Independence Day
July 4, 2021 4:13 PM Subscribe
I remember seeing a different film just before ID4 came out, and the trailer for ID4 was one of the trailers. It was shortly after something came out where Bill Clinton didn't look to good - I don't think it was Lewinskygate yet, maybe it was something about foreign affairs; but when they got to the bit in the trailer where the White House was blown up, there were some giggles, and a smattering of applause.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:56 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:56 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
It's really something to read those oral histories one after the other; the first one has some stuff at the end where there was some speculation that the 9/11 conspirators planned it to one-up all the destruction in ID4, which is just right down there with the rankest truther bullshit. The newer one is a lot looser and more fun. There's also that weird little bit with Randy Quaid denying that there was ever a press tour; although Emmerich refers to Quaid's traveling companion as his "girlfriend", Wikipedia has him marrying Evi Motolanez in 1989. Their behavior sure does sound like a lead-up to the whole "Star Whackers" thing.
As for the movie itself, yeah, it was really just a lot of big, dumb, fun spectacle. Beating the aliens by turning off their shields was straight out of The Wrath of Khan, and I could never figure out the whole thing with destroying major cities by a slow countdown process rather than simply nuking them, but there were a lot of fun gags and cool bits to make up for it.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:16 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
As for the movie itself, yeah, it was really just a lot of big, dumb, fun spectacle. Beating the aliens by turning off their shields was straight out of The Wrath of Khan, and I could never figure out the whole thing with destroying major cities by a slow countdown process rather than simply nuking them, but there were a lot of fun gags and cool bits to make up for it.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:16 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
It was shortly after something came out where Bill Clinton didn't look to good - I don't think it was Lewinskygate yet, maybe it was something about foreign affairs; but when they got to the bit in the trailer where the White House was blown up, there were some giggles, and a smattering of applause.
Heh, appropriate enough for the movie, given it's subtext is absolutely anti-Clinton, though, as usual, Hillary being the main focus of anger. (The symbolic emphasis is completely consistent in suggesting the US is losing its standing and power due to becoming too feminized, and as the US goes, so goes the world. This runs from the first scenes, the US flag and Neil Armstrong's footprint being toppled/erased on the moon and the President taking care of a baby in front of the TV while his wife is giving a speech, to the end where Randy Quaid's alien violated character gets his revenge by flying his payload right up the opening of the mothership. And it touches the relationships of all the other characters as well, scene after scene. It's so numbingly consistent and over the top that' it's kinda funny for being so pathetic.)
posted by gusottertrout at 5:53 PM on July 4, 2021 [15 favorites]
Heh, appropriate enough for the movie, given it's subtext is absolutely anti-Clinton, though, as usual, Hillary being the main focus of anger. (The symbolic emphasis is completely consistent in suggesting the US is losing its standing and power due to becoming too feminized, and as the US goes, so goes the world. This runs from the first scenes, the US flag and Neil Armstrong's footprint being toppled/erased on the moon and the President taking care of a baby in front of the TV while his wife is giving a speech, to the end where Randy Quaid's alien violated character gets his revenge by flying his payload right up the opening of the mothership. And it touches the relationships of all the other characters as well, scene after scene. It's so numbingly consistent and over the top that' it's kinda funny for being so pathetic.)
posted by gusottertrout at 5:53 PM on July 4, 2021 [15 favorites]
It's really something to read those oral histories one after the other
Noticable too that the 2015 history -- although it's clearly just a cut-up of old interviews rather than new -- is driven by the then-upcoming Independence Day: Resurgence sequel whereas the 2021 history is delicately pretending that it didn't happen.
Rewatching ID4 recently it really struck me how much it sags in the middle; the first 45 minutes are terrific tension-building, but after the buildings are blown up and Will Smith delivers not one but two punchlines ("welcome to earth" / "now that's what I call a close encounter") it kind of has nowhere to go for a while; at least until we get to Doctor Okun being puppeteered and yes-yes-less-of-the-ooops.
(Also, Will Smith doesn't even appear until 20 minutes in, which seems unthinkable now.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:59 PM on July 4, 2021 [7 favorites]
Noticable too that the 2015 history -- although it's clearly just a cut-up of old interviews rather than new -- is driven by the then-upcoming Independence Day: Resurgence sequel whereas the 2021 history is delicately pretending that it didn't happen.
