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agnostic-priest-metal · 7 months ago

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Timeline of Agnostic Priest & Introducing characters

1996: Tobbe and Skwisgaar found Agnostic Priest

1996-1998: The rest of the bandmates join AP

1998: First studio album releases

2004: Skwisgaar leaves

2005: AP officially splits up and ends their contract with the label

2024: Nana makes contact with everyone and starts setting up sns account

⬇️ Backdrop of the character

1. Erik Ekdahl

- Born 10 June 1975, Gothenburg, Sweden. He is an only child.

- Started playing viola when he was 4 years old but soon his interest moved toward acoustic guitar, he was 6 years old at that time. Few years later after listening to KISS and Iron Maiden - a music that changed his entire life - he started playing electric guitars when he was 11.

- His first guitar was an Ibanez RG550 and later he bought a Jackson rr24 Rhoads with his own money. He continued using that until now(1998).

- Attended the University of Gothenburg, but soon he dropped out(1995) with a dream of making his first metal band. Due to his decision he had a lot of fights with his parents and eventually left his home.

- His first band’s name was Moonchild, a symphonic metal band, and he was also a guitarist in that band. But its genre didn’t suit him and he wasn’t satisfied with the quality of the music so he decided to disband it(1996).

- Wandering around for 2 years, having some part time jobs and sleeping in an abandoned car, he saw the notice about Skwisgaar and Tobbe’s band by chance and decided to join the audition.

- Current(1998) music inspo: Alexi Laiho(COBHC), Björn Gelotte(In Flames), Johan Norman(Dissection), Michael Amott(Arch Enemy), Ihsahn(Emperor)

- Later music inspo: Kim Carlsson(Lifelover), Georg Börner(Coldworld), Neptune(Gris), Einar Selvik(Wardruna), Amalie Bruun(Myrkur)

After Skwisgaar’s departure(2004)

For a few months he was totally wasted. He tried to contact Skwisgaar one way or another but kept failing, and it made him more and more fall into depression.

Eventually, he decided to leave the band(2005) and thought he should sublimate his feelings into music - so he created a one-man DSBM band called Viva la Vida(2007), using his stage name as W. Although his band drew excess attention to listeners and achieved pretty much success, he refused all show suggestions and all interviews at that point.

In 2012, his parents accidentally died in a car crash. He heard that news from his friend and had a small funeral with his friends, but didn’t invite AP members(He didn’t want to show his weakness). After their death he started getting into some kind of old norse religion, so he stopped Viva la Vida(2013) and made another side folk music project called Heimdall. He devoted his entire life to it(2014~) until he received Nana’s call.

Misc.

- Fluent in Swedish. English is conversational but sometimes broken. Or many times.

- Never dyed or bleached his hair.

- That time when he was a member of Moonchild he was in a dating relationship with one of the band members, however the disbandment made him break up.

- Had a huge crush on Skwisgaar at the first sight and still secretly likes him. But well everybody knows that except Skwisgaar…

- Always wasted especially after the concert, he’s the one who brings all those boozes with a box. Became more mischievous and flirty than ever when he got drunk(natural bottom energy?)

- Soooooo jealous. One of the default personalities of a moody person.

- Doesn’t like outdoor activities or exercise, the only way to make him chill is a horror movie with a pint of beer. Or some phone calls with Skwisgaar.

2. Natalia (Nana) Berg

Childhood (5-14)

- Born in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil-december 20th 1975.

- Natalia was "made" as an accident by two young adults who didn't feel like wearing protection at a party. her dad was a Swedish tourist , and her mom was a stripper.

- When she was born,Nana lived with her mom till she was 5 in a messy shack in the slums of the city. but she was taken from her after many neighbors report loud crying and screams coming from their house, her mother used to leave her child alone for days to attend funk balls/parties without leaving food or anything for them.

- She was forced to move to Sweden to live with her dad, who was mostly an emotionally absent man,whom Nana would be homeschooled by until they turned 14 and were registered into an actual school.

- But before they were even attending classes, Nana already had a fascination for bugs from any shapes and sizes, and used to play with those in their father's backyard, sparking their interest in biology.

Adolescence(14-18)

- Soon after Nana starts to attend school she starts to get bullied by her classmates for being a quiet(mostly non verbal) and ‘’weird’’ kid,which made them completely change their personality to become more defensive but that only made things worse,as now they would constantly get into fights with her bullies.

- Towards the ending of their highschool years, Nana began to date a guy she met in biology class, she didn’t know how to differentiate between platonic and romantic feelings and ended up accepting his offer to date him.

Adulthood(18-20s)

- like 2 years go by,and Nana at some point realizes she didn’t like him that way, but couldn't bring himself to break up with his partner as they are now living together after their dad kicked them out for coming out as queer.

- And while dating this guy, Nana realized their talent for music and they would sometimes do some gigs here and there to pay their rent. She would sing while her partner would play guitar.

- After saving enough money to move out and finally breaking up with their boyfriend,Nana moves into a shitty apartment next to a bar,in which he would perform almost every night,singing some cheesy and moody blues.

- This goes by for almost a year and a half until he auditions for agnostic Priest as the vocalist.

Skwisgaar leaves and AP breaks up.

- After trying to keep everyone close and failing at it,Nana loses contact with his old friends and goes back to Brazil to get a new start at life. with the money they got while being in the band he’s able to buy a good new house in a good neighborhood.

- Things where going great,he goes to a good university(UFRJ) and starts studying biology like he always wanted to,though he still misses working in the music industry.

- Until he decides to get drunk in the middle of a Carnaval,blacks out,and wakes up in someone’s bed.(9 months later he has a VERY UNEXPECTED surprise!!!)

- Finally after such a long time,Nana gets her biologist degree and decides to contact their old friends again to try for one last time to get everyone back together,luckily this time it’ll work out.

- (They never really moved on completely,just avoided thinking about it all the time.)

FUN FACTS

- Fluent portuguese and swedish,a bit shitty at english,sometimes he’ll forget words and curse in portuguese until he figures out how to speak again.

- Was terrified of thunders as a child,never grows out of that.(the nights where Ocelot sleeps with him helps him chill out in case it’s raining)

- Really wants a pet snake.

- Might not be the best at giving advise,but will def listen to a dear one vent and comfort them.

- Has trouble opening up to people,even those he’s close with.

- There’s bug bites literally all over his body.

- If they’re angry at someone or just wants them to shut up he just stares at them without saying anything until the person gets uncomfortable.

- Forgets to eat for hours until he starts to get a bit dizzy.

- Longs to know what true loves feels like (OH THATS SO CHEESYYYYAUGGHHHH)

AFTER AP

- Kept contact with Skwisgaar for a few weeks until they were asked not so politely to leave him alone.

- considering top surgery after their baby grows up a bit

- Gains a bit of weight,which makes them happy

- Still uses the friendship bracelet Ocelot made him years ago

- Damn i still want a pet snake.

3. Torbjørn “Tobbe” Sørensen

- Born 9 September 1974 - Aarhus, DK. Oldest of 3 children (a younger sister and brother).

- Pretty normal childhood. Parents had an amicable divorce when he was 5 and both remarried. Tobbe and his siblings spent time with both sets of parents evenly.

- Began piano lessons at 7 but wasn't really into playing the classics like Bach and Beethoven. He was good at it despite being bored and continued playing at the urging of his parents.

- Got into hard rock and heavy metal around age 12. He tried learning both guitar and drums for a few years but had no patience for it. In the early/mid 80s, he realized that keyboards had a place in hard rock and heavy metal through artists like Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nocturnus, Faith No More, etc. He swapped his piano for a Korg Krome and began learning lead guitar solos on the keyboard.

- Dropped out of high school at 16 (1990) and moved to Copenhagen with a group of friends who wanted to start a band. They had limited success and performed local gigs at small venues. Spent some time living in a VW van.

- By age 19 (1993), their band had broken up. Tobbe moved to Gothenburg which had a bigger metal scene in hopes of more opportunities to advance his musical career. He played as a session guy with limited success until meeting Skwisgaar in 1995/96(?) and beginning to record demos.

1998

- AP releases its first studio album.

- Current (1998) equipment: Korg Krome 88 key workstation.

- Other musical abilities: Classical piano. Occasionally does backing vocals. Can play very basic chords on an acoustic guitar.

- Current (1998) musical inspo: Jesper Strömblad (In Flames), Stian Aarstad (Dimmu Borgir), Janne Wirman (CoB/Warmen), King Diamond (Mercyful Fate)

2004 - Present

- 2004: Tobbe and Skwisgaar's argument leads to Skwisgaar leaving the band. Tobbe immediately cancels all remaining shows on their tour so the band can re-group and plan what to do next. However, they never find a replacement for Skwisgaar.

- 2005: After Erik leaves, Tobbe officially dissolves AP and ends their contract with the record label. He disappears back to Denmark and has no contact with his former bandmates for several years. He leaves the music industry altogether at this time.

- 2007: Starts one of the only long-term romantic relationships he ever has.

- 2008: He finally gets his student matriculation degree (basically a GED/high school diploma) and begins attending university for a tourism management degree.

- 2009: With social media becoming more popular, he reaches out to those of his former bandmates who he can find online with a long written apology message about how everything ended. However, he doesn't maintain conversations with anyone, still feeling guilty about everything. He marries his partner, which is probably a mistake.

- 2011: Divorces. It's not bitter but they don't stay in touch.

- 2012: Finishes his degree. After this, he moves around Scandinavia and the US for some time, unsettled and kind of aimless. Never really gets into a new career and just kind of works odd jobs here and there.

- 2018: Finally settles in Copenhagen to be nearer to his siblings and his nieces/nephews.

- 2024: Returns to Gothenburg after receiving Nana's call.

Misc. Facts:

- Languages: Danish (fluent/native), Swedish (conversational), English (conversational), Norwegian (very basic)

- He's been bleaching his hair fringes for years…perhaps the bleach has affected his brain…

- Doesn't really like doing interviews - especially if it's not in Danish. He gets nervous.

- His personality is pretty reserved and easygoing. Alcohol makes him come out of his shell a bit more, and on the rare occasion that he gets VERY wasted, he's like a totally different guy (loud and laughing at everything, flirtatious, etc.)

- Health-conscious and likes to be outdoors every chance he can get. Also loves exploring different cities when they have free time during tours.

- Keeps his private life separate from his rock star persona/work life.

- Skwisgaar was one of his best friends before… everything. :c

- Still visits his siblings and parents when he has time. They're quite supportive! His mom has a scrapbook with mementos from all their tours, interviews from magazines, ticket stubs, etc.

- His freckles are more pronounced after a lot of sun.

4. Ziggy

- Born May 29, 1980

- He is grumpy, introverted, and picky. He prefers spending time alone rather than socializing with others, valuing his personal space and time. He doesn't easily show his emotions and often appears aloof, but he is actually warm and sensitive inside.

- His favorite is Drum playing. He has been playing the drums since he was 5 years old and is highly skilled, excelling at creating fast and complex rhythms.

- His hobby is Collecting vintage records. Ziggy has a deep interest in music, particularly vintage records from the 60s and 70s. His room is filled with a carefully organized collection.

- He loves Spicy food, especially Buffalo wings. He enjoys eating spicy food to relieve stress.

- He hates Seafood. He especially dislikes food with a fishy smell.

