I prefer Earthquake but Towering Inferno probably is the better film, it had the backing of not one but two film studios and therefore its cast is more starry, both films start off a little slow but the impending doom keeps things moving along, the 'disaster' in Towering Inferno is more spread out with the fire slowly moving up the building while Earthquake's 'disaster' hits you like well an Earthquake. Earthquake however seems perhaps a little more fun, campy, while Towering Inferno under the weight of what was riding on it's success perhaps didn't have that luxury.
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I heard the worst joke ever!!
what's the name of the Earthquake & Towering inferno combination?
SHAKE & BAKE!
Sorry.

The Towering Inferno
Steve McQueen and Paul Newman together, what more can I say then there's William Holden, Fred Astaire and Jennifer Jones from old school Hollywood and also add Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Vaughn and Robert Wagner, what other movie can boast a cast list like this.
Even though Earthquake has some pretty big stars in Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene and Barry Sullivan its all pretty secondary to the cast of Inferno, it feels like the left overs have been picked.
Also it feels that everything is done on a grand scale in The Towering Inferno from the special effects down to the last script detail, where as in Earthquake even though the destruction of Los Angeles is done on a grand scale, it feels like the script and dialogue is done for a made for tv movie or soap opera.
The Towering Inferno wins hands down.

Earthquake is one of the best movies ever made so i pick it

The Poseidon Adventure beats them both.

Couldn't agree more. The characters were well drawn and acted, the film moves along at a nice clip and it delivers exactly what it promises an adventure. I could readily watch this film without second thoughts.
Earthquake loses something without the big screen and sensurround sound effects. The Towering Inferno is overlong and flatly directed in parts. I found it more impressive seeing a whole city demolished by mother nature than a glass monstrosity go up in flames.
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I've always liked the orginal Poseidon Adventure, but the 'claustrophobic' feel of it does cramp it in, if that makes sense.
It depends on what you are in the mood for; Sprawling Towering Inferno or overly-intense Poseidon.
Definitely fun to compare all versions;
Poseidon Adventure '72.
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure '79.
Poseidon Adventure tv remake 2005.
Poseidon 2006
And if there were any way to see it, check out the episodes of the soap Sunset Beach (1997-1999) when they were on an overturned ocean liner (with Bernie Kopell as the doomed captain). I watched it during the day, but it seems it was aired in primetime as well.

The Towering Inferno.
However Earthquake has a certain shallow, trashy, entertaining appeal. And it's shorter too. And it's got Charlton Heston in it.
And both are better than The Swarm.

The Poseidon Adventure beats them both.
Thanks. I'll give it a try.
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I liked both films, although I agree that The Towering Inferno was better.
The Poseidon Adventure beats them both.