Loose Change

Louder than Words
Company type	Independent production company
Industry	Film production
Founded	2005
Founder	Dylan Avery, Korey Rowe, Jason Bermas, Matthew Brown
Headquarters	United States
Area served	United States, Europe
Key people	Dylan Avery (writer and director), Korey Rowe (producer), Jason Bermas (producer), Matthew Brown (producer)
Products	Loose Change film series

Loose Change is a collection of films produced between 2005 and 2009 that advocate specific 9/11 conspiracy theories concerning the September 11 attacks. Dylan Avery served as the writer and director, while Korey Rowe, Jason Bermas, and Matthew Brown took on production roles.

The initial 2005 installment underwent several revisions, including Loose Change: 2nd Edition (2006), 2nd Edition Recut (2006), and the HD Remastered Edition released in 2017. On November 11, 2007, Loose Change: Final Cut became available on DVD and via online streaming.

A subsequent edition titled Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup, narrated by Daniel Sunjata and distributed by Microcinema International, premiered on September 22, 2009.

The series attracted considerable attention following its recut release in 2006, being broadcast on television channels across the United States and Europe and accumulating more than four million online views within a four-month period. This widespread exposure prompted Vanity Fair to describe it as a possible first major Internet sensation.

Loose Change disputes the official narratives regarding the Pentagon attack, the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93, positing that these incidents were orchestrated as a false flag operation. Nonetheless, its fundamental assertions have been extensively refuted by journalists, independent investigators, and experts in scientific and engineering fields.

History

In May 2003, Dylan Avery began researching for a screenplay about the 9/11 attacks and concluded there was evidence supporting 9/11 conspiracy theories that implicated government involvement. This discovery led him to produce a non-fiction film. The title Loose Change is a play on words referencing political transformation as well as the phrase for small denominations of currency.

The original version was released online free of charge in April 2005. It had a limited DVD distribution with approximately 50,000 copies sold and an additional 100,000 distributed without cost. Created with roughly $2,000 using Avery’s laptop, promotional efforts expanded when his childhood friend Korey Rowe left military service in June 2005 to join the project. Avery then started work on Loose Change: 2nd Edition, which cost around $6,000 to produce; Rowe acted as producer with Jason Bermas assisting. This edition premiered in December 2005 and was reissued in June 2006 under the title Loose Change: 2nd Edition Recut. The filmmakers established an independent production company named Louder than Words that aligned itself with the 9/11 Truth Movement. In April 2009, distribution rights were acquired by Microcinema International DVD.

In August 2006, Korey Rowe admitted there were inaccuracies within the film—for example, misidentifying a B-52 bomber as a B-25 in archival footage—and explained that some errors were intentionally left to motivate viewers toward independent research. In 2007, media entrepreneur Mark Cuban considered distributing the film with financial backing from Matthew Brown and narration by Charlie Sheen, but this initiative was abandoned following criticism from Bill O'Reilly.

The third iteration, called Loose Change Final Cut, launched in November 2007 with substantial revisions to its presentation while retaining its central thesis. Professor David Ray Griffin served as script consultant, and executive producers included radio personality Alex Jones. Produced on an estimated budget of $200,000, this edition was initially not free but subsequently appeared online in reduced quality formats. It has a runtime exceeding two hours, considerably longer than earlier versions.

On September 22, 2009, Collective Minds Media—owned by Avery, Rowe, and Brown—released Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup. Distributed by Microcinema International and narrated by Daniel Sunjata, this film explores events preceding and following the attacks. Funding was provided by Joel Bachar and Patrick Kwiatkowski of Microcinema International. The premiere took place at the 9/11 Film Festival held in Oakland, California.

Recut contents

Loose Change 2nd Edition Recut (2006) begins by drawing attention to historical instances of dubious intentions within the American government, specifically referencing Operation Northwoods, a 1962 proposal that involved staging false flag terrorist attacks to justify an invasion of Cuba. It also explores earlier schemes involving unmanned drones disguised as commercial airliners intended for covert attacks.

The documentary further investigates the now-defunct neo-conservative think tank, the Project for the New American Century, focusing on its 2000 publication "Rebuilding America's Defenses." This report suggested that a devastating event akin to "a new Pearl Harbor" could serve as a catalyst for profound strategic shifts. In the same year, the Pentagon conducted drills simulating a Boeing 757 crashing into its facility, coinciding with unusual put option trading activity in stocks of American Airlines, Boeing, and United Airlines. The opening sequence contrasts footage of the twin towers collapsing with commentary from Hunter S. Thompson, who claimed the attacks ultimately advantaged the Bush administration.