Rewatching ID4 recently it really struck me how much it sags in the middle; the first 45 minutes are terrific tension-building, but after the buildings are blown up and Will Smith delivers not one but two punchlines ("welcome to earth" / "now that's what I call a close encounter") it kind of has nowhere to go for a while; at least until we get to Doctor Okun being puppeteered and yes-yes-less-of-the-ooops.
(Also, Will Smith doesn't even appear until 20 minutes in, which seems unthinkable now.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:59 PM on July 4, 2021 [7 favorites]
In 1995, the duo emerged from a Mexican screenwriting binge
I don't think I've ever heard a more perfect euphemism for "We did a mountain of blow and drank a swimming pool full of tequila."
posted by loquacious at 6:19 PM on July 4, 2021 [49 favorites]
I don't think I've ever heard a more perfect euphemism for "We did a mountain of blow and drank a swimming pool full of tequila."
posted by loquacious at 6:19 PM on July 4, 2021 [49 favorites]
Rewatching ID4 recently it really struck me how much it sags in the middle; the first 45 minutes are terrific tension-building, but after the buildings are blown up and Will Smith delivers not one but two punchlines ("welcome to earth" / "now that's what I call a close encounter") it kind of has nowhere to go for a while; at least until we get to Doctor Okun being puppeteered and yes-yes-less-of-the-ooops.
This exactly. Independence Day does a really excellent job of building up tension in the first act, something Emmerich is actually quite good at. The Day After Tomorrow has a similar formula of doom and gloom and is similarly absorbing...for the first act.
Then, yes, it really drags for act two, and the third act has some decent action scenes, but the whole climax hinges on infecting the aliens' computers with a virus from our Apple laptop drew laughs from the audience in the theater when I was watching. Just...was it supposed to be so stupid? Was that satire that I'm just not getting?
Independence Day: One third a great suspense film, one third meandering, one third very very stupid.
posted by zardoz at 6:39 PM on July 4, 2021 [7 favorites]
This exactly. Independence Day does a really excellent job of building up tension in the first act, something Emmerich is actually quite good at. The Day After Tomorrow has a similar formula of doom and gloom and is similarly absorbing...for the first act.
Then, yes, it really drags for act two, and the third act has some decent action scenes, but the whole climax hinges on infecting the aliens' computers with a virus from our Apple laptop drew laughs from the audience in the theater when I was watching. Just...was it supposed to be so stupid? Was that satire that I'm just not getting?
Independence Day: One third a great suspense film, one third meandering, one third very very stupid.
posted by zardoz at 6:39 PM on July 4, 2021 [7 favorites]
(Also, Will Smith doesn't even appear until 20 minutes in, which seems unthinkable now.)
Yeah, it is odd to reflect on the way movie-making -- even and especially big dumb blockbusters -- has changed in a few decades. I was already a teenager when Beverly Hills Cop came out, and it is still basically unimaginable to me that this was a move released in December.
I am curious what weird-ass choice people will find unthinkable in, say, the MCU movies a few decades hence.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:11 PM on July 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
Yeah, it is odd to reflect on the way movie-making -- even and especially big dumb blockbusters -- has changed in a few decades. I was already a teenager when Beverly Hills Cop came out, and it is still basically unimaginable to me that this was a move released in December.
I am curious what weird-ass choice people will find unthinkable in, say, the MCU movies a few decades hence.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:11 PM on July 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
the whole climax hinges on infecting the aliens' computers with a virus
An update of War of the Worlds' "Martians caught the flu" resolution. And it's not quite as stupid as it seems. Given that the aliens communicate telepathically, would computer security even be a concept to them? Also, I imagine that most races that the aliens had encountered heretofore had either been too advanced to challenge, or too primitive to fight. Earth happened to be in the sweet spot of just advanced enough.
posted by SPrintF at 7:13 PM on July 4, 2021 [7 favorites]
An update of War of the Worlds' "Martians caught the flu" resolution. And it's not quite as stupid as it seems. Given that the aliens communicate telepathically, would computer security even be a concept to them? Also, I imagine that most races that the aliens had encountered heretofore had either been too advanced to challenge, or too primitive to fight. Earth happened to be in the sweet spot of just advanced enough.
posted by SPrintF at 7:13 PM on July 4, 2021 [7 favorites]
it's subtext is absolutely anti-Clinton
For a long time the Republicans would emphasize how their macho presidential candidates were more manly and had served in the military compared to the wimpy Democrats, despite the Republicans' often shady records.
