"San Andreas" released in US 2015

The epic disaster flick, San Andreas, opened in theaters across the US May 29, 2015. It starred the impossibly hunky Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a rescue-chopper pilot, who has to team up with his ex-wife to save their daughter, trapped in San Francisco by a series of earthquakes.

As usual, it takes a number of creative liberties with science, but it makes a good movie.  Ioan Gruffud (Mr. Fantastic, Horatio Hornblower) stars as the boyfriend of Johnson's ex-wife.  He has good intentions but ultimately fails. 

Paul Giamatti appears as a seismology professor and Kylie Minogue has a very brief cameo as Gruffud's sister, Susan.

San Andreas received some mediocre reviews from the critics but audiences loved it, making it the biggest opening for a disaster movie for Warner Brothers.

"Earthquake" released 1974

Universal Pictures released its blockbuster disaster movie Earthquake November 15, 1974.  After the success of Airport (1970) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972), a slew of disaster pics were released in 1974 including The Towering Inferno and Airport 1975.  Earthquake was the third grossing film of the year, with The Towering Inferno being the top-selling film.

The movie has an all-star cast that includes Charlton Heston, George Kennedy, Victoria Principal, Ava Gardner and Lorne Greene.  It won an Academy Award for Best Sound and one for Special Achievements in Visual Effects.

John Williams received a Golden Globe nomination for his original score.

My favorite movies - 1974

1974 is another year that I cannot pick one favorite out of so many good ones, so I chose my top 4 plus an "honorable mention".  In just these five films, I think everybody in Hollywood made it onto the screen.  Each one has a stellar cast, whether comedy, drama or action.  How many actors and actresses can we name that did NOT appear in one of these!

Blazing Saddles starring Mel Brooks, Cleavon Little, Madeline Kahn, Gene Wilder and everybody else.



Young Frankenstein starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman and everybody else.




The Towering Inferno starring Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway and everybody else.



Earthquake starring Charlton Heston, George Kennedy, Ava Gardner and everybody else.



Murder on the Orient Express (honorable mention) starring Michael York, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall and everybody else.