This 1974 movie production, "Earthquake" was one that literally shook the world. As production companies began to fight to establish their movie supremacy, new ways of adding suspense and appeal to their audiences developed. What was so unique to this film, however, was the newly used "Sensurroud" system. This system revolutionized the theater, in that they now made the 4th wall even less, and the viewer's seat became a prop to the movie.
The use of huge base speakers produced a frequency that was so low, the human ear is unable to pick it up. However, the vibrations would shake the theater, and simulate the feeling that the audience was actually in the earthquake. This added such a sense of fear to the audience because they were now unable to decide what was really happening around them. The theater also had speakers organized based on frequency, placing high frequencies towards the ceiling and then working its way down.
This movie created a new surge of films and expectations in the theater. My mother went to see this movie when she was a kid, age 10, and she said that she had nightmares for about a week. Every time that she heard a rumbled or felt any kind of bump, she would freeze waiting for the earthquake to hit. My dad on the other hand, 11, was forbidden to see the movie because his parents did not want to have terrified children. SO when he naturally snuck in to the movies with his friends family, he had a blast. He said it was one of the coolest things that he had ever gone to. And was let down whenever films did not do the same thing. Universal had created something magical, and hooked audiences to come to all of their suspense tragedy movies.
The use of huge base speakers produced a frequency that was so low, the human ear is unable to pick it up. However, the vibrations would shake the theater, and simulate the feeling that the audience was actually in the earthquake. This added such a sense of fear to the audience because they were now unable to decide what was really happening around them. The theater also had speakers organized based on frequency, placing high frequencies towards the ceiling and then working its way down.
This movie created a new surge of films and expectations in the theater. My mother went to see this movie when she was a kid, age 10, and she said that she had nightmares for about a week. Every time that she heard a rumbled or felt any kind of bump, she would freeze waiting for the earthquake to hit. My dad on the other hand, 11, was forbidden to see the movie because his parents did not want to have terrified children. SO when he naturally snuck in to the movies with his friends family, he had a blast. He said it was one of the coolest things that he had ever gone to. And was let down whenever films did not do the same thing. Universal had created something magical, and hooked audiences to come to all of their suspense tragedy movies.
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