Film Fatale

In a review of Poseidon, Michaeal Atkinson of the Village Voice suggests that this movie - like War of the Worlds - will go over better outside of big cities.

I wouldn't lump War of the Worlds in with 70s-style shlock.

I thought Steven Spielberg's 2005 film was three quarters a masterpiece of apocalyptic horror and one-quarter sentimental crap. (I'm talking to you, teenage-son-who-wouldn't-die) And if there had been another shot looking up the Martians rosy-pink snack baskets, I would have been carried out of the theater, having laughed myself into a coma.)

And what a relief that would have been. I used to live in Brooklyn, with a decent view of midtown and lower Manhattan. I recall no exhiliration whatsoever on 9-11, not on that day, not for days afterward.

Right now Poseidon and other forthcoming filmed excuses to watch shit blow up real good aren't on my list of must-see movies.

Atkinson writes (and I agree), "A supposedly fun thing I may never want to do again after 9-11, disaster films are simple death porn, and the easy wow factor of fireballs, massive explosions, flying bodies, and architectural obliteration on a large scale is, or should be, no longer a gimme."

As a friend and neighbor said when we heard about Oliver Stone's plans for his World Trade Center/firefighter-rescue movie, "Why should anyone be surprised or say it's too soon? People will make movies about anything. But I'm pretty sure I saw this movie already, and I didn't much like it the first time."