1980: Army Air Forces filmmaker Ronald Reagan vs. submarine XO Jimmy Carter.
1984: Reagan vs. Army corporal Walter Mondale
1988: Naval aviator George H. W. Bush (shot down in combat) vs. Army radio operator (and admittedly silly looking in a tank) Michael Dukakis
1992: Draft evader Bill Clinton vs. George H. W. Bush
1996: Clinton vs. World War II combat veteran Bob Dole
2000: Draft evader who punked out from his cushy Air National Guard "champagne unit" George W. Bush vs. voluntarily enlisted to serve in Vietnam Al Gore
2004: Bush 2.0 vs. voluntarily enlisted to serve in Vietnam, won Bronze Star and several Purple Hearts John Kerry
2008: Too young for Vietnam Barack Obama vs. Naval aviator John McCain (shot down in combat)
2012: Obama vs. draft evader Mitt Romney
2016: Multiple bone spur injury victim/avoiding STDs was "my personal Vietnam"/vaginas are "potential landmines"/nine deferments Donald Trump vs. not eligible for combat Hillary Clinton
I don't think military experience is a qualifier for president because I believe in civilian control of the military. I respect the service records of George H. W. Bush, Dole, and McCain even tough I disagree with their poltiics.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:34 PM on July 4, 2021 [8 favorites]
For a long time the Republicans would emphasize how their macho presidential candidates were more manly and had served in the military compared to the wimpy Democrats, despite the Republicans' often shady records.
1980: Army Air Forces filmmaker Ronald Reagan vs. submarine XO Jimmy Carter.
1984: Reagan vs. Army corporal Walter Mondale
1988: Naval aviator George H. W. Bush (shot down in combat) vs. Army radio operator (and admittedly silly looking in a tank) Michael Dukakis
1992: Draft evader Bill Clinton vs. George H. W. Bush
1996: Clinton vs. World War II combat veteran Bob Dole
2000: Draft evader who punked out from his cushy Air National Guard "champagne unit" George W. Bush vs. voluntarily enlisted to serve in Vietnam Al Gore
2004: Bush 2.0 vs. voluntarily enlisted to serve in Vietnam, won Bronze Star and several Purple Hearts John Kerry
2008: Too young for Vietnam Barack Obama vs. Naval aviator John McCain (shot down in combat)
2012: Obama vs. draft evader Mitt Romney
2016: Multiple bone spur injury victim/avoiding STDs was "my personal Vietnam"/vaginas are "potential landmines"/nine deferments Donald Trump vs. not eligible for combat Hillary Clinton
I don't think military experience is a qualifier for president because I believe in civilian control of the military. I respect the service records of George H. W. Bush, Dole, and McCain even tough I disagree with their poltiics.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:34 PM on July 4, 2021 [8 favorites]
The symbolic emphasis is completely consistent in suggesting the US is losing its standing and power due to becoming too feminized, and as the US goes, so goes the world.
I read Bret Devereux's dismantling of this idea, thought it was interesting, and then discovered to my horror that it kept popping up.
posted by Merus at 7:43 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I read Bret Devereux's dismantling of this idea, thought it was interesting, and then discovered to my horror that it kept popping up.
posted by Merus at 7:43 PM on July 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I read Bret Devereux's dismantling of this idea, thought it was interesting, and then discovered to my horror that it kept popping up.
Dismantling of what idea and where did this dismantling take place?
posted by gusottertrout at 7:50 PM on July 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Dismantling of what idea and where did this dismantling take place?
posted by gusottertrout at 7:50 PM on July 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
The second movie I've ever walked out of, and the only one I'm not ashamed to say that I did.
