that are vastly superior.
As an example, I'll choose Towering Inferno because it's from the same period, and it's the same genre. Can't compare the two films -- Inferno is so brilliant on every level, it puts this film so completely in a shadow.
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I think Towering Inferno—which I didn't have an opportunity to see on it's initial theatrical release—was over-long and flatly directed in parts. It tried to outdo THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE-72', which I think is terrific and superior to both Earthquake and Inferno.
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There are people who bad mouth TOWERING INFERNO. It just comes down to today's movie generation doesn't like old FX movies when they are used to cgi.
share