The towering inferno [videorecording] / Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. present Irwin Allen's production ; screenplay by Stirling Silliphant ; produced by Irwin Allen ; directed by John Guillermin.
Material type:
FilmLanguage: English, Spanish Original language: English Subtitle language: English, Spanish Publication details: Beverly Hills, Calif. : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, [2006]Edition: Special edDescription: 2 videodiscs (ca. 164 min.) : anamorphic, sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet ([32] p. : ill.)Subject(s): Genre/Form: Production credits: - Director of photography, Fred Koenekamp ; music, John Williams.
- Academy Awards, USA, 1975: Oscar - Best Cinematography (Fred J. Koenekamp, Joseph F. Biroc) ; Best Film Editing (Harold F. Kress, Carl Kress) ; Best Music, Original Song (Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn).
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult DVD
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Northport Library | DVD | DRAMA Towering | Available | 33111006610337 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
A skyscraper and an all-star cast go up in flames in Irwin Allen's classic disaster movie. To celebrate the construction of the Glass Tower, the world's tallest building, architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) and builder James Duncan (William Holden) hold a gala bash on the highest floors. Trouble is, Duncan's son-in-law and electrical subcontractor Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) installed faulty wiring throughout the 138-story behemoth to save money. While the guests -- including Doug's lady friend (Faye Dunaway), a rich widow (Jennifer Jones), a con man (Fred Astaire), and a politico (Robert Vaughn) -- enjoy the party, and a security guard (O.J. Simpson) wonders why his equipment is on the fritz, a burnt-out circuit breaker ignites some garbage on the 85th floor, swiftly turning the high-rise into, well, a towering inferno. With the guests trapped on the 135th floor, it's up to Roberts and Fire Chief O'Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) to find a way to stop the blaze. Though not the first all-star '70s disaster movie (1970's Airport and 1972's The Poseidon Adventure preceded it), The Towering Inferno was the most popular and the most spectacular. In a move that would become more common in late-'90s blockbuster Hollywood, The Towering Inferno's mammoth production was mounted by two studios; screenwriter Stirling Silliphant combined the two novels owned by the studios into one saga. 1970s "shake 'n bake" maestro Allen, with co-director John Guillermin (Allen did the action sequences), tapped into deep fears about the fragility of modern life in the face of extreme natural phenomena, as well as into the envies and insecurities of middle-aged professional men. The Towering Inferno packed theaters and earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; it won for Cinematography, Editing, and Song. While its heroic, no-nonsense men provided some traditional comfort, The Towering Inferno still might provoke second thoughts about going into a skyscraper. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
Based on the novels "The tower" by Richard Martin Stern and "The glass inferno" by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson.
Container incorrectly lists a French and an English stereo soundtrack as available.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1974.
Special features: Disc 1: all-new audio commentary by film historian F.X. Feeney; all-new scene-specific commentary by Mike Vezina, special effects director (X-Men 3) and Branko Racki, stunt coordinator (Day after tomorrow) ; Disc 2: "Inside the tower: we remember" featurette; "Innovating tower: the SPFX of an inferno" featurette; "The art of towering" featurette; "Irwin Allen: the great producer" featurette; "Directing the inferno" featurette; "Putting out fire" featurette; "Running on fire" featurette; "Still the world's tallest building" featurette; "The writer: Stirling Silliphant" featurette; over 30 extended/deleted scenes; AMC backstory: "The towering inferno"; storyboard-to-film comparisons; Nato presentation reel; 3 interactive articles from American Cinematographer; Original "Making-of" featurettes; 1977 Irwin Allen Interview; still photo galleries (Shot compositions, publicity, behind-the-scenes, conceptual sketches, costumes); original teaser; original trailer.
Director of photography, Fred Koenekamp ; music, John Williams.
Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, O.J. Simpson, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner.
On the night of the dedication ceremony of the world's tallest skyscraper, a raging blaze breaks out, threatening the party-goers.
MPAA rating: PG.
DVD, region 1; widescreen (2.35:1) presentation; dual-layer; NTSC.
English (Dolby digital 5.1 surround, Dolby digital 4.0 surround), and dubbed Spanish (Dolby digital mono.) soundtracks with optional English or Spanish subtitles; closed-captioned.
Academy Awards, USA, 1975: Oscar - Best Cinematography (Fred J. Koenekamp, Joseph F. Biroc) ; Best Film Editing (Harold F. Kress, Carl Kress) ; Best Music, Original Song (Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn).