The Towering Inferno (Special Edition)

Amazon.com essential video

Disaster movies used to work because there was little certainty as to who would survive. Not so in this film, really an amalgam of two original stories, about a group of well-to-do celebrants at the top floor of a skyscraper. Cheapo electrical wiring and bad construction management cause an enormous blaze at the lower floors, steadily rising to consume the revelers. Newman's an architect, McQueen a firefighter, and Fred Astaire a kind old gentleman, for which he was Oscar-nominated. O.J. Simpson plays a security guard who rescues a cat. Now that's a disaster. --Keith Simanton

Description

A dedication ceremony at the world's tallest skyscraper turns into a high-rise catastrophe when a defective wire in its systems-control panel causes an electrical flare-up. Within minutes the gala event turns into a hellish inferno, as a raging fire traps

Customer Reviews:

IRWIN ALLEN AT HIS BEST!.......2007-08-14

Originally released in 1974, "The Towering Inferno" stands as one of the best of the 70's disaster films. This film like many of Allen's others including "The Poseiden Adventure" is jam-packed with special effects and stars including: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astare, Susan Blakley, Jennifer Jones, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner and ever O.J. Simpson.

Paul Newman as the architect designs the world's tallest and safest skyscraper. The developer, William Holden, shaves cost by cheating on the electrical system barely staying within the electrical codes.

The Grand Opening party for the new building with guests such as the Mayor, a Senator and many other important locals becomes a disaster. Electrical overloads and short circuits cause a fire half way up the building. Of course the party is on the top floor, approximately 50 stories above the fire. As the fire spreads, Steve McQueen as the Fire Chief comes to the rescue. If you want to know how it ends, you'll have to watch it!

I recommend this film to anyone who loves action and suspense. A 2-disc offering many extras, it is a sure bet for your video collection.

ANOTHER GREAT IRWIN ALLEN DISASTER!.......2007-08-06

Ahhhh the 70's! This was a time of the great disaster films! For those of you not familiar with these star studded gems I will give a quick explaination. Back in the 70's Hollywood produced a bunch of disaster films and they covered just about all of them with Water(Poseidon Adventure)Fire(Towering Inferno)Earth(Earthquake)(in Sensurround!LOL!)Air(Airport)They did more, but these are the ones that were really something to see in the theaters. Each one would have more stars than 10 other first rate films combined! Kind of like the "Love Boat" but these stars were still stars! The Towering Inferno was even better than I remembered. The new special edition has a very good transfer and interesting extras. This is right up there with The Poseidon Adventure.

I want to see the inferno, not underwear.......2007-06-13

This movie is full of technical errors. Now I have checked this out for myself. In California, the fire protection is done by a fire protection engineer. Same thing goes for electrical. When the architect Paul Newman was fiddling with the electrical system, which may or may not have been under warranty, he was tampering with things that he was not statutorily allowed to do. As far as him reviewing the change orders to the electrical, if I was James Duncan or Roger Simmons, I would go to Superior Court and get an injunction that he can't get involved in any engineering because he is not licenced in California. They should have used Judge Mathis or Judge Joe Brown on this because I have a funny feeling this whole thing is going to end up in the Peoples Court with Judge Milian.

fired up.......2007-05-17

you can't add much more flame to the fire. this dvd has seen the light. with all the extras to sweat through you will feel like you were at a hollywood bonfire. the movie speaks for itself. we all know the horror of being in a fire in a skyscraper. now more than ever. and the film doesnt play camp like other disaster films.the acting is as good as you get at the time. but it is a stuntman movie for the most part. it is amazing how well it has held up today. and the film score is one of the best for this kind of film. this a 1970's classic and it is good to have this dvd for the future generations who havent seen it.if you are a film fan you will want the story and the extras this set provides. though not the first in the genre it was the best. and an academy award winning picture to boot.

