THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)

The Queen Mother of all "disaster" films - which hit their stride in the 1970's - remains the best, as well as the first movie my parents let me go to see in a theater alone, as a kid.  It remains on my all-time favorites list, to this day, and still holds up as a thrilling, tense story of what happens when a once-luxurious ocean liner, on her last voyage before being consigned to the scrap heat, is hit by a 90-foot tidal wave and turned upside down in the middle of the ocean.  Gene Hackman leads an all-star cast as Reverend Scott, who no matter what will fight to the end to lead a small group of like-minded survivors, after the ship capsizes, through the upside-down boat to the top (formerly the bottom) in search of rescue ... even as the ship is sinking further and deeper into the ocean as they do so.  The film, nominated for eight Oscars (and winning one, plus a non-competitive Oscar for visual effects) is a riveting dramatic thriller deserving a place on anyone's "must-see" list - then, now, and always. (rated PG)  *****

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE trailer