Customer Reviews

World Trade Center - In Memoriam [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Provides insight into what led to the construction of the trade center along with the history of the building once it was opened in 1970. It seems to be that the trade center will have the similar legacy to JFK in that too much time is spent on it's demise, not enough on it's life. This documentary is the exception.

In short, If you're looking for a documentary into the birth, and life to the twin towers, you'll appreciate this .If you're looking for 9/11 material, This probably won't suffice except for some backgrounds Into on the construction of the towers.

This documentary shows every aspect of the World Trade Center it's (short?) history, from building it up from the concrete to the Trade Center its window washing machine, all the info about the Trade Center is on this tape.
Some people on the documentary are missing or dead, and some things people say in this documentary can be verry shocking. (especialy after Sept. 11th)
But in conclusion, this documentary shows you the World Trade Center (and it's people) within all it's glory.

It's too bad the WTC complex isn't going to be rebuild, those towers where icons of freedom and culture, if the statue of liberty was attacked and taken down, there would have been no question it was going to be rebuild...
...the same thing should happen with the twin towers. (the entire wtc complex actually)

I was very sad and touched after watching this production as several of those interviewed in the show are no longer with us. Helped me realize how important the gift of life is and that things come and go but life is to be treasured always. Very worthwhile production as a tribute to those magnificent landmarks and especially to all who worked with all their hearts in these symbols of American freedom.

This is a marvelous DVD (originally aired on the History Channel) that gives you all kinds of interesting information about the twin towers. I really regret that I never was able to go New York and see the World Trade Center for myself. It truly was an amazing building inside and out. One of the sections has a man discussing that the tower could tolerate the impact of an airliner - and if you think about it - it did. It was the fire and heat that took the building down - so he was right.

I watch this film every year, on or around 9/11. Today is 09/09/04, and I sit in amazement as I realize there are still people in the world who have not yet seen this film.

Tonight, I watched it for the first time since last year. All the old feelings of pain, anger, and yes, even hate are new again.

What amazes me more than the fact that some have not seen it, is the fact that my mind blocks out the feelings this film exposes every year.

Watch the movie.
Never forget.

The History Channel was in the final post-production phase of this documentary about the World Trade Center, when September 11, 2001 happened before they got it aired.

This would have been another installment in their "Modern Marvels" series....a celebratory look back at the genesis, birth, and construction of the Twin Towers in Manhattan -- financial symbol of America in the world. It became instead, as host Harry Smith states, "an obituary".

It is sad to see that many of the people interviewed in the program were killed on 9/11, or were still officially "missing" as of this program's first airdate in 2002. Harry Smith --classy and respectable as always-- is particulary sensitive and in-command here.


I highly recommend this program for anyone who was a fan of the WTC as an architectural & structural engineering feat in itself, for its time. Not counting dams/bridges/tunnels, the WTC was the largest, most expensive, overwhelming building-complex project up to that time in history. The fact that the ground material removed to make way for the complex alone, was responsible for increasing the size of Manhattan itself; thereby creating "Battery Park City" and the future complex of the World Financial Center & Winter Garden. Very impressive!

This gives a good review of the initial politics and wrangling necessary to commence construction of the WTC, and it shows the construction process, and then follows by showing day-to-day operation/maintenance of the WTC, and how the Twin Towers (slowly!) became beloved and respected icons -- indeed, sentinels of "the island at the center of the world".

It's deeply ironic (and again, cruel) that the very aspect of the Twin Towers' design which made them so tall, so strong-yet-flexible, and able to have such open floorspace on each of their 110 stories, was their then-revolutionary design of exterior support -- ie., the "skin" of the Towers. This is what supported them, not interior columns and beams. And yet, it is because of this that when the planes were ingested by the Towers, the "skin" (exterior walls/glass/columns) of the Towers shifted their load burden to what were fast becoming warped, melting floor grids inside. The rest is well-known.

For those of you looking for a "September 11, 2001" type documentary, this is not it. It is introduced, and then closed on that basis, but this is simply a biography of the World Trade Center....its origins and 30 years of life.


take care,

Scott T. Shier, Michigan


P.S. ~ STRONG FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATION:
"World Trade Center: Anatomy of Collapse", 2002 - TLC (The Learning Channel), elegantly hosted & narrated by Bill Kurtis; aired September 2002 [approx. 52 mins.]
**This program will give you the detailed, scientific, and architectural examination of the destruction of the Twin Towers & surrounding sites. This is the most thorough "how's and why's" of their demise I've seen. Note: this isn't about terrorism and the attacks in general, again, just the engineering viewpoint of what happened, while paying proper respect to the human toll as well. Watch this for understanding, but not on a day where you're not wanting to think hard and become melancholy.

Great history about the twin towers. Appears that the mall below was fun to shop or browse in.

I bought this one some time ago now.But it is an informative movie about the WTC.Who could forget that day when terrorism struck the Trade Centers.I was actually in a chat room on yahoo at the time somebody said a plane hit the World Trade Centre, and at first i didn't think much of it.But when they said a second plane i knew this was big.Switched on the radio,and it was on it.I then switched on the TV,by that time one tower had collapsed.It is kind of awful,but to see those planes going into those buildings was fascinating.So many lives lost in an instant,an absolute tragedy.This talks of the history of the twin towers up to that tragic day.You know people ask where was God that day,but they also know Jesus had nothing to do with that,it wasn't one of his policies.

It will not play it on my DVD player and it is too much hassle to send it back for another one. Sorry.