Disaster Movie Delight.......2007-05-12

In this age we live in, one of ultra-serious tragedy abounding in daily news, the genre/medium of the American Disaster-Thriller Flick is a wonderful diversion from reality and sometimes a downright *HOOT* ... Disaster movie-as-vehicle for questionable performances by aging famous stars can, in a way, be a touching reminder of their theatrical days gone by... but let's just laugh, shed a tear, sweat it out, and have fun with this film, the Airport-movies series, Poseidon Adventure, and more~!
My only regret is that Fred Astaire doesn't dance enough in this one, like in the olde days with Ginger Rogers :P

Average customer rating:

The Third Key is Under Your Feet
DEATH, DEATH, DEATH!!!
Disappointing followup to horror classic "Suspiria"
Surrealism and Expressionism's Journey to Hell
a bit hard to follow when first seen, but thats a very minor complaint

Inferno
Starring: Jr. Feodor Chaliapin , Eleonora Giorgi , Ryan Hilliard , Veronica Lazar , and Leigh McCloskey
Director: Dario Argento
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000KRNG5E
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Amazon.com

Dario Argento's sequel to Suspiria, his first and to date only American hit, is an even more incoherent nightmare fantasy. Laden with symbolic imagery and fantastic explosions of death shot in candy-colored hues, it's a bloody feast for the eyes. Mark (Leigh McCloskey), an American music student in Rome, rushes home to New York after a frantic phone call from his sister only to find an empty apartment and obscure clues about a supernatural presence in her spooky building. It all has something to do with the mysterious Mater Tenebrarum, one of the "Three Mothers" of Argento's murky mythology, and the fun house of an apartment house she inhabits, complete with a fully furnished underwater ballroom, miles of secret tunnels flooded in red and blue light, and hidden passageways under the floorboards. Meanwhile, there's a killer running around stabbing beautiful women for who knows what reason, a crippled bookseller attacked by rats, and a homicidal hot-dog vendor in Central Park. Why? It's best not to ponder such mysteries--Argento obviously isn't as concerned with making sense of his meticulously staged murders as he is with lighting them with just the right hue. Dramatically it's inert, a parade of quirky but faceless victims dispatched with elaborate care, but it's beautifully designed and executed, a spectacle of elaborate set pieces and magnificent decor orchestrated with a complete disdain for narrative logic. --Sean Axmaker

Description

The Master Of Horror Dario Argento Brings You Terror That's Hotter Than Hell!

A young woman stumbles upon a mysterious diary that reveals the secrets of "The Three Mothers" and unleashes a nightmare world of demonic evil. As the unstoppable horror spreads from Rome to New York City, this unholy trinity must be stopped before the world is submerged in the blood of the innocent.

Written and directed by Dario Argento, INFERNO is considered to be the sequel to his classic SUSPIRIA. This surreal shocker stars Irene Miracle (NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS), Daria Nicolodi (DEEP RED) and Leigh McCloskey (DALLAS), and features a pulse-pounding original score by Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Now transferred from the original vault negative materials, INFERNO contains visually stunning sequences of horror that Argento fans consider among the best of his career.

Customer Reviews:

The Third Key is Under Your Feet.......2007-09-10

Classic Argento. In my personal opinion its not as good of a film as Susperia but is definitely a worthy sequal to such a classic piece of horror cinema. As in Susperia the cinematography is amazing and the kill scenes are always (in true Argento fashion) not only gory, but gory in a clever and orignal way with kills that at least i've never seen before. The finale of the film is fantastic. Overall this film was everything i'd expect from Argento. I'd recomend it to any fan of horror.

DEATH, DEATH, DEATH!!!.......2007-07-20

After the success of SUSPIRIA , Dario Argento (Master of Horror) presents INFERNO, a journey into darkness. Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle) reveals the dark secrets of "The Three Mothers" (Mater Tenebrarum, Mater Suspiriorium, & Mater Lacrimarum) written by architect Varelli and discovers that the source of all evil resides in the building she lives in. Aware of her discoveries she mysteriously disappears. Mark Elliot (Leigh Mc Closkey) travels to New York City in search of his missing sister Rose only to unravel the mysteries she set out to find in an inferno nightmare. Considered the semi-sequel to SUSPIRIA there are many similarities but INFERNO seems more watered down and disjointed. Leigh Mc Closkey takes on Jessica Harper's character from SUSPIRIA and the ending stands in the footsteps of SUSPIRIA. Still there are many elements to distinguish INFERNO as a master piece. Dario Argento is the master of lighting, creating an atmosphere he knows best, setting the trend for other directors. Alida Valli makes her appearance but the impact isn't as strong as in SUSPIRIA as I think to be one of her finest roles. Keith Emerson from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer does a superb soundtrack.

