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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shake, rattle and roll with The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, October 30, 2006
Disaster movie fans will be happy to know that the DVD transfer of The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (originally titled The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake) appears to be a complete and uncut translation of the original miniseries that aired on NBC in 1990. For a made-for-TV movie, the special effects are outstanding, made even more incredible considering the lack of CGI at the time.
Some scenes and subplots cut from the VHS version and the version farmed out for syndication on local stations have been restored, most notably the assassination subplot (featuring Clarence Gilyard, Jr. and the late Brock Peters) and the original ending (featuring Dan Lauria).
The Big One is a better, more realistic disaster thriller than the later 10.5 and 10.5 Apocalypse that NBC most recently broadcast, and has better effects than CBS's more recent earthquake offering, Aftershock: Earthquake in New York, although that movie is pretty good. For the money, getting three hours worth of movie is a treat. Buy this movie!
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The way a natural disaster flick is SUPPOSED to be!, January 22, 2007
This movie was so good, I don't think I could watch it again. This is not to knock the movie in any way, it's just my stomach isn't made for these movies. That said, the whole movie is very realistic, and the ending is not a feel good ending like Aftershock. So if you like these movies, strap yourself in.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazed!!! :-) yet Disappointed :-/, November 30, 2004
My father recorded this movie off of NBC back in 1990, when it aired as a mini-series. This movie got me fascinated by earthquakes. Over the past 14 years, I have been intrigued by the movies plot and special effects, and have watched the movie many times over the years. Over time, the tape has worn out. [...]
First of all I must say, that once again, I am completely amazed by this movie. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest earthquake movies I have ever seen. The earthquake scenes are so realistic and are very well carried out. Let's just say that I would love to see this movie re-released in movie theaters with awsome surround sound!! That would be awsome!
HOWEVER...
There is a huge chunk of the movie's plot that has been cut out. This version is basically about Dr. Clare Winslow and the Big One she predict. When it originally aired in 1990, we saw the story of Dr. Winslow's family - her parents, sister and cop-boyfriend and his cop-friend, her family friends, even the house keeper and her son and brother where in the movie, as well as a visiting South African prime minister's assassination attempt - all those side stories and plots have unfortunatley been cut out. That is why I have to say that I am a little disappointed.
Know that the major editing in this film doesn't take away from the film at all, for first time viewers, but for people like me who where/are looking for the original movie in its entirety will be a tad disappointed.
All in all, its still an awesome movie to watch!!
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