TV
We couldn't tear ourselves away from the television 10 years ago as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks unfolded. Back then many of us overdosed on coverage, and eventually needed to take a breather from the everpresent images, although they would never leave our minds. Of course, this week's 10th anniversary will mean those images are back again, with almost every network covering the day's memorial events. Here are some highlights.
"Children of 9/11" focuses on the thousands of children who lost a parent in the attacks. (Sept. 5, 10 p.m., NBC.)
"American Greed: 9/11 Fraud" takes a look at those who used the attacks as a way to steal, including a contractor who overcharged the government by $800,000 to rebuild the Pentagon. (Sept. 7, 9 p.m., CNBC.)
Women rescue workers are sometimes overlooked when the events are remembered. "Beyond Bravery: The Women of 9/11" focuses on women who helped out. (Sept. 8, 11 p.m., CNN.)
This one may be one of the most heartbreaking to watch. "Voices from Inside the Towers" uses harrowing audio from those trapped inside the World Trade Center. (Sept. 10, 9 p.m., History.)
Music is always healing. "The New York Philharmonic 10th Anniversary Concert for 9/11" features a free performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2, fittingly known as the Resurrection. (Sept. 11, 9 p.m., PBS.)
"Twin Towers" won the 2003 Oscar for best documentary short. The film focuses on two brothers, a police officer and a firefighter, and their courage as the attacks unfolded. (Sept. 11, 11 p.m., USA.)
Movies
Hollywood is always fascinated with boxing movies, and now mixed martial arts is getting the same kind of treatment. In "Warrior," two brothers played by Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy take each other on in the ring. There's always a family twist to these films, and this one is that alcoholic dad Nick Nolte is training one of the brothers. (Opens Sept. 9.)
Disease movies like "Outbreak" and now the new "Contagion" always unnerve because they could actually happen, and we can imagine how helpless our world would be. This one looks terrifying, and things sure don't look good for the infected mom played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Creepy quote from the film: "Someone doesn't have to weaponize the bird flu. The birds are doing that." Maybe rather than see this you should just stay home and stock up on oxygen masks and antibiotics. (Opens Sept. 9.)
DVD
"Hanna" is a quietly chilling little film. Saoirse Ronan stars as a teen girl whose father has trained her to be an assassin. When her mission finally comes calling and she heads out into the world, things get dangerous pretty fast. Peter Rainer wrote in The Christian Science Monitor, "This film is bound to give the home-schooling movement a bad name, unless, of course, you're running a home school for assassins." (Out on DVD Sept. 6.)
1970s kids will remember "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters," where a sweet little googly-eyed monster is befriended by two boys after his family kicks him out for being too nice. The Sid and Marty Krofft series returns to DVD this week, featuring commentaries by stars Johnny Whitaker and Scott Kolden. Hard to believe the "mean" sea monsters actually seemed scary back then. Simpler times, my friends, simpler times. (First season out on DVD Sept. 6.)
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is TODAY.com's movies editor.