I want to jump in, especially since I have recently see The Last Voyage, which has a realism and immediacy I think would appeal to smirnoff, (plus George Sanders), but Poseidon will always work for me because of the upside down ship (plus Gene Hackman).
Going by your review,
The Last Voyage sounds like a proto-
United 93 in how it goes about capturing the event and where it's priorities are. It's that different (true story) breed of disaster film... except it's not a true story. But the approach would still be a welcome one if that's the case, or anywhere near it.
I saw Poseidon in Oct. 2012 because of Sandy, and was surprised how well it worked.
Thanks for these links. The film does surprise. Me, you and pixote all seem to have had our expectations exceeded. I might be marginally less taken with it of the three of us, but I relate to everything that was said about it.
I can’t believe the film doesn’t end with a reprise of “The Morning After”. I always thought the lyrics were meant to be a direct reflection of the survivors in that moment. Also, they should’ve done the end credits with one last image of each cast member in their best moment. Perfect opportunity missed.
Any other kind of musical crescendo would have been good at that moment. The ending is quite abrupt, and I like your idea a lot better. There is a score but it is generic and unremkable and sounds like all string-lead ochestrations from that time period (shrill and horrible). It's only useful function was to help drown out the constantly shrieking women.
But for the most part the film succeeds despite these lapses, partly because veteran director Ronald Neame doesn't dwell on them for too long. He does generally good work here, highlighted, for example, by the very effective cross-cutting between the partygoers and the crew right before the wave hits.
The movie peaked for me here. Very well assembled. And depending on how much credit your willing to extend the filmmakers, it perhaps explains the flatness of Leslie Nielsen's performance. If they knew this is how they were going to cut it together from the beginning, his direction may have been deliberately ultra-flat.
I have also not seen the remake and have yet to come up with any reason to.
All I can imagine is that it would be weak in the same areas, and worse (overdone) in the visuals department.
*
puts on trailer*
*stops after 5 seconds*
gaaaawd
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! It literally does THE EXACT THING I said to Sandy in our chat that I worried the original movie was going to do.
smirnoff: You know what I expected...
smirnoff: I expected a character to say "and I'm the happiest I've ever been, and this is going to be a wonderful trip and nothing bad could possible happen".
*keeps watching**pause*
Omg even the alarm sounds is worse! How is the alarm sound WORSE?
*keeps watching**pause*
Oh! Alright, the ship capsizing looks pretty good actually.
*keeps watching**pause*
How is every line featured in the movie stupider than the last?
*keeps watching**pause*
*keeps watching**pause*
It's worst than I imagined. Much worse.