Disappointing followup to horror classic "Suspiria".......2007-05-31

Apart from one knockout horror sequence (with the heroine swimming in an underwater chamber) this movie never really catches fire. The performances are very poor, in marked contrast to Suspiria. The music is also strangely sedate for a horror film, also in contrast to Suspiria. The look of the film partly makes for the lack of real horror, but only in certain spots. Overall a disappointment.

Surrealism and Expressionism's Journey to Hell .......2007-05-02

Inferno is the second film of Dario Argento's unfinished "The Three Mothers" trilogy (while Suspiria is the first film). This film is classic Argento with its brilliant cinematography, abrasive yet eerie soundtrack (which seems out of place in certain scenes), brutal/bizarre deaths and sub par acting. Argento has stated that the actors aren't the focus of his films; rather the environment, mood, story and technical aspects are the potent force behind his masterpieces.

One thing about this movie that I found totally surreal and almost fantasy like was the lighting. The illumination in this giallo creates an ambient and nebulous setting, which is very unique. The light gels and/or set design in Inferno paint a mood in just about every scene. These moods vary from precarious (yellow) to foreboding (blue) then tranquil (green) to wrath (red) and back to enigmatic (purple). This type of movie making magic really plays a huge part in the film. I've shown Inferno to people before and they might not have liked the movie, but were impressed with the lighting and cinematography.

As for the plot, well it is somewhat lackluster. Mark, who is schooling in Europe, receives a letter from his sister Rose, who lives in New York. Rose's letter has a sense of bereavement to it, in regards to the apartment she is living. Rose believes that there are some clairvoyant or supernatural forces at work. Therefore, this sends Mark to The Big Apple to console his sister. However, this is the beginning of Mark's disconsolate hardships. He seems to be putting a puzzle together that doesn't want to solved.

Inferno might have to be witnessed more than once to fully digest what has transpired. However, I have seen it about a dozen times and I still don't know if I fully "get it". In other words, the movie can be a bit confusing. There are also some parts of the film that "drag on", but it doesn't take away from the overall effect of the movie. One of the best scenes is the underwater sequence, which is just plain eerie. There is one scene that involves cats. I love cats and having them as pets, might make this scene a bit hard to watch. Nevertheless, many aspects of Argento's films have a "pseudo-fake" quality about them, so you always know in the back of your head that what is happening on the screen isn't real.

As formally noted, Dario Argento's "The Three Mothers" trilogy is currently uncompleted. However, the third film is supposed to be completed and released by October 2007. The name of the movie is "The Third Mother". I do hope this is fact and not a rumor.

a bit hard to follow when first seen, but thats a very minor complaint.......2007-04-29

the movie is definately argento's most surreal one. along with suspiria and phenomena, this one is among his most bizarre and fun. dare i say that is shares more in common with a less character driven david lynch film over a hitchcock one. if you liked suspiria for the visuals, lighting, and supernatural delving, this is sure to please. hopefully, dario will finish the 3 mothers thing and cover the mater laciorum(sp?) story.

anyways, a lot of underground dvd collectors are probably wondering about this new blue underground version of this movie. i say this. if you have the anchor bay version, never fear. both versions are exactly the same, save for the fact that the newly released one is region zero and the insert is doubled sided along with the clear case. the anchor bay one does come with a nice interview book insert though. if you dont have this movie,id recommend to pick the blue underground version up.(ahem, cheaper!) if you have the anchor bay one (likewise to myself) theres no need to shell out 12 more bucks..i mean unless you plan to visit folks out of the USA or adore the clear see thru cases.

anyways, enough rambling from this dvd nerd.

Average customer rating:

It is desent
Hell raiser inferno sucked and still sucks
No hell left to raise
i like it, most people don't, but i do
LMAO!!!!!

