Last year, as the 10th anniversary of 9/11 was approaching and the rest of America seemed to be preparing for a memorialization in keeping with the previous decade of jingoism and revenge, three young filmmakers were hard at work on a different sort of commemoration.

Calling themselves the Anti-Banality Union, they cut together scenes from 50 different Hollywood disaster movies, using them to retell a version of of the events of 9/11 and lay bare with encyclopedic thoroughness the bloody fantasy of the destruction of New York that Hollywood has nursed since long before the planes hit the towers.

The result, which you can watch in its entirety above, was Unclear Holocaust, a feature-length orgy of annihilation that is both strangely askew and deeply familiar. It is disturbing, hilarious, and, depending on your sensibilities, quite possibly profoundly offensive.

It's also smart. More than just a supercut of CGI explosions, Unclear Holocaust uses deft Situationist slight-of-hand to interrogate the stories we tell ourselves about our place in the world.

We spoke with the members of the Anti-Banality Union recently about Unclear Holocaust and their next project, Police Mortality. Here's that conversation, condensed and edited for clarity:

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Cover of Kurt Eichenwald's new book 500 Days: Secrets and Lies in the Terror Wars.

Reporter Kurt Eichenwald has created quite a buzz with his op-ed piece in yesterday's New York Times alleging failure by George W. Bush's administration to adequately respond to numerous warnings from the CIA of an impending Al Qaeda terrorist plot prior to the 9/11 attacks.

In the article, Eichenwald argues that the Bush administration was warned about potential attacks from Al Qaeda well before the now-infamous Aug. 6, 2001 presidential brief was delivered to the president and his administration.

The memo, entitled Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US, provided an overview of Al Qaeda's movement toward a potential attack on American soil.

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Forget the moment of silence, Kris Jenner wants to talk about her boobs!

Kim Kardashian's mom, Kris Jenner, is sooo busy right now! And her busy schedule -- which includes boob jobs and getting her kids pregnant -- apparently is more important than shutting up for a few seconds to remember the very moment when an airplane first crashed into the World Trade Center 11 years ago today.

Jenner appeared this morning on NBC's Today. At 8:46 a.m., as many Americans -- including the president and hosts of other morning shows -- observed a moment of silence to honor those killed when the first plane hit the WTC, Jenner and new Today host Savannah Guthrie gabbed about Jenner's boob job, her daughter Khloe's infertility, and the all-important relationship between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

So much for "Never Forget."

Watch the interview below -- and "never forget" that the only reason this woman is famous is because her daughter made sex tape with Ray J. Fact.



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It's been eleven years since a group of murderous monsters destroyed a good chunk of lower Manhattan during the September 11, terrorist attacks, but a lot's been going on to remind their buddies that "we're still here, dickweeds!"

While the enormous Freedom Tower is perhaps the most visible reminder that New Yorkers are basically as badass as it gets, it's just part of the downtown reconstruction that will eventually redefine the city's skyline.

So, today, as we remember what came crashing down 11 years ago, let's also take a look at what's popping up.

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It's somewhat discouraging that it takes the anniversary of the most somber day in American history for the two men running for president to act somewhat civil towards each other -- but we'll take what we can get.

Today, on the 11th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, President Barack Obama and his opponent, Mitt Romney, have pledged to keep the political rhetoric, dishonest attacks and crude jabs to a minimum.

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Thankfully, this bit of news is a little more resounding for the World Trade Center anniversary on Tuesday than our report of the political dispute between Bloomberg and Cuomo over the Museum funds from earlier today.
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As we all know, Tuesday marks the 11th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks - more than a decade has passed since the day that will forever live in New York and America's memories. Over time, the City has undergone a long and arduous process of moving on from the terrible events that occurred that day. Unfortunately, this recovery has been tainted with one of mankind's worst illnesses: politics.More »

The man standing with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is self-proclaimed Navy SEAL Mark Niemczyk. He's not a Navy SEAL, though -- he's a convicted felon, who authorities say has been running a bogus 9/11 charity for over a year.

"What a jerk off."

That's how actual Navy SEAL Don Shipley described alleged 9/11 scammer/faux-Navy SEAL Mark Anthony Niemczyk in April of last year -- more than a year before the New Jersey Attorney General's Office named Niemczyk in a lawsuit charging that he and another man have been running a bogus charity for the families of victims of the September 11, terrorist attacks for more than a year.

According to authorities Niemczyks and another man, Thomas J. Scalgione, have spent the past year driving around New Jersey and New York City in a truck -- covered with the names of the first responders who died when the World Trade Center towers collapsed -- soliciting donations for the fake charity.

The A.G.'s Office says the two men drove the truck to 9/11 memorial events and sold 9/11-themed tee-shirts to mourners starting in mid-2011. Additionally, they had a collection jug for cash donations, all of which were supposedly going to 9/11 charities.

That didn't happen, though; authorities say the two men -- each of whom have felony convictions for various fraud charges -- were pocketing the cash, and an investigation of the organizations to which the two men claimed to donate the money revealed that not a single one had received a dime from Niemczyk or Scalgione.

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www.standupforamerica.com

Commemorating the most tragic day in U.S. history will be slightly easier to watch his year -- the 9/11 memorial will still be pretty sad, as the names of all the victims of the terrorist attacks will be read at the sight of the World Trade Center. But unlike previous years, politicians won't get a chance to chime in with speeches that would likely translate to "look at me! Look at me! I'm sad about 9/11, too! Now, can I count on your vote?"

The National September 11 Memorial Foundation -- at the apparent directive of Mayor Mike Bloomberg -- decided earlier this week that the 9/11 memorial is not the place for political speeches, and the long-winded addresses from elected officials will not be permitted.

"This year, the reading of the names by family members will be the exclusive focus of the program," Joe Daniels, president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, said in a letter to victims' family members on Wednesday.

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What can 2,976 counts of murder and dozens of other charges of conspiracy, terrorism and hijacking get you? At Guantanamo Bay, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad and the other masterminds behind the September 11th attacks are about to find out the hard way.
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