Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Two-Minute Warning Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 16, 2016

Nominated for Oscar Award for Best Film Editing, Larry Peerce's "Two-Minute Warning" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Shout Factory. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; official radio spots; the longer broadcast version of the film; exclusive new video interview with dierctor Larry Peerce; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

I see him

The sniper remains a mysterious figure. You can see him quietly assembling his rifle, firing at his targets, and then walking away, but there isn’t a single close-up of his face. You don’t ever hear him talking either.

The man travels to Los Angeles and then enters the Coliseum. He climbs to the top of the scoreboard and hides behind the thick concrete walls. Up there, in what is essentially a small bunker, he feels like a God, ready to strike down the sinners who will soon gather to watch the playoff game between Baltimore and Los Angeles.

Not long after the game begins, he is spotted by the men in the control room. Captain Peter Holly (Charlton Heston) is then quickly briefed by the stadium manager (Martin Balsam), who wants the situation handled as discreetly as possible. A SWAT team is called in.

It is a close game and the noise around the stadium is deafening. The man leading the SWAT team, Sgt. Button (John Cassavetes), tells Holly that his men should move in quickly and take out the sniper before he gets a chance to fire at his target. They suspect that it might be the President who is on his way to the stadium and plans to see the second half of the game, but it could be someone else. They don’t have time to guess. They have to act and they have to do everything right. If they don’t, more than 90,000 people will panic and all hell will break loose.

This remarkably tense thriller directed by Larry Peerce was so far ahead of its time that some very prominent critics that enthusiastically dismissed it basically did not get its message. It is really that simple. Indeed, it emerged in the mid-1970s, but it depicts a reality that has routinely been deconstructed in news reports during the last couple of years.

The drama on the stadium is observed from two very different angles. On one hand, you have the professionals who need to make quick decisions and hope that they are also the right ones so that they can neutralize the sniper. As it often happens in such situations, the rules that they must follow only further complicate their work and they begin improvising. (One of the film’s major points is that the best professionals are the best improvisers). On the other hand, there are the clueless fans that see only a portion of the big picture. Now, the film basically refuses to stitch up the whole thing with some dull and safe logic that would make it easier to digest and ultimately dismiss as too far-fetched. In fact, it makes it painfully obvious that in situations such as this one great instinct is far more valuable than experience and the knowledge that comes with it.

The footage at the end of the film is astonishing and it really is a small miracle that director Peerce and cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld were able to shoot it without someone getting seriously hurt.

Charles Fox‘s soundtrack is first-class. The thick sound and the heavy rhythm really could not be more appropriate for the intended atmosphere.

Also included on this release is the longer NBC TV version of the film, which should be avoided. It completely changes the tone and atmosphere of the theatrical version of the film and makes it look like a conventional summer thriller.

Two-Minute Warning Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Larry Peerce's Two-Minute Warning arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory.

There are portions of the film that look a bit rough. Typically, it is during some of the outdoor footage where traces of edge-enhancement tend to pop up and the grain becomes rather coarse (see screencaptures #12 and 14). Elsewhere, however, the visuals are much better balanced and depth is fairly decent. During the darker footage shadow definition isn't optimal, but fairly small objects and details are still relatively easy to see. Colors are stable, but saturation could be better and there should be a bigger range of healthy nuances. Overall image stability is very good. Lastly, there are no distracting cuts, damage marks, debris, or torn frames to report in out review. All in all, Two-Minute Warning does not look quite as impressive as Rollercoaster. Despite the obvious limitations, however, the presentation is still serviceable and even on fairly large screens the film does look stable. Obviously, a new scan and master will produce much more satisfying results, but the Blu-ray release still offers some decent upgrades. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Two-Minute Warning Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio does not appear to have been remastered, but but the basic characteristics we address in our reviews are quite strong. Charles Fox's hugely atmospheric score for instances shines throughout the entire film without actually begin artificially bumped up (there are no sudden spikes or drops in terms of dynamic movement). Clarity and sharpness are also very good. Balance is also good, though some minor optimizations can probably be made during a few of the mass sequences. There are no audio dropouts, pops, background hiss, or digital distortions to report.

Two-Minute Warning Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Larry Peerce - in this brand new video interview, director Larry Peerce recalls how the idea for Two-Minute Warning emerged, and discusses the novel by George LaFountaine that inspired it, his interactions with Charlton Heston and some of the lies that were said about the legendary lies after he fell seriously ill, the contributions of the rest of the cast members, the visual style of the film and some of the challenges the shooting of the mass sequences at the end presented, the longer broadcast version of the film that aired later on, etc. (The director also mentions that his son, who works as an archivist for Warner Bros., is a huge Blu-ray fanatic). The interview was conducted exclusively for Shout Factory in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 1080p).

• Television Broadcast Version - presented here is the longer but inferior broadcast version of Two-Minute Warning. In standard definition. In English, not subtitled. (142 min, 480/60i).

• Radio Spots - official studio radio spots for Two-Minute Warning. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Theatrical Trailer - official theatrical trailer for Two-Minute Warning. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).

• Photo Gallery - a collection of stills and official promotional materials for Two-Minute Warning. (5 min, 1080p).

Two-Minute Warning Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This tremendous thriller from Larry Peerce really was way ahead of its time. There are a lot of things that I like about it -- what an amazing cast -- but its honest and incredibly accurate deconstruction of the situation it chronicles is simply terrific. Shout Factory have included an exclusive new video interview with Larry Peerce that rivals some of the very best bonus content that I have seen on Criterion's releases. This interview alone makes the Blu-ray release one of the year's must-own releases. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.