The young punk in me just couldn't take Bill Pullman's ra-ra-USA speechifying, so I opted to go to the college radio meeting I was skipping to go to the movies after all.
posted by ryanshepard at 8:27 PM on July 4, 2021 [6 favorites]
The young punk in me just couldn't take Bill Pullman's ra-ra-USA speechifying, so I opted to go to the college radio meeting I was skipping to go to the movies after all.
posted by ryanshepard at 8:27 PM on July 4, 2021 [6 favorites]
I read Bret Devereux's dismantling of this idea
Oh, I think I follow now, the Fremen Mirage piece on his blog. I thought he might have written something about Independence Day specifically someplace else, like Twitter or whatever.
posted by gusottertrout at 8:59 PM on July 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Oh, I think I follow now, the Fremen Mirage piece on his blog. I thought he might have written something about Independence Day specifically someplace else, like Twitter or whatever.
posted by gusottertrout at 8:59 PM on July 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
It was much better than the sequel.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 9:51 PM on July 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 9:51 PM on July 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
the White House was blown up, there were some giggles, and a smattering of applause
I remember in the theater, when the Welcome Aliens group on top of Fox Plaza in LA got lazerized, a very loud Die Hard fan somewhere in the audience:
"Noooo! They blew up Nakatomi Tower!!"
Is there one of those German compound nouns for
'Nostalgia, triggered by a cinematic establishing shot, of an architectural landmark, from your lifetime, which no longer exists'?
[4m YT, Twin Towers in old movies slideshow]
[2m YT, the original teaser trailer for the Sam Raimi / Tobey Maguire Spider-Man, which you've probably only seen once, in a theater in summer 2001, and maybe thought you had imagined, since it was pulled instantly from everywhere that autumn: Coming May 2002]
For imaginary comparison's sake, since both iconic structures are about the same age:
having a kid elbow you during a film and ask "Gran, what's that weird building supposed to be?"
"Oh. In the old days Sydney used to have an Opera House. I remember when it opened. I was about the age you are now.
This movie's from back before the tsunamis."
posted by bartleby at 11:04 PM on July 4, 2021 [13 favorites]
I remember in the theater, when the Welcome Aliens group on top of Fox Plaza in LA got lazerized, a very loud Die Hard fan somewhere in the audience:
"Noooo! They blew up Nakatomi Tower!!"
Bummer Warning, do not read:
I hadn't seen it in a while, but watching a clip online just now to refresh my memory...Is there one of those German compound nouns for
'Nostalgia, triggered by a cinematic establishing shot, of an architectural landmark, from your lifetime, which no longer exists'?
[4m YT, Twin Towers in old movies slideshow]
[2m YT, the original teaser trailer for the Sam Raimi / Tobey Maguire Spider-Man, which you've probably only seen once, in a theater in summer 2001, and maybe thought you had imagined, since it was pulled instantly from everywhere that autumn: Coming May 2002]
For imaginary comparison's sake, since both iconic structures are about the same age:
having a kid elbow you during a film and ask "Gran, what's that weird building supposed to be?"
"Oh. In the old days Sydney used to have an Opera House. I remember when it opened. I was about the age you are now.
This movie's from back before the tsunamis."
posted by bartleby at 11:04 PM on July 4, 2021 [13 favorites]
I read this the other day and the part that I loved the best was the idea that they essentially had to hard-sell half the aspects of this famous blockbuster to the studios, which were so averse to everything but established formula that they were prepared to sabotage their own box office than take even a minor risk.
The fact that they forced their hands by having a whole speech — I love that it was essentially a "PLACEHOLDER SPEECH, DO NOT FILM" — that took place on July 4 so that the suits couldn't change the name and switch the date up to avoid competition... amazing.
There were tons of fun tidbits in this. It's my third favorite oral history now after Street Fighter (first place) and The Disney Afternoon (second).
The movie is definitely bad in several major ways, but it was truly everything I wanted it to be when I saw it as a teen and it remains a resounding success to me in that same way today.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:50 AM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
The fact that they forced their hands by having a whole speech — I love that it was essentially a "PLACEHOLDER SPEECH, DO NOT FILM" — that took place on July 4 so that the suits couldn't change the name and switch the date up to avoid competition... amazing.
There were tons of fun tidbits in this. It's my third favorite oral history now after Street Fighter (first place) and The Disney Afternoon (second).
The movie is definitely bad in several major ways, but it was truly everything I wanted it to be when I saw it as a teen and it remains a resounding success to me in that same way today.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 12:50 AM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
the whole climax hinges on infecting the aliens' computers with a virus from our Apple laptop drew laughs from the audience in the theater when I was watching. Just...was it supposed to be so stupid? Was that satire that I'm just not getting?
