At the Licensing Expo in 1997, I met with some Sony executives about properties they were licensing for merchandise. (I also met Gary Panter at that event, but that’s another story). I asked why they were so excited about their new Godzilla flick. Grinning from ear to ear, one of the Japanese execs told me, “Because this time Godzilla destroys New York!”
That movie may’ve been the first to violate my rule that Jean Reno makes any movie good, but it seems to have helped kicked off a trend of movies about New York getting smacked down. This post from a NYTimes Cityroom blog offers a timeline of great New York ass-whompings, pre- and post-9/11, and links to a New York mag Top 10 list of ’em, too.
I’m just glad New Jersey tends to get off easy. Lex Luthor’s the only one who tried blowing us up.
If the small screen counts an honourable mention should go to Heroes.
Well, they were ripping off “Watchmen,” so that doesn’t count.
Meanwhile, Tyler Cowen has a neat interpretation of Cloverfield:
“Most of all this is a movie about how the young’uns have no tools for moral discourse and that all they can do is utter banalities and take endless pictures of each other and record their lives for no apparent purpose. I can’t recall any other movie that so completely devastates its intended demographic.”