Anyone seen "Flight 93" yet?

in article , Dave Stadt at
wrote on 4/30/06 9:02 PM:


"Philip S." wrote in message
...
in article , Dylan Smith at
wrote on 4/28/06 3:35 AM:

On 2006-04-26, Flyingmonk wrote:
What'd you think of it? Should I go see it?

Personally, I'm not going to bother. I knew as 9/11 was happening, it
was only a matter of time before Hollywood made a movie about it - but I
did expect them to wait 15 or 20 years. I also predict there will be a
Hollywood movie about Hurricane Katrina.

I'm neither condemning nor defending Hollywood, but I'm pretty sure that
everybody here is aware that it represents American capitalism in its
purest
form. Hollywood sees an opportunity to turn a buck, and it takes it, taste
be damned. Simple as that. Is there another way of doing capitalism that I
haven't heard about?

Odd to see so much criticism of the American way.

I do believe that is also a huge part of the American way.

True, but I meant that it was odd to see it from folks who normally seem to
be a vigorously patriotic, capitalist bunch. ****, I'm merely the biggest
capitalist in the world, and I've never understood the general reluctance to
exploit 9/11 for financial gain. We should have been selling T-shirts 15
minutes after it happened, and telling the rest of the world to **** off if
they didn't like it.

("Philip S." wrote)
True, but I meant that it was odd to see it from folks who normally seem
to be a vigorously patriotic, capitalist bunch. [%^*#], I'm merely the
biggest capitalist in the world, and I've never understood the general
reluctance to exploit 9/11 for financial gain. We should have been selling
T-shirts 15 minutes after it happened, and telling the rest of the world
to [#%^*] off if they didn't like it.


We would have flown to NYC if the hotels were ALL $99 for that two week
period, and if they had constructed a GIANT three story viewing
platform/boardwalk around the entire site - $25 a person.

IIRC, our 1998 World Trade Center tour was $12 per person.

The (soon to be bailed out) airlines would have been on board, too - with
fare specials and extra planes to NYC.

Millions would have visited! ...and bought T-shirts.


Montblack
New York missed the boat on that one.

Flyingmonk wrote:
What'd you think of it? Should I go see it?

The Monk

I did see the film Saturday evening. The film does a very commendable
job showing the inner workings of ATC. Nothing "made up" their. The film
also illustrates quite graphical just how unprepared out military was
(and perhaps still is) for an attack right on our front door. I felt
that the producers were very sympathetic to the survivors of the
victims; little time was given over to establishing the ususal sort of
Hollywoodian romances and relationships. I was quite emotional drained
after seeing the film; it is, after all, showing the sequence of events
that led up to many deaths and the closure of American airspace. It also
portrays quite accurately just how effective the ATC and the FAA were at
bringing all aircraft to the ground in a very short period of time.

Flyingmonk wrote:
What'd you think of it? Should I go see it?

The Monk

I did see the film Saturday evening. The film does a very commendable
job showing the inner workings of ATC. Nothing "made up" their. The film
also illustrates quite graphical just how unprepared out military was
(and perhaps still is) for an attack right on our front door. I felt
that the producers were very sympathetic to the survivors of the
victims; little time was given over to establishing the ususal sort of
Hollywoodian romances and relationships. I was quite emotional drained
after seeing the film; it is, after all, showing the sequence of events
that led up to many deaths and the closure of American airspace. It also
portrays quite accurately just how effective the ATC and the FAA were at
bringing all aircraft to the ground in a very short period of time.

Flyingmonk wrote:
What'd you think of it? Should I go see it?

The Monk

The film is actually entitled "United 93". Here is a review and weekend
box office report:

With painstaking authenticity, "United 93" recounts the horrific end of
passengers who fought back against their hijackers aboard one of the
commandeered planes, which crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

Families of those killed aboard Flight 93 cooperated with director Paul
Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy," "Bloody Sunday"), who re-creates the
experiences of passengers and air-traffic controllers in a
documentary-style drama. "United 93" earned widespread praise from critics.

Shot on a modest budget of $15 million, "United 93" should easily turn a
profit once theatrical, television and DVD revenues are tallied.
Universal said it will donate 10 percent of the first weekend's grosses
to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.

Playing in 1,795 theaters, about half as many as "RV," "United 93"
averaged a solid $6,462 a cinema, the best results among the top-10 movies.

"We can now kind of put to bed any idea that people are not ready to see
this type of movie. The numbers speak for themselves," said Paul
Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Arnold Sten" wrote in message
...

The film is actually entitled "United 93". Here is a review and weekend
box office report:


There was a TV production called "Flight 93" that aired about three months
ago.