- He prefers simple street fashion and mostly wears dark-colored clothes. He likes comfortable yet stylish outfits, often seen in black T-shirts and jeans.

- He lives with his parents and an older brother. His father is a mechanic, his mother is a nurse, and his brother is studying engineering in college. Though he gets along with his family, he spends a lot of time alone.

- He has a black cat named Shadow. Shadow is a close companion who understands Ziggy's introverted nature.

- He dropped out of high school after finishing middle school. He attended an arts high school, majoring in music, but left to focus more on actual music activities.

- He listens to Rock, punk, metal. He enjoys playing and listening to aggressive and powerful music.

- His favorite stuffs are Drums, particularly his vintage drum set. This drum set, inherited from his grandfather, holds great significance for him.

- He has a small circle of close friends. He dislikes large groups and prefers deep conversations with a few trusted friends. His best friend is Erik, the band's guitarist.

- He avoids Crowded places and parties. He feels uncomfortable in noisy and crowded environments.

- He loves video games. He particularly enjoys arcade games and often spends time at a local arcade.

- Most Cherished Item: Drumsticks inherited from his grandfather. These sticks are a source of inspiration for him.

- He hates Rude people, noise, overly cheerful individuals. He prefers serious and quiet atmospheres.

- His dream is to become a famous drummer and tour the world. He wants to move people with his music.

- He is actually emotional and sensitive, though he rarely shows it. He struggles with expressing his feelings, which can make him seem cold at times.

- He's fluent in English and has trouble with speaking Swedish but he's perfect at body language so it doesn't matter.

5. Ocelot

(CW: Physical and verbal abuse, drug addiction)

Pre-band - Present (1998)

- Born on August 29th 1976 in Gothenburg Sweden. She was the youngest of four, though with a fifteen year age gap between her and the nearest sibling

- Was generally a pretty outgoing, loving kid up until the teenage years when they started getting verbally and physically assaulted by her parents

- Moved out swiftly the day she turned 18, leaving to Germany for a few years

- Made some friends there and that's when they realized they were a lesbian. It's also where they found their passion for music and was introduced to alternativae bands

- In 1997 she moved back to Gothenburg to hopefully patch things up with her parents, which didn't go well

- Soon after breaking up with her girlfriend she met Tobbe, who practically picks her up off the street. She was one of the last members to join the band in 1998

Post Band

- When Skwisgaar leaves in 2004 Ocelot quickly descends into a deep depression, though trying to pull herself together and keep the band going. She never openly talked about it or expressed it

- In 2005 when everyone breaks up she attempts stability, failing miserably

- From 2005 - 2012 she spirals into a major drug addiction, mainly downers, becoming heavily reliant on heroin and pain killers.

- In 2013 she meet someone who helps her back on her feet and forces her into rehab where she makes a full recovery. She begins focusing on music again and attempts to reach out to her old band mates, though mostly failing

- In 2015 she's broken up with and that sends her into another deep depression where she ends up in and out of homelessness and desperately attempting to not slip into old habits

- 2020, as the world fell into disarray, she gained an emotional dependency on weed

- When Nana reached out in 2024 she was quick to respond and more than happy to regroup

Fun facts

- Languages: Swedish (obviously), German (conversationally), English (conversationally and somewhat broken)

- Avoids any sort of conflict unless absolutely necessary due to the abuse she received as a child

- Wears little cat ears because she thinks they're cute

- Is intensely physically affection, having lacked it throughout her life, quickly growing attached to anyone that gives it to her

- Isn't very emotionally available

- Will drop mildly disturbing facts for no reason, always with a deadpan face

- Her favorite color isn't actually orange, she just really likes how it goes with all the black she wears. She actually prefers purple

#metalocalypse #mtl #metalocalypse oc #mtl oc #erik ekdahl #natalia berg #torbjørn tobbe sørensen #ziggy #ocelot #oc #original character

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fetznerdeathrecords · 7 days ago

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Allfader - Call of the Void

Blackened Death Metal from Mo I Rana, Norway

Allfader is from Mo i Rana, Norway – just below the Arctic Circle. The band was formed in 2001 and released two four-track demos before being signed to the iconic English label Rage of Achilles in 2002 for their first release, 'From the Darkest Star'. In 2007, they signed with the legendary label Osmose Productions and released two critically acclaimed albums, “At Least We Will Die Together” and “Black Blood Flux”. On December 20, 2024, they finally released their third album, “Call of the Void”.

1. God-Emperor 04:47 2. Tigers in the Mud 05:26 3. The Tower 05:28 4. Wars Are Fought With Weapons, but They Are Won by Men 04:27 5. Call of the Void 08:00 6. Compelling Unknown Force 04:57 7. Broken Love 09:05

Release date: December 20th, 2024

@allfadernorway

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milligramspoison · 1 year ago

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Gonna quickly explain all the dates for anyone confused lol

September 22nd, 2023 - the last day of summer theory, a theory where fans believe MCR could drop MCR5, a single, or an announcement that day

October 31st, 2023 - Frank’s 42nd birthday and also the 4 year anniversary of the MCR reunion being announced. Hot Topic also posted a cryptic video about MCR saying there’s only 77 days (at the time of posting) until Halloween

December 20th, 2023 - 4 year anniversary of the Shrine show aka the reunion show

January 22nd, 2024 - Famous Last Words was released as a single on this day in 2007

February 2nd, 2024 - just a random date I chose lol

March 22nd, 2024 - 11 year anniversary of the band breaking up (which just so happens to be on a Friday next year, the day new music typically releases)

April 9th, 2024 - Gerard’s 47th birthday

May 16th, 2024 - will be the 2 year anniversary of the tour (holy shit!!)

June 14th, 2024 - just a random date I chose lol (although it is pretty close to the 20th anniversary of Revenge)

July 15th, 2024 - Ray’s 47th birthday

#more dates have significance than just being random days lol #mcr5

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timefospookies · 3 years ago

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Creepypasta Spooks AU Timeline (MESSYYY)

(I switched some dates to make it all fit) (also this is outdated and no longer applies to my AU but feel free to use it for inspiration!!! :D)

[TW MENTIONS OF DEATH, SEXUAL ABUSE, AND VIOLENCE]

April 5th, 1942- Sally Maryam Williams is born

1950- Sally’s uncle begins sexually abusing her

April 5th, 1954- Sally is killed by her uncle at the age of 12

April 12, 1954- Slenderman helps Sally take revenge on her uncle, killing him from a heart attack

1960- Creepypasta was founded when Slenderman came up with the idea to have proxies do stuff for it. It sends Sally to recruit supernatural creatures to work for it.

1961- Sally recruits Laughing Jack

September 22nd, 1982- Jeffrey C Hodek is born

October 21st, 1984- Liu R Hodek is born

September 1st, 1985- Jane Todd Richardson is born

January 24th, 1988- Jessie Richardson is born

October 20th, 1988- Mary Vaughn is born

April 23rd, 1990- Benjamin (Benji) Lawman is born

1998- Glitchy RED is created and the game developers attempt to destroy him. They think they were successful, but RED lives on in a Pokemon Red cartridge.

1998- Keblris founds the Moon Children cult, then ascends that same year via electrocution

1999- Lost Silver dies and their soul begins haunting a Pokemon Silver cartridge

November 6th, 2000- Natalie Outlette (Clockwork) is born

April 23rd, 2002- Benji ascends

July 24th, 2004- Nina Hopkins is born

October 23rd, 2004- Jane Arkensaw is born

2005- Sally recruits The Rake

October 3rd, 2007- Jeffery Woods is born

November 3rd, 2007- Jeff H has the bleach accident

November 2nd, 2008- Jeff H starts his killing spree

2008- Jeff H kills Jane R’s parents

2008- Jeff and Liu Hodek encounter the Slenderman and it recruits them

2009- Jeff and Liu Hodek have their first encounter with Jane, which results in them almost dying but getting away

2010- Jane R and Mary get married <3

2010- Jeff H and Jane R fight a bunch of times over the course of this year

November 24th, 2010- Jeff H kills Nina’s parents

June 6th, 2010- Sally recruits Lost Silver

June 7th, 2010- Eyeless Jack is created

September 7th, 2010- Jadusable gets haunted Majora’s Mask cartridge from an old man

September 15th, 2010- BEN is released into the internet

Late 2010- Sally recruits BEN

January 5, 2013- Sally recruits Eyeless Jack

April 8th, 2013- Sally recruits RED

July 4th, 2014- Jeff H’s face scars begin to heal, as does his sanity

2015- Jane R and her wife Mary Vaughn adopt Nina Hopkins, aged 11. Jane’s sister, Jessie, also moves in with them at this time

June 3rd, 2016- Clockwork kills her entire family <3

August 28th, 2016- Jeff and Liu Hodek become fugitives. Jeff H flees to Michigan while Liu flees to Maine

2016- Liu and Jeff H try break off their agreement with Slenderman, which results in a fight. Amused by this, Slenderman agrees to leave them alone but only if they allowed it to control them when it needed them. The brothers reluctantly agree

2016- Liu adopts 12 year old Jane A

2017- Jeff and Liu Hodek move to a farm in Ohio

September 22nd, 2017- Doki Doki Literature Club is released (not related but it’s also Jeff H’s 35th birthday HEJSJ)

2017- Liu adopts 10 year old man Jeff W

September 5th, 2018- Liu and Jeff H realize Liu’s son takes after his uncle cuz he killed a fox </3

December 28th, 2018- This concern is further fueled when the brothers find the kid holding a knife and a chunk of hair over his sleeping sister’s head (dw guys he’s an aspiring hairstylist)

2019- Sally recruits Clockwork

March 10th, 2020- Jeff and Liu Hodek are murdered by Jane R and Nina while Liu’s kids were in school. That same day Jeff W and Jane A arrive back home and find their bodies. They call the police and spend the night at the police station

March 11th, 2020- Jeff W runs away into the woods of his house and encounters the Slenderman.

March 12th, 2020- Jane A finds her brother and they discover the Slender Manor where stay the night

March 13th, 2020- The siblings meet Sally and she takes them in (not recruiting them), promising to take care of them. From this day forwards the siblings swore to find out who killed their dad and uncle and kill them

October 31st, 2020- Ben Drowned ARG ends, Benji is freed from the cartridge

November, 2020- Moon Children reunion! Benji and BEN reunite, and Sally recruits Benji

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shrimpwave · 2 years ago

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did somebody ask for kyles entire timeline 🤭 well TOO BAD this isn’t all of it because i got tired at the end

1992-

April 27: Kyle Summers is born in Sacramento, CA to Raumgott and Heidi Summers, and is the youngest of seven siblings leading to eight total children

June 14: Raumgott leaves the country to pursue his weapon making company, leaving Kyle fatherless technically (fat L)

1994-

December 13: The Summers family moves to Petaluma, CA

2000-

March 28: Kipper LeRoux (Raumgott’s ex) tracks down the Summers family and begins to stalk them.

April 27: Kyle’s 8th birthday; Kipper LeRoux attempts a kidnapping at night to get information on where Raumgott is, though is caught and tracked down hours later. Kipper slips away before any punishments occur, though still lurks around the family’s house.

