USA: THE MONSTER MOVIE OF THE SUMMER "GODZILLA" HAS ITS PREMIERE AT NEW YORK'S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Record ID: 693241

  • Title: USA: THE MONSTER MOVIE OF THE SUMMER "GODZILLA" HAS ITS PREMIERE AT NEW YORK'S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
  • Date: 17th May 1998
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (MAY 17, 1998) (REUTERS) MATTHEW BRODERICK SAYING OF HOW GODZILLA HAS IMPROVED, "HE'S GONE TO THE GYM AND HE'S JUST WHIPPING AROUND NOW, HE'S FASTER AND HE'S YOU KNOW, HE'S FRIGHTENINGLY REALISTIC. THE OTHER WAS A LITTLE BIT QUAINT, COMPARED, YOU KNOW, NOW THEY CAN REALLY, THEY KNOCK DOWN A BUILDING. IT LOOKS LIKE A BUILDING GOT KNOCKED DOWN. BUT I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S BETTER. I WOULD JUST SAY IT'S MORE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR TIMES, BECAUSE I LIKE THE OLD ONE." (ENGLISH) JEAN RENO SAYING, "I SAW THE MOVIE TWO NIGHTS AGO AND I FALL (SIC) DOWN. I FALL DOWN BECAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES, HOW BIG HE IS. AND I'M DYING TO TAKE MY KIDS TO SEE THAT BECAUSE, I WILL LOOK AT THEM....WOW!" (ENGLISH)
  • Embargoed: 1st June 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADW3W9PVV8GOGEFAE4UGMT9K23
  • Story Text: It's big, it's what everyone in movieland has been waiting for and early word has it that "Godzilla" will be a killer at the box office.
    The most eagerly-awaited film of the year had its world premiere on Monday (May 18) in the only theatre big enough to hold it -- New York City's massive Madison Square Garden.
    The film's stars, Matthew Broderick, Hank Azaria and Jean Reno, were among the tens of thousands who attended the event.
    "Godzilla" is the newest version in the classic if somewhat tacky series of monster movies made popular by Japanese filmmakers in the 1950's.
    But this one isn't in the least bit tacky or cheap, costing more than 120 million US dollars to make.
    As well, no expense has been spared in marketing it as the biggest blockbuster of the summer.
    The makers of the film are no strangers to hype, hoopla and ubiquitous advertising.
    Director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin are the men responsible for 1996's biggest film "Independence Day." They hope the same mixture of sci-fi action, cutting-edge special effects and ensemble casting will make "Godzilla" an even bigger hit.
    The plot is simple.A scientist, a television reporter, a cameraman, an enigmatic French insurance investigator and the United States military, must join forces in an uneasy alliance.Their task -- to unravel the mystery behind a huge, destructive creature that threatens to reduce New York City to rubble.
    The creature has changed considerably since it was last seen laying waste to Tokyo in the original films.
    1998's version is sleeker, faster and it seems, a lot meaner.Of course, most of this is made possible only because of eye-popping special effects.
    Broderick plays the scientist called in to track the mysterious creature as it makes its way from French Polynesia, where it was born of nuclear testing, to the island of Manhattan.
    "Mission Impossible" co-star Jean Reno plays the insurance investigator who follows the hunt for his own enigmatic purposes.Hank Azaria is an agressive television cameraman with the approriate nickname of "Animal".
    The film also boasts a potentially hit soundtrack, with new songs from The Wallflowers and Puff Daddy, who collaborated with former Led Zeplin guitarist Jimmy Page on a new version of the band's classic song "Cashmere." "Godzilla" officially opens in theatres throughout the United States on Wednesday (May 20) but many cinemas are offering sneak previews of the film the day before.The film is opening on a record 7,300 movie screens, more than any other film in history.In Britain, audiences will have to wait until July to see "Godzilla".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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