First up is director Paul Greengrass's critically-acclaimed United 93. The movie documents the events on United Airlines Flight 93, the 4th hijacked plane that landed in a Pennsylvania field, 150 mi away from Washington DC.

United 93 is the first Hollywood movie about this tragic day in American History. Passengers were played by unknown actors, most likely to give a sense of reality and normality to the film. Flight attendants, airport personnel, and pilots were played by actual airport employees. Even some of the real people involved in the incident played themselves. This includes FAA operations manager Ben Sliney, who was actually on duty the day Flight 93 was hijacked.

Controversy about United hit as soon as the trailer hit theatres. The trailer was known as upsetting and shocking. People were caught sobbing as they left the theatre. One theatre in Manhattan even pulled the trailer from their movies because of such complaints and controversy. Since this was also the first Hollywood movie about the attacks, several people wondered if it was too soon to make a movie about the events. Filming took place just outside of London to protect the film and actors from unwanted publicity and controversy they might have received in the US.

However, the movie didn't prove so terrible. It opened #2 in the US box office and grossed $32 million. The movie was also very well received, Entertainment Weekly columnist and author Stephen King called the film, "a shoo-in for Best Picture come Oscar-time." I haven't seen United 93 yet, but I intend on seeing once it is out on DVD.

Nicholas Cage in World Trade Center

And, out August 9 in the US, Academy-Award winning director Oliver Stone comes out with World Trade Center. This film stars Academy-Award winner Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena as two New York policemen, John McLoughlin (Cage) and Will Jemeno (Pena), who are trapped under the rubble when the Twin Towers fall on them. It also stars Maria Bello (A History of Violence) and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the men's wives.

I think there is a little less controversy over this film then United. Perhaps this is because United paved the way and proved that a 9/11 film can work if filmed properly. The trailer was released in front of The Da Vinci Code, and theatres warned audiences in order to avoid the same criticism as United. Still, this does not mean that the film hasn't received it's own criticism. Victims were outraged that Stone did not involve the victims and their families enough in the production, something that Paul Greengrass avoided by going around and collecting the blessings of each and every one of the families involved in Flight 93. However, McLoughlin's wife Donna has said, "We got involved because we felt it needed to be done accurately. We wanted to do the right thing and I think the filmmakers wanted to do the right thing too."

I did see Flight 93, a TV movie based on the events same as United. The film was beautifully shot and wonderfully written. However, the film is also highly emotional and maybe even a little disturbing. United 93 was rated R by MPAA for language and intense scenes of violence. World Trade Center was rated PG13 for intense and emotional content and some disturbing images and languages.

United 93 is in theatres now. World Trade Center is in theatres August 9.

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Movie/TV News

Evan Rachel Wood has joined Uma Thurman in the indie thriller In Bloom. Wood will play a younger version of Thurman's character. The action revolves around a teenager who witnesses a high school shooting. Fifteen years later, unable to recover from her survivor's guilt, her grip on reality begins to break, and she faces a shocking truth. Filming began on August 14.

Jessica Biel has signed on to star opposite Adam Sandler and Kevin James in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. The film revolves around two heterosexual firefighters (Sandler and James) who pose as a gay married couple in order to qualify for their department's domestic-partner benefits. Biel will play an attorney who reps the duo in their case and ends up being the object of Sandler's affection. Filming began August 31st.

Justin Long will join Bruce Willis in the upcoming Die Hard trilogy sequel Die Hard: Reset. The film finds hero John McClane coming out of retirement to battle an internet terrorist organization intending to systematically demolish or seize our technological infrastructure via a three-day plan. These guys will gradually step up malfunctions starting with traffic control systems, working towards economic markets, and finally shutting down key utilities like power and water, to send the U.S. essentially into a modern Dark Ages. Production will start September 30th.

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson who starred together in the Romantic Comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days will reteam on Fool's Gold. McConaughey and Hudson play married treasure hunters whose eight-year search for booty leaves them broke and out of gas. Just as they divorce, they stumble upon a missing clue that might lead them to a fortune.

Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo will team up on Reservation Road. Phoenix and Ruffalo will play fathers on opposite sides of a hit-and-run: The Ruffalo character kills Phoenix's son and flees. As the grieving father seeks revenge, the tragedy wears on both men in unexpected ways.

Production has begun on Are we done yet? a sequel to the hit comedy Are we there yet?. The film picks up where the last story left off. Now married to Suzanne, Nick Persons has bought a quiet suburban house to escape the rat race of the big city and to provide more space for his new wife and kids Lindsey and Kevin. But when his new home quickly becomes a costly "fixer upper" and he finds himself at the mercy of an eccentric contractor (John C. McGinley), Nick's suburban dream soon becomes a riotous nightmare.

Charlize Theron will star in the film Battle in Seattle. Set in 1999, during the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, an eclectic group of demonstrators, including environmental activists, doctors, anarchists, attorneys, eco-terrorists and just plain folks, brings the city to a state of near-chaos, and chases the WTO straight out of town.

A sequel for the blockbuster film Batman Begins will begin production soon. Christian Bale will return as Bruce Wayne and Oscar nominee Heath Ledger will join the cast as the Villainous Joker.