Disaster Movies: The Cinema of Catastrophe

by Stephen Keane

Stephen Keane's history of the disaster genre offers a detailed analysis of films such as The Towering Inferno , Independence Day , Titanic , and The Day After Tomorrow . He looks at the ways in which disaster movies can be read in relation to both contextual considerations and the increasing commercial demands of contemporary Hollywood. In this second edition, he adds new material regarding cinematic representations of disaster in the wake of 9/11 and an analysis of disaster movies in light of recent natural disasters. Keane continually reworks this previously unexplored genre.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Filip]

An interesting and engaging story of the disaster film movie *scoffs* genre, at a very easy to read hundred and twenty pages. This short piece of non-fiction examines the nominal works of the thirties and seventies, the strange way through which action movies responded to disaster cinema, the excesses of the 90s disaster movies and finally the way in which 9/11 transformed the genre.

Interesting stuff, read for a Catastrophe Studies class.

[Brice Fuqua]

Good survey of disaster movies of the 1970s and their influence on action films of recent years.

[Mesha]

Enjoyable and insightful, but far too much review of action and sci movies. Independence Day is not something I'd consider to be a "disaster" movie.

[Debra]

A semi-scholarly look at disaster movies and their themes. Good filmography and sources section. Recommended.