Blu-ray Review – Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)

1972 was a big year for filmmaking, with top directors solidifying their reputations in endeavors such as "The Godfather," "Deliverance," and "Cabaret." Somewhere in the middle of all this artistic adventuring and tonal mastery was "The Poseidon Adventure," with producer Irwin Allen turning his attention from making television hits to the possibilities of the big screen, looking to cash in on the developing trend of disaster cinema, trying to make a proper PG nightmare for all audiences. "The Poseidon Adventure" was the big Christmas release of the year, intended for mass appeal, and it connected, making a huge haul at the box office (it's the second highest-grossing feature of the year, right behind "The Godfather"), but it also rattled the awards race, scoring nine Oscar nominations. Not bad for popcorn entertainment. With insane profit comes sequels, but Allen couldn't slap one together quickly, taking seven years before unleashing 1979's "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure," also claiming helming duties from Ronald Neame. The original endeavor is no great achievement in the art of moviemaking, but Allen really loses his way with the follow-up, which is mostly a remake with his usual formula, following a large collection of characters as they encounter various survival challenges, returning to the "Hell, upside down" arena of a capsized ship gradually coming apart. "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure" is fairly terrible, with crummy writing and stiff direction, putting pressure on a cast of talented people to support a production that's sinking faster than its setting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com