Dana Fillhart
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 977
(Spoiler alert for those who haven't seen one or both of the movies mentioned in the thread topic.)
I went out for the first time to the movies in over 2 weeks on Saturday, and saw two totally disparate films, Metropolis (a Japanese anime film), and Vanilla Sky. Both movies had one thing in common, though: Certain scenes, due to 9/11, had a significant effect on the audience watching them.
I watched Metropolis in the downtown region of Manhattan (Chelsea area I believe). Near the end of the movie, when the destruction of the two towers happened
, there was a VERY noticeable change in the atmosphere of the audience -- I can't quite prove it, but at least from my own internal reaction, I am guessing it was a sudden (and VERY visual) reminder of the events of 9/11.
Later in the evening I went to see Vanilla Sky, and though I didn't think anything of 9/11 through most of the movie (most of the movie occurred in NYC), the end sequence caught me off guard -- when David was on the rooftop facing the southern manhattan skyline, we see the twin towers very clearly to the south (the building Cruise's character was in was located probably in the mid-fifties street numbers, as you saw the noticeably SMALLER Empire State Building not too far to the south). The end explains that the events take place 150 years from the time of the beginning, and the beginning has the accident after 9/11, so I do wonder why the towers were chosen by Crowe to remain (yes I've read the explanation given in the VS discussion thread, but respectfully I don't buy it), as they are something of an anachronism. Whether or not they should be there though (I don't care either way), I must admit it WAS emotional for me, unexpectedly seeing that skyline in VS, and it had me *again* thinking back to 9/11, and all of the painful reminders and questions that always come up with such association. The upcoming CBS special, too (the exclusive footage inside the tower(s) after the planes hit but before the collapse), will only keep the event in the forefront of my mind (and probably many others out there).
I know that for me I'll always be sharply reminded of 9/11 when shown the Manhattan skyline, because I was so close to the events that took place, but for others this may not be the case. I can only imagine what the moviegoers here in this area are going to feel about Spiderman when it comes out. I'm a little curious how I'll feel about the opposite position -- when the first major movie comes out that depicts the current skyline in a prominent way. I'm wondering, then, have there been similar reactions from your audiences over these 2 movies? Have there been other movies out since then (even though it's only been 5 months) that've brought out similar reactions?
I'm hoping to keep this confined to the topic I stated; if it goes further than that or gets political, I have no problem with this thread being shut down.
I went out for the first time to the movies in over 2 weeks on Saturday, and saw two totally disparate films, Metropolis (a Japanese anime film), and Vanilla Sky. Both movies had one thing in common, though: Certain scenes, due to 9/11, had a significant effect on the audience watching them.
I watched Metropolis in the downtown region of Manhattan (Chelsea area I believe). Near the end of the movie, when the destruction of the two towers happened
, there was a VERY noticeable change in the atmosphere of the audience -- I can't quite prove it, but at least from my own internal reaction, I am guessing it was a sudden (and VERY visual) reminder of the events of 9/11.
Later in the evening I went to see Vanilla Sky, and though I didn't think anything of 9/11 through most of the movie (most of the movie occurred in NYC), the end sequence caught me off guard -- when David was on the rooftop facing the southern manhattan skyline, we see the twin towers very clearly to the south (the building Cruise's character was in was located probably in the mid-fifties street numbers, as you saw the noticeably SMALLER Empire State Building not too far to the south). The end explains that the events take place 150 years from the time of the beginning, and the beginning has the accident after 9/11, so I do wonder why the towers were chosen by Crowe to remain (yes I've read the explanation given in the VS discussion thread, but respectfully I don't buy it), as they are something of an anachronism. Whether or not they should be there though (I don't care either way), I must admit it WAS emotional for me, unexpectedly seeing that skyline in VS, and it had me *again* thinking back to 9/11, and all of the painful reminders and questions that always come up with such association. The upcoming CBS special, too (the exclusive footage inside the tower(s) after the planes hit but before the collapse), will only keep the event in the forefront of my mind (and probably many others out there).
I know that for me I'll always be sharply reminded of 9/11 when shown the Manhattan skyline, because I was so close to the events that took place, but for others this may not be the case. I can only imagine what the moviegoers here in this area are going to feel about Spiderman when it comes out. I'm a little curious how I'll feel about the opposite position -- when the first major movie comes out that depicts the current skyline in a prominent way. I'm wondering, then, have there been similar reactions from your audiences over these 2 movies? Have there been other movies out since then (even though it's only been 5 months) that've brought out similar reactions?
I'm hoping to keep this confined to the topic I stated; if it goes further than that or gets political, I have no problem with this thread being shut down.
If I had to guess, I'd say the Landmark Sunshine is in what's now called NoLiTa (for "North of Little Italy").
