I Can't Resist Disaster Movies. Do You Ever Watch Them?

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

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Whenever I come across those that looks like they might be half way decent, I check them out. I think this stems back to when I was younger and the most exciting movies, besides Godzilla and horror movies, were the disaster films, like Earthquake, The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. Now there are many to choose from on streaming services. Here's IMDB's list of 100 best disaster movies. Have you seen any of them? They have grouped horror and sci fi movies in with disaster genre for some reason but now I'm asking about disaster films. I've seen about 27 not counting the horror films, plus some that are not on the list. Just started watching Skyfire, an English dubbed film on Hulu about a volcanic eruption right at a theme park. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls002913604/
BTW...I hate seeing news about real disasters, of course, which are always heartbreaking events whether lives are lost or not.
 

OneEyedDiva said:
Whenever I come across those that looks like they might be half way decent, I check them out. I think this stems back to when I was younger and the most exciting movies, besides Godzilla and horror movies, were the disaster films, like Earthquake, The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. Now there are many to choose from on streaming services. Here's IMDB's list of 100 best disaster movies. Have you seen any of them? They have grouped horror and sci fi movies in with disaster genre for some reason but now I'm asking about disaster films. I've seen about 27 not counting the horror films, plus some that are not on the list. Just started watching Skyfire, an English dubbed film on Hulu about a volcanic eruption right at a theme park. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls002913604/
BTW...I hate seeing news about real disasters, of course, which are always heartbreaking events whether lives are lost or not.
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Oh, I am the same way, for sure. I even read the novel The Towering Inferno. I don't know what it is. I really think it must fulfill some kind of psychological need for catharsis???

I don't know.

But nothing like a good disaster movie.

Of course, the parody, Airplane! was pretty good too...

 
officerripley said:
In the last few years, I've really enjoyed watching disaster movies; some of my faves: 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact, The Day the Earth Stood Still (both orig. & remake), Earthquake; I know I'm forgetting some, lol.
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Thanks for reminding me...yes, loved 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact, Armageddon, and the Day the Earth Stood Still.

Earthquake I did not see...

But loved all the others.

Maybe some psychologist can figure out why we love these movies?
 
I am not a fan of disaster movies and I only watch them if my husband wants to see one. I remember when I was a kid my Mom insisted that my sister took me with her to the Saturday matinee at our local movie theater. I sat on my older sister's lap during the entire movie it was "The House Of Wax" with Vincent Price.
 
Nope! I never watch "them kind of movies." The last disaster movie I watched was decades ago: Steve McQueen in that Burning Inferno. Actually, I prefer films that have deep, meaningful conversations without violence and constant swearing. Guess I'm the odd ball here.
 
Marie5656 said:
I am not a die-hard must watch every one..but thee are several I liked.
Posideon Adventure

Bu one I have watched several times Day after Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid and

Jake Gyllenhaal​


Apollo 13 is great too. Based on real events makes it even scarier
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We like to watch Day After Tomorrow, especially when it's 100 degrees here, nice way to cool off sorta. 😁
 
Not a real fan, but...of course, Titanic...like s-o-o many others have.

And don't get me started on Tom Cruise's "War of the Worlds"..it went on&0n.
Don't think I ever got thru it!👎
 
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Jace said:
Not a real fan, but...of course, Titanic...like s-o-o many others have.

And don't get me started on Tom Cruise's "War of the Worlds"..it went on&0n.
Don't think I ever got thru it!👎
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War of the Worlds holds the distinction of being the last movie I saw in a theater. A real life, expensive popcorn, sticky floors, cinema. WOW. I remember Rick and I laughing at that little girl who was ALWAYS screaming.
Come on Kid..it was just Martians. LOL
 
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Marie5656 said:
War of the Worlds holds the distinction of being the last movie I saw in a theater. A real life, expensive popcorn, sticky floors, cinema. WOW. I remember ick and I laughing at that little girls who was ALWAYS screaming.
Come on Kid..it was just Martians. LOL
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My step-father was in the movie theater business. I remember back to the 60s. Double features, cartoons before the movies, drive-ins.

Was a whole event.

Back in the 50s, my Dad had a few theaters that actually did live shows before the movies. I remember him telling me that he had Redd Foxx perform and also Keye Luke...who later was an actor on the TV show, Kung Fu.

My memory is not great, but I think Dad had them over for dinner before they performed.

He had some of these very old theaters in New York City. Former vaudeville houses that sat 1200 people, with an orchestra pit.

I remember walking through some of those old theaters when I was a little kid.
 
JonSR77 said:
Oh, I am the same way, for sure. I even read the novel The Towering Inferno. I don't know what it is. I really think it must fulfill some kind of psychological need for catharsis???

I don't know.

But nothing like a good disaster movie.

Of course, the parody, Airplane! was pretty good too...

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I watched Airplane and got some laughs. Saw all the ones you mentioned.
@officerripley I enjoyed each of the ones you mentioned. I watched Day After Tomorrow twice.
@Lewkat I've watched disaster docs too, but mostly about severe weather events and one about volcano eruptions.
@Marie5656 Unlike the original War of the Worlds, when I watched the one with Tom Cruise, it made me feel so sad and I felt such empathy for those people who had to leave their homes. I wondered why it affected me so strongly. Shortly after Katrina hit NOLA and I felt that's what I was sensing.
 
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i suspect that psychologically people watch disaster movies for the same reason we watch fiction about serial killers or ride scary amusement park rides: Fear gets the adrenaline pumping but for the most part (if you choose where you ride roller coasters etc wisely) it's a rush, but basically safe.

This is also why taking one's date (early in relationship) to a scary movie is helpful, sometimes more so than a romantic movie (you might not compare favorably to the characters in the movie) helpful in attaining your objectives. Physiologically fear effects the body in similar ways to arousal.
 
dseag2 said:
I have seen most of them. I don't know why I have such a fascination with the Titanic disaster, but it terrifies and fascinates me at the same time.

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I started watching Titanic a few months ago and still didn't finish it. I do this a lot. But I'll get back to it. I'm watching two other movies right now. :)
 

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