It took two major studios - Fox and Warner Bros, pooling resources - and two similar novels - The Tower and The Glass Inferno - to make this triple-Oscar-winning disaster movie. The fun comes from guessing which superstars will get fried to a crisp in the burning San Francisco skyscraper, ignited during the opening ceremony, and who will be saved by daring fire chief Steve McQueen. The big-name cast plays second fiddle to the blazing special effects, but the mounting suspense and outlandish rescue attempts fan the consistently entertaining flames.

At the opening party of a colossal—but poorly constructed—skyscraper, a massive fire breaks out, threatening to destroy the tower and everyone in it.