October 31: Kyle breaks his arm after falling out of a tree

2007-

September 19: Kyle and close friends Eric King, Keith Reeves, and Angeles Amador form band The Low Low Price of $299

December 2: Low Low Price releases debut studio album after several singles, proving to be a massive success

2008-

February 13: Low Low Price releases second studio album

August 27: Kyle meets fan Kenneth Bruinswick during school; two become quick friends

2009-

April 10: Kyle and Kenneth start dating

June 30: Low Low Price releases 3rd studio album

November 4: Kyle gets arrested for DUI

November 6: bailed by oldest brother, Kyle placed under house arrest for five weeks

December 11: Kyle off house arrest

2010-

January 10: Low Low Price releases fourth studio album

April 18: Kyle involved in full speed side-impact car crash; damaged on the drivers side of Kyle’s car, Kyle lands in coma

April 22: Kyle passes away in hospital; oldest brother brings him back in form of robot, soul of former criminal Riot also ends up in Kyle’s body ahaha oops

June 13: Kyle officially becomes the new Riot, immediately targets San Francisco; keeps it a secret from Kenneth

September 30: Kyle accidentally busts open head after a trip from a dodgeball game

2012-

January 15: Kyle proposes to Kenneth; Kenneth accepts

March 4: Kyle and Kenneth move to Los Angeles; Riot becomes Los Angeles’ biggest threat

April 27: Kyle’s 20th birthday; Kenneth and Kyle’s wedding day

July 29: Kyle/Riot gets arrested for breaking-and-entering; first escape

October 31: Riot sets building on fire killing over 15; never caught

2013

Three other arrests i dont want to type because theyre all for mugging

June 1: Low Low Price go on first tour

2014-

June 6: Riot kills close friend Eric King after mugging attempt

June 20: Eric King revived and immediately seeks revenge

June 22: Kyle’s mom comes down with a life threatening disease with low risk of survival ): issues a family meeting

June 23: family house is burned down killing two of Kyle’s siblings and his mom. Kyle attempts to hide Riot from everyone

July 30: Kyle gets hired to be a bartender by family friend Ryker Pierce

July 31: Kyle finds a disheveled stray cat in a box outside work during a smoke break; takes it to the nearest open vet and names him Boxxer

August 13: Low Low Price releases fifth studio album after hiring replacement for Eric and a new drummer after Angeles stepped down to become background guitarist

2021-2031

January 16 2021: whatever happened in the other one LOL im not retyping it

Also a few other tours i guess lol

2032-

June 25: hes dead

ok bye

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brn1029 · 3 years ago

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Here’s all that happened , that was important, in music history on this date…

December 8th

1961 - The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys first single 'Surfin' was released on Candix Records, a small label based in Los Angeles. On the strength of the song’s performance in the Southern California market, Capitol Records signed the group. Other surfing songs would follow: 'Surfin’ Safari,' 'Surfin’ U.S.A.,'and 'Surfer Girl.'

1968 - Graham Nash

Singer and guitarist Graham Nash left The Hollies and started work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills who went on to form Crosby Stills & Nash.

1969 - Jimi Hendrix

On trial in Canada on drug possession charges, Jimi Hendrix told a Toronto court that he had only smoked pot four times in his life, snorted cocaine twice and took LSD no more than five times. Telling the jury that he had now 'outgrown' drugs. They found the guitarist not guilty.

1976 - The Eagles

The Eagles released their fifth studio album Hotel California, their first album with guitarist Joe Walsh, who had replaced founding member Bernie Leadon. The album topped the US chart for eight weeks (non-consecutively) and at the 20th Grammy Awards, the Eagles won a Grammy Award for 'Hotel California', which won Record of the Year. Worldwide sales now stand at over 32 million.

1979 - Styx

Styx went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Babe', the group's only US No.1, a No.6 hit in the UK.

1980 - John Lennon

John Lennon was shot five times by 25 year old Mark Chapman outside the Dakota building in New York City where John and Yoko lived. Chapman had been waiting for Lennon outside the Dakota apartments since mid-morning and had asked for an autograph earlier in the day. Lennon was pronounced dead from a massive loss of blood at 11.30pm. Chapman has since said he shot the former Beatle because he wanted to "steal" his fame — stating that now he was a bigger nobody than he was before. He also revealed he planned the killing for three months and considered murdering other celebrities who he thought were "phonies."

1982 - Marty Robbins

American country singer, songwriter Marty Robbins died aged 57 of complications following cardiac surgery. Had the first No.1 of the 60s in the US with 'El Paso', (winning him a Grammy Award). Robbins later portrayed a musician in the 1982 Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man.

1984 - Vince Neil

Vince Neil from Motley Crue was involved in a car accident in Redondo Beach, California, which killed Nick Dingley from Hanoi Rocks and injured two other passengers. Neil was later sentenced to 30 days in jail, five years probation, and had to pay $2.6 million in restitution to the victims of the crash. Neil got out of jail after 15 days for good behavior.

2004 - Darrell Abbott

Former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was one of five people killed after a man stormed the stage during a Damageplan show at the Alrosa Villa Club in Columbus. Nathan Gale, aged 25, began firing at the band and crowd, was then shot and killed by a police officer who arrived shortly after the first shots were fired.

2013 - Metallica

Metallica played a gig inside a dome at the Argentine Antarctic Base Carlini, thus becoming the first band ever to play on all seven continents. During the concert audio was transmitted to an audience made up of competition winning fans from Latin America through headphones. Staged in conjunction with Coca Cola Zero, it was only the second ever gig to take place on the continent, following a performance in 2007 from a group of musical scientists, called Nunatak, at British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station as part of the Live Earth climate change awareness concerts.

2016 - Mick Jagger

Sir Mick Jagger became a father again at the age of 73, after his 29-year-old girlfriend, American ballerina Melanie Hamrick, gave birth to a boy in New York City. The singer already had seven children, whose ages range from 17 to 45 and he became a great-grandfather in 2014.

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recentanimenews · 3 years ago

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Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Manga Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary at Special Exhibition in Shibuya

Toei Animation has announced that "Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Exhibition: Hajike Densetsu yo Eien ni...!? (The Legend of Hajike, Be Forever...!?)", a special exhibition to celebrate the 20th-anniversary of Yoshio Sawai's Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo manga series, is set to be held on the seventh floor of Shibuya Marui in Tokyo from November 20 to December 12, 2021. The tagline is "It's a time like this. We're unstoppable."

The surreal comedy manga was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from February 2001 to November 2005, then its sequel Shinsetsu Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo followed from December 2005 to July 2007. It has released a total of 28 tankobon volumes in Japan and has printed seven million copies.

A newly drawn key visual for the exhibition featuring familiar characters such as Bobobo, Beauty, and Don Patch has been released. At the venue, various materials to look back on the memories of the series will be displayed, and commemorative goods will be also sold. As a bonus, each entrant will receive a colored paper with the title written in Chinese characters. And tickets have been available at Lawson Ticket since yesterday, October 25.

The details of the exhibition and commemorative goods will be announced on the special website and the official Twitter account for the exhibition at a later date. Stay tuned!

Key visual:

Bonus colored paper:

「ボボボーボ・ボーボボ展　ハジケ伝説よ永遠に・・・！？」開催！今後イベントに関する情報を発信していきます。お楽しみに！ ▼詳細はイベントHPをチェック！https://t.co/LW26ps0cih#ボボボーボ・ボーボボ展　#ボーボボ pic.twitter.com/O2NUUacJbY

— 【公式】ボボボーボ・ボーボボ展 (@bo_bobo_ten) October 25, 2021

Source: Toei Animation press release

©Yoshio Sawai/SHUEISHA, Toei Animation

By: Mikikazu Komatsu

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9 · 3 years ago

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Abominable Putridity - In The End Of Human Existence

#Abominable Putridity #In the End of Human Existence #Release date: December 20th 2007 #Full-length #Genre: Slam/Brutal Death Metal #Lyrical themes: Gore Conspiracies Genetic mutation Biology Horror Cosmology #Russia

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pridequest64 · 2 months ago

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Terry McGinnis Reading Order

This is, based of my research the complete reading list in release order for all Cullen Row Comic as of October 13th 2024. Release dates were used when available but compromises were made with cover date when necessary. If you see anything that is wrong or needs new additions feel free to let me know!

(Comic Vine was a massive help in this project.)