IIRC there was a side comic about the history of Area 51, and it says that every piece of tech from 1950 onwards, including our computers, were derived from the crashed alien UFO. So interfacing with their systems would be relatively easy.
posted by ymgve at 3:29 AM on July 5, 2021 [7 favorites]
IIRC there was a side comic about the history of Area 51, and it says that every piece of tech from 1950 onwards, including our computers, were derived from the crashed alien UFO. So interfacing with their systems would be relatively easy.
posted by ymgve at 3:29 AM on July 5, 2021 [7 favorites]
This movie left me asking what I would have done in a similar situation: Would I be one of the hopelessly naive party goers welcoming the aliens from the roof of the skyscraper, or would I be one of the characters that heed all the rather obvious warning signs and preemptively seek shelter from the destruction?
And now after 2020 I have my answer!
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:24 AM on July 5, 2021 [9 favorites]
And now after 2020 I have my answer!
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:24 AM on July 5, 2021 [9 favorites]
This bit stuck out for me:
posted by TheophileEscargot at 6:57 AM on July 5, 2021 [14 favorites]
DEVLIN They said, “You cast a Black guy in this part, you’re going to kill foreign [box office].” Our argument was, “Well, the movie is about space aliens. It’s going to do fine foreign.” It was a big war, and Roland really stood up for [Smith] — and we ultimately won that war.Seems relevant with all the comments lately about how the studios would love to have more LGBT characters but those darned overseas markets won't let them. A lot of the time the "overseas markets won't stand for diversity" argument just seems to be an excuse for the studios own prejudices.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 6:57 AM on July 5, 2021 [14 favorites]
my favourite (UK politcs-based) cartoon based on this movie: 'Let me do it, David'
And, like the movie ID4, it's from a more innocent time. We thought that Gove and all were just inept at the time ...
posted by scruss at 8:27 AM on July 5, 2021 [7 favorites]
And, like the movie ID4, it's from a more innocent time. We thought that Gove and all were just inept at the time ...
posted by scruss at 8:27 AM on July 5, 2021 [7 favorites]
(Also, Will Smith doesn't even appear until 20 minutes in, which seems unthinkable now.)
In Richard Donner's Superman you don't see Kal-El in his super-suit until almost an hour has passed.
Seems slow for a modern superhero movie. But if it was a Netflix series, we'd spend the first season on Otis's backstory.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:27 AM on July 5, 2021 [4 favorites]
In Richard Donner's Superman you don't see Kal-El in his super-suit until almost an hour has passed.
Seems slow for a modern superhero movie. But if it was a Netflix series, we'd spend the first season on Otis's backstory.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:27 AM on July 5, 2021 [4 favorites]
Seems relevant with all the comments lately about how the studios would love to have more LGBT characters but those darned overseas markets won't let them. A lot of the time the "overseas markets won't stand for diversity" argument just seems to be an excuse for the studios own prejudices.
To be fair being LGBTQ+ is straight up illegal in 70 countries and punishable by death in 12. That sort of thing is going to kill the release of any movie that doesn't show that character as an immoral bad guy.
posted by Mitheral at 10:27 AM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
To be fair being LGBTQ+ is straight up illegal in 70 countries and punishable by death in 12. That sort of thing is going to kill the release of any movie that doesn't show that character as an immoral bad guy.
posted by Mitheral at 10:27 AM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
when the Welcome Aliens group on top of Fox Plaza in LA got lazerized
No, that was the Capitol Records Building.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:43 AM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
No, that was the Capitol Records Building.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:43 AM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
To be fair being LGBTQ+ is straight up illegal in 70 countries and punishable by death in 12. That sort of thing is going to kill the release of any movie that doesn't show that character as an immoral bad guy.
So maybe movie studios could put ethics and artistic integrity before profits and not actively engage in erasure for money? Maybe grow a spine and don't release those movies there? Maybe studios and producers that seek profits at any social cost should go jump in a lake and cease existing?
Yeah, now that I type that out I guess that's just ridiculous.
Growing up before I came out of the closet the only trans/queer representation I had was fucked up shit like Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs or the concept of being any sort of GSM being either overtly villainous or the punching down punchline to shitty jokes that a dude in a dress was inherently funny.
It fucking sucked, and still does. There's basically zero positive trans role models in mainstream media even today, not even something really boring or uplifting with a happy ending like a rom-com or coming of age story that represents us. How about a nice trans positive story about someone getting their shit together, achieving well in college and overcoming adversity?
