Los Angeles in Popular Culture - in Movies

In Movies

• Blade Runner (1982) depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019, in which genetically engineered organic robots called replicants—visually indistinguishable from adult humans—are manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation as well as by other "mega–manufacturers" around the world.
• In the Terminator series, a hi-tech robot and a human named John Connor always engage a battle in densely populated areas in the city. A post-apocalyptic 2029 Los Angeles also appears (though only during the pre-opening credits sequence - to provide some background to series storyline).
  • The Terminator (1984)
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  • Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
  • Terminator Salvation (2009)
• The 1997 movie, L.A. Confidential, centers around greater Los Angeles.
• Predator 2 (1990) centers around an alien battle in some densely populated areas in the city.
• In the production movie Demolition Man (1993), Los Angeles is referred to San Angeles. In this film, the city suffers a massive earthquake and its neighboring metropolitan. Several battles occurred at some places, like Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard.
• In the movie Escape from L.A. (1996), the city suffers from massive earthquakes and divides the city from California. After that, highly known and deadly criminals populate the city.
• In the movie Independence Day (1996), the first city-sized alien spaceships arrived at U.S. Bank Tower. The invader then fires a powerful beam and destroys the tower, then the city.
• In the 1997 film Volcano, a volcano threatens Los Angeles after it forms in the famous La Brea Tar Pits.
• The main story of Blue Streak (1999) revolves around Downtown Los Angeles.
• In the movie The Core (2003), the space shuttle Endeavour mistakenly lands on the Los Angeles River.
• In the 2006 movie Crank and its 2009 sequel, Crank: High Voltage, the main events focus on the places of Downtown Los Angeles.
• In the apocalyptic film The Day After Tomorrow (2004), series of F-3 to EF-5 tornadoes devastate some densely populated areas in the city.
• In the horror-suspense movie Right At Your Door (2006), several dirty bombs are blown in different parts of Los Angeles, spilling toxic a substance.
• In the 2007 giant monster film Dragon wars, devastation arrives first at Los Angeles Skyline after the giant monster dragons destroys and rampages through the city, then climbs the U.S. Bank Tower, after which the devastation continues to Downtown Los Angeles.
• In the movie Hancock (2008), Hancock's laziness and clumsiness wreak various destructions.
• In the 2007 movie Southland Tales, the US Bank Tower stands as headquarters for US-IDENT, a Big Brother surveillance agency under the guise of a national security think-tank. The film was set in downtown Los Angeles.
• In the 2009 movie 2012, Los Angeles is shown being ripped apart by giant earthquakes.
• In the 2010 horror movie Resident Evil: Afterlife, Alice and Claire arrive at Los Angeles after thinking they found Arcadia. Los Angeles is already in ruins thanks to the population of the zombies overwhelming it. A few survivors are hiding in the Citadel Correctional Facility (based on the real Los Angeles county jail) before deciding to head to the ship Arcadia.
• In the 2011 movie Battle: Los Angeles. LA is invaded by aliens, along with the rest of the world.