Customer Reviews

Deterrence (Minutos Extremos) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you love political thrillers like 7 Days in May, Failsafe, The Bedford Incident, ect. then you will throughly enjoy Deterrence.Its basically set in a roadside diner where the dialogue and the suspense are the center of the movie, not special effects.It is very similar in that regard to 12 Angry Men.The movie begins with Kevin Pollack (a good character actor) as the new President of the United States, swinging through Colorado during the capaign primary there when he, his advisers, secret service detail ect. get holed up in a diner when a blizzard strikes..While there, he learns from CNN on the Tv there that the son of Saddam Hussein has overrun U.S. positions in the middle east and is going to again invade Kuwait and Saudi Arabia..Since its Saddam's son you know this is the future, 2008 but every other detail in the movie is strictly current era, i.e. no ray guns..Anyway, the President is stuck in this diner, and has to fight this crisis with only 4 secure cell phones at his disposal, repel massive Iraqi armored divisions while all the U.S. forces are tied down in Korea in a crisis there..This is the beginning of the movie and the brinksmanship between leaders, and countries which threatens global thermo-nuclear war.If you love political thrillers like the ones mentioned above then you will lovbe this film too..It was made by a first time director and graduate of West Point..It got overlooked at the theatre and on video by mainstream people.It has become an underground or cult classic with intelligent people who enjoy suspenseful thrillers that don't have to cost 200 million dollars to make..This movie is almost a throwback to the classic cold war thrillers of the 50's and 60's when good acting, writing, and directing was emphasized rather than big explosions.

The Vice President has become President by appointment a la former President Ford. He has been President only four months, and is campaigning for election for the first time in his own right. In Colorado during primary season, a blizzard maroons him and his small entourage in a diner. Then, stuff hits the fan in another part of the world possibly presaging major nuclear calamity. How does he handle it?

That is the plot premise and the story unfolds well-acted and grippingly. It was like a book one can not put down. There are numerous byplays - the Secret Service and the people in the diner, the President and his staff, the Prez and foreign heavies, the press, and so forth. A low-budget affair, shot almost entirely in that diner and with nil whiz-bang special effects, writing and acting carry the day.

Yes, what happens in this tale stretches the imagination, and only for that reason do I give this film four stars vice five. Still, if you like stories which grab and hold you, this compact film is worth your time.

this is a fantastick movie! I have referred a dozen or so family members, and each has confirmed the superiority of this film. Well-thought out and imaginative, one could only hope our intelligence services are half as creative and smart as the creator of this masterpiece.

... than have done what we're about to do... I may be slightly paraphrasing, but those were the words of a B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber pilot as he spoke to the President from the skies above Iraq.

This is a very well-conceived movie and the superb Kevin Pollak was a great choice as the Pres. If I have a criticism at all, it is that the movie suggests that the reason the US could not engage the invading Iraqi army is that most of their troops were positioned to deal with North Korea at that time.

This is unlikely, as the Korean situation is very simple, in that there is an infinitely greater chance that the US would use Tac Nukes against any invading force as a first resort. If North Korea ever began a barrage of the South Korean capital (a city of 10 million people), they would be able to effectively destroy it with conventional rockets and shells during the first 24-48 hours, causing millions of casualties.

There is no doubt in the minds of any military analysts that the US would have to go nuclear and on a massive scale well within the first two hours. While the North Korean capital would almost certainly receive a 'deterrence'-style surrender or die message from the US, the main thrust would be the large scale use of heavy tactical and even strategic nuclear weapons against the launch areas for the rocket tubes etc., many of which have been embedded to make them difficult to bomb. Neutron weapons would be one of the most effective responses for this type of target.

Not a pleasant topic and one that we all hope will remain in the realms of the theoretical, but then again, that's up to the North Korean leader.

Deterrence captures the life or death nature of this kind of diplomacy and is an important reminder of the stakes involved.

The only other criticism is that (Don't read on if you don't want to know anything about the film, I'm about to mention a plot event...) when the diner owner shoots and wounds the military aide carrying the briefcase containing the launch codes, there is NO WAY the Security people would stand there, pointing their guns at him trying to talk him down and risk that he will fire a fatal shot, thus making it impossible to open the briefcase. The guy would have been tomato paste after getting off the first round.

All in all a great movie. Essential viewing for dictators everywhere.

