It took nearly five years for 9/11 to make its way onto the big screen in a big way, with "United 93" and Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center."

But the terror attacks have been coursing through pop culture since the moment they happened. Late-night talk shows transformed temporarily into cathartic tear-fests before wobbling back to humor.

Musicians wrote their pain into tunes. Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" revolved around hopes for healing and Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" hinged on vengeance.

Theater responded quickly with plays like Anne Nelson's "The Guys," about a writer who helps a New York Fire Department captain come up with eulogies for firefighters killed in the attacks.

Steven Spielberg peppered his remake of "War of the Worlds" with allusions to 9/11, and Bryan Singer did the same in "Superman Returns."

Far more art -- from the numerous war documentaries to Eminem's vitriolic "Mosh" -- has arisen from decisions made in the aftermath of the terror attacks.

We focus in the accompanying video on pop culture influenced specifically by 9/11. Andrea Berloff, the 32-year-old screenwriter of "World Trade Center," acts as your guide.

Ryan Pearson is an asap staff reporter based in Los Angeles.

___

Want to comment? Sound off at soundoffasap@ap.org .

©2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.