150 Word Review: 'The Towering Inferno' (1974)
Burn, baby, burn
There was a time when skyscrapers inspired more awe than they do now, and fear, too. Director John Guillermin's iconic 1974 disaster classic The Towering Inferno exploits fears of heights, elevators, and thoughtless real estate developers using cheap building materials to save a buck. The Towering Inferno is an example of a long-lost Hollywood formula: cast a small army of stars from yesterday and today, and kill a couple. Top billing: Paul Newma is the world's handsome architect who helps Steve McQueen, the world's grumpiest fire chief, put out a raging fire inside a 138-story building dubbed The Glass Tower.
Other big names include Fred Astaire, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and OJ Simpson (he saves a cat!). The Towering Inferno's practical special effects still look legit. One gets the impression that every stuntman in L.A. took a turn dousing themselves in gasoline and lighting a match. Many burning bodies fall!