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When I first saw the posters for "Cloverfield", I thought "I am so goddamned sick of seeing New York City destroyed."
In December I had seen "I Am Legend," which was a crap film, but not because it featured a depopulated Manhattan. In fact, the only thing that was interesting about it was the ruins of Manhattan. The rest was abysmally stupid.
But then, right on its heels, came the advertisements for "Cloverfield", and I thought, "Jesus, the delight filmmakers take in destroying Manhattan is beginnning to verge on sadistic." Then and there I decided I wasn't going to see it.
This was a completely visceral reaction, not some politically-correct posturing. I am a New Yorker who experienced 9/11 firsthand - although, thank God, not as firsthand as some other people - and I think I've just reached my saturation point. Sure, before 9/11 there were countless films - Godzilla, Independence Day, King Kong, hell even Ghostbusters - where monsters rampage through the City. And no doubt part of it is that Manhattan is full of iconic buildings and landmarks whose destruction makes for thrilling visuals. But dare I say that 9/11 should have changed all that? After a while, you begin to think, "Could they just leave us freakin' alone for a movie or two? There was a real tragedy that happened here, people, and to see it replayed again and again in the fictionalized destruction of the City - well, after a while, it's begining to trigger a sort of post-tramatic stress disorder in me. Imagine seeing it happen over and over to the City YOU live in.
Sometimes I begin to wonder whether the rest of the country finds 9/11 more titillating than tragic. The rest of the country can't seem to get enough of it. 9/11-this, 9/11-that. New Yorkers are just trying to get on with their lives, and hope that nothing like it ever happens again, to New York or any other American city.
P.S.: Just for the record, I won't mind the destruction scene in "Watchman" so much because, as you point out, it was written 20 years ago and it's not the obsessive focus of the story. Strangely, though, when I re-read the graphic novel last year, I was more disturbed by that part than I had been when I first read it. I'm not saying there should be a ban on any destruction or devastation that might evoke 9/11, but to me "Cloverfield" looked more exploitative than artistic.
P.P.S.: I also didn't want to see "Cloverfield" because I was sure it was going to be as lame as "Lost" ultimately turned out to be. I don't think I'm a J.J. Abrams fan after all.
