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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This 1976 release is hugely suspenseful and very realistic indeed, largely due to the Oscar nominated film editing, photography(the stadium footage works a treat!), direction and good strong cast of familiar faces. Charlton Heston plays Captain Pete Holly, a hard-boiled cop whose initial investigation of a random shooting seen at the start of the movie by a mystery gunman leads him to a championship football game at the LA Coliseum - the mystery gunman is a sniper who is perched above the scoreboard. When the time comes, the sniper will kill a target - or several? This flick does keep you guessing at times, just who is he after? In the crowd are a noisy family(DYNASTY's Pamela Bellwood is the mom, Beau Bridges(who played the President of the USA in 10.5 APOCALYPSE and also STARGATE SG1) is the harassed Dad Of The Year(not!) and sniper witness brutalised by over-zealous cops - remember this was 1976 - and there are two mischievous brats with him, a gambler facing loan sharks(QUINCY's Jack Klugman) and prayers from a priest sitting next to him for LA to win! Add to that the President visiting at half time, a pickpocket(Walter Pidgeon), and the TV crews being commandeered by SWAT captain Chris Button, played superbly by JOHN CASSAVETES and keeping it quiet from the public, and you have a killer of a movie(no pun intended) which will have you hooked from beginning to end. The original 115 minute cinema release shown here on this great quality widescreen DVD is the best way to see this classic - forget the awful network TV doctored version which in my view ruined a great story.
The story's pace moves along well and there are moments which will genuinely give you mild shocks or two! Strangely, you will also get caught up in the excitement of LA playing Baltimore on the field too, so if you are an NFL fan, this will appeal to you. Overall, a superb thriller and a movie which as well as being a smart disaster movie when the sniper starts his killing spree and the crowd panics, explores the theme of random killing quite well, especially in the wake of recent real-life massacres such as Dunblane and Hungerford in the UK. Stadium panic and riots, have also sadly become a reality since Hillsborough and Heysel in the 1980s, which makes the crowd panic scenes at times very realistic indeed.
One could also say that the climax, also explored in the terrorism thriller BLACK SUNDAY also released in 1976, might have inspired Jean-Claude Van Damme's similarly superb SUDDEN DEATH which came about 21 years later.
Final word: this thriller comes highly recommended.
The story's pace moves along well and there are moments which will genuinely give you mild shocks or two! Strangely, you will also get caught up in the excitement of LA playing Baltimore on the field too, so if you are an NFL fan, this will appeal to you. Overall, a superb thriller and a movie which as well as being a smart disaster movie when the sniper starts his killing spree and the crowd panics, explores the theme of random killing quite well, especially in the wake of recent real-life massacres such as Dunblane and Hungerford in the UK. Stadium panic and riots, have also sadly become a reality since Hillsborough and Heysel in the 1980s, which makes the crowd panic scenes at times very realistic indeed.
One could also say that the climax, also explored in the terrorism thriller BLACK SUNDAY also released in 1976, might have inspired Jean-Claude Van Damme's similarly superb SUDDEN DEATH which came about 21 years later.
Final word: this thriller comes highly recommended.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I read a review of Two Minute Warning in a book on films and it was pretty disparaging. I take a different view. I think it's a fine work, well acted from all concerned, tightly paced and with a good script.
The premise; a lone madman with a rifle hides away in a stadium before a game of American Football in Los Angeles, having killed one man already at the beginning of the film. The man is only discovered hiding after being spotted by the camera of a blimp hovering over the stadium. His rifle can clearly be seen and the local police, led by Charlton Heston, are alerted. The police procrastinate about what can be done, but the groundskeeper gets into an argument with the stadiums chief of security about possible dereliction of duty. The angered groundskeeper goes to investigate himself, only to have a rifle butt pushed into his face for his trouble. The SWAT team, led by John Cassavetes, are duly called to the scene, but the rifleman becomes aware of their presence and things start getting nasty.
Several people are picked off in the stadium, including SWAT officers, and a panic ensues, with people desparate to leave. These scenes are particularly effective, with the camera closing in from time to time on the crowd and sweeping wide shots of the various exits.
I think Two Minute Warning is a great film and would happily recommend it. Sadly it's only available on Region 1, but invest in a cheap multi-region player and buy it. It's well worth it.
The premise; a lone madman with a rifle hides away in a stadium before a game of American Football in Los Angeles, having killed one man already at the beginning of the film. The man is only discovered hiding after being spotted by the camera of a blimp hovering over the stadium. His rifle can clearly be seen and the local police, led by Charlton Heston, are alerted. The police procrastinate about what can be done, but the groundskeeper gets into an argument with the stadiums chief of security about possible dereliction of duty. The angered groundskeeper goes to investigate himself, only to have a rifle butt pushed into his face for his trouble. The SWAT team, led by John Cassavetes, are duly called to the scene, but the rifleman becomes aware of their presence and things start getting nasty.
Several people are picked off in the stadium, including SWAT officers, and a panic ensues, with people desparate to leave. These scenes are particularly effective, with the camera closing in from time to time on the crowd and sweeping wide shots of the various exits.
I think Two Minute Warning is a great film and would happily recommend it. Sadly it's only available on Region 1, but invest in a cheap multi-region player and buy it. It's well worth it.
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ok it's dated but you will have fun picking out the stars of the future, great atmosphere for a seventy's film, some tense moments. Had this taped on VHS better without the ad breaks. no extras.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A really good thriller
This is one of those "will he....won't he" thrillers but never done better than Two Minute Warning [DVD] [1976]. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Aremess
Classic 70's
This is a classic 70's all star cast film. With its link to an American football big occasion and to see the old LA raiders stadium as a background to a cleverly interlinked story... Read more
Published 6 months ago by CDW
marksman madman
a great 70s disaster style movie.stars charlton heston(so you know your onto a winner)about a mad marksman who has took up a position on the top of the los angeles coliseum during... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Pablo Leone
Enjoyable 70s disaster movie
A crazed, lone gunman with a high power, sniper scope rifle, is taking pot shots at the crowd. Quite what his motive is, we never find out. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Dr. D. M. Hunt
great film
Exciting film with a good build up, well known faces with sporting backdrop.
Maybe from the 7o's but stands up as an all round winner.
Maybe from the 7o's but stands up as an all round winner.
Published on 1 July 2009 by Mrs. Alison R. Mcconvey
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