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Actors: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain, Fred Astaire, Jennifer Jones, O.J. Simpson, Susan Blakely, Robert Wagne
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Towering Inferno |
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The world's tallest skyscraper is about to open and the festivities are commencing. Douglas Roberts (Newman), the architect finds out the electrical problems he thought had been seen to are worse than he'd imagined. The contractor has taken liberties to get the project completed on schedule and the system is short circuiting frequently. Roberts's worst nightmare becomes reality when a small fire turns the building into ... a towering inferno.
Enter Batallion Chief Michael O'Halloran (McQueen) who must now work with Roberts to devise a plan to get the guests and other occupants out of the megalithic building before it explodes and them with it.
All-star cast -- OJ Simpson, Mike Lookinland (a.k.a. Bobby Brady), Susan Blakely, et. al. -- in one of the classic 1970s Irwin Allen disaster films.
--ldpaulson, Resident Scholar
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The tallest building in the world gets caught on fire, after faulty wiring and below-quality standards cause short circuits in nearly every floor. The developer of the building and the architect don't find out until it's too late. The fire is caused by an overload in the electrical system when every light in the building is turned on, to celebrate its inauguration. Mostly everyone who attends a VIP party dies, including prominent figures from society. A smart mouth arrogant fireman is in charge of saving the people trapped in the building.
--Ed Dominguez, Resident Scholar
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The premiere party for the world's tallest skyscraper catches fire due to the poor wiring made by a corrupted businessman. A determined fire chief and the architect fight the fire from the outside and the inside respectively. Meanwhile, the fire engulfs floor by floor of the skyscraper, while the owner of the building struggles to find safety for the trapped party. The last hope: to destroy the water tanks at the top of the building.
--Daniel Dan, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Towering Inferno |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 63.3%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 16.7%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Disaster, Natural/Nuclear
Yes
Kind of disaster:
- fires
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- architect
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- average build (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- San Francisco
Misc setting
- building
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
How many deaths in film?
- hundreds
Unusual forms of death
- asphyxiation
- dropped from large heights
- frying (cooking)
- crushed
- flamed
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Lot of special effects?
Yes
Kinds of F/X
- exploding bombs
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Orchestra/classical
Is this movie based on a
- book
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 ldpaulson
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