Concerning the Pentagon strike, the film disputes the official narrative that Flight 77 hit the building, citing discrepancies such as the relatively small size of the impact hole, scarce wreckage, and limited surrounding landscape damage compared to typical commercial aircraft crashes. It questions the authenticity of recovered parts and highlights controversy surrounding a flywheel found at the scene—officially identified as part of the APU but argued by some to originate from an E-3 Sentry plane.

The film also challenges hijacker-pilot Hani Hanjour’s capability to execute high-speed maneuvers with tight turns, referencing reports of his difficulties mastering basic flight controls during training. It alleges government concealment of surveillance footage from three nearby cameras that purportedly recorded the Pentagon event.

Turning to the World Trade Center collapse, it advocates for the controlled demolition theory regarding buildings 1, 2, and 7. Evidence cited includes eyewitness accounts describing explosions, video footage showing windows blowing outward beneath fire floors during collapse, and comparative seismic data. The film inaccurately claims these were the first steel-framed buildings ever to fall due to fire. It also refers to an audio recording allegedly capturing two explosions at impact and argues that official explanations ignore fundamental physical principles.

The documentary asserts that fires within the towers were insufficient to cause their collapse, referencing an audio tape in which Ladder 7's captain suggests that fires could be managed with minimal effort. It notes that building 7 suffered only minor damage prior to its fall and compares this with other structures that endured longer-lasting fires without collapsing.

Regarding Flight 93, the film disputes accounts of passenger resistance and instead claims it landed safely at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where government agents evacuated it to a NASA facility. Supporting evidence includes photographs of the crash site and eyewitness testimonies, unusual airport evacuation procedures, inconsistencies in passenger cell-phone call transcripts, and sightings of Flight 93’s tail number on a different aircraft.

Additional assertions express doubt about cell phone calls made from American Airlines flights during the attacks—questioning why special equipment was necessary if calls were feasible—and propose that passenger calls were fabricated using voice-morphing technology developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The film further alleges that Osama bin Laden’s December 2001 video claiming responsibility was staged using a lookalike. Lastly, it challenges official identities of hijackers released by authorities, suggesting many survived and remain alive.

The documentary concludes by suggesting financial incentives behind the attacks. It highlights Larry Silverstein’s insurance settlement linked to a contested "anti-terrorism clause" and alleges insider trading benefiting firms such as Halliburton amid America’s ensuing War on Terror.

Presentation and updates

Every iteration of the film maintains the position that the 9/11 attacks were fundamentally an "inside job", although notable modifications were made between versions. For instance:

Loose Change: 1st Edition (2005)

The initial release proposed the presence of an unusual apparatus ("pod") beneath the body of United Airlines Flight 175, suggesting that the planes were remotely piloted drones. Another documentary, 911: In Plane Site, investigates the concept of commercial jets being military aircraft equipped with "pods." Official flight documentation was cited as proof that these planes remained active in service, though the status of passengers was left ambiguous. This detail was excluded from subsequent editions.

Loose Change: 2nd Edition Recut (2006)

With a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes, this edition features Dylan Avery narrating over news clips and images accompanied by a hip hop soundtrack. It integrates footage from prominent networks such as CNN, MSNBC, NBC, and Fox News.

The first version asserted that United Airlines Flight 93 was shot down over Pennsylvania; the second edition speculates it landed at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. The third version provides fewer specifics but disputes its crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

In May 2006, Avery received a formal notice accusing him of copyright and trademark infringement for using footage from the Naudet brothers' film 9/11, violating the Lanham Act by implying endorsement. Avery responded by removing some infringing content from this recut edition.

Other amendments included:

Correcting that the Empire State Building was struck by a B-25 Mitchell in 1945, not a B-52 bomber during the 1950s or 1960s.
Eliminating unsubstantiated claims about $167 billion in gold beneath the World Trade Center, retaining only verified amounts such as "$230 million in precious metals."
Clarifying that Flight 77’s engines were produced by Rolls-Royce, rather than Pratt & Whitney steel-titanium alloys.
Substituting Wikipedia references with credible news sources.
Making minor revisions to arguments, visuals, and phrasing throughout.

The film ends with footage from The American Scholar's Symposium broadcast on C-SPAN on June 25, 2006, featuring Jason Bermas discussing plans for a peaceful Ground Zero protest on September 11, 2006. The credits include reMo Conscious' track "We Know".

Loose Change: Final Cut (2007)

With new distribution partners, Loose Change: Final Cut sought to eliminate speculative assertions present in earlier editions and concentrate on documented facts. For example, theories about Flight 93 diverting to Cleveland Hopkins Airport, voice-morphing technology used in calls, and a missile striking the Pentagon were excluded.

