😱DISAS-TOBER! 🎥 REVIEW: Earthquake (1974)

"Who do you have to know to get a drink around here?"

This month, I'm sticking with my Disas-tober theme, so I decided to check out a movie my mom saw in theaters. It's the classic 1974 film Earthquake, which imagines what would happen when a massive 9.9 quake hits L.A.

Honestly, you all know I love a cheesy movie, but this one was a bit of a slog. A lot of it just didn’t click for me, and I felt pretty bored. But then when the BIG earthquake finally hits, it finally gets interesting. The special effects are the highlight and make it worth watching at least once. The visuals and sound are really impressive. My mom told me that the film used something called Sensurround, which was meant to enhance the audio experience during screenings. She said her seat shook!

Released on November 15, 1974, it features a star-studded with Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, Genevieve Bujold, Richard Roundtree, and even a funny cameo from Walter Matthau, plus a young Victoria Principal with a wild afro that was her own. As for the acting, Heston is his usual wooden self, and Gardner’s character is so over-the-top shrewish that it’s hard to watch. Bujold’s performance is bad and so is the romance with Heston. And why was Lorne Greene cast as Gardner’s dad when they’re only a few years apart? The only performance I liked was George Kennedy as an angry and disillusioned cop.

After the earthquake hit, I found myself bored again.

Why would they choose to set up a hospital rescue in the lower section despite being warned about aftershocks?

Why should I be concerned about Marjoe Gortner, who plays a National Guardsman with a violent personality in the movie? Why do I not feel any connection to any of the characters, including Bujold's kid who goes biking when the earthquake hits? The list goes on.

I just couldn't seem to connect with any of the characters in the film or stories, so I found myself not really caring about what happened to them. Unlike The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno (which I'll be reviewing soon), where I really cared about the characters and their outcomes.

The editing is choppy, the subplots are weak and badly acted, and some of the cuts are completely illogical, making the story hard to follow. However, when the earthquake hits, the film truly shines with incredible practical effects. From miniature buildings to detailed matte paintings, the attention to detail is outstanding. Trust me, the earthquake scene will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Earthquake introduced a groundbreaking technique specifically designed for filming. They used a "shaker mount" camera system that simulated earthquake effects by shifting the entire camera body a few inches side to side, instead of just shaking it on a regular tripod. This created a much more realistic motion. This camera setup was mainly used for outdoor scenes and other on-location shoots. Additionally, Universal's sound team created a system called "Sensurround," which consisted of large Cerwin-Vega speakers powered by BGW amplifiers. This system produced sub-audible "infra bass" sound waves at an intense 120 decibels, similar to the noise of a jet taking off, allowing viewers to feel the earthquake's impact. The film also featured a large number of highly skilled stunt performers for the most dangerous scenes, like high falls and dodging debris, setting a record in Hollywood with 141 stunt artists involved in the production. There have been reports of audience members experiencing nosebleeds and broken ribs due to the Sensurround system.

My face as I watched Earthquake

After witnessing all the chaos and destruction from the earthquake, a drunk Walter Matthau's is still just sitting there. It’s kind of funny! It seems like he didn’t want too much attention since he’s credited under the name Walter Matuschanskayasky.

I totally get where he's coming from. His face was like a mirror of how I felt. I guess I should've watched the movie like my mom did in 1974, but I was only a year old back then! 😆 She said it was a blast and I wish I could've been there to experience it.

The miniature sets

Even though around 800 theaters in the U.S. and 2,000 worldwide could use the Sensurround technology, it was rarely utilized after the film Earthquake and faded away within five years. The only other films that used Sensurround were Midway in 1976, which was successful; the mostly forgotten disaster film Rollercoaster in 1977, which didn’t do well; and Battlestar Galactica in 1978, a strange re-edit of the TV series' initial episodes. After that, the technology was never seen again.
The film was directed by Mark Robson, with a screenplay by Mario Puzo and George Fox, and the music was composed by John Williams.

The concept of earthquakes led to the creation of the attraction Earthquake: The Big One at Universal Studios in both Florida and Hollywood.

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