Call it dejá vu. When I first saw the previews to this movie I was hooked on its premise. First Jewish U.S. president (Hmm... Don't we have a Jewish VP candidate...? Weapons of Mass Destruction, a Middle East crisis, nukes...and the occupant of the Oval Office is stuck in a... I won't spoil it! It's a really great flick. You'll approach the ending with an air of disbelief. Though its end is a little unorthodox for the type of movie, "Deterrence" turns out to be a great yarn. If you're into good acting, good drama (based on real life, by the way) and international affairs, THIS,! is the DVD to buy. Call it, "Primary Colors" meets Kubric's "Dr. Strangelove." I highly recommend it.

"Deterrence" is probably the most underrated movie in history, and therefore doesn't receive the accolades which it truly deserves.

Kevin Pollack is the President. Seeing him play this part, I honestly believed that the role was made for him. His way of expressing determination when speaking to IBS while in the diner when making his speech...and speaking directly to the Iraqi people...was earth-shattering. I truly believe that no one else could have played that role to the degree it was played.

Timothy Hutton was superb in his role as well. His character argued against the President when needed, and recoiled when necessary.

All of the roles were superb, right down to Sean Astin as the smart-mouthed punk. I must, however, give exceptional credit to the man who portrayed the anchor on IBS. When I learned he was a local TV weatherman, I was shocked. He could easily handle a news anchor desk...and should be doing so.

The most extraordinary part of this film was that it was all shot inside the diner, never changing scenes.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants a feature that will literally glue them to their chairs. You won't even want to blink for fear of missing something. My favorite scene is the dialogue when Pollack is speaking to the Iraqi representative:

Iraqi: "Mr. President, understand this: We have the oil. We have the power."

Pollack: "I have the match." (slams phone receiver down, cutting connection)

If THAT isn't tension, someone please tell me what is.

If my writing ever goes to screen...I want this writer, director, and producer on it. They know how to write, direct, and produce a movie that is well worthy of academy award nominations and trophies.

As I write this, this film is over six years old and turns out to be remarkably prophetic. It's a relatively low budget piece, taking place on a single set in a diner, where the President has been stranded with a few staff members and a few odd customers. The President is forced to deal with a Middle East flare up involving Iraq and nuclear weapons . . . not Iran, but close enough to give one pause considering the current world scene.

This is indeed a "thinking person's" feast. Without picking apart the various production shortcomings (the worst was the overplayed "Redneck" customer in the diner), the crux of the film is what happens when America's nuclear hegemony evaporates in the face of the emergence of an equally devastating force . . . and the will to use it. America's response will be greatly colored by the personal character of the President.

I won't dicuss any more of the story so as not to ruin the film for anyone that hasn't seen it. Give this a try. Plenty of suspense, quite thought-provoking, and Kevin Pollack is brilliant as President Emerson.

I caught this movie on cable one night by accident and I was enthralled by it. There is so much to say and it is all positive, but has all been said by other reviewers. If you are unsure about the movie, see it and form your own opinion. I LOVED IT!

I teach Political Science at Albion College. I thought that this film was great - unfortunately, it was overshadowed by others films at release, and hasn't recived the attention it deserves. I recommend it highly!

DETERRENCE is one of those movies that nobody hears about until it comes out on video. Boosting no blockbuster stars and a rather small budget it didn't have much of a theatrical release. However, thanks to VHS and DVD, this movie is sure to have a long life.

The movie takes place in a small diner in Aztec, Colorado in the year 2008. The non-elected President Emerson (he took office after the former elected President died in office) is heavily campaigning in the hope of becoming "legit" and needs a major victory. Emerson and company are stuck at the diner because of a major snowstorm that prevents all travel. While there, it is learned that the son of Saddam Hussein (now the leader of Iraq) has invaded Kuwait and is preparing to invade Saudi Arabia as well. Hundreds of American soldiers have been killed in the process and the threat from Iraq could lead to a nuclear holocaust. The momentum of the movie builds from that point on as we are drawn into the interactions between Emerson and his staff and the response of the diner's customers.

The strength of this film is it's dialogue. You have to turn up the volume otherwise you might miss something. Though there are no major blockbuster stars (Kevin Pollock is a great actor, but doesn't make blockbuster movies), the acting is superb and is better than many big budget pictures.

The movie only has two flaws. One of them really isn't even a flaw, just a drawback. The movie works and moves well, but would work even better as a play or live television broadcast. Much of the energy derived from a live audience is lost because of the indifference of the camera lens, but that is something beyond the filmmaker's control. The only other complaint is the ending of the film. The entire movie seems realistic and totally plausible, but the climax of the film is rather anti-dramatic for such a gut-wrenching pace. Nevertheless, the film is so powerful and thought-provoking that, though the finale leaves something to be desired it doesn't ruin the movie. Movies don't get much better than that.