Avery described this as the film he originally intended to create, motivated by newly available information, funding prospects, and feedback from firefighters, survivors, and eyewitnesses. David Ray Griffin acted as script consultant, while conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was involved in production. This iteration runs over two hours and features a new soundtrack, additional interviews, and updated material.

The structure of the film is as follows:

Prologue: September 11, 2006 demonstration with supporters wearing "Investigate 9/11" shirts in New York.
Act I / Chapter I: Hijackers.
Act I / Chapter II: Wargames.
Act II / Chapter I: Pentagon.
Act II / Chapter II: Twin Towers.
Act II / Chapter III: Shanksville.
Act II / Chapter IV: WTC7.
Act III: The 9/11 Commission.
Epilogue: The Bush administration. The credits feature reMo Conscious's "Loose Change".

Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup (2009)

Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup was created, directed, and edited by Dylan Avery, featuring narration by actor Daniel Sunjata. This edition introduced an original soundtrack composed by Mic Cartier, replacing earlier musical scores. It opened with an overview of historical false flag events and incorporated updated visuals, interviews, and footage. Significantly, the film included an interview with Steven Jones discussing purported nano-thermite traces discovered at the foundations of the World Trade Center towers 1, 2, and 7.

Towards the film’s end, a rare interview with Barry Jennings was showcased. Jennings, an eyewitness trapped inside Building 7, recounted hearing explosions and encountering deceased individuals. The documentary emphasized the proximity of Jennings' death to the release of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s report on Building 7 and highlighted discrepancies between his statements and the official narrative denying any explosions or fatalities in that building. Additionally, it referenced a private investigator’s role in probing Jennings' death.

The concluding section focused on former USMC Major General Smedley Butler and the Business Plot—an alleged conspiracy involving affluent businessmen supported by media outlets and corporations aiming to depose President Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish a fascist government.

The closing credits featured Remo Conscious's track "Welcome to the Aftermath," which includes the lyric "9/11 was an inside job."

Loose Change 9/11 (2015)

On December 15, 2015, Journeyman Pictures reissued Loose Change as a shortened high-definition version titled Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup. Producers Dylan Avery and Korey Rowe noted that this release incorporated newly available NIST footage, a modified conclusion, and a briefer duration tailored for digital viewing platforms.

Loose Change 2nd Edition: HD (2017)

The Loose Change 2nd Edition premiered on September 7, 2017 via the official Loose Change YouTube channel. This remastered HD edition featured refreshed graphics and supplementary on-screen text throughout while preserving the original audio from 2005. The credits music was Remo Conscious's "Lies."

Release and reception

In North America, the documentary was broadcast on Fox television affiliates and screened internationally. On September 10, 2006, Dutch broadcaster BNN alongside Portuguese public TV channel RTP aired Loose Change during prime time; RTP repeated its showing on September 17.

An August 2006 article in Vanity Fair referred to Loose Change as potentially "the first Internet blockbuster." Over one million DVDs have been sold worldwide with numerous additional copies distributed freely. The film also aired on state-run media in Belgium, Ireland, and Portugal. A planned screening within the UK Houses of Parliament in June 2006 did not proceed under MP Michael Meacher's sponsorship.

On September 11, 2006, Dylan Avery and Jason Bermas engaged in a debate with editors from Popular Mechanics on the program Democracy Now!. In November 2017, a version of the film was reportedly discovered among Osama bin Laden’s seized hard drives during the Abbottabad raid conducted by U.S. Navy SEALs; portions were declassified by the CIA that same year.

DVD releases

The DVD edition Loose Change: 1st Edition Remastered included additional interviews along with a segment focusing on the Pentagon impact.
The Loose Change: 2nd Edition DVD showcased behind-the-scenes footage of Jason Bermas and members of the 9/11 Truth Movement distributing copies in New York, scenes from protests at the United 93 premiere, and footage of Avery, Bermas, and Rowe posting flyers throughout New York City.
Included in the Loose Change: Final Cut DVD was the music video "We Know" by reMo Conscious and a nine-minute deleted scene related to the Pentagon strike.
The DVD release of Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup featured interviews with narrator Daniel Sunjata, architect Richard Gage, and Jeannette McKinley, who provided World Trade Center dust samples to physicist Stephen Jones. The 2011 ten-year anniversary edition offered a limited second disc containing extended interviews, a documentary exploring the film’s influence, and a gallery of still images.

