Product: Special Bulletin (TV-Movie) [VHS] (1983)
Rating: 5.0
This movie is a unique momento of an era
I remember watching this movie as a senior in high school. It really stuck with me for years. When my off-the-air tape finally gave out, I had to order it.The look and feel of the film is an extremely accurate depiction of network news from the early 80's. Other than Ed Flanders (St. Elsewhere) and Lane Smith (Lois and Clark) there aren't too many recognizable faces (David Rache starred in the short-lived ABC series "Sledge Hammer" and David Clennon currently appears in CBS's "The Agency"). This helps with the illusion of reality.The movie manages to get its message across by letting radical terrorists preach directly to a TV camera. It's a tricky balance that they strike, because the filmmakers clearly sympathize with the terrorists views but obviously can't endorse their tactics.The only downside is the 80's era TV-grade visual effects that take away from the impact of the ending of this otherwise powerful movie.While it would be interesting to see this movie re-made with up-to-date technology, that would probably not be a popular choice in post-9/11 America.