# Independence Day (1996)



## markpud (Mar 5, 2001)

A great feel good movie! Real America saves the day type movie, but we can overlook that  Good ensemble cast, good humour and action, great effects.

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0116629 - 

SYNOPSIS:

On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference. It is soon learned by the military that a number of enormous objects are on a collision course with Earth. At first thought to be meteors, they are later revealed to be gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species. After attempts to communicate with the aliens go nowhere, David Levinson, an ex-scientist turned cable technician, discovers that the aliens are going to attack major points around the globe in less than a day. On July 3rd, the aliens all but obliterate New York, Los Angeles, and Washington. The survivors set out in convoys towards Area 51, a strange government testing ground where it is rumored the military has a captured alien spacecraft of their own. The survivors devise a plan to fight back against the enslaving aliens, and July 4th becomes the day humanity will fight for its freedom. July 4th is their Independence Day... 

STARRING:

Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Brent Spiner, James Duval, Vivica A Fox and more...


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## Asmiley (Mar 5, 2001)

Totally agree, One awesome movie!!!!! It was one of those, you don't want to get up for a minute when your watching it , great movies.


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## peachy (Mar 6, 2001)

i just loved this film, i think i must have watched it about 4/5 times. "got to get myself one of these" loved that quote from will smith. only one thing bothered me, and that was shields, didn't they watch any star trek? everyone knows about shields. (haha)...peachy


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## Asmiley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Shields*

Yeah but It wasn't supposed to be like startrek.


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## Dave (Mar 6, 2001)

*Have to disagree!*

Sorry Guys and Gals, but I didn't like it much.

I don't know anything about it being supposed to be Star Trek, and I could overlook the 'America saves the day' thing if everything else was OK. But, the story was all cliche's and unbelievable coincidences. It had bits taken from every old movie I had seen, but mostly 'War of the Worlds'.
Plus, I saw 'Mars Attacks' about the same time, it had a similar story, but it played all the cliche's for laughs and so was funny as well.

I think my main problem was that because of 'Stargate' (another of my 20 or so 'top 5' films) I *expected* it to be much better.


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## Asmiley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Mars Attacks!*

Is one God awful movie! Good for a few laghs but I thought it was sooooooo lame!

Rating that one as a 1/2 stars.


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## Dave (Mar 6, 2001)

So I'm not the only one then!

LOOK I'VE GOT FOUR ALIENS!


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## Dave (Mar 6, 2001)

Ah! I just read your post correctly. It's Mars Attacks you rate 1/2 star.  Mars Attacks is not one of my favourites, but it did make me laugh.


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## Asmiley (Mar 6, 2001)

Right Mars Attacks is what I rated a 1/2 star not Independance Day. Independance day I rate at least a 4 on a scale of 1-5.


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## markpud (Mar 6, 2001)

MArs Attacks I remember being funny when I first watched it, but the second time through I just thought....oh was that it...

ID4 is a much better film, even if it is cliched, its not meant to be taken seriously, but as a sit back and enjoy type of film...

The scenes with Goldblum are the best, he's a great actor...


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## Asmiley (Mar 6, 2001)

> _Originally posted by markpud _
> *MArs Attacks I remember being funny when I first watched it, but the second time through I just thought....oh was that it...
> 
> ID4 is a much better film, even if it is cliched, its not meant to be taken seriously, but as a sit back and enjoy type of film...
> ...



Yeah I agree completely. 

I wouldn't watch Mars Attacks again, even a second time, unless my life depended on it!


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## peachy (Mar 7, 2001)

i didn't like mars attacks either...peachy


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## Asmiley (Mar 7, 2001)

So it's agreed by all here that Mars Attacks was one awful movie! Independance day was great if not awesome and things are right with the world!


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## peachy (Mar 7, 2001)

*everything right with the world*

oh yes...peachy


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## Dave (Mar 7, 2001)

Oh! Alright then I'll go watch ID4 again! You've convinced me. I've only seen it once at the cinema. As I said I think my expectations of it were too high. I know I am in a minority anyway, because it made huge amounts of money.


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## Asmiley (Mar 7, 2001)

Glad we could get you to cross over to our side!


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## Dave (May 9, 2001)

Here are some examples of reasons why I'm not keen on it. It is a lot of fun though.

These have been collected by Perry O'Grady, and are so good they have been copied and posted around the Internet.

