# Help me remember this movie about a bomb maker **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227 "2012-07-24T12:43:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/1 "2012-07-24T12:43:15Z")
It’s pretty sad that typing “movie bomb maker house rigged to explode” into google brings up pages of news articles on current events. Anyway, I remember watching a movie where police were hunting down a serial bomber and trap-maker. The particularly interesting thing about this movie was that you say the traps activate from extreme close-up views and followed some of the Goldberg-esque style traps along in slow motion as they activated. I also remember that the bomber has some sort of deformity - I think he was missing fingers. It reminds me of the 2009 movie “Law Abiding Citizen” in that there was a crafty domestic terrorist setting booby traps for his targets, but I think my forgotten flick came out in the mid to late 90’s. The movie also featured a “Bouncing Betty” type of landmine planted under the floor in a deserted building, and I believe that at one point, a group of police stormed the terrorist’s home and got blown to smithereens because the entire house was booby-trapped. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/2 "2012-07-24T12:44:41Z")
A scene like that happened in ‘Speed’, but I doubt that is the movie you are thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/3 "2012-07-24T12:53:49Z")
I just read the plot summery for Speed and the Dennis Hopper character sounds like a match, but didn’t 90% of that movie happen on a runway bus? That part doesn’t fit. Maybe I am mixing up two poorly-remembered movies. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/4 "2012-07-24T12:56:26Z")
Was that Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones in 1994’s [Blown Away](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109303/)? ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/5 "2012-07-24T12:58:45Z")
The bomber missing fingers (or _a_ finger) and the police getting blown up sounds like Speed but not the close-ups. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/6 "2012-07-24T13:00:03Z")
Pardon the pun, but is it [“Blown Away”](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109303/)? Or Arlington Road? ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/7 "2012-07-24T13:08:28Z")
My first thought was Blown Away as well, but there’s also The Specialist with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/8 "2012-07-24T13:15:17Z")
Another vote for Blown Away, especially the Rube Goldbergian bombs (mostly involving blobs of mercury travelling through tubes). ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/9 "2012-07-24T13:16:03Z")
I can’t rule out “Blown Away”, but I sure don’t remember Forrest Whitaker being in the movie. I’m still looking for clips on You Tube to confirm. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/10 "2012-07-24T13:18:58Z")
Well, and what self-respecting bomber isn’t missing fingers? For the money: _Blown Away._ ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/11 "2012-07-24T13:28:51Z")
Well as I like to say, you’re not a bomb maker until you’ve blown off a few fingers… but if you blow off too many fingers, you’re not a bomb maker. Yes “Blown Away” seems to be the winner. Somehow my brain has created a new movie from parts of Speed and Blown Away. I was sure I remembered the opening elevator bomb scene with Dennis Hopper and the house blowing up scene from Speed, but with all the Goldberg style booby traps from Blown away. Now I’m not sure which movie I should watch… ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/12 "2012-07-24T14:29:39Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Now I’m not sure which movie I should watch… Watch 'em both! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/13 "2012-07-24T14:33:12Z")
May I also recommend _The Hurt Locker_, about Army bomb-disposal troops during the Iraq War. Heavily fictionalized, but worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/14 "2012-07-24T14:48:54Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > I can’t rule out “Blown Away”, but I sure don’t remember Forrest Whitaker being in the movie. I’m still looking for clips on You Tube to confirm. > **[Movieclips](https://www.youtube.com/c/MOVIECLIPS)** > > Now with TV clips! Rotten Tomatoes MOVIECLIPS is the largest collection of movie clips on the web. We’ve curated the best moments, scenes, and lines from all your favorite films to share, discuss, and relive. We celebrate all movies from all eras and... ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/15 "2012-07-24T15:01:14Z")
Don’t feel bad about combining parts of two movies in your memories. I’ve read (and occasionally contributed to) an enormous number of threads about vague memories of movies and TV shows. I think that in the majority of them, the OP has thrown together scenes from several movies or TV shows. Memory is far trickier than we usually think. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/16 "2012-07-25T03:50:53Z")
The only thing I feel bad about is the prospect of having to re-watch a movie starring both Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock just to see a few good bits that I have fond memories of. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/17 "2012-07-25T09:41:45Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > I also remember that the bomber has some sort of deformity - I think he was missing fingers. Well, [The Kingdom](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0431197/combined) had a master bomber, or maybe even two bombers, with missing fingers. And, it played a key role in the plot denouement. But I doubt thats the flick you’re thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-movie-about-a-bomb-maker/629227/18 "2012-07-25T21:05:08Z")
[Arlington Road](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137363/plotsummary) had a bomber, and it kind of fits the description.