The earliest of the ’70s disaster movie cycle, made before the cliches became too apparent. The concept and sets are great but the execution is not quite right. Maybe it’s the fact that Gene Hackman is a very unlikely minister, or perhaps it’s the lack of any visible bad guy to wish to their death.

Added to that and the ‘70s fashions, you’ve got no actual plot to speak of, apart from a heavy-handed religious subtext.

On the plus side, the Christmas tree scene is terrific and Shelley Winters is funny. As with The Towering Inferno, you get more extras on the DVD than you can be bothered with.

Mild Peril Rating:

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