*Things that you wouldn't know until you watched "Independence Day".* 

1) The quality of the training of United States Marine Corps pilots is such that any Marine fly boy can hop into an alien spacecraft and immediately be able to fly it into deep space. 

2) The White House press secretary has a listed phone number. 

3) When stuck in a tunnel and faced with Armageddon in the form of a fireball that is capable of obliterating all life in Los Angeles, simply duck into a maintenance closet and let the end of the world pass you by. 

4) Despite the fact that we are able to send a fax from a beeper on our hip while walking down a street on one side of the world, to a speeding vehicle on the other, alien spacecraft need to be hardwired to a satellite to speak to each other. 

5) Most strippers with a heart of gold can operate pieces of heavy equipment. 

6) It is not beyond the realm of imagination that the President of the United States would be a ex-fighter pilot, willing to return to active duty to do battle with invincible alien bad guys. 

7) Alien spacecraft the size of Australia can be taken out with one well-placed sidewinder missile. 

8) Most laptops are configured with interfaces powerful enough to override the communications systems of the most sophisticated futuristic societies. 

9) Despite the fact that they wear biomechanical body armor that can only be removed with a scalpel and the fact that they possess hyper-developed brains that allow them to destroy their enemies simply by thinking about it, alien fighter pilots have a glass jaw and can be knocked unconscious for hours with one punch. 

10) If you are a woman who:
i) survives a blast from an alien spacecraft that wipes out Los Angeles,
ii) lives through the ensuing helicopter crash,
iii) survives while buried by rubble,
iv) survives despite being transported by open backed diesel truck across the worst terrain ever created...
never check into a military hospital with the best medical help money can buy because YOU WILL DIE. 

11) Despite the fact that no living person, even on a clear day with a map and two state troopers providing an escort, can negotiate the Los Angeles freeway system without getting lost, nearly-blown-up women can drive through the shattered ruins of a decimated Los Angeles straight to El Toro. 

12) When you crash an alien spacecraft into the high desert because you were hurtled back through the earth's atmosphere by an atomic blast you set off, the fact that you do not have a parachute or any other visible means of slowing your fall does not mean that you should not walk away from the wreckage completely unscathed and straight into your girl's arms. 

13) The standard trip home from space, when assisted by an atomic blast, lasts approximately two to three pulls on a cigar. 

14) Although aliens possess technological capabilities millions of years beyond our own that enables them to embed secret codes in our satellite network, they can be stymied by Morse Code, which is generally printed on the front panel of a child's walkie talkie, or electronics kit. 

15) The most sophisticated labs in the world have impenetrable vault doors buried 30 stories into mountains, but use regular hardware store glass panes for observation rooms in the lab nerve center. 

16) Although aliens possess tentacles dexterous enough to manipulate human vocal cords from outside the throat when the need to speak strikes them, they can not open a door for themselves. 

17) The correct military honour for a hero who saves the world by sacrificing his own life by flying directly into the alien death ray is to clap and cheer wildly in front of the hero's family immediately after he perishes. 

18) Any vehicle, including wrecks, can make the trip down from Manhattan to Washington D.C. in just a few hours in gridlocked end-of-the-world type traffic.


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## Asmiley (May 9, 2001)

Interesting...Now think back to the best of Sci-fi movies:Star Wars when considering this fact: 


> 7) Alien spacecraft the size of Australia can be taken out with one well-placed sidewinder missile.









=


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## Dave (May 9, 2001)

AWWWWWW!
Why did you have to bring Star Wars into it?

I'm not going to defend Star Wars...



> _Originally posted by Asmiley _
> *the best of Sci-fi movies:Star Wars. *



...that's your own opinion.

BUT.... at least in Star Wars, they examined plans and stuff first, and decided that a well placed missile was the only way to knock out the Death Star, and it did take them a large part of the end of the movie to hit the right spot.

Anyway, I thought they were fun comments to show you. You have to admit, they did use every cliche in the 'Hollywood SciFi writers' book.


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## Asmiley (May 9, 2001)

Okay yes I admit that.


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## Dave (May 9, 2001)

Well, I'll forgive you then.

And for my part, I think I've been taking this film too seriously.



> _Originally posted by markpud _
> *Even if it is cliched, its not meant to be taken seriously, but as a sit back and enjoy type of film...*



They knew exactly what they were doing when they put all those things in the film.


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## Asmiley (May 9, 2001)

Yes I believe they did.


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## Slater (Aug 5, 2001)

*"Independence Day", the sequel?*

Wasn't there supposed to be a sequel to the 1997 movie "Independence Day"? Seemed like it had possibilities.


