Without Warning: Terror in the Towers

One of the unfortunate results about the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001, is that they've overshadowed the February 26, 1993 attack on the World Trade Center -- so much so that people refuse to acknowledge that the attack had the same goal as 9/11, and didn't happen when George W. Bush or George H.W. Bush were President of the United States. Those who are dumb enough to blame George W. Bush on 9/11 must watch this movie. The same goes for those who consider Israel responsible, as well as those who complain about "profiteering" from the war we're in now, who forgot about the man who's illuminated Timex lit the way to safety in '93, and had his story turned into a TV Commercial. The reason they must watch it is so they know that the goals that Osama Bin Laden had for New York City was tried eight years earlier, and that on both occasions the Islamic fanatics responsible for the attacks left obvious clues leading to the source of hatred of America, and in the case of the 1993 attack their conviction. The 1993 WTC Bombers planned to cause one tower to collapse upon the other. The only difference between the two attacks is that the 1993 bombers failed to achieve their intended goal, because the North Tower withstood the bombing long enough to allow construction workers to rebuild the foundation. The biggest criticism I have with this movie is that it was made too soon after the attack, but I'll take this movie over the yet-to-be released, "Fahrenheit 9/11,", because this is a dramatic interpretation of the truth, not a biased distortion of a slanted zealot who passes himself off as an intellectual and a documentarian claiming to be searching for the truth, when he's already decided what it is. Are you reading this, Michael Moore? It's Islamic fanaticism that's to blame for both attacks, not Bush, not Clinton, and not Islam.

Never forget September 11, 2001. But also, never forget February 26, 1993 either!

The bombing didn't last long enough to make a good movie out of it. I realize that sounds a bit crass. I beg the forgiveness of people whose lives were scarred by this terrible event. My point is, if you're making a disaster movie, you want the disaster to last for a while. That, frankly, is what makes the movie worth watching. The sinking of the Titanic is absolutely perfect for the movies - 2 hours and 40 minutes from the moment the ship hit the iceberg to when it vanished beneath the waves. Ideal! You can be assured that James Cameron pondered the timing as he thought about doing the movie. "The Towering Inferno" - that skyscraper took forever to burn. This film - a lot of preface, a lot of emergency responders, very little oomph. I do like the outdoor shots with shards of snow falling down.

I saw this movie for the first time at 3 in the morning as i was flipping through channels one summer night but I fell asleep before it was over. Eventually I was at a friends house and he had told me he was an extra in this movie so we watched it and it was a pretty good movie and it was even more interesting how several of todays stars are in that movie especially since it was one made for tv. Good job, despite today's post 9/11 situation.

This was a good movie but I realize with what happened on Sept. 11,2001 it may be hard to watch. I thought the cast did an excellent job. George Clooney was good and John Karlen too. The whole cast was good. I know this is about the bombing and I know for some it will be very difficult to watch. It may be difficult for me to watch again for a while too.

In Britain we have a show called 999 where real life disasters are reconstructed on screen . I don`t know if there is an equivalent show in the US but watching WITHOUT WARNING made me think I was watching a feature length episode of 999 because this TVM is filmed entirely on video tape so it can be intercut with real life footage of the 1993 world trade centre bombing and feels too much like a reconstruction than a drama. It`s all rather understated and fairly undramatic but I suppose that`s better than the glossy PEARL HARBOR approach of having hunky up and coming stars shouting " Get me a damn firehose " and running into a blazing building in slo-mo . And I guess there is some irony of seeing a then pre ER George Clooney spending much of this TVM in a hospital bed as an injured fireman . But it`s impossible nowadays to write the initials WTC or hear the words " World trade centre " without thinking of the date 9/11