America has a love affair with New York City, and that love carries over to our cinema. No city has played a more iconic role in more films that the Big Apple. In the films of directors like Woody Allen, Spike Lee and Scorsese, the city becomes a character itself. And for many years, the Twin Towers were an integral part of that character.
In the months following September 11th, the world of film struggled with how to approach the tragic event. For example, the Schwarzenegger movie “Collateral Damage” was famously postponed due to its “terrorist blows up a building” plotline. It wasn’t until years later that many filmmakers felt comfortable bringing up the attacks.
The Twin Towers, in particular, were a point of contention in films directly following the tragedy. They were edited out of films like Zoolander, Serendipity, and the Al Pacino vehicle People I Know.
Was it the right thing to do? Did it save moviegoers additional trauma? Or was it wrong to feel like we had to edit art in order to tiptoe around reality? Whatever your opinion was back then, 10 years later, this little video should do nothing but make you smile.
It’s a montage of dozens of films that show the NYC skyline as it used to be, with the Twin Towers intact. Made by New York cartoonist Dan Meth, the video has everything from King Kong to Stayin Alive – Bright Lights Big City to Working Girl.
Check it out below –
Twin Tower Cameos from Dan Meth on Vimeo.
