Two-Minute Warning

Infobox_Film
name = Two-Minute Warning


caption = Original one-sheet poster for "Two-Minute Warning".
imdb_id = 0075359
amg_id = 51401
producer = Edward S. Feldman
director = Larry Peerce
writer = George La Fountaine Sr. (novel)
Edward Hume (screenplay)
starring = Charlton Heston
John Cassavetes
Martin Balsam
Beau Bridges
Marilyn Hassett
David Janssen
Jack Klugman
Gena Rowlands
Walter Pidgeon
Brock Peters
music = Charles Fox
cinematography = Gerald Hirschfeld
editing = Walter Hannemann
Eve Newman | distributor = Universal Pictures
released = November 12, 1976 (USA)
country = United States
runtime = 115 min.
language = English
budget = Unknown
gross = Unknown
:"For the National Football League rule, see two-minute warning."

Two-Minute Warning is a 1976 suspense and action film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, Martin Balsam, Beau Bridges, Jack Klugman, Gena Rowlands and David Janssen. It was based on the novel of the same name written by George La Fountaine, Sr. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing. [cite web |title=Internet Movie Database, Awards for "Two-Minute Warning" |work=imdb.com |url=http://www.amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0075359/awards |accessdate=2007-08-09] [cite web |title=Internet Movie Database, Full Cast and Crew for "Two-Minute Warning" |work=imdb.com |url=http://www.amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0075359/fullcredits |accessdate=2007-08-09]

ynopsis

The film portrays an unknown sniper who positions himself at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum prior to a professional football championship similar to The Super Bowl. During the game, the sniper is accidentally discovered by the television crew when he is revealed hiding on a perch by a Goodyear Blimp camera. In the hopes of capturing the sniper before he opens fire on unsuspecting fans, the police and SWAT team are immediately called in by the stadium manager Sam McKeever (Martin Balsam). The film features Charlton Heston as Police Captain Peter Holly. Working with SWAT team Sergeant Chris Button (John Cassavetes), they attempt to devise a plan to capture the sniper before the conclusion of the game. As the film progresses, multiple fans attending the game are introduced including Steve and Janet (David Janssen and Gena Rowlands), an argumentative middle-aged couple; Stu Sandman (Jack Klugman), a gambling addict; a Catholic priest (Mitchell Ryan) who befriends Stu; Mike and Peggy Ramsay (Beau Bridges and Pamela Bellwood), a young married couple with financial problems; an elderly pickpocket (Walter Pidgeon); Al (David Groh), a gregarious single man who begins flirting with Lucy (Marilyn Hassett) when he notices her date is more interested in the game than her. The stadium's maintenance director Paul (Brock Peters), discovers the sniper's presence and attempts to confront him. The sniper strikes Paul with the butt of his rifle, seriously injuring the man as he falls several stories undetected by fans. SWAT team members position themselves on stadium light towers and around the sniper nest. At the two-minute warning of the football game, the sniper realizes he's surrounded and begins to open fire, causing a massive riot where panicked fans spill onto the field.

Production

When released in 1976, "Two-Minute Warning" was promoted as an entry into the Disaster film genre, complete with an all-star cast attempting to survive an immense riot created by the sniper. Universal Studios devised a gimmick where moviegoers were not allowed to enter the theater at the moment the football game's two-minute warning began in the film. The movie did strong box office business, though not at the level of previous Disaster film hits "Earthquake" (1974) and "The Towering Inferno" (1974). The film was Rated R by the MPAA Film Rating System for its extremely violent scenes detailing the deaths of not only several SWAT team members, but the sniper himself. Joe Kapp, a former National Football League quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, plays the small role of veteran quarterback Charlie Tyler.

Television Version

Due to the film's explicit violence and uncomfortable detail of a homicidal sniper acting alone, NBC negotiated with film's company Universal Studios to film additional scenes for its television premiere in 1978. The new scenes would detail an art heist, with the sniper serving as a decoy so robbers could escape without detection. The additional scenes, 30 minutes total in length, were added for the film's TV showing while 45 minutes of the original version were removed. Director Larry Pierce disowned the TV version, which credits the pseudonymous "Gene Palmer" as director and Francesca Turner (who also helped doctor David Lynch's "Dune" for TV) for the "teleplay". When shown on network television, this version of "Two-Minute Warning" is often shown rather than the original theatrical release. [cite web |title=Internet Movie Database, Alternate Versions for "Two-Minute Warning" |work=imdb.com |url=http://www.amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0075359/alternateversions |accessdate=2007-08-09] The television version was not included when the film was released to video and DVD.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0075359|title=Two-Minute Warning
* [http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies/2_minute_warning.htm Review of "Two-Minute Warning"]