You know, it's funny. All I've seen on this site have been negative reviews for CITY ON FIRE, a late-stage disaster movie from Canada and directed by Alvin Rakoff, the guy who made the underrated DEATH SHIP. Having just watched CITY ON FIRE, I found it a thoroughly absorbing movie and certainly nowhere near as bad as some claim. It's not up to the standard of THE TOWERING INFERNO - few films are - but it's certainly a film comparable to EARTHQUAKE, for instance.
The story is straightforward. A messed-up arsonist (the intensely unlikeable Jonathan Welsh) decides to burn down an oil refinery that just had him sacked. The whole city is soon aflame, with a hospital providing a focus point for the climactic action. An ensemble cast go through the motions, and you just know some of them won't make the end credits. Leslie Nielsen's the mayor, Barry Newman a doctor, Shelley Winters a nurse, Henry Fonda the fire chief.
There's very little to dislike about this film. The budget is surprisingly high and the disaster scenes have an authentic ring to them, with plenty of death and destruction to keep you on your toes. The script is a bit cheesy but this is normal for the era. The '70s ambiance is just right and the film has a relatively brief running time which means the action is short and snappy. The whole street gauntlet climax is well-staged with a maximum of excitement. I thought CITY ON FIRE as a whole was very good, so ignore the naysayers.
The story is straightforward. A messed-up arsonist (the intensely unlikeable Jonathan Welsh) decides to burn down an oil refinery that just had him sacked. The whole city is soon aflame, with a hospital providing a focus point for the climactic action. An ensemble cast go through the motions, and you just know some of them won't make the end credits. Leslie Nielsen's the mayor, Barry Newman a doctor, Shelley Winters a nurse, Henry Fonda the fire chief.
There's very little to dislike about this film. The budget is surprisingly high and the disaster scenes have an authentic ring to them, with plenty of death and destruction to keep you on your toes. The script is a bit cheesy but this is normal for the era. The '70s ambiance is just right and the film has a relatively brief running time which means the action is short and snappy. The whole street gauntlet climax is well-staged with a maximum of excitement. I thought CITY ON FIRE as a whole was very good, so ignore the naysayers.