Entertainment Affected by 9/11 Flashcards
Spider-Man 2002 Film
A teaser trailer of the film was removed from circulation, as it featured Spider-Man capturing a helicopter filled with criminals in a web spun between the Twin Towers. A poster with the World Trade Center reflected in Spider-Man’s eyes was also recalled, while the short teaser trailer of the film also removed the towers from Spider-Man’s reflection eye. Sony removed any mentions of the Twin Towers from the teaser images and trailer on the website. A shot of the World Trade Center (WTC) was deleted from the film, but it can be found on the Sony Stock Footage website. Two scenes were added to the film in response to the attacks: in the first, a group of New Yorkers attack the Green Goblin over the Queensboro Bridge, with one saying, “You mess with Spidey, you mess with New York!”, and another saying “You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!”. The second, a scene of Spider-Man hanging onto a flagpole with a large American flag, was seen in later trailers and at the end of the film.
Zoolander (Movie)
The WTC was digitally deleted from skyline shots in the film, which was theatrically released nearly three weeks after the attacks.
Don’t Say a Word (Movie)
The film was theatrically released nearly three weeks after the attacks, and the filmmakers contemplated delaying its release, but decided against it. However, they cut out and replaced shots of the towers from the edit, such as the opening shot, which shows Brooklyn instead.
Men in Black II
It originally featured a climax that included the WTC, but the scene was changed to the Statue of Liberty.
Changing Lanes (Movie)
Director Roger Michell had the WTC towers digitally removed from the opening main title sequence in the film. In the DVD commentary, he admitted that it was a mistake to erase them, and pretend they did not exist.
Mr. Deeds
Shots of the World Trade Center were partially seen: one was shot in the helicopter for the scene where Longfellow Deeds arrives in New York City, and one was shot in the Upper West Side, which shows the entire Manhattan skyline. The towers were digitally removed in the scene where Deeds and Chuck Cedar play tennis, which was shot on Roosevelt Island in spring 2001.
What other movies had shots of the WTC removed?
Stuart Little 2, Serendipity, Killing Jessica Stein, People I Know, Armageddon
What are some films that didn’t get edited after the attacks?
Vanilla Sky (2001) – Director Cameron Crowe retained shots of the buildings in the film’s final cut; Delivering Milo (2001) – The WTC is seen from Ellis Island, while he rides in the boat; Crazy Little Thing (2002); A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001) – released less than three months before the attacks, a scene set thousands of years in the future which features a badly damaged WTC was not edited for its video release; Death to Smoochy (2002) – The North Tower is seen when Rainbow Randolph is dancing on the small bench in Duane Park. In the DVD commentary, Danny DeVito explained that it was the only shot in the movie that the WTC was in and he designed the shot; City by the Sea (2002); Gangs of New York (2002) – The film ends with the New York City skyline containing the Twin Towers. The filmmakers had filmed the shot before the 9/11 attacks and later debated whether have the towers dissolve out from the shot to signify their disappearance, or remove the sequence entirely; Rush Hour 2 (2001) – Several scenes where a bomb explodes at the United States Consulate General were not edited for its video release; It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) – Although shot after the September 11th attacks, one scene set in a version of 2003 where Kermit was never born shows the Twin Towers visible in the background. This was due to the backdrop used in the film being created prior to the attacks. Years after the film’s release, this detail gained viral attention, inspiring jokes that the creation of Kermit the Frog somehow indirectly led to 9/11.
Radio & Music
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, radio stations in the United States adjusted their playlists, favoring patriotic songs like “God Bless the USA” and Whitney Houston’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” while excluding tracks such as U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.” Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) faced scrutiny for a list of 150 potentially sensitive songs. P.O.D.’s album “Satellite,” released on September 11, 2001, found success, notably with the uplifting single “Alive.” Conversely, nu metal and rap metal genres experienced sales downturns. Slayer’s album “God Hates Us All,” released on the same day, sparked controversy due to its title and themes. Some artists made changes post-9/11; Jimmy Eat World renamed their album, Dream Theater altered cover art, and Bush changed a song’s title. Janet Jackson postponed a concert, and DJ Khaled dropped a tagline out of sensitivity. Additionally, The Strokes’ album release was delayed, and The Coup modified their album cover, originally depicting band members near the World Trade Center. These adjustments reflected the profound impact of the tragic events on various aspects of the music industry.
Disney World
The Walt Disney World attraction The Timekeeper, a 360-degree film presentation that featured a panoramic view of New York City (including the Twin Towers) closed on September 11, 2001, and updated the scene of New York City so that the titular character was sent to 2000, a year before the attacks, which caused all references to the WTC to be removed. The attraction closed five years later.
GTA III
Grand Theft Auto III’s release was delayed due to its New York City-inspired setting and Rockstar’s offices being near Ground Zero, prompting changes like altering police car designs and adjusting in-game elements.
Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro
Activision stopped production of Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro to remove Twin Towers-like buildings from the game.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 modified its Airport level, changing terrorists to pickpockets and adjusting objectives for sensitivity reasons.
Ace Combat 04 (Video Game)
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies adjusted promotional imagery to avoid resemblance to the Twin Towers’ collapse and suspended a TV spot after the attacks.
Eternal Darkness (Video Game)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem faced delays and content removal, including the exclusion of a Templar Knight character and textures with Arabic writing.