Hellraiser - Inferno
Starring: Craig Sheffer , Nicholas Turturro , James Remar , Doug Bradley , and Nicholas Sadler
Director: Scott Derrickson
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004Y634
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Amazon.com

This is the first Hellraiser sequel that doesn't bear the imprimatur of creator Clive Barker, and that makes it a sequel that many Hellraiser fans will want to disown, but they shouldn't dismiss it altogether. Now under the control of Miramax producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the franchise takes an entirely new direction, and Inferno is primarily a detective thriller in which a corrupt cop (Craig Sheffer) takes on a case that will judge his soul and, ultimately, damn him forever. His judge and jury will be Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and his legion of twisted Cenobites, but before he can be tried and condemned, Sheffer's cop will watch as those around him are killed off one by one, leaving a trail of blood (and telltale severed fingers) that leads back to the torment of his own youth.

So, what you really have here is a variation on It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, with all the themes reversed to hellish extremes. The plot doesn't hold together all that well, but you can't fault the film for establishing and maintaining a heavily somber tone. This is pretty dark stuff, after all, and although Hellraiser fans will lament that Pinhead's appearance is relatively brief, he's presented here in an intriguing new light--not merely an icon of pain and suffering, but a giver of counsel and justice to those (like Sheffer's cop) who arguably deserve the eternal anguish they will receive. Does that make Pinhead a good guy? If this otherwise lugubrious sequel achieves anything, it's that it raises that question and lets the viewer decide. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A spine-tingling thriller, HELLRAISER: INFERNO is the next inescapably terrifying chapter in the heart-stopping HELLRAISER series! It's the powerful story of a shady L.A. detective (Craig Sheffer -- THE PROGRAM, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT) who finds himself lost in a darkly nightmarish world of evil when he solves the mysterious puzzle box that releases the diabolical demon, Pinhead! As those around him begin to meet tragic fates, he sets out to conquer the horrifying Pinhead and escape eternal hell! Also starring popular Nicholas Turturro (TV's NYPD BLUE, EXCESS BAGGAGE), HELLRAISER: INFERNO combines great special effects and relentless thrills to deliver exciting, edge-of-your-seat entertainment!

Customer Reviews:

It is desent.......2007-02-04

Hellraiser: Inferno is probably the best of the far too many films to follow the orginal two classics, Hellraiser and Hellbound.

I do not think Inferno is great and I do not think it compares at all to the 1st two films, but is superior to the pointless gore fests of Hell On Earth and Bloodline and the laughable parts of the series in 6, 7, and 8.

Inferno returns to the orginal idea of the 1st two films in that it revolves around how solving the box brings both mental and physical suffering to the individual who opens it.

Inferno focuses more on the mental aspect and perhaps shows more in depth the hell Frank went through in the orginal film through the eyes of Joe Thorne.

When it comes to Pinhead, I think less is more. I feel that he was far overexposed in parts 3 and 4 and it limited his effectiveness when he did appear. Though his overall appearence in Inferno is brief, it is powerful nonetheless.

Unlike most of the Hellraiser sequals, Inferno actually has good acting and a decent plot with some substance.

Though I doubt anyone will be blown away by Inferno, it is definatly worth seeing once.

Hell raiser inferno sucked and still sucks.......2007-02-01

After solving a creepy puzzle, unscrupulous Det. Joseph Thorne (Craig Sheffer) finds himself trapped in hell with the hair-raising ghoul Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and a murderer at large. Thorne tries to outwit Pinhead and discover the killer's identity in an effort to escape, but the trail keeps leading back to one man: Thorne. As his transgressions begin to torment him, Thorne learns the real meaning of the word .Hellraiser and Hellraiser 2 apparently jaded me. I really didn't enjoy this movie. Although the plot itself was a decent one (though a bit slow moving at times), the acting was terrible, the special effects left plenty to be desired, and it just wasn't a Hellraiser movie, at least to me. I might have at least not hated this movie if I had no expectations. However, when I rent a Hellraiser movie, I expect Cenobites and Pinhead. I expect good dialogue and a creepy factor of 10.

I don't expect crappy acting, moralistic dialogue, and, of all things, NARRATION. Hellraiser movies are supposed to make you creep out and think a bit. If the movies make you think about the dualistic nature of humanity, that's great, but I don't want first person narration expounding on it.