1. Batman Beyond #1 March 1999

2. Batman Beyond #2 April 1999

3. Batman Beyond #3 May 1999

4. Batman Beyond #4 June 1999

5. Batman Beyond #5 July 1999

6. Batman Beyond #6 August 1999

7. Batman Beyond #1 November 1999

8. Batman Beyond #2 December 1999

9. Batman Beyond #3 January 2000

10. Batman Beyond #4 February 2000

11. Batman Beyond #5 March 2000

12. Batman Beyond #6 April 2000

13. Batman Beyond #7 May 2000

14. Batman Beyond #8 June 2000

15. Batman Beyond #9 July 2000

16. Batman Beyond #10 August 2000

17. Batman Beyond #11 September 2000

18. Batman Beyond #12 October 2000

19. Batman Beyond #13 November 2000

20. Batman Beyond #14 December 2000

21. Batman Beyond #15 January 2001

22. Superman and Batman: World’s Finest January 2001

23. Batman Beyond #16 February 2001

24. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker February 2001

25. Batman Beyond #17 March 2001

26. Batman Beyond #18 April 2001

27. Batman Beyond #19 May 2001

28. Batman Beyond #20 June 2001

29. Batman Beyond #21 July 2001

30. Batman Beyond #22 August 2001

31. Batman Beyond #23 September 2001

32. Superman/Batman #22 September 28th 2005

33. Superman/Batman #23 September 28th 2005

34. Countdown #21 December 5th 2007

35. Superman/Batman Annual #4 June 3rd 2010

36. Batman Beyond #1 June 30th 2010

37. Batman Beyond #2 July 21st 2010

38. Batman Beyond #3 August 18th 2010

39. Batman Beyond #4 September 15th 2010

40. Batman Beyond #5 October 20th 2010

41. Batman Beyond #6 November 24th 2010

42. Batman Beyond #1 January 5th 2011

43. Batman Beyond #2 February 2nd 2011

44. Batman Beyond #3 March 2nd 2011

45. Batman Beyond #4 April 6th 2011

46. Batman Beyond #5 May 4th 2011

47. Batman Beyond #6 June 1st 2011

48. Batman Beyond #7 July 6th 2011

49. Batman Beyond #8 August 3rd 2011

50. Batman Beyond #24 October 2001

51. Batman Beyond Unlimited #1 February 29th 2012

52. Batman Beyond Unlimited #2 March 21st 2012

53. Batman Beyond Unlimited #3 April 18th 2012

54. Batman Beyond Unlimited #4 May 30th 2012

55. Batman Beyond Unlimited #5 June 20th 2012

56. Batman Beyond Unlimited #6 July 18th 2012

57. Batman Beyond Unlimited #7 August 29th 2012

58. Batman Beyond Unlimited #8 September 19th 2012

59. Batman Beyond Unlimited #9 October 31st 2012

60. Batman Beyond Unlimited #10 November 28th 2012

61. Batman Beyond Unlimited #11 January 2nd 2013

62. Batman Beyond Unlimited #12 January 30th 2013

63. Batman Beyond Unlimited #13 February 20th 2013

64. Batman Beyond Unlimited #14 March 20th 2013

65. Batman Beyond Unlimited #15 April 17th 2013

66. Batman Beyond Unlimited #16 May 22nd 2013

67. Batman Beyond Unlimited #17 June 19th 2013

68. Batman Beyond Unlimited #18 July 17th 2013

69. Batman Beyond Universe #1 August 21st 2013

70. Batman Beyond Universe #2 September 18th 2013

71. Batman Beyond Universe #3 October 16th 2013

72. Batman Beyond Universe #4 November 20th 2013

73. Batman Beyond Universe #5 December 18th 2013

74. Batman Beyond Universe #6 January 22nd 2014

75. Batman Beyond Universe #7 February 19th 2014

76. Batman: Li’l Gotham #12 March 12th 2014

77. Batman Beyond Universe #8 March 19th 2014

78. Batman Beyond Universe #9 April 30th 2014

79. The New 52: Futures End #0 May 3rd 2014

80. The New 52: Futures End #1 May 7th 2014

81. The New 52: Futures End #2 May 14th 2014

82. The New 52: Futures End #3 May 21st 2014

83. Batman Beyond Universe #10 May 21st 2014

84. The New 52: Futures End #4 May 28th 2014

85. The New 52: Futures End #5 June 4th 2014

86. The New 52: Futures End #6 June 11th 2014

87. The New 52: Futures End #7 June 18th 2014

88. Batman Beyond Universe #11 June 25th 2014

89. The New 52: Futures End #9 July 2nd 2014

90. The New 52: Futures End #10 July 9th 2014

91. The New 52: Futures End #11 July 16th 2014

92. Batman Beyond Universe #12 July 23rd 2014

93. Batman Beyond Universe #13 August 27th 2014

94. Batman Beyond Universe #14 September 24th 2014

95. Batman Beyond Universe #15 October 22nd 2014

96. Batman Beyond Universe #16 November 26th 2014

97. The New 52: Futures End #14 August 6th 2014

98. The New 52: Futures End #18 September 3rd 2014

99. The New 52: Futures End #19 September 10th 2014

100. The New 52: Futures End #22 October 1st 2014

101. The New 52: Futures End #24 October 15th 2014

102. The New 52: Futures End #26 October 29th 2014

103. The New 52: Futures End #27 November 5th 2014

104. The New 52: Futures End #28 November 12th 2014

105. The New 52: Futures End #32 December 10th 2014

106. The New 52: Futures End #33 December 17th 2014

107. The New 52: Futures End #34 December 24th 2014

108. The New 52: Futures End #35 December 31st 2014

109. The New 52: Futures End #36 January 7th 2015

110. The New 52: Futures End #37 January 14th 2015

111. The New 52: Futures End #38 January 21st 2015

112. The New 52: Futures End #41 February 11th 2015

113. The New 52: Futures End #42 February 18th 2015

114. Batman Eternal #46 February 18th 2015

115. The New 52: Futures End #43 February 25th 2015

116. The New 52: Futures End #44 March 4th 2015

117. The New 52: Futures End #45 March 11th 2015

118. The New 52: Futures End #46 March 18th 2015

119. Convergence #0 April 1st 2015

120. Batman Beyond #3 August 5th 2015

121. Batman: Arkham Knight Annual September 30th 2015

122. Batman Beyond #5 October 7th 2015

123. Batman Beyond #7 December 2nd 2015

124. Batman Beyond #8 January 6th 2016

125. Batman Beyond #11 April 6th 2016

126. Batman Beyond #12 May 4th 2016

127. Batman Beyond #13 June 1st 2016

128. Batman Beyond #14 July 6th 2016

129. Batman Beyond #15 August 3rd 2016

130. Batman Beyond #16 September 7th 2016

131. Batman Beyond: Rebirth September 28th 2016

132. Batman Beyond #1 October 26th 2016

133. Batman Beyond #2 November 23rd 2016

134. Batman Beyond #3 December 28th 2016

135. Superman #15 January 18th 2017

136. Batman Beyond #4 January 25th 2017

137. Superman #16 February 1st 2017

138. Batman Beyond #5 February 22nd 2017

139. Batman Beyond #6 March 22nd 2017

140. Batman Beyond #7 April 26th 2017

141. Batman Beyond #8 May 24th 2017

142. Batman Beyond #9 June 28th 2017

143. Batman Beyond #10 July 26th 2017

144. Batman Beyond #11 August 23rd 2017

145. Batman Beyond #13 October 25th 2017

146. Justice League #33 November 15th 2017

147. Batman Beyond #14 November 22nd 2017

148. Batman Beyond #15 December 27th 2017

149. The Kamandi Challenge #12 December 27th 2017

150. Batman Beyond #16 Janurary 24th 2018

151. Batman Beyond #17 February 28th 2018

152. Batman Beyond #18 March 28th 2018

153. Batman Beyond #19 April 25th 2018

154. Batman Beyond #20 May 23rd 2018

155. Batman Beyond #21 June 27th 2018

156. Batman Beyond #22 July 25th 2018

157. Batman Beyond #23 August 22nd 2018

158. Batman Beyond #24 September 26th 2018

159. Batman Beyond #25 October 24th 2018

160. Old Lady Harley #1 October 24th 2018

161. Batman Beyond #26 November 28th 2018

162. Batman Beyond #27 January 2nd 2019

163. Batman Beyond #28 January 30th 2019

164. Batman Beyond #29 February 27th 2019

165. The Terrifics #13 February 27th 2019

166. Batman Beyond #30 March 27th 2019

167. Batman Beyond #31 April 24th 2019

168. Batman Beyond #32 Mary 22nd 2019

169. Justice League #26 June 19th 2019

170. Batman Beyond #33 June 26th 2019

171. Batman Beyond #34 July 24th 2019

172. Batman Beyond #35 August 28th 2019

173. Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #1 September 4th 2019

174. Batman Beyond #36 September 25th 2019

175. Justice League #33 October 2nd 2019

176. Justice League #34 October 16th 2019

177. Superman #17 November 13th 2019

178. Justice League #36 November 20th 2019

179. Batman Beyond #38 November 27th 2019

180. Batman Beyond #39 January 1st 2020

181. Dial H for Hero #10 January 1st 2020

182. Batman Beyond #40 January 22nd 2020

183. Batman Beyond #41 February 26th 2020

184. Batman Beyond #42 March 25th 2020

185. Batman Beyond #43 May 27th 2020

186. Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 June 16th 2020

187. Batman Beyond #44 June 23rd 2020

188. Dark Nights: Death Metal #2 July 14th 2020

189. Batman Beyond #45 July 21st 2020

190. Batman Beyond #46 August 25th 2020

191. Batman Beyond #47 September 22nd 2020

192. Batman Beyond #48 October 27th 2020

193. Batman Beyond #49 November 24th 2020

194. DC’s Very Merry Multiverse #1 December 8th 2020

195. Batman Beyond #50 December 22nd 2020

196. Infinite Frontier #4 August 10th 2021

197. Batman: Urban Legends #7 September 14th 2021

198. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1 March 29th 2022

199. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #1 April 5th 2022

200. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #2 April 26th 2022

201. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #2 May 3rd 2022

202. Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #3 May 10th 2022

203. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #3 May 24th 2022

204. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #3 June 7th 2022

205. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 June 28th 2022

206. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #4 July 5th 2022

207. Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #4 July 19th 2022

208. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #5 August 2nd 2022

209. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #6 September 6th 2022

210. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #5 September 27th 2022

211. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year

212. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #7 December 27th 2022

213. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #8 February 14th 2023

214. Milestone 30th Anniversary Special March 21st 2023

215. Batman #135 May 2nd 2023

216. Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #1 July 25th 2023

217. Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #2 August 22nd 2023

218. The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12 September 12th 2023

219. Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #3 September 26th 2023

220. Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #4 October 24th 2023

221. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #20 October 17th 2023

222. Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #5 November 28th 2023

223. Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #6 December 26th 2023

#dc comics #dcu #comic books #comics #dc universe #terry mcginnis #batman #batman beyond #comic reading list

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adultswim2021 · 4 years ago

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The September 11th Attacks September 11th, 2001 - 8:46:40 A.M | S01E01

The September 11 attacks, often referred to as 9/11,[a] were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Wahhabi[3] terrorist group Al-Qaeda[4][5][6] against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities, over 25,000 injuries, and substantial long-term health consequences, in addition to at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage.[7][8] It is the deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 340[9] and 72 killed,[10][11] respectively.

Four passenger airliners which had departed from airports in the northeastern United States bound for California were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. Within an hour and 42 minutes, both 110-story towers collapsed. Debris and the resulting fires caused a partial or complete collapse of all other buildings in the World Trade Center complex, including the 47-story 7 World Trade Center tower, as well as significant damage to ten other large surrounding structures. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon (the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense) in Arlington County, Virginia, which led to a partial collapse of the building's west side. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was initially flown toward Washington, D.C., but crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, after passengers thwarted the hijackers.

Suspicion quickly fell onto al-Qaeda. The United States responded by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which had not complied with U.S. demands to expel al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and extradite their leader Osama bin Laden. Many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded the powers of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent terrorist attacks. Although bin Laden initially denied any involvement, in 2004 he claimed responsibility for the attacks.[2] Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives. After evading capture for almost a decade, bin Laden was located in Pakistan in 2011 and killed during a U.S. military raid.

The destruction of the World Trade Center and nearby infrastructure seriously harmed the economy of New York City and had a significant effect on global markets. The U.S. and Canadian civilian airspaces were closed until September 13, while Wall Street was closed until September 17. Many closings, evacuations, and cancellations followed, out of respect or fear of further attacks. Cleanup of the World Trade Center site was completed in May 2002, and the Pentagon was repaired within a year. The construction of One World Trade Center began in November 2006, and the building opened in November 2014.[12][13]Numerous memorials have been constructed, including the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial at the Pennsylvania crash site.

