You won't be disappointed!

Sorry, this movie sucks

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The Deadly TowerPegging off people one-by-one from a secluded vantage point is only heroic if they aren't on your side.However, no one told that to the ex-military marksman in this drama. In 1966, while studying at the University of Texas, Charles Whitman (Kurt Russell), a former Marine sharpshooter, decides to murder his mother and his wife. Afterwards, he and a cache of arms and ammunition take up residency in the university's tower.Fortified in the pylon, Whitman continues his killing spree on campus - taking co-eds into his crosshairs.Meanwhile, the authorities (John Forsythe, Pernell Roberts, Ned Beatty, Clifton James) amass below, aching to take Whitman out.The television movie account of one of American's worst mass murderers, The Deadly Tower features accomplished character actors and a pulse pounding, albeit melodramatic, storyline that still resonates.Incidentally, the US army doesn't support the shooting of unarmed civilians – it sanctions bombing them instead. Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

I saw this about a year ago, and I was too busy to make a review, but this was a very well done movie. It's an example of Kurt Russell's tremendous acting. I personally didn't think the writers did the best job developing the characters, more than asserting they were cops and every day working people. I don't recall the movie stating even an opinion of why Charles Whitman took to the tower that fateful day and ended so many lives. He was in the Marines, and some might think he suffered from PTSD, but out of all the articles I've read about the case, that was almost never mentioned. Aside from Charles Whitman, none of the characters stood out. And Whitman seemed like a zombie, so besides shooting people, there wasn't much character development there, either.The acting was awesome. Kurt Russell's always a reason to watch a movie for me. From what I read about this real-life case, the movie tends to stay pretty close to the truth, which is an oddity for Hollywood films; though, this was made-for-TV. I recommend this. I gave this a 7-star rating.

Charles Whitman was a dangerously disturbed but nevertheless deeply fascinating individual. Arguably even the most fascinating murderer in recent American history. Whitman can't really be referred to as an authentic serial killer, but due to his mariners' background and reputedly high IQ, he can't just be dismissed as an ordinary madman on a rampage, neither. The full reason why Whitman went up the Austin University tower on the 1st of August 1966 and caused a terrible bloodbath will probably never be revealed. Were it the insupportable headaches that Whitman repeatedly complained about and the brain tumor found in his head during the autopsy, or did he snap because of other personal reasons? "The Deadly Tower" is a sober but very compelling and intense re-telling of the events that occurred on that horrible day, when Whitman killed 16 people and wounded over 40 more with his shot and sniper guns. This is the second film I've seen regarding the subject, after Peter Bogdanovich's "Targets". Whereas that film was merely a statement regarding the alienation of youth and the largely uncontrolled weapon legislation, "The Deadly Tower" is a very truthful reconstruction of the facts. In an aptly stone cold manner, Kurt Russell (until then only known from silly Disney comedies like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" and "The Barefoot Executive") depicts Whitman from the day before the massacre until the moment when Texas police officers shot him dead. Prior to going up the tower, Whitman murdered his mother and wife, went out to buy an arsenal of artillery and – knowing very well he wouldn't return – wrote a suicide note. The film is slow-paced but moody, atmospheric and very suspenseful. Given the fact it's a made-for-TV, and out of respect for the victims and their families, "The Deadly Tower" isn't a very bloody or exploitative thriller. The emphasis lies on inhumanity of the crime and solidarity/collaboration of the people downstairs – police officers as well as civilians – to stop the killer. Jerry Jameson, the director of "Airport 77", does a professional job and the supportive cast including Clifton James and Ned Beatty deliver admirable performances.

Kurt Russell's eye-opening performance (which might well have inspired both Peter Bogdanovich's TARGETS and Arnold Schwarzenegger's implacable killing machine approach in THE TERMINATOR) only adds to the tension in this made-for-TV docudrama. Russell comes across as an almost emotionless automaton, moving through scenes with truly frightening purpose. While I don't think this one ever needs to be remade, some of the more recent revelations regarding Whitman's final moments would certainly satisfy the more blood thirsty among us: the man who finally killed Whitman has mentioned that Whitman, hit in the head at one point during the gun battle that ended his murder spree, fell back into a sitting position against a wall and began to throw his head violently from side to side; from the description, it reminded me of the scene in BLADE RUNNER where Daryl Hanna is shot and bucks furiously before succumbing to her wounds.