I don't know which was worse -- Hellraiser 4 or this one. This movie bares so little resemblance to the original that it shouldn't even have the title. Do yourself a favor and re-rent the first or second of the series. Or better yet, read the novela they're based on.Do yourself a favor and pass this disgrace.

No hell left to raise.......2006-10-24

After Hellraiser 1 and 2, the series became increasing boring, pointless and without meaning. I couldn't wait for this episode to end. Another hellraising piece of boring garbage. Guys, give it a rest and Clive, please DON'T remake Hellraiser 1. Don't do it. Just walk away. It's already been trashed and drained of meaning 6 times or is it 7?

i like it, most people don't, but i do.......2006-09-20

Hellraiser: inferno is one one those special horror flicks, this is one of the hellraiser sequels that fans often put down, this one along with hellseeker are considered the dead sequels, meaning all of the fun of the original films is gone, i disagree, i thought hellseeker definately needed some things to make it better, even though the great ashley laurence from the original made a comeback, that film didn't serve the series well, and the same is often said for this film, but there is a very unique feeling about this film that i think completely sets it apart from the rest, people complain often that pinhead isn't in this film enough, i love pinhead but quite frankly they have already done enough about him with hellraiser 3, i think pinhead's impact on this film is so much greater with his short cameo than it was in any hellraiser movie since the original, and the fact that he was even performed breifly by james remar made even cooler in my opinion, this one has something to it that i like specifically in light of the entire series, i guess i see this film from a different perspective, but all i have to say is it deserves a chance.

LMAO!!!!!.......2006-05-19

This is the funniest film i have seen in ages, and i owe all the comedy to the last bit where the detective is ripped apart by the chains barely holding the tip of his skin, I laughed so hard at that, and it's the only bit i watch now, in all the horror films i have seen, this is probably one of the worst, but that bit alone makes this a 5 star.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Old Doctor Who
Great campy 3rd doctor serial
Doctor who at it's best
Good story
Inferno

Doctor Who - Inferno (Episode 54)
Starring: Jon Pertwee , Caroline John , Nicholas Courtney , and John Levene
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FQIRXG
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com

An experiment gone awry sends the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) to a parallel universe where his friends and companions are members of a fascist regime in this thrilling and popular episode from the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who. Inferno is the name of a project designed to drill into the Earth's core and release a powerful energy source called Stahlman's Gas; what's yielded instead is an insidious substance that transforms men into monsters. The resulting chaos interrupts the Doctor's travel in the TARDIS and knocks him into an alternate Earth run by a military dictatorship, and where Project Inferno's progress threatens to bring about an apocalypse. This seven-part story arc from 1970 is a high-water mark for the already superb Pertwee-era Doctor, a tense, imaginative adventure that evokes the U.K.'s chilling Quatermass TV productions and movies in its mix of science fiction and horror. Fans will particularly appreciate the opportunities afforded to longtime Who supporting players Nicholas Courtney (as the Brigadier) and Caroline John (as the Doctor's companion Liz) to step outside their usual roles and essay memorably villainous turns as their parallel-Earth selves.

The double-disc presentation of Inferno offers the by-now-standard wealth of extras, including commentary by Courtney, script editor Terrance Dicks, producer/director Barry Letts, and co-star John Levene (Sgt. Benton) and lengthy featurettes on the making of the story and the UNIT brigade during Pertwee's tenure (the latter featuring interviews with much of the supporting cast and crew). A short deleted scene from the episode (featuring Pertwee in a rare second turn as the voice of a radio announcer), a promo film for the BBC Visual Effects Department (which features clips from the Who stories Ambassadors of Death, Caves of Steel, and a missing episode from Doomwatch), and PDF files of the 1971 Doctor Who Annual and Radio Times round out the supplemental features. --Paul Gaita

Description

An unsuccessful trial run with the Tardis console throws the Doctor into a parallel universe where his old friends are rather nasty characters.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Old Doctor Who.......2007-09-08

One of the best of the classic series. Third Doctor at his typical sarcastic and selfish. Plus, the whole alternate universe subplot adds an interesting twist to the story, a twist that's been copied almost verbatim by more "mainstream" series such as Stargate SG1. A great example of the third Doctor's time.

