Two double bills of classic ’70s Hollywood blockbuster films await this October
Film season marks golden age of ’70s disaster movies
Look out! Plan ahead for a couple of nostalgic Autumnal Sundays riding back in time to the early 1970s to indulge in a collection of handpicked Hollywood blockbuster disaster films at the Electric Palace cinema, says Annie Waite.
Disaster! mini season at the Electric Palace cinema is a short season of four classic blockbuster American movies taking off this coming Sunday 13 October.
With a looming or ongoing disaster as their main plot device, this genre enjoyed a brief golden age during a period through the early 1970s.
Jamie Sellers curated and introduces the Disaster! season
Settle in for a quartet of handpicked films from the Disaster! mini season’s curator, writer and Electric Palace volunteer, Jamie Sellers, with two screenings back to back on both Sunday 13th and Sunday 20th October.
“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.
What’s on in the Disaster! mini season?
See nailbiting thrillers with A-list ensemble casts of Hollywood stars past and then-present, and directors with an eye for the dramatic. Jamie will also provide a live introduction to each of the films.
Airport
Sunday 13 October
11.30am
Nominated for ten 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.
’70s-tastic danger awaits with an all-star cast
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!
Nailbiting tension for Earthquake on 20 October
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.
Spot the plot devices
Jamie shares a bit more about what you can expect of the season:
“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,” he says.
“…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!” Jamie quips.
Book now for Disaster! mini season at the Electric Palace: Starts Sunday 13 October 2024 at 11.30am.
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