To: Bruce Galpeer who wrote (5794 ) 5/18/1998 1:06:00 PM From: Grupo Brad Respond to of 19331
(COMTEX) "Godzilla" takes Manhattan by storm "Godzilla" takes Manhattan by storm NEW YORK, May 18 (AFP) - Some 13,000 people are expected to attend the world premier here Monday of "Godzilla", the latest movie based on the Japanese saga of the fire-breathing lizard. This time Godzilla, latest incarnation of the original big lizard in the 1956 Japanese movie, is more dangerous than ever, having become radioactive as a result of exposure to French nuclear testing in the Pacific. The film will have the biggest launch of any movie in the United States with 7,000 cinemas preparing to show it from Wednesday, according to producer Dean Devlin, who along with director Roland Emmerich already has one disaster movie under his belt, "Independence Day." Devlin, accompanied by actors Jean Reno, Matthew Broderick and Maria Pitillo, attended a press conferene Monday with New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who proclaimed the day "Godzilla Day." "It doesn't matter that Godzilla trashes New York, as long as it shows the first city in the world and makes people want to come here," said the mayor. The release of "Godzilla" follows a massive publicity campaign in the United States but the film's long-term potential has been questioned by the specialist magazine "Daily Variety." "No doubt about it: 'Godzilla' will be a killer at the box office during the early stages of its prodigiously wide release," the magazine predicted. But "'Godzilla' isn't likely to post 'Titanic'-size grosses, or even challenge the record (for a sci-fi movie) set by 'Independence Day,'" it added. Daily Variety said the new fire-breathing lizard lacks mass appeal and is "not the familiar creature who often managed to earn audience sympathy, or at least develop a distinct personality." fjb/cw/sb