Great campy 3rd doctor serial.......2007-09-02

This is one of my favorite Jon Pertwee serials. (I didn't give it 5 stars because it isn't Tom Baker). It's got everything - campy monsters, UNIT soldiers running around, a mad scientist, embarrassing moments for the Brigadier and for the Doctor too. It's very long, which can be good or bad I guess, I think it's all worthwhile though.

Doctor who at it's best.......2007-05-21

World in trouble and the Doctor is stuck in an alternate time line doesn't get better then this

Good story.......2007-05-18

Having only watched one Jon Pertwee video, The Day of the Daleks, which I found a little boring, I decided to try Inferno. I anticipated either liking it or hating it after one episode. This was to be my last Jon Pertwee story I purchased if I didn't like it. To my surprise, I enjoyed this adventure. The character interactions were entertaining and the alternate timeline characters added to the story. Growing up watching the Tom Baker Doctor Who, it was entertaining to see familiar characters such as Sgt. Benton and the Brigadier. If you never tried the Jon Pertwee series but liked the Tom Baker, you might like this one.

Inferno.......2007-03-30

Apparently, Inferno began life as a much simpler story involving some kind of emergency at a drilling installation, with the Doctor trying to stave off disaster. But the story wouldn't stretch to the required seven episodes, so the creative team decided to add a subplot about a parallel world with an even bigger drilling catastrophe going on at a parallel drilling facility. BUT...the story still wouldn't stretch to seven episodes, so the creative team went off and came up with some monsters to terrorize both worlds during the parallel, though slightly different, doomsday scenarios, with still only one Doctor flitting back and forth between parallel realities, trying to please all of the people--even the evil versions of his friends and associates in the alternate world--all of the time.

The result of all this slapping of ideas together is a very exciting Third Doctor story, with some monsters that are never fully accounted for even while they are quite frightening, and a scenario whereby we are to believe that just a teeny bit of careless drilling into the Earth's crust can obliterate the entire planet.

The best part of Inferno is the clever use of the parallel-worlds angle. Having the Doctor get flung violently into a world where not only is the drilling disaster that much more perilous, but where Britain has become some kind of fascist state that disposed of its Monarchy the hard way, is brilliant. The alternate versions of the Doctor's old friends--Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Liz Shaw--are puppets of the paranoid, oppressive government, pegging the Doctor for a spy and not believing a word of his story about being from some parallel universe. And it doesn't matter what universe the Doctor is in--no one seems to want to halt the drilling for Stahlman's Gas (a potential new energy source of great value, just ask the rude, arrogant, reckless, overbearing Dr. Stahlman of either universe--with the green goo on his hands that will probably turn him into a monster in either universe, by the way)--meaning the Doctor is hard-pressed to save any of these stubborn dunderheads. A nerdy Government-type named Sir Keith, and some kind of security expert named Sutton try to assist the Doctor in shutting things down before it's too late (depending on which universe we're talking about, since Sir Keith isn't alive in both, and both Suttons are distracted by Petra, Stahlmans' much put-upon assistant(s)), but everything just keeps getting worse. Twice.

I wish there had been some kind of pseudo-scientific gibberish nonsense-explanation spouted by someone--anyone!--for the green goo that occasionally sprays around and hits a scientist, or other poor sod, and begins turning him into a murderous furred killer. In a show known for its technobabble, the technobabble on these Primord beasties is sadly lacking. I don't even think they get called Primords during the show proper; you have to watch the credits if you're going to do alright with that particular future trivia question. And while we're discussing these Primords, they are much scarier in their semi-human form, than later on, when the final transformation produces some rather wonky werewolves with cute noses and teeth that look like they're just going to drop right out of the actors' mouths at any second. The Primords are also more frightening during the eerie location shoots--like when they are fighting the Doctor on top of high towers and catwalks--than lumbering around the main room of the drilling complex. In fact, all the location shooting around the drilling installation has a creepy look to it, whereas some of the studio sets are, of course, a bit tacky (welcome to 70's Who).

So the Primords are genuinely scary much of the time, the parallel world is chillingly effective, and the suspense created by the impending apocalypse, twiceover, make this quite a memorable bit of Doctor Who slapdashery. It shouldn't really work as well as it does, especially since there is so much bickering to fill in the gaps--between two sets of the same pig-headed characters!--but I got hooked on this one as soon as the Doctor found himself in a parallel world that could well prove beyond saving.

