The Poseidon Adventure – A Swedish Mishmash of Nostalgia and Chaos

So let’s chat about “The Poseidon Adventure.” Gotta say, taking a trip down memory lane with this one felt like an adventure in itself. Picture this: 1972, and director Ronald Neame throws us into this topsy-turvy tale of disaster and survival aboard the grand SS Poseidon.

First thing’s first—Gene Hackman, as this fiery pastor, is just a classic. And oh, Shelley Winters! Man, can she drown better than anyone else. There’s also Ernest Borgnine and Red Buttons, a name you just won’t forget. Sometimes I wonder if they had fika between takes, drinking coffee and eating kanelbullar. A nice thought, eh?

The film kicks off with this majestic, celebratory New Year’s Eve aboard Poseidon. Suddenly, everything goes kaputt. The ship flips upside down, and it’s all a chaotic scramble to the top—well, the bottom now? Still confuses me. Special effects? By 70’s standards, not too shabby. You’ve got floods, explosions, and a lot of screaming. Classic 70’s cinema, my friends.

Watching people in evening gowns tackling ladders always makes me chuckle. One scene, when everything turned topsy-turvy, reminded me of that time my Mormor’s chair lift broke down, and she had to climb up the stairs from the basement—less dramatic, thankfully.

I think the magic really lies in that mix of chaos and camaraderie. The given imperfection of working with gravity and water. What if we Swedes were on that ship? I bet we’d plan better. Assemble a möte. Make the best out of it with ingeniously reshaped IKEA furniture.

Some parts feel awkward, but hey, it adds to its charm. Classic disaster flick… Just remember, next time you’re on a cruise, skip the bottom deck rooms! Grab some popcorn, a kanelbulle maybe—it’s worth the watch. Skål!

Check the trailer below