8mm Forum: The Posiedon Adventure (400 foot)

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Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on May 27, 2006, 06:40 PM:

The thread on this subject under the "General Yak" section inspired me to do this review. Thanks guys!

The Posiedon Adventure (Ken Films) 400 foot / 16 minutes.

This digest begins perfectly, with a stormy sea and an overhead view of the ship, as John William's dramatic score slowly begins. Original titles appear, and a synopsis setting up the story is shown (hope you are a fast reader [Wink]

). Child actor Eric Shea can be seen in the backround, trying to manuver his way across the stormy deck (although you won't know who it is unless you've seen the feature).

We meet a few cast members at the captain's table, as they prepare to celebrate and bring in the new year. The Captain (Leslie Nielson) is called to the deck and is warned of posible danger related to an earth quake nearby. The scenes switching back and forth from the loud party to the ominously quiet deck, where captain and crew were trying to appear calm and professional in the face of doom, are very effective. Then, (my favorite part), the captain picks up the binoculars and pears into the ocean, and sees the 100 foot wall of water approaching. Alarms sounding, everyone holding on and bracing for the hit.

The capsizing scene is about 75 percent intact, and the edits are very hard to detect. This scene ends perfectly, with the man letting go of the table (which is now on the ceiling) and falling perfectly into the center of the huge ceiling light (which is now on the floor), then, everything goes dark.

Reverand Scott tries to convince people to follow him up to the bottom of the ship, climbing a Christmas tree. The stars follow him, and then the area is immediately flooded, killing the people left behind.

Next scene, the beautiful Carol Lynnly has joined the group, and the water is seen filling up quickly behind them. As they climb the inside of the smoke stack, an explosion causes Roddy McDowell to fall to his doom. From this point, the movie shoots right to the end, where the last five survivors are banging on the bottom of the boat. They are heard by a rescue crew, who then cut a hole through the boat. The survivors ask if anyone else was saved, and the rescuer replies "no". The survivors board the helecopter and fly off. A little of the score is played, as well as a few credits (like Filmed In Panavision), then "The End".

All in all, a very good digest. Especially to be one of Ken's first of the 400 series. One thing I like is how they played a little of the end credits, rather than just ending abruptly, like so many of the digests from that period (especially Columbia digests). A few seconds makes a world of difference, and feels much more complete.

As Douglas mentioned in the other thread, the editing is quite good, up until the death of McDowell, when the editor must have realised he only had five minutes worth of space left. Would have been great to have had a three-parter for this, but this was released a few years before 2 and 3 parters had been put on the market.

The colors on mine have not held up very well. I bought my print in 1976. It was released in the cardboard box. I did see this in a clamshell case at my local camera store during the end of the super 8 era, so maybe Ken did print some later on better stock. If you are a fan of the movie, or disaster movies in gereral, it is still very watchable, and a nice Irwin Allen souvenier.

Nick.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on May 27, 2006, 10:25 PM:

Thanks for the review, Nick! This certainly would have made a terrific 2 parter. I also wish Ken had faded the opening music into the first dialogue scene. It's quite an abrupt cut.I just got the DVD, so I'm looking forward to seeing the entire film again. I haven't seen it in decades!
Doug

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on May 28, 2006, 03:58 AM:

thanks nick and doug for the review of this classic film.i too agree with you doug on your comments;it would have been better as a four reeler.one more thing is your dvd the new two disc set released by fox.the uk one is released on monday,with commenties etc.andy.

Posted by Robert Aragon (Member # 181) on May 29, 2006, 10:47 PM:

i LOVE this digest as well, and Doug I had the VERY same thoughts on how Ken DID not fade that GREAT opening music into the first dialogue scene.When i re-reciorded my 400 footer into Stereo, that was the VERY FIRST thing i did.Had that great music fade into the dialogue scene. The stereo REALLY adds so much depth to the enjoyment of the film. The color on my digest is STILL STUNNING. I only dream of having this full length on super 8, or a 3 x 400 footer, and in STEREO of course.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on May 31, 2006, 06:06 AM:

And Robert, don't forget, in SCOPE too! [Wink]

Yes, an excellent dream for sure.

I guess I overlooked that abrupt music cut at the beginning. And come to think of it, the music cuts abruptly at the end as well. I'm more forgiving on these early digest releases, since this was before the more skillfully edited digests of the later 70's, when fades, blends, and sound re-mixing were more commonly used.

Still, I'm just greatful for those few seconds of titles and end music. Almost all of the digests I saw in the early 400 foot days had painfully abrupt endings (one of the worst was One Million Years BC 400ft). So I always felt P.A. was a little superior to the rest at that time.

Nick.

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on July 14, 2006, 07:23 AM:

i guess it was down to cost at the end of the day.great two reeler.
i been running mine since the new version came out.andy.

Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on August 20, 2007, 06:01 PM:

I believe that this was one of the 1st 400ft digests to come from Ken Films,
Films begins with the flyover shots of the ship sailing in the sea(tank on the 20th backlot ) we cut to the bridge with some officers talking about the weather getting ruff ahead, we cut to the interior of the ball room with the Capt and the main cast at a table, Capt goes to bridge where the wave is seen on the radar next the shit hits the fan (any everying eles in the ship!) the wave its and she goes over, we see various shots of the cast being chucked around at theta famous shot of the man falling from the table down into the skylight and all the ship's lights go out, cut to Gene Hackman taking charge and the group beings to accend the xmas tree, tree falls over then ballroom floods, cut to the cast begin to climb up some shaft, Roddy McDowall gets blown away, cut to the interior of the hull where the propeller shaft is ( a shame we seem to see no other cast's deaths), French castguard cuts a hole in the hull and they escape, cut to "the end" title on credits.

A nice digest, mine is in a card box, I believe later they came out in a plastic case, colour is good but has a soft focus.
Being a fan of the "Master Of Disaster" Irwin Allen it is a must for my collection.

Pat

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on November 17, 2009, 07:11 PM:

Got it! Colors are warm, but a good digest overall.

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