Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup

Dylan Avery's Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup is actually the fourth version of a documentary that first appeared in 2005, in which Avery argues that the Bush-Cheney White House—collaborating with corporate America and the U.S. military—played an active role in the 9/11 attacks. As is the case with many conspiracy-theory documentaries, viewers are asked to believe that the government is the enemy, mainstream media is its willing patsy, and independently financed fringe agitators know and speak the truth. The overarching argument here is that 9/11 is part of a long series of events about which governments lied to the public in order to pursue reckless policies (e.g., the 1933 Reichstag Fire and the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident). But Loose Change offers no irrefutable evidence—just endless speculation that ultimately serves to trivialize the tragedy—while Daniel Sunjata's overly melodramatic narration merely emphasizes the spurious quality of Avery's investigation. Conspiracy addicts may enjoy the wide-ranging theories, but those looking for professional investigative journalism will not appreciate the sensationalism. DVD extras include bonus featurettes and a 12-page booklet featuring Sunjata's manifesto “Intellectual Dishonesty in the Age of Universal Deceit: A Message to the Media and Our Elected Officials.” Not recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)