Tower (Blu-ray)
August 1st 1966 was the day our innocence was shattered. A sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the iconic University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes in what was a previously unimaginable event. TOWER combines archival footage with rotoscopic animation of the dramatic day, based entirely on first person testimonies from witnesses, heroes and survivors, in a seamless and suspenseful retelling of the unfolding tragedy. The film highlights the fear, confusion, and visceral realities that changed the lives of those present, and the rest of us, forever - a day when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.
- Keith Maitland - Director
- Violette Beane - Actor
- Louie Arnette - Actor
- Blair Jackson - Actor
- Megan Gilbride - Producer
- Susan Thomson - Producer
- Luke Wilson - Producer
- Pamela Colloff - Producer
- Amy Rapp - Producer
- Meredith Vieira - Producer
Reviews
"This is a Must-Own documentary."
Firmly Recommended to established fans and newcomers alike.
"Very strongly recommended!"
"Highly recommended. ...The Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Tower is an excellent encoding of this show, that has made a vociferous fan of most everyone who has seen it."
New York Times Critics' Pick "Ingenious. The animation gives Mr. Maitland a lot of creative freedom, allowing him to take Expressionistic leaps." -Manohla Dargis, New York Times
"A piece about adrenaline, bravery, grief and memory that stands as one of the year's crowning achievements in emotional, illuminative storytelling." -Robert Abele, The Wrap
"Boldly imaginative ... 'Tower' plays like a historical Hitchcock film about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances." -Richard Brody, The New Yorker
"Tower is explanatory journalism and history, but also personally expressive, and the two impulses never cancel each other out." -Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
"Words can't do justice to the singular power of Keith Maitland’s documentary Tower, a you-are-there reconstruction of the harrowing 1966 mass shooting at the University of Texas at Austin...You might not see a more emotionally shattering film this year." -Bilge Ebiri, The Village Voice
"A tense, reflective and uniquely cinematic reconstruction of the 1966 sniper shootings that rocked a Texas university campus." -Variety
"A gripping combination of oral history and stylized reenactment." -The Hollywood Reporter
"Tower is a fascinating blend of suspense and journalistic inquiry." -Indiewire
"Revolutionary documentary on the 1966 UT Tower shootings." -Austin Chronicle
"[A] true-crime thriller that’s enriched by a rare depth of inner experience. The effect is as much intellectual as emotional..." -Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Awards
Winner, Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, SXSW 2016
Winner, Audience Award, RiverRun International Film Festival 2016
Official Selection, Hot Docs 2016
Official Selection, AFI Docs 2016
For press and publicity inquiries, please email press@kinolorber.com. A selection of press materials for this title may be available for download here.
Videos
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