No? But, here, how about The Crying Game or Sleepaway Camp?
posted by loquacious at 10:55 AM on July 5, 2021 [6 favorites]
So maybe movie studios could put ethics and artistic integrity before profits and not actively engage in erasure for money? Maybe grow a spine and don't release those movies there? Maybe studios and producers that seek profits at any social cost should go jump in a lake and cease existing?
Yeah, now that I type that out I guess that's just ridiculous.
Growing up before I came out of the closet the only trans/queer representation I had was fucked up shit like Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs or the concept of being any sort of GSM being either overtly villainous or the punching down punchline to shitty jokes that a dude in a dress was inherently funny.
It fucking sucked, and still does. There's basically zero positive trans role models in mainstream media even today, not even something really boring or uplifting with a happy ending like a rom-com or coming of age story that represents us. How about a nice trans positive story about someone getting their shit together, achieving well in college and overcoming adversity?
No? But, here, how about The Crying Game or Sleepaway Camp?
posted by loquacious at 10:55 AM on July 5, 2021 [6 favorites]
Mrs. Example and I saw this as a double feature with Eraser at a drive-in...1996, we think? I proposed to her not long afterward. These are not related facts.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:55 AM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:55 AM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
This made me go watch the movie again. I still like it. I understand why people feel the middle drags, but I like it—that's where it slows down and there are all these human interactions.
I do agree that the first third is the best. It does a great job of establishing the characters while building the action in a very satisfying way.
Now on to Jurassic Park, for my "Sexy Jeff Goldblum Action Movies" double feature.
posted by Orlop at 1:24 PM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
I do agree that the first third is the best. It does a great job of establishing the characters while building the action in a very satisfying way.
Now on to Jurassic Park, for my "Sexy Jeff Goldblum Action Movies" double feature.
posted by Orlop at 1:24 PM on July 5, 2021 [3 favorites]
I was going to summer camp in Maine when this premiered. Like every kid there, this was something on our minds that we were missing.
I still have the vivid memory of the head of our camp unit coming up to and dramatically clearing the whiteboard of the activities of the day and writing ID4 in huge letters on the board. Everyone erupted in cheers.
The camp had booked out the main street cinema in this tiny town in Maine and were cycling kids through it all day. It was amazing.
posted by mrzarquon at 1:34 PM on July 5, 2021 [13 favorites]
I still have the vivid memory of the head of our camp unit coming up to and dramatically clearing the whiteboard of the activities of the day and writing ID4 in huge letters on the board. Everyone erupted in cheers.
The camp had booked out the main street cinema in this tiny town in Maine and were cycling kids through it all day. It was amazing.
posted by mrzarquon at 1:34 PM on July 5, 2021 [13 favorites]
This movie came out when I was 13 and I think it’s really the first time I remember being aware of pre-release hype for a movie. I love it and as my politics have shifted as I’ve grown up, I get more and more annoyed by it. But darn, it’s fun.
Also I wish I could get my hands on the RACER TRASH version, ID4.mp4
posted by sleeping bear at 9:31 PM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
Also I wish I could get my hands on the RACER TRASH version, ID4.mp4
posted by sleeping bear at 9:31 PM on July 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
when the Welcome Aliens group on top of Fox Plaza in LA got lazerized
No, that was the Capitol Records Building.
They did blow up the Capitol Records building, but the 'Welcome Aliens' scene is the US Bank Tower in downtown LA, aka the Library Tower, and at the time of filming, the First Interstate Bank Tower.
/sorryimsuchadork
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:51 PM on July 6, 2021 [3 favorites]
No, that was the Capitol Records Building.
They did blow up the Capitol Records building, but the 'Welcome Aliens' scene is the US Bank Tower in downtown LA, aka the Library Tower, and at the time of filming, the First Interstate Bank Tower.
/sorryimsuchadork
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:51 PM on July 6, 2021 [3 favorites]
My single most lingering memory of seeing Independence Day is of the three or four bros in the seats behind us who at first were all "yeah! blow the White House up!" and by the end were 110% "U!S!A! U!S!A!"
Even at the time I was face-palming.
posted by Lexica at 4:47 PM on July 6, 2021
Even at the time I was face-palming.
posted by Lexica at 4:47 PM on July 6, 2021
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posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:34 PM on July 4, 2021 [18 favorites]