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The Firm: Cardio Inferno
Starring: Suie Mi Powell
Manufacturer: Good Times Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000TJ6P6A
Release Date: 2007-12-04

Average customer rating:

IRWIN ALLEN AT HIS BEST!
ANOTHER GREAT IRWIN ALLEN DISASTER!
I want to see the inferno, not underwear
fired up
Disaster Movie Delight

The Towering Inferno
Starring: Steve McQueen , Paul Newman , William Holden , Faye Dunaway , and Fred Astaire
Director: Irwin Allen , and John Guillermin
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305280762
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

IRWIN ALLEN AT HIS BEST!.......2007-08-14

ANOTHER GREAT IRWIN ALLEN DISASTER!.......2007-08-06

I want to see the inferno, not underwear.......2007-06-13

fired up.......2007-05-17

Disaster Movie Delight.......2007-05-12

Savage Earth (Waves of Destruction / Out of the Inferno / Restless Planet / Hell's Crust)

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Savage Earth (Waves of Destruction / Out of the Inferno / Restless Planet / Hell's Crust)
Starring: Stacy Keach
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MGBSO4
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Description

In the last 500 years, nearly 300 million people have perished in earthquakes. Time and again, volcanic eruptions have destroyed cities, regions, and even entire countries. From the legendary fury of Mt. Vesuvius to the devastating convulsions of Kobe, Japan, Savage Earth tells the stories of these great natural disasters, the scientists who struggle to understand and predict them, and the people whose lives are forever changed by their merciless force.

WAVES of DESTRUCTION

Learn about the phenomenon called tsunami massive earthquake beneath the ocean¹s surface that triggers a series of savage waves.

RESTLESS PLANET

Travel to California, Mexico and Japan in an effort to understand how earthquakes behave and to assess the risks for people living in areas where quakes are likely to strike.

INFERNO

From the vast, swirling mudflows that sweep down from melted mountain glaciers to the boiling pyroclastic ash-clouds that choked the life from ancient Pompeii, examine the terrifying and often unpredictable variety of a volcano¹s moods.

HELL'S CRUST

Amazon.com

Towering Inferno: Disaster movies used to work because there was little certainty as to who would survive. Not so in this film, really an amalgam of two original stories, about a group of well-to-do celebrants at the top floor of a skyscraper. Cheapo electrical wiring and bad construction management cause an enormous blaze at the lower floors, steadily rising to consume the revelers. Newman's an architect, McQueen a firefighter, and Fred Astaire a kind old gentleman, for which he was Oscar-nominated. O.J. Simpson plays a security guard who rescues a cat. Now that's a disaster. --Keith Simanton

Volcano: Get mindless for awhile with this 1997 disaster flick, starring the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles as a funky place for lava to spew, plus Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche as the brave souls who know how to shut off the spout. Director Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard) wastes no time getting to the good stuff--it's happening even before opening credits are over--and neither should anyone in the mood for technical efficiency without the burden of art. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Classic action and modern adventure.......2007-02-17

Foe those that enjoy the classic disaster movies the towering inferno needs to be on the list. Volcano is a newer movie in the same genre. The critics of such movies will disclaim all the flaws they see- but the picture as a whole is a fast paced action/ drama showing epic proportions. The older movies of this type were NOT using computer graghics but many other resourceful means to make the shots look as good as they could. Enjoy and follow the action.

Good Value Package.......2006-12-10

Under normal circumstances these "extra free" versions of these movies would be good value at under $9.00. However, the version I purchased seems to include DISC 1 of the TOWERING INFERNO "special edition" and the not one advertised.

Average customer rating:

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
Some Like it Hot

Firefight
Starring: Stephen Baldwin , Nick Mancuso , Steve Bacic , Sonya Salomaa , and Brad Sihvon
Director: Paul Ziller
Manufacturer: New Concorde
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000AB13B
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Description

An immense forest fire rages as an armored truck is engulfed in flames. But it's no accident! Fireman Jonas (Steve Bacic) and chopper pilot George (Nick Mancuso) have set the fire to cover robbing the truck. But now that fire is out of control. And it's about to get even hotter! A gang of psychotic thugs, let by menacing Wolf (Stephen Baldwin), is hungry for their loot. A dangerous race has begun... who will claim the stolen cash before it goes up in smoke?

