Too, I have to second-guess myself with what I said about bankruptcy and Universal: the Universal monster-vs.-monster movies were stupid and did kill franchises and were total crap. But the Toho monster-vs.-monster movies–i.e. Godzilla-vs.-everything–were entertaining and cool. If you don’t enjoy the sight of two giant monsters leveling Tokyo while they’re trying to level each other, there’s something wrong with you….

Although, here again… Gojira is a surprisingly smart movie with some serious symbolism and heavy subtext going on. So even the Toho m-v-m movies, I guess, share some of the Universal m-v-m movies’ sins.

But here’s the thing, too: sometimes it’s fun to see that twelve-year-old-fun stuff. The first AVP isn’t great, but it isn’t terrible, either (like I said, it’s the third-best Aliens movie, though that’s admittedly damning with faint praise; and it’s also the third best Predator movie, which is a problem). I actually saw Freddy Vs. Jason last Friday–hanging out with a buddy, and he rightly wanted to watch a Friday The 13th movie; it isn’t terrible, either. It’s not high art, by any means, and it isn’t the best movie from either franchise (though, like AVP with Aliens, it isn’t the worst, either). There are, surprisingly enough, some bits and pieces that were actually sort of clever.

I don’t think anybody here would argue that there’s anything wrong with occasionally eating a greasy cheeseburger so long as you know it’s a greasy cheeseburger. I own Citizen Kane on DVD, not to mention several of Kurosawa’s masterpieces, The Maltese Falcon, Butch Cassidy and a few other prime steaks if I want something hearty and nutritious. And in terms of horror I have Scott’s Alien (the only film in that franchise I own or am likely to) and a Val Lewton box set that includes Tourneur’s Cat People, one of the most evocatively and beautifully-shot horror films ever made. What I’m saying is, I’ll defend the first AVP and Freddy Vs. Jason for what they are–a plate greasy sliders with a thick shake and a side of onion rings. Finger food, and unhealthy as hell if it’s all you eat or if you don’t know what real food is… but damn if they don’t taste pretty freakin’ good every now and again.

If you want to go even farther back, there was a skull in the trophy case on the Predators’ ship in Predator II that looked like a bleached xenomorph skull.

If we look to the comics as far as where this and other franchises might go, I haven’t read them, but there’s also RoboCop vs. Terminator, and more recently, Alien vs. Predator vs. Terminator.

Then there’s always the Batman vs. Predator series, which must have been popular enough to have two sequels in DC. There’s Superman vs. Alien and, I think, Batman vs. Alien.

Of course, Batman vs. Alien vs. Predator. But then that’s already been done.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go roll a saving throw vs. ultimate geekery.

And Hobbes says, “That’s just stupid.”

That’s exactly how the mixing of the Alien/Predator story lines hits me – T-Rex in F-14′s. It’s like little kids doing the whole plastic predator action figure battle with the alien action figure on the couch. Pew pew pew. When kids do it, well, they’re just being silly kids – when Hollywood does, well, they’re just making movies for silly kids. Alien? Predator? The plot is how many bimbos and grade-B actors can you shove through a meat grinder in 90 minutes – no thinking required.

AVP, the Freddie and Jason movies, etc – banal, predictable, boring. Things get too slow, show some tits.

Anne, you’re right, Taken‘s plot was pretty basic and linear and Liam made up for a lot. I’m looking forward to Clive doing the same for the plot of The International.

MWT, I’ve never seen the video games but I can see the potential there – lots of gory stuff.

Vince, I will admit that Jamie Lee Curtis’s early turn as the babysitter in Halloween II was my introduction to the heroine who acts like an idiot for 90 minutes, thus perpetuating the storyline.

Eric, I liked Run, Lola, Run. And also the Bourne movies which were somewhat related in spirit, as well as leading lady. Iron and Wine? I have a mishmash, downloaded from iTunes, but mostly The Creek Drank the Cradle and Our Endless Numbered Days. I actually listened and downloaded after you mentioned him last fall ramping up to NaNoWriMo.