In the past year (specifically the last couple of months), I have seen more attempts at profiting from 9/11 than I think I can stand. TV is telling me that I can buy a gold coin with a silver inset statue of the World Trade Centers made from actual metal deposits found in the WTC rubble for not $39.95 (as the company says I should expect to pay) but $29.95. They promise that $5 from every order will be donated to "9/11 related funds and memorials." This first begs the question, what the hell is a 9/11 "related" fund/memorial? And secondly where is my other $24.95 per coin going, especially when it only costs about $2 to mint the coin itself?
Then there are the two movies coming out this year. Flight 93 aka United 93 came out late April of this year and we can expect the DVD to come out early next month. In its first weekend the movie grossed $11.5 million and director Paul Greengrass promised to donate 10% of this first weekend's revenue to a memorial for those who died on Flight 93. My question again is, where is the rest of this money going. I can give some leniency to Paul Greengrass for keeping more of the profit because it cost him $15 million to produce the film, so he needs about $5 million to break even (which I am sure he covered in the next 5 weeks at the box office). But what about DVD, VHS, and BlueRay? Where is that money going to go? Greengrass was obviously after money while he was making this movie too because he appealed the rating given to the movie (R) and made a big deal that people were not going to come see it unless it was PG-13.
Today I saw for the first time the preview for World Trade Center, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Nicholas Cage. The movie is set for release on August 9th and is rated PG-13. I am expecting this movie to blow Flight 93 out of the water in terms of revenue, but no one has indicated whether any charitable donations will be made with the profits.
Is it right for directors, producers, and their associated companies to be profiting from this event? Greengrass claimed that he wanted to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of the events, but who celebrates the 5 year anniversary of anything? The movies certainly are not about history since any good historian knows that history should not be written about for at least 25 years after the event (the reason for this being that we do not have all of the facts after 5 years and our generation is biased in regards to the events).
The only reason I can see these movies and coins being made is because someone wants to profit. I personally plan on boycotting World Trade Center. I also never saw Flight 93, but that thing was in and out of the movie theater near me so quickly that I never had the chance. And I certainly don't plan on spending $30 on a crappy $2 coin that was probably minted in Liberia.
Then there are the two movies coming out this year. Flight 93 aka United 93 came out late April of this year and we can expect the DVD to come out early next month. In its first weekend the movie grossed $11.5 million and director Paul Greengrass promised to donate 10% of this first weekend's revenue to a memorial for those who died on Flight 93. My question again is, where is the rest of this money going. I can give some leniency to Paul Greengrass for keeping more of the profit because it cost him $15 million to produce the film, so he needs about $5 million to break even (which I am sure he covered in the next 5 weeks at the box office). But what about DVD, VHS, and BlueRay? Where is that money going to go? Greengrass was obviously after money while he was making this movie too because he appealed the rating given to the movie (R) and made a big deal that people were not going to come see it unless it was PG-13.
Today I saw for the first time the preview for World Trade Center, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Nicholas Cage. The movie is set for release on August 9th and is rated PG-13. I am expecting this movie to blow Flight 93 out of the water in terms of revenue, but no one has indicated whether any charitable donations will be made with the profits.
Is it right for directors, producers, and their associated companies to be profiting from this event? Greengrass claimed that he wanted to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of the events, but who celebrates the 5 year anniversary of anything? The movies certainly are not about history since any good historian knows that history should not be written about for at least 25 years after the event (the reason for this being that we do not have all of the facts after 5 years and our generation is biased in regards to the events).
The only reason I can see these movies and coins being made is because someone wants to profit. I personally plan on boycotting World Trade Center. I also never saw Flight 93, but that thing was in and out of the movie theater near me so quickly that I never had the chance. And I certainly don't plan on spending $30 on a crappy $2 coin that was probably minted in Liberia.
