Porno Past

The grimy version of Times Square featured in the movie contains ancient staples of the neighborhood, such as porn theaters, drawing from Taxi Driver as a major influence. “When Rorschach is looking down the 42nd street, you should be able to line up the theaters in the same way as Taxi Driver,” McDowell says. “We wanted to take the reality of a complete dysfunctional New York, but cut it up into a collage of a fictional New York, then put it back together again woven into the Watchmen architecture.”