Background

Al-Qaeda

The origins of al-Qaeda can be traced to 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden travelled to Afghanistan and helped to organize Arab mujahideen to resist the Soviets.[14] Under the guidance of Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden became more radical.[15] In 1996, bin Laden issued his first fatwā, calling for American soldiers to leave Saudi Arabia.[16]

In a second fatwā in 1998, bin Laden outlined his objections to American foreign policy with respect to Israel, as well as the continued presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War.[17] Bin Laden used Islamic texts to exhort Muslims to attack Americans until the stated grievances were reversed. Muslim legal scholars "have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the jihad is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries", according to bin Laden.[17]

Osama bin Laden

Bin Laden orchestrated the attacks and initially denied involvement but later recanted his false statements.[2][18][19]Al Jazeera broadcast a statement by bin Laden on September 16, 2001, stating, "I stress that I have not carried out this act, which appears to have been carried out by individuals with their own motivation."[20] In November 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape from a destroyed house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. In the video, bin Laden is seen talking to Khaled al-Harbi and admits foreknowledge of the attacks.[21] On December 27, 2001, a second bin Laden video was released. In the video, he said:

It has become clear that the West in general and America in particular have an unspeakable hatred for Islam. ... It is the hatred of crusaders. Terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for Israel, which kills our people. ... We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether Bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead, for the awakening of the Muslim umma (nation) has occurred but he stopped short of admitting responsibility for the attacks.[22]

Shortly before the U.S. presidential election in 2004, bin Laden used a taped statement to publicly acknowledge al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks on the United States. He admitted his direct link to the attacks and said they were carried out because:

we are free ... and want to regain freedom for our nation. As you undermine our security, we undermine yours.[23]

Bin Laden said he had personally directed his followers to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.[24][25] Another video obtained by Al Jazeera in September 2006 shows bin Laden with Ramzi bin al-Shibh, as well as two hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri, as they make preparations for the attacks.[26] The U.S. never formally indicted bin Laden for the 9/11 attacks, but he was on the FBI's Most Wanted List for the bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.[27][28] After a 10-year manhunt, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that bin Laden was killed by American special forces in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 1, 2011.[29]

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Journalist Yosri Fouda of the Arabic television channel Al Jazeera reported that in April 2002, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted his involvement in the attacks, along with Ramzi bin al-Shibh.[30][31][32] The 2004 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity towards the United States felt by Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel".[33] Mohammed was also an adviser and financier of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the uncle of Ramzi Yousef, the lead bomber in that attack.[34][35]

Mohammed was arrested on March 1, 2003, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, by Pakistani security officials working with the CIA. He was then held at multiple CIA secret prisons and Guantanamo Bay where he was interrogated and tortured with methods including waterboarding.[36][37] During U.S. hearings at Guantanamo Bay in March 2007, Mohammed again confessed his responsibility for the attacks, stating he "was responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z" and that his statement was not made under duress.[32][38]

A letter presented by the lawyers of Khaled Sheikh Mohammed in the U.S. District Court, Manhattan on July 26, 2019 indicated that he was interested in testifying about Saudi Arabia’s role in the 9/11 attacks and helping the victims and families of the victims of 9/11 in exchange for the United States not seeking the death penalty against him. James Kreindler, one of the lawyers for the victims, raised question over the usefulness of Mohammed.[1]

Other al-Qaeda members

In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, five people are identified as having been completely aware of the operation's details. They are bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Abu Turab al-Urduni, and Mohammed Atef.[39] To date, only peripheral figures have been tried or convicted for the attacks.

On September 26, 2005, the Spanish high court sentenced Abu Dahdah to 27 years in prison for conspiracy on the 9/11 attacks and being a member of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. At the same time, another 17 al-Qaeda members were sentenced to penalties of between six and eleven years.[40] On February 16, 2006, the Spanish Supreme Court reduced the Abu Dahdah penalty to 12 years because it considered that his participation in the conspiracy was not proven.[41]

Also in 2006, Moussaoui—who some originally suspected might have been the assigned 20th hijacker—was convicted for the lesser role of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism and air piracy. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the United States.[42][43]Mounir el-Motassadeq, an associate of the Hamburg-based hijackers, served 15 years in Germany for his role in helping the hijackers prepare for the attacks. He was released in October 2018, and deported to Morocco.[44]

The Hamburg cell in Germany included radical Islamists who eventually came to be key operatives in the 9/11 attacks.[45]Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and Said Bahaji were all members of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell.[46]

Motives

Osama bin Laden's declaration of a holy war against the United States, and a 1998 fatwā signed by bin Laden and others, calling for the killing of Americans,[17] are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation.[47] In bin Laden's November 2002 "Letter to America", he explicitly stated that al-Qaeda's motives for their attacks include:

U.S. support of Israel[48][49]

support for the "attacks against Muslims" in Somalia

support of Philippines against Muslims in the Moro conflict

support for Israeli "aggression" against Muslims in Lebanon

support of Russian "atrocities against Muslims" in Chechnya

pro-American governments in the Middle East (who "act as your agents") being against Muslim interests

support of Indian "oppression against Muslims" in Kashmir

the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia[50]

the sanctions against Iraq[48]

After the attacks, bin Laden and al-Zawahiri released additional videotapes and audio recordings, some of which repeated those reasons for the attacks. Two particularly important publications were bin Laden's 2002 "Letter to America",[51] and a 2004 videotape by bin Laden.[52]

Bin Laden interpreted Muhammad as having banned the "permanent presence of infidels in Arabia".[53] In 1996, bin Laden issued a fatwā calling for American troops to leave Saudi Arabia. In 1998, al-Qaeda wrote, "for over seven years the United States has been occupying the lands of Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbors, and turning its bases in the Peninsula into a spearhead through which to fight the neighboring Muslim peoples."[54]

In a December 1999 interview, bin Laden said he felt that Americans were "too near to Mecca", and considered this a provocation to the entire Muslim world.[55] One analysis of suicide terrorism suggested that without U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, al-Qaeda likely would not have been able to get people to commit to suicide missions.[56]

In the 1998 fatwā, al-Qaeda identified the Iraq sanctions as a reason to kill Americans, condemning the "protracted blockade"[54] among other actions that constitute a declaration of war against "Allah, his messenger, and Muslims."[54] The fatwā declared that "the ruling to kill the Americans and their allies—civilians and military—is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy mosque of Mecca from their grip, and in order for their [the Americans'] armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim."[17][57]

In 2004, Bin Laden claimed that the idea of destroying the towers had first occurred to him in 1982, when he witnessed Israel's bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings during the 1982 Lebanon War.[58][59] Some analysts, including Mearsheimer and Walt, also claimed that U.S. support of Israel was one motive for the attacks.[49][55] In 2004 and 2010, bin Laden again connected the September 11 attacks with U.S. support of Israel, although most of the letter expressed bin Laden's disdain for President Bush and bin Laden's hope to "destroy and bankrupt" the U.S.[60][61]

Other motives have been suggested in addition to those stated by bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Some authors suggested the "humiliation" that resulted from the Islamic world falling behind the Western world—this discrepancy was rendered especially visible by the globalization trend[62][63] and a desire to provoke the U.S. into a broader war against the Islamic world in the hope of motivating more allies to support al-Qaeda. Similarly, others have argued that 9/11 was a strategic move with the objective of provoking America into a war that would incite a pan-Islamic revolution.[64][65]

Planning

The attacks were conceived by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who first presented it to Osama bin Laden in 1996.[66] At that time, bin Laden and al-Qaeda were in a period of transition, having just relocated back to Afghanistan from Sudan.[67] The 1998 African Embassy bombings and bin Laden's February 1998 fatwā marked a turning point of al-Qaeda's terrorist operation,[68] as bin Laden became intent on attacking the United States.

In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden gave approval for Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot.[69] Mohammed, bin Laden, and bin Laden's deputy Mohammed Atef held a series of meetings in early 1999.[70] Atef provided operational support, including target selections and helping arrange travel for the hijackers.[67] Bin Laden overruled Mohammed, rejecting potential targets such as the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles for lack of time.[71][72]

Bin Laden provided leadership and financial support, and was involved in selecting participants.[73] He initially selected Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, both experienced jihadists who had fought in Bosnia. Hazmi and Mihdhar arrived in the United States in mid-January 2000. In early 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar took flying lessons in San Diego, California, but both spoke little English, performed poorly in flying lessons, and eventually served as secondary—or "muscle"—hijackers.[74][75]

In late 1999, a group of men from Hamburg, Germany arrived in Afghanistan; the group included Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh.[76] Bin Laden selected these men because they were educated, could speak English, and had experience living in the West.[77] New recruits were routinely screened for special skills and al-Qaeda leaders consequently discovered that Hani Hanjour already had a commercial pilot's license.[78] Mohammed later said that he helped the hijackers blend in by teaching them how to order food in restaurants and dress in Western clothing.[79]

Hanjour arrived in San Diego on December 8, 2000, joining Hazmi.[80]:6–7 They soon left for Arizona, where Hanjour took refresher training.[80]:7 Marwan al-Shehhi arrived at the end of May 2000, while Atta arrived on June 3, 2000, and Jarrah arrived on June 27, 2000.[80]:6 Bin al-Shibh applied several times for a visa to the United States, but as a Yemeni, he was rejected out of concerns he would overstay his visa.[80]:4, 14 Bin al-Shibh stayed in Hamburg, providing coordination between Atta and Mohammed.[80]:16 The three Hamburg cell members all took pilot training in South Florida at Huffman Aviation.[80]:6

In spring of 2001, the secondary hijackers began arriving in the United States.[81] In July 2001, Atta met with bin al-Shibh in Spain, where they coordinated details of the plot, including final target selection. Bin al-Shibh also passed along bin Laden's wish for the attacks to be carried out as soon as possible.[82] Some of the hijackers received passports from corrupt Saudi officials who were family members, or used fraudulent passports to gain entry.[83]

There is some idea that 9/11 was selected by the hijackers as the date of the attack because of its resemblance to 9-1-1, the phone number to report emergencies in the U.S. However, Lawrence Wright wrote that the hijackers chose it because September 11, 1683 is when the King of Poland began the battle that turned back the Muslim armies from the Ottoman Empire that were attempting to capture Vienna. For Osama bin Laden, this was a date when the West gained some dominance over Islam, and by attacking on this date, he hoped to make a step in Islam "winning" the war for worldwide power and influence.[84]

Prior intelligence

In late 1999, al-Qaeda associate Walid bin Attash ("Khallad") contacted Mihdhar, telling him to meet him in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hazmi and Abu Bara al Yemeni would also be in attendance. The NSA intercepted a telephone call mentioning the meeting, Mihdhar, and the name "Nawaf" (Hazmi). While the agency feared "Something nefarious might be afoot", it took no further action. The CIA had already been alerted by Saudi intelligence about the status of Mihdhar and Hazmi as al-Qaeda members, and a CIA team broke into Mihdhar's Dubai hotel room and discovered that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. While Alec Station alerted intelligence agencies worldwide about this fact, it did not share this information with the FBI. The Malaysian Special Branch observed the January 5, 2000 meeting of the two al-Qaeda members, and informed the CIA that Mihdhar, Hazmi, and Khallad were flying to Bangkok, but the CIA never notified other agencies of this, nor did it ask the State Department to put Mihdhar on its watchlist. An FBI liaison to Alec Station asked permission to inform the FBI of the meeting but was told: "This is not a matter for the FBI."[85]

By late June, senior counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke and CIA director George Tenet were "convinced that a major series of attacks was about to come", although the CIA believed the attacks would likely occur in Saudi Arabia or Israel.[86] In early July, Clarke put domestic agencies on "full alert", telling them, "Something really spectacular is going to happen here. soon." He asked the FBI and the State Department to alert the embassies and police departments, and the Defense Department to go to "Threat Condition Delta".[87][88] Clarke would later write: "Somewhere in CIA there was information that two known al Qaeda terrorists had come into the United States. Somewhere in FBI there was information that strange things had been going on at flight schools in the United States... They had specific information about individual terrorists from which one could have deduced what was about to happen. None of that information got to me or the White House."[89]

On July 13, Tom Wilshire, a CIA agent assigned to the FBI's international terrorism division, emailed his superiors at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center (CTC) requesting permission to inform the FBI that Hazmi was in the country and that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. The CIA never responded.[90]

The same day in July, Margarette Gillespie, an FBI analyst working in the CTC, was told to review material about the Malaysia meeting. She was not told of the participants' presence in the U.S. The CIA gave Gillespie surveillance photos of Mihdhar and Hazmi from the meeting to show to FBI counterterrorism, but did not tell her their significance. The Intelink database informed her not to share intelligence material on the meeting to criminal investigators. When shown the photos, the FBI were refused more details on their significance, and they were not given Mihdhar's date of birth nor passport number.[91] In late August 2001, Gillespie told the INS, the State Department, the Customs Service, and the FBI to put Hazmi and Mihdhar on their watchlists, but the FBI was prohibited from using criminal agents in the search for the duo, which hindered their efforts.[92]

