THE TOWERING INFERNO

(1974) One of the best entries of the entire "disaster movie" movement that began with The Poseidon Adventure in 1972, The Towering Inferno was producer Irwin Allen's follow-up to that Oscar-winning seagoing disaster ... this one set in the tallest skyscraper in the world, on opening night in San Francisco, that is beset by fire while a party full of the city's elite is being held on a top floor.  The star-studded cast is headed by Paul Newman as architect Doug Roberts - the man responsible for the design of the luxury office/apartment high-rise, unaware that many of his specs for the building were compromised to save money - and Steve McQueen as Chief O'Hallorhan, the man in charge of the impossible: putting out a fire that starts on the 81st floor of a skyscraper and quickly grows out of control.  The impressive supporting cast of partygoers/victims includes Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Jennifer Jones, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner, Robert Vaughn - even O.J. Simpson and Bobby from "The Brady Bunch" get caught up in all the drama (in some cases, melodrama) - though even at 165 minutes the film never drags thanks to the brilliant cast, and for its time especially the special effects and pyrotechnics remain impressive even in 2017.  Have seen this film maybe twenty times over the years, and would easily revisit it again and again; a true classic of the genre and its time, not to be missed. (rated PG)  8.5/10 stars