Criticism

Loose Change has been widely challenged by journalists, researchers, social commentators, scientists, and engineers concerning its assertions about the September 11 attacks. In March 2007, the United States Department of State published a critique titled "Loose Change Debunked," condemning the documentary for numerous "careless errors" and disputing its claims regarding Flight 77’s impact on the Pentagon as well as the controlled demolition hypothesis for the World Trade Center collapse. The piece described the film as "poorly researched" but noted its significant popularity.

Criticism also arose from within the 9/11 Truth Movement itself; Michael Green’s examination pointed out weaknesses in many of the film’s arguments. Independent analyses such as Sifting Through Loose Change, Screw Loose Change, and Internet Detectives accused the film of selectively quoting sources, relying on outdated or unreliable references, and cherry-picking evidence to undermine official reports.

A central point of dispute concerns Loose Change's interpretation of the World Trade Center’s collapse. Comparisons made to other tall building fires fail to consider differences in structural design, extent of damage, and compromised fireproofing—steel loses more than half its strength at approximately 600°C. The documentary’s citations of experts like Kevin Ryan misrepresent their qualifications; Ryan was employed by a water-testing division unrelated to structural steel certification. Furthermore, ASTM E119 fireproofing standards do not forecast performance under uncontrolled fire conditions. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found no documentation of prior testing on WTC materials. Media outlets misquoted Van Romero regarding explosives at the WTC; he later clarified his statements to safeguard his scientific integrity.

On September 11, 2006, Democracy Now! broadcasted a discussion featuring two creators of Loose Change alongside editors from Popular Mechanics, debating various elements of the film. Jason Bermas challenged the official account by denying that United Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville and criticized Popular Mechanics as resembling yellow journalism.

Political writer George Monbiot authored articles contesting the feasibility of conspiracies promoted in Loose Change, addressing responses from readers. Filmmaker Kevin Smith commented on conspiracy videos including Loose Change during his podcast but clarified that he regarded them solely as entertainment without endorsing their claims. The satirical website The Best Page in the Universe produced a parody titled "Unfastened Coins," ridiculing conspiracy reasoning.

The History Channel aired "The 9/11 Conspiracies: Fact or Fiction?" which featured interviews with creators of Loose Change. Investor Mark Cuban, who had initially considered distributing the film, publicly dismissed belief in its theories—a view shared by financier Matthew Brown who nonetheless advocates for free speech rights.

In the United Kingdom, BBC’s documentary series The Conspiracy Files produced two episodes investigating 9/11 conspiracy theories including those presented by Loose Change. Several assertions were examined and explicitly debunked. Dylan Avery was interviewed but was depicted unfavorably in connection with these theories.

The Beats of Loose Change

In December 2006, Third i Records issued a continuous soundtrack for Loose Change: 2nd Edition, featuring hip-hop compositions by DJ Skooly, Dustin Marshall (who shared a residence with Dylan Avery), Josue Guadalupe (known as Swae Da Ricanstrukta), and Nick Hernandez (alias Nick Tha 1da). This collection also incorporated vocal elements extracted from the documentary. The DVD version provided viewers with selectable "music-only" and "vocals-only" audio options.

More Beats of Loose Change

Released on March 3, 2008, More Beats of Loose Change served as the soundtrack for Loose Change: The Final Cut, highlighting DJ Skooly's hip-hop score. This album combined original rock and rap pieces and was designed as a seamless listening experience, alternatively titled More Beats of Loose Change: The Loose Change 3rd Edition Soundtrack. It featured prominent quotes and narration from the film, reinforcing its thematic resonance. Of particular note, the track "Opinions" was previously known as "What They Saw," while "Hani Hanjour" shared its name with an earlier composition but presented a unique melody.

The DVD release of Loose Change: Final Cut also included optional audio tracks labeled "music-only" and "vocals-only," enhancing the experience for those interested in the soundtrack's nuances.

Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup—Official Soundtrack

Mic Cartier composed the original score for the 2009 update titled Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup. The official soundtrack became available on June 24, 2018, through CD Baby, followed by distribution across various streaming services.

In other media

In a 2006 interview on Dutch television, filmmaker David Lynch remarked that Loose Change challenged his viewpoints and left him pondering unresolved questions.

In Chapter 12 of American Conspiracies, former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura endorsed the 2007 (Final Cut) edition of Loose Change, expressing his astonishment at accounts from firefighters and eyewitnesses who reported explosions occurring before and during the collapse of the buildings.

Filmmaker and writer Kevin Smith conveyed in 2011 his admiration for Loose Change, describing it as captivating. By 2012, he characterized it as a "compelling, well-crafted film" with "superb filmmaking," although he remained uncertain about its factual accuracy.

External links

Official website