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## Pandæmonium (Aug 5, 2001)

I actually heard there was meant to be one yes. I wonder wat eva happened to that idea?


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## H_P_M (Aug 6, 2001)

I would love to see a movie a sequal but I dont' know how they could, I mean it would be the samething take out the mother ship bla bla bla..maybe we shouldn't have a sequal.


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## wikiberry (Aug 6, 2001)

i don't know.

i really liked the film.
if they do make it i'm definitely gonna watch it.


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## imported_Sandman (Aug 6, 2001)

I think that there was a series of books based on the movie so it wouldn't be as if they didn't have any material to base a sequal on. but i've never read them so i have no idea if their premise was any good.


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## wikiberry (Aug 6, 2001)

really?

what were the books called?
do you know the author???


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## imported_Sandman (Aug 6, 2001)

No, sorry. I just remember seeing them in the stores shortly after the film's release. One was a prequal if i remember correctly, but that doesn't really make sense, does it? I mean what could possibly happen in a prequal? Maybe i'm delusional. But i swear i remember that--even in hardcover, i think. Check Amazon.com perhaps.


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## wikiberry (Aug 6, 2001)

will do!

thanks for the info.


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## imported_Sandman (Aug 6, 2001)

This really irritated me and i just had to see if i was imagining it all. This is what i found.
Independence Day: War In the Desert by Dean Devlin, Stephen Molstad.
And then there was the 'based on the major motion picture' novelization.
I have a feeling i was wrong about the prequal, which is a good thing, i think.
so maybe there wasn't a series.


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## H_P_M (Aug 7, 2001)

Well the only thing you would get me to come see the Sequal to Independence Day is if they had the same characters and same actress and actors play the same parts


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## imported_Sandman (Aug 7, 2001)

Jeff Goldblum:naughty:


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## H_P_M (Aug 7, 2001)

But you can't have Jeff Goldblum if you don't have Will Smith, lol cause they both were just so great.


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## spider (Sep 11, 2001)

*best...holiday...special...EVER...for 4th of july, that is*

I make it a point to watch this anually with my dad.  Will Smith's best work, IMO.


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## Koala (Oct 6, 2001)

Have it on DVD.  Love watching DC get wasted (I live outside DC).

Lot of incongruities in the movie, but who cares?  You don't really notice them unless you watch for that kind of stuff.

One of my favorite sci-fi (or other) movies of all time.  It's great.


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## imported_space monkey (Nov 7, 2001)

*Great SciFi!*

one of my all time favourite movies mainly because it is unrealistic scifi and cos Bill Pullman was in it!!


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## Asmiley (Nov 7, 2001)

It was interesting and cool all at the same time.


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## nicscifi (Dec 11, 2001)

*Id4*

I hav lost count how many times ive seen this film, It's awesome. Anyone else think so?


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## Qwxy (Apr 26, 2002)

what kind of incongruities?
are they funny or just little bloopers?
please tell me and i will see if i can spot them.


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## Falcon Horus (Jun 1, 2002)

"I got to get me one of these!"

Loved the movie! Loved Will Smith! Who doesn't?  :alienooh: 

Falcon Horus


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## Charlie (Jun 1, 2002)

Fantastic Alien aircraft which  Will soon sussed with a small  "oops" here and there.


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## Falcon Horus (Jun 2, 2002)

"We really have to work on our communication!"


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## tokyogirl (Jun 12, 2002)

you know how i like to make an entrance...


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## tokyogirl (Jun 12, 2002)

we watch this movie on my mom's bday every year.  cause her bday's on july 2, and that's when the aliens first invade


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## tokyogirl (Jun 12, 2002)

this is a movie that never gets old.


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## HeyLynny (Jul 13, 2002)

I loved this movie (even after reading your list Dave...sorry).  The list was funny , though.  I just love the story, the characters and the comedy bits.  As for Mars Attacks....I thought it was very funny, but in a cheesy way.  I would never buy the tape.  ID4 I bought and watch frequently!


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## HeyLynny (Jul 13, 2002)

*Re: best...holiday...special...EVER...for 4th of july, that is*



> _Originally posted by spider _
> *Will Smith's best work, IMO. *



Spider....I agree wholeheartedly! :rolly2:


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## HeyLynny (Jul 13, 2002)

Nicscifi.....Cute pic of Will!


