Blu-ray Review – City on Fire

With disaster movies all the rage in the 1970s, producers were scrambling to figure out ways to inspire the cinematic possibilities of mass panic and destruction. Horror hit the airlines, amusement parks, outer space, and boats, but fire was a particular obsession for a few of these titles, with 1974's "The Towering Inferno" a prime example of the Irwin Allen formula that would go on to bewitch audiences for nearly a decade. Adding to screen chaos is 1979's "City on Fire," which amplifies a roaring threat to a community-wide scope, inviting a cast of the famous and the desperate to fill mediocre roles, adding a degree of recognition to a routine of burning buildings and streets. Directed by Alvin Rakoff ("Death Ship"), "City on Fire" is obvious, playing directly into subgenre expectations as it lovingly details loss of life and urban annihilation, but the helmer does manage to make an entertaining feature out of recycled parts. While it's far from a riveting dramatic achievement, the picture has its charms, blending the work of semi-committed actors with scenes of explosive panic, carrying enough hysteria to deliver a suitable disaster extravaganza. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com