The Hindenburg

The Hindenburg explosion lasted for only a few minutes. This really needs to happen at the very end of the movie, so it has to cock up a whole new plot to fill two hours. That plot is a mystery ... is someone trying to sabotage the Hindenburg ... that we all already know the answer to. So this film is mostly two hours of Anne Bancroft, Gig Young, Burgess Meredith, Rene Auberjonois and others hanging out in a zeppelin.

Yet another 1970s disaster movie with an all-star cast. This one was better than I thought it would be.

Dull and static "disaster film" doesn't really fit the mould of the more outlandish 70s entries and hobbled by the fact that the "disaster" occurs at the finale, meaning the film is 90 minutes of marking time before the money shot; there's no Shelley Winters in this cast of characters to bring some life to proceedings, though Scott is his usual compelling, dogged self. Beautifully staged and photographed, and the finale is brilliantly done, save for some awkward freezing in the archival footage.

70s disaster spectacular. Very deserving of its two special Oscars.

Passes the time.

Good quality historical drama - some of the visuals are spectacular, amazing considering when it was made.