When Zoolander came out on September 28, 2001, the production had digitally removed The World Trade Center’s Twin Towers from the New York City skyline in an effort to avoid displaying a devastating image in the middle of a comedy about the world of fashion. If they’d have left it in, it wouldn’t have been the first time the buildings had been featured on film or television. Since they didn’t, it marks the first time the buildings were ever erased. With the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 coming this Sunday, it’s impossible not to be consumed a bit by the gravity of an action that killed so many and lowered a different world view onto all of us. Landon and I talked on Reject Radio regarding the effect that the day had on movies and movie-watchers, but that mostly dealt with the last decade – the world that came after that morning. As a counterpart, here’s a simply-edited montage of the past. Dan Meth has built a view to the movies where the Twin Towers either stood proudly in the background, made prominent appearances in the front of the action, or acted as the set. It’s stirring in its matter-of-factness, and it’s more than a little moving, but it’s ultimately a celebration of a symbol that no longer (physically) exists. Check it out for yourself:

New York City is covered in romantic qualities. Be them personal experiences romping through the city in the middle of the night with a cute boy you met on the elevator, absorbing yourself in a different culture around every corner, or because you just straight up watch too many films without having ever visited one of the five boroughs. New York is a city of dreams, schemers, and downtrodden, but each person who experiences the island knows the pull and excitement of this crazy-making place. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be films and shows where Manhattan is featured as prominently as any actor or actress on screen. The fantasy of New York is more than just Times Square and Central Park, it’s feeling like you belong there. Film fills that gaping hole in the hearts of those who cannot live in the city, but who want to explore the possibility. You (rightfully so) can’t have sex in the back of a cab, but that’s okay because Sex and the City has you covered. You can also feel like you’re canoodling on a park bench at 1 AM while watching About Last Night. It’s quite possible most people have some sort of big city public sex item on their Fuck-It List, and most of those ideas come from the films we’ve watched.

The combination of Woody Allen’s return to New York City and Larry David’s presence as the lead in his new film never pays off as it should.

Ironically, Dito Montiel’s ‘Fighting’ would be a much better movie without all the fighting.

Josh Schwartz is writing and directing an adaptation of the novel about New York City decadence for MGM. Also, if you wanted to see Michael J. Fox shouting at a fashion show, the trailer for the original is inside.

Sarah Jessica Parker is continuing to milk that cash-cow known as New York fashion, by starring in a new movie entitled The Ivy Chronicles about the life of a fashionable woman with an exciting career living on the Upper East Side.

In true Film School Reject fashion, our own Robin Ruinsky successfully gets lost in her own city on her first day covering the Tribeca Film Festival. We can’t fault her though, as NYC is a pretty big town.

The first thing I noticed when opening the schedule was the wide variety of films that will be showcased at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. There appears to be something for everybody this year.