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 17:11:33 -0400, Arnold Sten
quoted:

"We can now kind of put to bed any idea that people are not ready to see
this type of movie. The numbers speak for themselves," said Paul
Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Oh ****.

Don

My family just returned from seeing a matinee showing of "Flight 93",
and I have to say that it's been a shattering experience.

We normally fly as a family on Sunday afternoons, but heavy rain and
high winds kept us on the ground. Mary and my 15 year old son
suggested seeing a movie, and Mary has been wanting to see "Flight 93."
After following this thread the last few days, I didn't know if I was
sold on the idea...but we didn't have anything better to do, so...

At the last minute my 12 year old daughter opted to stay home, so it
was just the three of us at the theater. We did the usual
"buttered-popcorn-twizzlers-giant-pop" deal, and settled down in the
half-full house to enjoy an afternoon of escapism. Or so we thought.

The movie starts out slowly enough, following the terrorist's last
morning of preparations. These preparations were filled with prayer,
and tension, as they went about the business of checking in at the
ticket counter, and waiting the interminable wait before boarding. We
watch as, one by one, they -- and all the other passengers -- board the
plane, looking nervous but as innocent as newborne pups.

This story is interspersed with the happenings inside New York's,
Cleveland's, and Newark's ATC facilities, as, one by one, more and more
flights are hijacked. The tension is slowly ratcheted up as, one
plane a time, ATC loses contact with the pilots, and the planes change
course and altitude. Standard hijack procedures are pulled out, and
discarded, as the morning progresses and it becomes clear that what was
happening was completely out of the play book.

After the World Trade Center is hit, confusion becomes the norm, and --
as the ATC officials realize the enormity of the events unfolding
around them -- fear and horror join confusion as a close second and
third on the emotional tier. The military is called in, and (as luck
would have it) they are in the midst of a major NORAD exercise that has
left a total of four (4!) fighter aircraft available to defend the
entire Eastern Seaboard.

The FAA's military liaison cannot be found. When at last he *is* found,
he has scant little authority to do anything. People with authority
cannot be found, and NORAD is left with few planes and no rules of
engagement. Chaos reigns as the Trade Center is hit again, and the
Pentagon is attacked.

As the passengers on board Flight 93 become aware of what is happening
on the ground (via cell phone calls to loved ones), the formerly
passive passengers realize that this is no normal hijacking, and that
their only option is to try to take the plane back.

Of course, we all know the ending.

The movie is incredibly well done. The entirely matter-of-fact way in
which the events unfold -- in real time -- gives the film a weight and
authority that it would not otherwise possess. The tension that
ratchets up is nearly unbearable, as we watch events unfold both
knowing what is about to happen, and remembering our own, dark
experiences on that day of terror.

Near the end of the movie, I was entirely in the moment. I was with
the passengers as they plotted their take-over. I felt the knives slash
as they tried to take control. I physically felt the plane roll and
lurch as the hijackers tried to keep the passengers subdued. Mary said
that she was leaning whenever the plane rolled, and I felt a huge surge
of adrenaline as the passengers rushed the hijackers. I was with
them, as was everyone in that theater.

When at last the movie ended in a black screen, and utter silence,
people were audibly sobbing throughout the theater. My fists were
clenched, my breathing ragged, and tears streamed down my face. My son
was shaking, and my wife was absolutely motionless, not even breathing.

The people directly behind us were crying out loud, unashamed. It was
the most amazing thing I've ever seen in a movie theater.

No one moved. Minutes later, still no one had moved. I couldn't see,
and I couldn't catch my breath, as the rage poured out of me. I bit my
lip to stop from balling like a baby.

See the movie. We all need to see this movie.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

It's a movie!
All the actions depicted onboard the aircraft are speculation.
There may be some factual descriptions about what was happening with ATC
and NORAD as NPR has been reporting all weekend that the actual people
portrayed themselves in those roles.

It's a movie!

Yep, and a very well-done one at that.

All the actions depicted onboard the aircraft are speculation.

Not all. They have the results of 20+ phone calls made from the plane.
They know what was being planned.

There may be some factual descriptions about what was happening with ATC
and NORAD as NPR has been reporting all weekend that the actual people
portrayed themselves in those roles.

Yes, ATC has the real-deal ring of truth. What's really nice is that
they don't dumb it down or explain everything. If you understand
ATC-speak, you "get it" -- if you don't, it's probably gibberish.

It didn't seem to bother anyone in the theater -- but it sure added to
our movie experience, and I really appreciate the fact that the
director did it that way.

Best of all, they made the movie based on the actual timeline of
events. Things unfold at precisely the same pace that they did on
September 11th, which really gives it an authenticity it would not
otherwise have.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"