The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11

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Patrick F This documentary does a decent job capturing the chaos and uncertainty of the weeks after 9/11 when America was besieged by Anthrax-laced mailings. These mailings resulted in only five deaths, but caused an untold level of fear. The film does a good job overviewing the lengthy and expensive FBI investigation into the case. Having lived through that era as a teenager it was interesting to watch this film as a piece of history now that we are over 20 years removed from the attacks. From the science of the pure anthrax spores to the cryptic notes included with the anthrax to the red herrings and missteps along the way, the film manages to cover an enormous amount of information in less than two hours. The film is a mix of news reel footage, interviews with those involved in the case, and re-enactments of key interactions with the main suspect. Clark Gregg of Marvel fame portrays Dr. Bruce Ivins who after a years long investigation was identified by the FBI as the perpetrator. Gregg gave a good performance. I don't normally like re-enactments in documentaries, but these scenes were written based directly on FBI interview notes of their conversations with Ivins as well as Ivins' own emails and writings. This gave the re-enactments a grounded and real feel. Overall this is an informative and easy to digest documentary. However, even after watching it, the viewer may feel less than convinced that the FBI got there man. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/13/24 Full Review patrick f This documentary does a decent job capturing the chaos and uncertainty of the weeks after 9/11 when America was besieged by Anthrax-laced mailings. These mailings resulted in only five deaths, but caused an untold level of fear. The film does a good job overviewing the lengthy and expensive FBI investigation into the case. Having lived through that era as a teenager it was interesting to watch this film as a piece of history now that we are over 20 years removed from the attacks. From the science of the pure anthrax spores to the cryptic notes included with the anthrax to the red herrings and missteps along the way, the film manages to cover an enormous amount of information in less than two hours. The film is a mix of news reel footage, interviews with those involved in the case, and re-enactments of key interactions with the main suspect. Clark Gregg of Marvel fame portrays Dr. Bruce Ivins who after a years long investigation was identified by the FBI as the perpetrator. Gregg gave a good performance. I don't normally like re-enactments in documentaries, but these scenes were written based directly on FBI interview notes of their conversations with Ivins as well as Ivins' own emails and writings. This gave the re-enactments a grounded and real feel. Overall this is an informative and easy to digest documentary. However, even after watching it, the viewer may feel less than convinced that the FBI got there man. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review cconnelly1 It is telegraphed so early on in this documentary, who the perpetrator was, that there's a total lack of tension and suspense. The use of actors to portray just didn't go well with the material. And the main actor was not believable, cartoonist portrayal. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/02/22 Full Review dan r In the darkest times of American history the country was under another threat. This is documented in ‘The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11.' SYNOPSIS: ‘Days after 9/11, letters containing fatal anthrax spores spark panic in the United States, prompting an FBI investigation.' This documentary focuses on the abject terror and paranoia that was rife straight after the 9/11 attacks and now, 21 years later, we watch this and wonder how effectively the anthrax crisis was handled. In honesty it wasn't handled very well. It's in depth and detailed. Even educational at times. However, the creative choice to combine traditional non fiction storytelling with recreations of events with a famous actor just doesn't work. As soon as I saw and heard Clark Gregg (Agents of Shield, Avengers) I was taken totally out of this story. The tension which had been built up was gone. It is still a worthwhile watch. 6/10 Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11

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