Also in July, a Phoenix-based FBI agent sent a message to FBI headquarters, Alec Station, and to FBI agents in New York alerting them to "the possibility of a coordinated effort by Osama bin Laden to send students to the United States to attend civil aviation universities and colleges". The agent, Kenneth Williams, suggested the need to interview all flight school managers and identify all Arab students seeking flight training.[93] In July, Jordan alerted the U.S. that al-Qaeda was planning an attack on the U.S.; "months later", Jordan notified the U.S. that the attack's codename was "The Big Wedding" and that it involved airplanes.[94]

On August 6, 2001, the CIA's Presidential Daily Brief ("PDB"), designated "For the President Only", was entitled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in U.S." The memo noted that FBI information "indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks".[95]

In mid-August, one Minnesota flight school alerted the FBI about Zacarias Moussaoui, who had asked "suspicious questions". The FBI found that Moussaoui was a radical who had traveled to Pakistan, and the INS arrested him for overstaying his French visa. Their request to search his laptop was denied by FBI headquarters due to the lack of probable cause.[96]

The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 Justice Department policies limiting intelligence sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance to reveal "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones.[97] Testifying before the 9/11 Commission in April 2004, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents".[98] Clarke also wrote: "There were failures in the organizations failures to get information to the right place at the right time."[99]

TLDR; it was an inside job

#adult swim #adultswim2021

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chicagoindiecritics · 5 years ago

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New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: EDITORIAL: Movies and the 9/11 effect

(Image: pathtoparadise.com)

EIGHTH EDITION: UPDATED SEPTEMBER 11, 2019– In an update to my annual editorial (after the original post on the 10th anniversary in 2011), I’ve got new movie inclusions in several sections, including the most recent section of faded and relaxed sensitivity in films. I plan to make this an annual post and study for at least until the 20th anniversary in 2021. (All poster images are courtesy of IMPAwards.com)

Never forget. There’s no doubt that every American over the age of 25 won’t soon forget where they were 18 years ago at 8:46AM on September 11, 2001. The world and our American lifestyle changed forever that day in more ways that we can measure. I know movies and cinema are trivial pieces of entertainment compared to the more important things in life, but movies have always been two-hour vacations and therapy sessions from life, even in the face of immense tragedy. Sometimes, we need movies to inspire us and help us remember the good in things, while still being entertained. In seventeen years, they too have changed.

I’m here for an editorial research piece on the anniversary of 9/11 to showcase a few movies, both serious and not-so-serious, that speak to that day whether as a tribute, remembrance, or example of how life has changed since that fateful day. Enjoy!

MOVIES THAT WERE OPENING THAT FRIDAY EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO

Call this a time capsule, but these were the notable movies that opened Friday, September 7, 2001 and Friday, September 14, 2001, the two Fridays surrounding 9/11. Such a different time, huh? Needless to say, few people were in the mood for a movie in those first weeks and the fall 2001 box office took quite a hit until the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone showed up in November 2001, followed by Ocean’s Eleven and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring that December.

The Musketeer (September 7th)

Soul Survivors (September 7th)

Rock Star (September 7th)

Hardball (September 14th)

The Glass House (September 14th)

All were box office bombs at the time. The Musketeer garnered a good bit of overseas earnings and Hardball got some of the best reviews of Keanu Reeves’s post-Matrix career and grew to be a DVD hit. Still, talk about bad timing.

EXAMPLES OF 2001-2002 MOVIES CHANGED BECAUSE OF 9/11

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Spider-Man— Many of you may remember seeing this teaser for the big comic book blockbuster before it was pulled post-9/11. (New remastered video in 2019)

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Donnie Darko— Suggested by Feelin’ Film Facebook Discussion Group contributor Josh Powers. Released months before 9/11, few remember how much this film was somewhat buried and forced to become an underground cult favorite due to a pivotal moment involving a horrific plane crash.

Lilo and Stitch— See a side-by-side video clip of differences in Imgur. The trivia notes behind it are explained on IMDb.

Collateral Damage— The Arnold Schwarzenegger terrorism movie had its release date bumped and terrorist overtones mellowed down. (trailer)

City by the Sea— The production on this Robert DeNiro/James Franco thriller was moved from New York to Los Angeles in July 2001, dodging the terrorism attacks that would have threatened their home Tribeca studios. (trailer)

Sidewalks of New York–– Edward Burns intermingled love story movie was bumped to November and had to have its posters changed. See right here on the left for an example. (trailer)

Men in Black II— The original scripted ending of the movie was scripted to have the World Trade Center towers open up to release a barrage of UFOs. (trailer)

Serendipity and Zoolander— Both movies had shots of the WTC digitally removed from the skylines of their finished films before they hit theaters that fall.

The Time Machine— Had its December 2001 release bumped to March because of a potentially sensitive scene of meteor shower over New York (which it cut). (trailer)

Big Trouble— It too had its nuclear bomb-centered plot cause a release delay well into 2002. The delay didn’t help this already awful movie. (trailer)

MOVIES ABOUT 9/11 ITSELF

September 11 (2002)– International directors from around the world, including Ken Loach, Mira Nair, and future Oscar winner Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, made a two-hour anthology of short films showing creative expressions of other cultures and their reactions to the tragedy.

United 93 (2006)– Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass took an unknown cast and directed a harrowing real-time account of the flight that fought back. Hard to watch, but undeniably powerful without exploiting the tragedy. (trailer)

World Trade Center (2006)– Conspiracy specialist Oliver Stone turns off the urge to dig into his usual musings and delivers an incredibly humble, respectful, and understated (words that hardly ever describe an Oliver Stone movie) true story of the last two men (Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena) rescued alive at Ground Zero. Worth every moment to see and a great tribute to the first responders and their families. (trailer)

9/11 (2017)– I think we all knew a day would come where some hack film was going to come around and exploit the tragedy that is the 2001 terrorist attacks. That award goes to Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, and director Martin Guigui’s straight-to-VOD trash heap. Sheen, a noted conspiracy theorist on 9/11, took it upon himself to make a glamour project stepping on history. Do not waste your time with this film.

MOVIES WITH PROMINENT 9/11 CONNECTIONS

The Guys (2002)– One of the first reactionary films to 9/11 came from Focus Features in 2002 and starred Anthony LaPaglia and Sigourney Weaver. Based on Anne Nelson’s heartfelt play, LaPaglia plays a fire captain who lost eight men on 9/11 and Weaver plays the editor who helps him write eulogies for the fallen. The film is only available on disc from Amazon. (trailer)

WTC View (2005)– Gallows humor bubbles to the surface in this off-kilter indie romance from Brian Sloan about a SoHo man who placed an ad to find a new roommate and September 10th and now lives through a more difficult and trying landscape. (trailer)

Reign Over Me (2007)– In a rare dramatic turn, Adam Sandler plays a fictional wayward man who lost his wife and daughters on 9/11 and tailspins through life fiver years later when an old college friend (Don Cheadle) tries to help keep him from being committed to a psychiatric care. (trailer)

Remember Me (2010)– Billed as a coming-of-age film starring Twilight star Robert Pattinson, it features a fictitious family affected by the tragedy, including the fall of the WTC. Most critics found the 9/11 connections exploitative and offensive. (trailer)

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)– Speaking of exploitative, the Tom Hanks/Sandra Bullock Oscar nominee from this past year definitely rubbed more than a few audiences the wrong way in using 9/11 as a backdrop to a fictional family tragedy. Critics (including this one) clamored that if you’re going to bring 9/11 to the big screen, use a real story. (trailer) (my full review)

September Morning (2017)– Independent writer/director Ryan Frost crafted a small drama about five college freshman staying up all night after 9/11 weighing the impact it will have on their present and future. The film won a youth jury award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. (trailer)

MOVIES ABOUT THE WAR ON TERROR

In the decade since September 11, 2011, our largest response as a nation to the terrorism of that day has been a pair of wars overseas in the countries of Iraq and Afghanistan. The “war on terror” has quickly grown into a ripe orchard for possible movie storylines.

Home of the Brave (2006)–Rocky producer Irwin Winkler earns the credit for the first mainstream Hollywood movie depicting the Iraqi War and the initial soldiers returning home to re-acclimate to society. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Jessica Biel. (trailer)

The Hurt Locker (2008)– Of course, the best-of-the-best is the 2009 Best Picture winner from Kathryn Bigelow starring Jeremy Renner as a driven, yet dark Iraqi bomb specialist. Its quality needs no introduction. (trailer)

Grace is Gone (2007)– In the Audience Award winner of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, typical gender roles are reversed when John Cusack plays a homefront father (in my opinion, the best he’s ever acted) who has to find the best way to tell his two daughters that their soldier mother was killed in Iraq. This movie is “guy-cry” level brilliant. (trailer)

Rendition (2007)– Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, and Meryl Streep get together for a movie calling out the wrongs of detainment, interrogation, and torture. (trailer)

The Kingdom (2007)– Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, and Jason Bateman investigate a bombing and throw down in the streets of Riyadh. (trailer)

Lions for Lambs (2007)– Robert Redford delivers a three point-of-view discourse on U.S. war affairs before home and abroad with the help of Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep. (trailer)

In the Valley of Elah (2007)– Crash director Paul Haggis leads Tommy Lee Jones (in an amazing Oscar-nominated performance) and Susan Sarandon as parents investigating with a local detective (Charlize Theron) the disappearance of their AWOL son returning home from Iraq. (trailer)

Body of Lies (2008)– Ridley Scott’s fictional take on the CIA’s involvement in preventing Jordanian terrorism starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. (trailer)

Stop-Loss (2008)– Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt play three young Texas schoolmates who are finally home from overseas but are forced back via the stop-loss clause. (trailer)

The Messenger (2009)– Woody Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a U.S. Army Casualty Notification Team officer mentoring recent veteran (Ben Foster) on the uniquely difficult job of informing families the bad news. (trailer)

Taking Chance (2009)– Along the same bringing-bad-news-home lines is this gem of a HBO film starring Kevin Bacon (like Cusack earlier, in arguably his best performance as an actor) as a desk officer who never saw combat but takes on the duty of escorting a young fallen soldier’s body back to his old hometown. Even though this wasn’t in theaters, it is outstanding and worth your time on DVD. (trailer)

Brothers (2009)– Jake Gyllenhaal takes care of his older brother’s wife (Natalie Portman) while he (Tobey Maguire) is declared MIA in Afghanistan, from director Jim Sheridan. (trailer)

Dear John and The Lucky One (2010 and 2012)– These two adaptations of Nicholas Sparks romance novels briefly touches on the War on Terror through Channing Tatum and Zac Efron’s lead characters’ return home to romance. (trailer and trailer)

Green Zone (2010)–Director Paul Greengrass followed United 93 with his Bourne series star Matt Damon in this taut and marginally-dramatized account of the early unsuccessful searches and the possible cover-up of Baghdad’s supposed stores of weapons of mass destruction. (trailer)

Restrepo (2010)– The highly acclaimed National Geographic documentary film follows a one-year look at the real men of the platoon embattled in the deadliest fortified valley of Afghanistan. (trailer)

