Two Minute Warning

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Two Minute Warning

R

Released Nov 12, 1976

1h 56m

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

29%

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14 Reviews

45%

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100+ Ratings

The Los Angeles Police Department, led by Capt. Peter Holly (Charlton Heston), learns that a madman is planning to open fire on football fans in a packed Los Angeles Coliseum. Holly finds himself at tactical odds with SWAT commander Sgt. Button (John Cassavetes) as the fans -- including gambler Sandman (Jack Klugman), a pickpocket (Walter Pidgeon), car salesman Steve (David Janssen) and his girlfriend, Janet (Gena Rowlands) -- unknowingly risk their lives while the gunman takes aim.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

I thought perhaps the movie would at least include a little pop sociology to soften its blood-letting. Not a chance. It's a cheerfully unashamed exploitation of two of our great national preoccupations, pro football and guns.

Rated: 1/4

Sep 27, 2015

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Jay Cocks

TIME Magazine

There is just enough energy remaining to make Two-Minute Warning an amusing time waster.

Sep 27, 2015

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Variety Staff

Variety

An off-the-beaten-track story of a football stadium crowd menaced by a sniper, combined with above-average plotting, acting and direction.

Sep 27, 2015

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...quite watchable in a distasteful way; you won’t make a film like this now, not least because the characters are so stock they feel like ducks in a shooting gallery....

Rated: 3/5

Oct 23, 2022

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David Sterritt

Christian Science Monitor

Larry Peerce's technical skill and all these stars unfortunately don't add any sense to the script which leads from ominous to disasters with little intelligence along the way.

Nov 11, 2021

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Ruth Batchelor

Los Angeles Free Press

The cast of excellent actors is completely wasted.

Oct 28, 2019

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Jonathan O

Two-minute warning is an intense heartstopping thriller the cast are great the cinematography and editing are also great and the good directing but the story is somewhat okay for the characters but is very very intense climax scene and is so terrifying just like today's society.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/02/23

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Audience Member

Is a soiled suspense thriller and it could happen in real life which could be extremely terrifying to to think about it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/21

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Audience Member

What a waste. Good actors like Martin Balsam and John Cassavetes marooned in an unoriginal and almost comatose "thriller" where an unidentified sniper spends an entire football game aiming at various targets while literally nothing happens. All the male figures have real issues with their wives/girlfriends and are either idiots or deeply misogynistic. Charlton Heston wears a bad wig and runs arthritically, Balsam and Cassavetes are completely wasted. Black Sunday a year or two later showed how you do this kind of thing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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delysid d

words cannot describe how much i hated watching this turd... what a piece of shit

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/15/19

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william k

Average thriller with a list of stars in small parts. Takes quite a time to get going, but is occasionally effective.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Solid, tense thriller where a sniper has a football stadium in the palm of his hand.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Larry Peerce

Director

Charlton Heston

Capt. Peter Holly

John Cassavetes

Sgt. Button

Beau Bridges

Mike Ramsay

Marilyn Hassett

Lucy

David Janssen

Steve

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Synopsis

The Los Angeles Police Department, led by Capt. Peter Holly (Charlton Heston), learns that a madman is planning to open fire on football fans in a packed Los Angeles Coliseum. Holly finds himself at tactical odds with SWAT commander Sgt. Button (John Cassavetes) as the fans -- including gambler Sandman (Jack Klugman), a pickpocket (Walter Pidgeon), car salesman Steve (David Janssen) and his girlfriend, Janet (Gena Rowlands) -- unknowingly risk their lives while the gunman takes aim.

Director: Larry Peerce
Producer: Edward S. Feldman
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal/Universal Int
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 12, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 7, 2015
Runtime: 1h 56m

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