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## HeyLynny (Jul 13, 2002)

*ID4 Favorite Quotes!*

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"Welcome to earth"

"Peace"

"Nothing but Love"

You really think you can fly that thing?
You really think you can do all that bull**** you just said?

"A little shaking, everybody runnin"

Anyone else have any fave quotes?


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## tokyogirl (Jul 13, 2002)

this is one of those staple movies that you have to watch every year.  my mom's bday is on july 2nd, the day the aliens first appear at the moon.  so we have to watch it every year on her birthday.


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## tokyogirl (Jul 13, 2002)

'i know you did not shoot that green s*** at me!'


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## tokyogirl (Jul 13, 2002)

we have it on tape and we still went and bought the dvd.  our tape is getting kind of worn out.


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## HeyLynny (Jul 13, 2002)

Tokyogirl...I forgot about that line!  It's hysterical!  Byt he way, I started a new thread for fave quotes!  Check it out!  It should be lots of fun!


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## tokyogirl (Jul 14, 2002)

you KNOW i'll be there!


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## tokyogirl (Jul 14, 2002)

All you need is love. John Lennon, very smart man. Shot in the back, very sad.

Oh no you did not shoot that green s*** at me!

and of course:

You know, this was supposed to be my weekend off. But nooooo....you got me out here, draggin' yo heavy ass, through the burning desert, with your dredlocks hangin' out my parachute. You gotta come down here with an attitude....actin' all big and bad. AND WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL!? RRRAAAARRRGH! I could have been at a barbecue!!! (kicks the alien a few times) but hey man, it's alllll right...


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## HeyLynny (Jul 19, 2002)

Here's more.....

You are not as charming as you think you are
Yes I am
Them big old Dumbo ears
Them chicken legs.....bugock!

Look at you....ship all BANGED up!

Now that's what I call a close encounter

Almost put a hex on the whole da** thing!

Take a leook at the earthilings!
Goodbye

I aint heard no fat lady
Forget the fat lady, you're obsessed with fat lady!


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## Tabitha (Jul 19, 2002)

"Let's Kick the tires and Light the fires, Big Daddy"

"In the words of my generation, UUUPPPPPP YOOURRRS!"

ROFLMAO!


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## Shaun (Jul 19, 2002)

My favourite quote from Independence day is;
"Hello boys, I'm BAACK!"
Theres also;
"Daddy let me watch Letterman.
Traitor" 
and the big independence day speech.


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## Tabitha (Jul 19, 2002)

Oh, yeah, I liked the "Traitor" one


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## tokyogirl (Jul 19, 2002)

i love the little slam they did at the xfiles fans (even though i'm a fan)

cable company guy (while rolling his eyes):yes, i love x files to.  i hope you get to see it.


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## angelle myst (Jul 21, 2002)

If this is a dumb question, then i apologize lol, but why are you all calling it ID4? I just couldn't figure it out *shrugs*


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## Tabitha (Jul 21, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Sammy O'Neill _
> *If this is a dumb question, then i apologize lol, but why are you all calling it ID4? I just couldn't figure it out *shrugs* *


Hey thats okay - it is a little vague.   I think "ID4" was an alternative title - if you do a search for ID4 in imdb it will give you this film.  IIRC the marketing at the time of the film's release used posters with only "ID4" written on them, like this:







ID obviously stands for Independence Day. The 4 comes from a couple of places, as far as I can see:  Firstly the fact that the US National Holiday, Independence Day, is July *4*, Secondly, in the actual film, the President gives his big mustering speech and the finale action all happens on July 4, Independence Day.  And finally, IIRC the movie is set over four days - July 1,2,3 and 4.


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## Dave (Jul 21, 2002)

I thought it was called ID4 until now, strange that it was changed right at the moment of it's release. Anyone know why?


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## Tabitha (Jul 22, 2002)

The two names exist at the same time - ID4 wasn't replaced.  Many of the posters had both names on them - like so:


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## Tabitha (Jul 22, 2002)

---> ID4 name chat split off from sequel chat....


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## HeyLynny (Jul 28, 2002)

I also loved the big speech!

They're chasiing us
Oh really, you think!

Stop side seat driving!


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## Tabitha (Jul 28, 2002)

> _Originally posted by tokyogirl _
> *i love the little slam they did at the xfiles fans (even though i'm a fan)
> *


I preferred the X-FIles dig at Independence Day - with the pee in the alley!


