Most outrageous disaster movies

Disaster movies

A certifiable craze in the '70s, the disaster movie formula was written in stone by the success of such films as “Airport,” “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno” and hit a resurgence with the mid-'90s success of "Independence Day" and "Twister." But, as the intentionally ridiculous spoof "Disaster Movie," due out Aug. 29, reminds us, sometimes on screen doom, death and destruction isn't as serious or scary as Hollywood would like.

So in the interest of disaster preparedness, take a look at some of most outrageous and ridiculous calamities ever concocted for a cinema screen. —Thomas J. McLean, Special to Metromix