Act of Valor (2012)– Disney pumped up the military with this fictional anti-terrorism film using active duty Navy SEALs. Coming out after the death of Osama bin Laden, this was a welcome and well-promoted hero picture and recruitment reel. (trailer)

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)– The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow made a film about the SEAL Team 6 men and their story of taking down Osama bin Laden. The film was my #1 movie on my “10 Best” list for 2012. (trailer) (my full review)

Lone Survivor (2013)– Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) directed an outstanding and patriotic film based on the Afghanistan saga of Marcus Luttrell starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, and Emile Hirsch that echoes another true-life story from the ongoing War on Terror. Very good movie! (trailer) (my full review)

A Most Wanted Man (2014)– Spy novelist John LeCarre’s multi-layered 2008 novel about the world of inter-agency espionage happening in Hamburg, Germany, the same city where the 9/11 conspirators hatched their plans, is an excellent and different post-9/11 film with an international flair and flavor. It will also be remembered as one of the last performances of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was phenomenal in the film. (trailer) (my full review)

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)– This modern reboot or update of the famed Tom Clancy character, now played by Chris Pine, roots his pre-spy origins in the aftermath of 9/11 and the War on Terror that followed. (trailer)

American Sniper (2014)– Clint Eastwood’s Best Picture nominee war drama about the real-life story of the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (played by Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper) went on to become the highest grossing film of 2014 (north of $350 million). Kyle’s journey from the heartland to the front lines was spurred by a sense of duty and patriotism that started from the attacks of 9/11. This is, by far, the most high profile movie to date to feature the War on Terror directly correlating 9/11. (trailer) (my full review)

Good Kill (2015)– On the smaller side, but just as solid with warfare and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is this under-seen film which had a limited theatrical release during the summer of 2015. Andrew Niccol (Lord of War, Gattaca, The Truman Show) shifted his focus to the War on Terror by showcasing a Las Vegas base of drone pilots dealing with the ramification of their actions and the war being waged on their screens and with their joystick controls. (trailer) (my full review)

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)– Director Michael Bay’s slanted look at the September 11, 2012 embassy attacks that have become a political firebrand since certainly qualifies to make this list. (trailer) (my full review)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)– Tina Fey shed her comedic image for a heavyish war drama loosely based the true story of Afghanistan/Pakistan television journalist Kim Barker. (trailer)

Snowden (2016)– Renowned politicized filmmaker Oliver Stone brought his brush of dramatic license to the story of whistleblowing former spy Edward Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The paranoia of the post-9/11 digital age was the mission field for Snowden and many other young men and women who sought the security and counterterrorism industries. (trailer) (full review)

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016)– A company of soldiers who lost their commanding officer in Iraq are making a victory tour of press dates and public appearances when the reflections of the title character (newcomer Joe Alwyn) fill the day. Ang Lee’s film felt ten years too late and was not well received. (trailer) (my full review)

Thank You For Your Service (2015) and Thank You For Your Service (2017)– This popular conversation sentence was the title of two different works. In 2015, Tom Donahue’s documentary opened eyes to the shoddy mental health governance for modern veterans and made waves that changed actual policies. The 2017 feature film borrows inspiration from David Finkel’s 2013 nonfiction bestseller dealing with the PTSD topic of returning Iraqi tour soldiers adjusting to civilian life. Miles Teller is the headliner and is joined by Haley Bennett, Beulah Koale, Joe Cole, and Amy Schumer. (trailer) (trailer)

Megan Leavey (2017)– 2017 was a busy year for War on Terror-connected films with five new entries. Taglined “based on the true story about a Marine’s best friend,” Megan Leavey stars Kate Mara as the soldier leader of a bomb-searching pooch on deployment in Iraq. Touching film! (trailer)

The Wall (2017)– Nocturnal Animals Golden Globe nominee Aaron Taylor-Johnson and emerging WWE movie star John Cena play two soldiers pinned down by an Iraqi sniper in a single-setting thriller from action specialist Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow). (trailer)

War Machine (2017)– Enough time has passed now in 2017 where the War on Terror has reached a point of being a target of satire. Animal Kingdom and The Rover director David Michod puts a witty spin on things creating a fictionalized account of U.S. General Stanley McChrystal with Brad Pitt in the lead. Netflix is the exclusive carrier of this one. (trailer)

Last Flag Flying (2017)– The last and best of the 2017 bunch is Richard Linklater’s dramedy about three old Vietnam veterans (Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne) who come together when one of their sons is killed in Iraq and coming home for burial. The excellent acting trio and Linklater’s writing (adapted from Darryl Ponicsan’s novel, a spiritual sequel to his The Last Detail) deliver touching brevity and sharp commentary on the echoes of war across generations. (trailer) (my full review)

A Private War (2018)— Documentary filmmaker Matthew Heineman made his feature film debut with a biopic on British photojournalist Marie Colvin, who made her stops through the hellfire of Iraq and Afghanistan in her storied career. Rosamund Pike was snubbed for an Oscar nomination that year. (trailer) (my full review)

Vice (2018)— Speaking of biopics, writer/director Adam McKay brought his machete for satire to the life of former Vice President Dick Cheney. The film dove deep into the manipulated machinations from Cheney that engineered the War on Terror during the Bush administration. While not as good as The Big Short, Vice did earn eight Oscar nominations (winning one for makeup), including Best Picture and Best Actor for Christian Bale in the leading role. (trailer) (my full review)

Official Secrets (2019)— When invading Iraq was on the table to push the war to the ground, the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Tony Blair were lockstep next to the U.S. on seeking United Nations approval. The true story of whistleblower Katharine Gun unearthed secrets that led to questioning the war’s legality before it even began. This is a nice step-up for Keira Knightley. (trailer) (my full review)

The Report (2019)— Not yet widely released in 2019 after huge buzz at the Sundance Film Festival, frequent Steven Soderbergh screenwriting collaborator Scott Z. Burns made his directorial debut with this searing docudrama of the use of torture by American agencies during the War on Terror. Check out the film’s trailer:

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MOVIES ABOUT THE CHANGES IN AMERICAN LIFE (BOTH SERIOUS AND NOT-SO-SERIOUS)

25th Hour (2002)– New Yorker Spike Lee was quick to not shy away from the post-9/11 pulse of New York City following Edward Norton’s character’s last night of debauchery and unfinished business before going to prison. Filled with scathing social commentary and visual reminders of 9/11 and Ground Zero, its amazing opening credits sequence alone set the tone as only Spike can. (trailer)

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Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)– Documentary maverick Michael Moore’s slam at the handling of 9/11 and the war on terror became one of the most successful box office documentaries of all-time. (trailer)

Sorry, Haters (2005)– Robin Wright played a professional woman who receives conversation and unexpected interaction with an Arab New York cab driver in this IFC production. (foreign trailer)

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)– By contrast, in a small snippet and computer graphic on melting glaciers in this Oscar-winning documentary, Al Gore lets us know that half of Greenland or Antarctica’s melted ice would put New York, including Ground Zero, underwater within the next 50 years. (trailer)

The Terminal (2004)– Airports are now covered in bureaucratic red tape. Heaven forbids, you’re not from America. (trailer)

Anger Management (2003)– Showed us that you can get kicked off a plane now for just about anything. (trailer)

Soul Plane (2004)– Then again, come on, guys. Air travel can still be cool, even with the new security rules. (trailer)

Snakes on a Plane (2006)– OK, maybe not so much… (trailer)

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)– You’ve got to hate racial profiling as much as you equally love a good parody. (trailer)

Iron Man (2008)– Marvel’s steely hero had his Vietnam origin story conveniently and modernly flopped for an Afghanistan-connected one. (trailer)

Bridesmaids (2011)– Now, that’s how an Air Marshall gets down! (trailer)

Source Code (2011)– Our fear of catastrophes on planes can easily be translated to trains as well. (trailer) (my full review)

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013)– For a serious look at the warped view of Muslim citizens post-9/11, take a look at Mira Nair’s dramatic thriller about a young Pakistani man (newcomer Riz Ahmed) who is successful on Wall Street but viewed differently through profiling after 9/11. (trailer)

The Fifth Estate (2013)– The film story of the WikiLeaks of Julian Assange carry a loose connection to the changed post-9/11 landscape of security and more. (trailer)

Boyhood (2014)– Richard Linklater’s huge biographical opus was filmed over the course of 12 years with the same cast growing up and aging to tell their family story. The film starts in 2002, where the incidents of 2001 are fresh on the minds of the characters and discussed openly during the first year sequence of the journey. Later on, political mentions of Bush, Obama, and the War on Terror make it into a reflective conversation as well. (trailer) (my full review)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor (2018)– A key moment in the extraordinary Fred Rogers documentary chronicled when a retired Rogers was brought back for a special televised message to young viewers about reacting to the 9/11 tragedy that played on-screen for so many viewers. It’s a touching historical moment. (trailer) (my full review)

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MEMORABLE PAST IMAGES OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN MOVIES

Sometimes, all it takes is the camera making a fleeting, yet memorable, glance at those beautiful and now-gone skyscrapers to immediately remind us of a different time. The WTC towers have been shown in innumerable establishing shots. We’ll highlight some great ones. Beginning with the closing credits to New Yorker Martin Scorsese’s 2002 film Gangs of New York, here’s a great montage of cinematic views of the WTC from various pre-2001 movies.

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Superman (1978)– Even a passing fly-by over “Metropolis” feels different.

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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)– Tell me this clip didn’t just go from cute to eerie to sad. Wonderful then, but different now.

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Godspell (1973)— Submitted by friend-of-the-page and larger-fan-of-musicals-than-me Josh Powers, enjoy this dance number from the summery musical filmed and completed before the skyscraper’s ribbon-cutting.

King Kong (1976)– While it may not match the iconic 1933 image of the original ape towering on top of the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center plays a big role in the 1976 remake starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. (trailer)

Independence Day (1996), Deep Impact (1998), Armageddon (1998), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004)– These all constitute the prominent disaster movies that leave New York (and, in three cases, the WTC) in destructive shambles.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Godzilla (1998), Cloverfield (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), and Watchmen (2009). Kind of not so entertaining for few seconds anymore, huh? See for yourself. Here’s a montage of NYC movie destruction:

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MOVIES THAT FEEL DIFFERENT IN THE POST-9/11 WORLD

I don’t know about you but a lot of movies just don’t resonate or feel the same as they did before September 11th. We’ve changed and the perception has changed. For some movies, their message and impact is only made stronger (in good ways and bad) since 9/11. In other cases, what was entertaining then doesn’t feel so right anymore.

