The disaster movie is one of cinema's most exciting and compelling genres. The genre came to prominence in the early 1970s with films such as 'The Towering Inferno' and 'Earthquake,' pictures characterized by all-star ensemble casts, multiple plotlines, and big budget special effects. Some 50 years on, audiences are still being thrilled by films that depict natural disasters, accidents, attacks, or—somewhat ironically—global pandemics. Furthermore, many of these films are based on real-life events.
Click through and take a look at cinema's most dramatic disaster movies.