While the escapism of being transported to some far-off world is captivating, setting a disaster movie somewhere familiar grounds it in a more chilling reality. Suddenly, the threat of the apocalypse, a natural disaster, or a Martian attack hits closer to home when the target is a place we all know and love.
And when disaster strikes, national landmarks are often the casualties, as is seen in the latest White House-centric thriller Olympus Has Fallen. (Which has many problems that go well beyond blowing up the seat of American politics.)
As beloved as these are, it’s also cool to see shit blow up. These are 25 epic scenes of landmark destruction in movies, in GIFs.
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Grand Central Terminal in Armageddon (1998)
The Washington Monument in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
Times Square in Watchmen (2009)
The Hollywood Sign in The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
The Golden Gate Bridge in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
The Great Sphinx of Giza in Team America: World Police (2004)
Las Vegas Strip in Mars Attacks! (1996)
Palace of Westminster in V for Vendetta (2005)
The Statue of Liberty in Cloverfield (2008)
St. Peter's Basilica in 2012 (2009)
Chrysler Building in Armageddon (1998)
Capitol Records Building in The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
The Shandor Building in Ghostbusters (1984)
Brooklyn Bridge in Deep Impact (1998)
Williamsburg Bridge in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Roman Colosseum in The Core (2003)
The White House in Independence Day (1996)
The Taj Majal in Mars Attacks! (1996)
Empire State Building in Superman II (1980)
Millenium Bridge in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
The Washington Monument in Mars Attacks! (1996)
The Empire State Building in Independence Day (1996)
The Statue of Liberty in The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
The Kremlin in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