Airplane! (1980)– Farce or not (and still funny to this day), we could never get away with anything that happens on an airplane from that movie now. (trailer)

Passenger 57 (1992)–Let alone this movie… (trailer)

Executive Decision (1996)– …and this movie… (trailer)

Turbulence (1997)– …and this movie… (trailer)

Pushing Tin (1999)– …and probably this movie too… (trailer)

True Lies (1994)– Slammed even then for its depiction of Arab terrorists, it likely has picked up a little more egg on its face. Adding to its burial, the movie hasn’t been released on any physical media format since 1999, which includes zero Blu-ray editions in its history (factoid from Josh Powers). Do you think 20th Century Fox wants that movie to go away or what? (trailer)

The Siege (1998)– This frightening martial law thriller with Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, and Bruce Willis makes True Lies look like G.I. Joe starring Ken from the Barbie dolls toy line. Scary and eerily prophetic in its over-the-top terrorism and bombing scenarios. (trailer)

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)– Though fictional with Pittsburgh standing in as Gotham City, the New York imagery and parallels occurring during its terrorist takeover led by Tom Hardy’s Bane have eerie 9/11-inspired ramifications. (trailer) (my full review)

Syriana (2005)– George Clooney won an Oscar, but the touchy subjects of torture, terrorism, and the oil industry evoke a little dose of fear. (trailer)

Munich (2005)– The Black September assassination of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the Mossad’s reaction was probably the last time before 9/11 that terrorism made worldwide live media headlines. (trailer)

Arlington Road (1999)– While this resonates more as a comparison to Oklahoma City-style domestic terrorism, the Jeff Bridges/Tim Robbins underappreciated thriller is no less scary now than then. (trailer)

Fight Club (1999)– Watching Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt/Edward Norton) destroy New York’s credit district is another example of domestic terrorism and destruction that rings a little louder post-9/11.

The Sum of All Fears (2002)– Many people found the Super Bowl bomb plot far too soon to see those images just a year removed from 9/11. (trailer)

V for Vendetta (2006)– Urban terrorism in London via a Guy Fawkes fan resonates a little different for a public scare on our side of the Atlantic. (trailer)

Courage Under Fire (1995)– Our first trip to Iraq foreshadows a lot of the equal futility, bravery, and loss experienced in our second trip… (trailer)

Jarhead (2005)– …especially when told from the true account of a disillusioned soldier who was there. (trailer)

Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)– The same foreshadowing can be made out of our 1980’s Cold War involvement on the side of Afghanistan versus the Soviet Union as outlined by a gem of a Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman film. To think that we could have stuck around and cleaned the place up before they became our enemy. (trailer)

Rambo III (1988)– Speaking of an American fighting on the anti-communism side of the Afghans! (trailer)

Air Force One (1997)– Not that George W. Bush or Barack Obama ever channeled Harrison Ford here, but don’t you now root a little harder for a take charge President… (trailer)

The Patriot (2000)– … or a flag-carrying American hero from 230+ years ago… (trailer)

Pearl Harbor (2001)– …or the last great American tragedy that galvanized a nation and sent us to war. (trailer)

MOVIES SINCE 2001 THAT RENEW THE AMERICAN SPIRIT

These examples (as well as the aforementioned World Trade Center) will get your patriotic heartstrings going and boost your down spirit.

The Last Castle (2001)– Opening just over a month after the tragedy, the military and flag-waving patriotism of Robert Redford’s underrated drama undeniably stirs you. (trailer)

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)– Leave it to Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson (of all people) to win macho patriotic points for loosely re-enacting the famous pilot Scott O’Grady Bosnian prisoner escape story. (trailer)

Black Hawk Down (2001)– Released during the 2001-2002 awards season, Ridley Scott’s powerful depiction of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu showed the uncompromising courage of U.S. Army Ranger and Delta Force soldiers at a time when our current soldiers were likely preparing for going overseas to similar urban warfare. (trailer)

We Were Soldiers (2002)– Mel Gibson may be embroiled in unpopular headlines now, but his 2002 action-drama from his Braveheart writer about America’s first official military action in Vietnam is as powerful and it is impressive. Like Black Hawk Down, it added to the heroic mystique of the American soldier, even if it was set in the past. If you don’t cry watching those wives deliver those first casualty letters, there’s something wrong with you. (trailer)

Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004)– New York’s #1 resident superhero always fights for a way for the citizen of the city to stand up together. I suppose you can throw in the pair from the reboot (The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2) for some of the same reasons. (trailer)

Gangs of New York (2002)– Martin Scorsese is a quintessential New Yorker and his mid-1800’s history piece (while definitely violent) was a love letter to the city’s great history. (trailer)

Elf (2003)– Will Ferrell put the Big Apple back in the Christmas cheer. (trailer)

Ladder 49 (2004)– Though it wasn’t set in New York, you can’t help but think of the 343 NYFD men and women that lost their lives on September 11th and ardent first-responders when you watch Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta as macho Baltimore firemen. (trailer)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)– America loves a good underdog story and Clint Eastwood gave the public a heck of a good one that went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. (trailer)

Miracle (2004)– What better way to boost American spirit than to relive our greatest Olympic triumph. (trailer)

National Treasure (2004)– How about a history lesson to make you feel good about our great country? Why not? (trailer)

Hitch (2005)– Will Smith brought popular romance back to the City That Never Sleeps. (trailer) He would capture hearts for a different reason the next year with The Pursuit of Happyness. (trailer)

We Are Marshall (2006)– Another real-life airplane tragedy sets the stage for an amazing story of athletic and community rebirth. One of the most underrated football movies out there. (trailer)

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)– Why not give NY’s best bad-ass cop a chance to save the nation’s capital? (trailer)

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)– Last but not least, you can’t get more patriotic and underdog than this skinny guy from Brooklyn transformed into a red-white-and-blue super soldier. He followed it up this past summer saving New York in The Avengers. (trailer and trailer) (full review and my full review)

American Sniper (2014)– The tremendous reception Clint Eastwood’s film had to become the highest grossing movie of the year made Chris Kyle a household name and heavily amplified a previously dormant red-blooded (and “red state-d”) surge of patriotism and soldier appreciation. (trailer) (my full review)

Sully (2016)– Both the incredible true story of Flight 1549 from 2009 and Clint Eastwood’s respectful retelling featuring Tom Hanks as Capt. Chelsea “Sully” Sullenberger remind audiences of the strength of New York City. There’s a great line in the movie where someone is trying to thank Sullenberger and says that it’s been a long time since the city has had good news about anything like the “Miracle on the Hudson,” especially about a plane. (trailer) (my full review)

Patriots Day (2016) and Stronger (2018)– The way the city of Boston rallied from another terrorist attack on American soil during its marathon has key inspirational value. It’s too bad the film was the Mark Wahlberg show rather than a well-rounded ensemble approach. (trailer) (my full Patriots Day review) (trailer) (my full Stronger review)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018)– Much like the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield web-slinger movies that came before, Tom Holland’s take on Peter Parker is a born-and-raised New York kid that supports and protects his neighborhood and city from dangers foreign and domestic. His protection, joined by fellow New Yorker Doctor Strange, expands with the united effort with The Avengers when Thanos shows up in Avengers: Infinity War. One part down on that with one to go in the summer of 2019. (trailer) (my full Spider-Man: Homecoming review) (trailer) (my Avengers: Infinity War review)

Only the Brave (2017)– Just as with Ladder 49 thirteen years before it, you can’t beat the sympathy generated by the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of firefighters. Forest fires aren’t terrorists, but the feels are all there. (trailer)

The 15:17 to Paris (2018)– Four years after American Sniper, Clint Eastwood dipped his filmmaking brush in the hero worship paint again to tell another true story. The wrinkle of this one is that Eastwood called upon the actual heroes that thwarted the 2015 Thayls train attack to star in their own movie recreation. Results were mixed, but the Eastwood prestige is there. (trailer) (my full review)

THE UP-AND-DOWN PULSE OF CONTINUED SENSITIVITY AND/OR CENSORSHIP TO 9/11 SIMILARITIES

For 2014 and going forward, this is a new section I’m adding to this study. Now that enough time has passed since 2001, I’m beginning to notice that movies are starting to go back to some of the images and themes of violence, destruction, and terrorism that were hands off for so many years after 9/11. Like all history, even 9/11 will fade. What we were offended by after the horrific incidents have returned, in some cases, to be more tolerated and even acceptable and celebrated again. Sure enough, there are plenty who vividly remember 2001’s events and images and are quick to point out when something is in possible poor taste. That shaky barometer has led to some allusions and reminders to 9/11 and some flat-out censorship changes and corrections. Some get flak and slaps on the wrist while some don’t. Here are some examples in recent years.

Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down (2013)– Both competing White House takeover films from 2013, one from Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and one from Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) had a bit of split audience reaction to their violent and terrorist content. Some rooted and cheered as if it was the 80’s again and America is always going to win. Others were not so keen or ready to see the White House become a target and battleground, even if it was just a movie. Between the two, Olympus Has Fallen, the R-rated and more severe one of the two, was the bigger hit. In a way, no one batted an eye. (trailer and trailer) (my full Olympus Has Fallen review)

Man of Steel (2013)– Despite being one of the most all-American heroes around, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel gave Superman a very serious tone that, in a way, can’t be included on the category before this one of movies that renew the American spirit. Also, many people were not very pleased with the immense city-wide destruction scenes of Metropolis during the film’s climax. Even though Chicago was the filming location of a fictitious comic book city, there were staunch critics who had a problem with huge office buildings and skyscrapers in very 9/11-esque rubble. Its 2016 sequel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice mildly addressed that a city can’t be destroyed without consequences, even on Superman’s watch in a colorful comic book setting. (my full review)

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)– Much like Man of Steel, the third Michael Bay Transformers movie features a great deal of city-wide destruction (again, in Chicago) that rubbed a few people the wrong way. (trailer) (my full review)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)– Throw in the terrorist label for the villain and his bombings and the big San Francisco starship wreck during this film’s ending action that was clearly a larger scale to a passenger jet taking out buildings. (trailer) (my full review)

Godzilla (2014)– Add the King of the Monsters to the list of more city destruction that raised an eyebrow for some. (trailer) (my full review)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)– Outside of this string of modern and accepted examples of urban attacks and destruction, is the minor amount of hot water the makers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got it for a promotional poster that had an exploding skyscraper that cut too close to 9/11 similarities. The study pulled the poster and had to apologize. Censorship and sensitivity won that argument and mistake. (trailer)

The Walk (2015)– A very big test to peoples’ memories of the World Trade Center will be coming in the Fall of 2015 with Robert Zemeckis’s film The Walk, the true story of the French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s quest to tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974 (previously featured in the Academy Award nominated 2008 documentary Man on Wire). Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the film will prominently display, thanks to Zemeckis’s stunning use of CGI, a tremendous amount of imagery of the two lost skyscrapers. Even though it’s a period piece to a non-turbulent time, no film since 2001 has attempted to show this much of those building. Public reaction was mixed and the film was not a box office hit. (trailer) (full review)

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)– I guess it’s OK for patriotic mass city destruction again. London gets it worse than New York, though. (trailer) (full review)

Ghostbusters (2016)– Well, New York was safe for at least a month anyway between Independence Day: Resurgence‘s release and the new reboot (which conveniently made sure its city destruction in Times Square and other places be easy to erase). Not far behind was the fictional Suicide Squad and its over-the-city halo of supposed death. (trailer) (my full review)

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Rampage (2018)– Larger in size than the old World Trade Centers used to be, Chicago’s Willis Tower, the former Sears Tower and tallest building in the world, was the targeted collapsed skyscraper spectacle of choice in the Brad Payton/Dwayne Johnson live-action video game adaptation. Monsters aren’t terrorists, but the imagery hits close as the Willis Tower was one of many skyscrapers across the country evacuated on 9/11 out of fear of becoming another target. See the collapse clip above. (my full review)

I hope everyone enjoyed this little (OK, large) retrospective about the impact of 9/11 in movies for the last 18 years and counting. Take some time this coming weekend to appreciate the freedoms we have the people fighting to keep them for us. Support your troops and first responders and, again, NEVER FORGET!

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