Customer Reviews:

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES.......2005-03-11

FIREFIGHT is an above average, if somewhat implausible, thriller set in a smoldering forest fire. Our hero, played with astute machoism by rugged Steve Bacic, plots an armored truck robbery with Nick Mancuso, Sonya Solaama and Brad Rivoh, and to do so stages a fake fire to cover their deed. Of course, enter laconic Stephen Baldwin as Sonya's bad boyfriend and he wants all the money himself. The movie offers little novelty in its exeuction and the CGI effects are so obviously fake it brings the movie down a notch (see: Backdraft/Ladder 49 for real special effects). But it's harmless entertainment and Bacic has a strong screen presence, although the ending is a real pain in the neck!!

Some Like it Hot.......2004-10-30

"Firefight" is one of the better straight to video releases of the last few years. While a wildfire is raging, two firefighters, an armored car driver and his dispatcher hatch a plot to rob the car. It's a pretty elaborate scheme that involves detouring the truck around the fire to a secluded area and staging the robbery. No one is supposed to get hurt, and since the money is insured no one really suffers. Unfortunately, the dispatcher's boyfriend Wolf(Stephen Baldwin, playing a ruthless thug) gets wind of the scheme and wants the money for himself. Some pretty tense action ensues.
What makes this movie work is that we actually care about the characters. The firefighters, despite planning a heist, win our sympathy. They're not professional thieves. They do have their reasons why they need the money and we actually root for them to succeed.
"Firefight" offers some hot action(pun intended) as well as some interesting characters. Definitely worth a look.

Average customer rating:

Shot on location.

Inferno
Starring: Tangerine Dream
Manufacturer: Snapper UK
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FP2ZYE
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Customer Reviews:

Shot on location........2007-02-08

Well well well... This is a spectacle worth seeing. Filmed in 1910 and released early in 1911, it must have had a terrific impact on the viewer. It's full of special effects, flashbacks, monsters, appearances and disappearances, giants, dragons, demons and other hellish apparitions. There's a lot of nudity and agony, smoke and mud. But make no mistake: it's all according to 1911 standards. There still are no close-ups, no proper editing, and no acting to speak of aside from gestures as broad as one's hands are capable of doing. There's also no real story: it's a series of tableaux depicting Dante and Virgil moving through the different circles of Hell. It's all shot in broad daylight of course, in some weird looking mountains that can look quite majestic, but can also be no better than an disused Italian quarry. It's not boring, but it's very unclear what the viewer is supposed to think. There are lengthy title cards in very weird English, summarizing the action to come. Some of the trick photography is among the best that was available at that time (and men like Melies did a fantastic job even ten years before the release of this film); some is 'rags on a stick'-variety. Had there been at least a few close-ups, or anything to make it look more cinematic, I would have been much happier. The picture quality is so-so, it's obviously edited from two or three different prints that can vary quite a lot. It also could have been made more interesting using colour tinting for different hellish locations, such as red for fire and brimstone and blue for the ice lake. The music by Tangerine Dream became annoying very quickly. As long as it is ambiance background, it's OK, but as soon as the lady vocalist bursts into weird pseudo-Dantean songs, it's pure Hell indeed. I was seriously considering turning the sound down, but then I sort of grew used to it. This film might prove to be a bit heavy for those who are not prepared to sit through 1,5 hours of agonizing and slow moving journey that doesn't seem to lead nowhere. Then again, the selection of pre-WW I full length films released on DVD isn't wide enough to dismiss this one. But you need to know your Dante before you delve into this one, otherwise it's a total mishmash. A good friend and a bottle of strong booze would come handy as well. This film might prove to be a bit heavy for those who are not prepared to sit through 1,5 hours of agonizing and slow moving journey that doesn't seem to lead nowhere. Then again, the selection of pre-WW I full length films released on DVD isn't wide enough to dismiss this one. But you need to know your Dante before you delve into this one, otherwise it's a total mishmash. A good friend and a buttle of strong booze would come handy as well.

DVD:

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