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## angelle myst (Jul 29, 2002)

Ok thanks  i've never seen any ID4 posters over here in the UK at the time of its release of now in any of the shops.

xxx


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## Lonewolf89 (Aug 8, 2002)

Does anyone have a copy of the big speech?


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## Tabitha (Aug 8, 2002)

> "In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind - that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We canâ€™t be consumed by our petty differences any more. We will be united in our common interest. Perhaps it is fate that today is fourth of July. And you will, once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution, but from annihilation. Weâ€™re fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday but as the day when the world declared in one voice, 'We will not go quietly into the night, we will not vanish without a fight, weâ€™re going to live on, weâ€™re going to survive. Today we celebrate our Independence Day!' "



I got it from this website: http://www.netspace.net.au/~kproctor/prez.htm


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## jwells (Aug 8, 2002)

*Will Smith Quotes*

I pretty much liked everything Will Smith said in this film.

"Oh no, you did not shoot that green **** at me!"
"I have got to get me one of these!"
"WHO'S THE MAN?!"
"You can't hit nothing!"
"Welcome to Earth"
"Now that's what I call a close encounter!"
"Elvis has left the building!"

He is so funny!:rolly2:


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## Leyla (Oct 24, 2002)

*When I first watched Independance Day...*

I gott say that the film's a classic - but all I can ever think of when I watch it is the first time I ever saw it and I was round at my Dad's. Evertime they said 'Fire at will!', Dad would shout 'No! Don't fire at Will! He ain't done anything wrong!!' lolol, so now everytime I watch it I just kill myself laughing at that - and the bit where Will punches the alien and says 'Welcome to earth'.


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## SilverCaladan (Oct 6, 2003)

(wow its been forever must make this one aliiiive again)

haha thats great. I love that part too, though the part that always got me was the fact that they didn't get everyone underground in time  the elevator doors closed and there were still people outside!


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## Royal One (Oct 21, 2003)

There is a part in the movie where I wanna say "Uh-huh, that wouldn't have happened to you if you didn't lie to your friend."  I'm talking about the scenes where Vivica Fox's character, Jasmine I think her name is, makes her 'exotic dancer' friend promise not to go to the party welcoming the aliens, but she goes anyway.  And lo and behold! she gets vaporized.  Uh-huh, if she had kept her promise and left town she would've had a chance to be alive.   But noooooooo, she couldn't listen and see what happened to her.


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## ray gower (May 26, 2004)

*Independance Day Cliches*

Independance Day is a fun film. But it managed to copper line almost every film cliche in the book as well as create a few of its own!

Here is the non-definitive list

    * It is reasonable to assume that the quality of the training of United States Marine Corps pilots is such that any Marine fly boy could hop into an alien spacecraft and immediately be able to fly it into deep space
    * The White House press secretary has a listed phone number
    * When stuck in a tunnel and faced with Armageddon in the form of a fireball that is capable of obliterating all life in Los Angeles, simply duck into a maintenance closet and let the end of the world pass you by
    * Despite the fact that we are able to send a fax from a beeper on our hip while walking down a street in San Francisco to a Range Rover in Johannesburg, alien spacecraft need to be hardwired to a satellite to speak to each other
    * High class strippers with a heart of gold can operate most heavy equipment
    * It is not beyond the realm of imagination that the President of the United States would be a fighter jock and would be willing to return to active duty to do battle with invincible alien bad guys
    * Alien spacecraft the size of Australia can be taken out with one well-placed sidewinder missile
    * Most laptops are configured with interfaces powerful enough to override the communications systems of the most sophisticated futuristic societies
    * Despite the fact that they wear biomechanical body armor that can only be removed with a scalpel and the fact that they possess hyper-developed brains that allow them to destroy their enemies simply by thinking about it, alien fighter pilots have a glass jaw and can be knocked unconscious for hours with one punch
    * If you are a woman who: 1)survives a blast from an alien spacecraft that wipes out Los Angeles 2)lives through the ensuing helicopter crash 3)survives while buried by rubble 4)survives despite being transported by open backed diesel truck across the worst terrain ever created...do not check into a military hospital with the best medical help money can buy because YOU WILL DIE
    * Despite the fact that no living person, even on a clear day with a map and two state troopers providing an escort, can negotiate the Los Angeles freeway system without getting lost, nearly-blown-up women can drive through the shattered ruins of a decimated Los Angeles straight to El Toro
    * When you crash an alien spacecraft into the high desert because you were hurtled back through the earth's atmosphere by an atomic blast you set off, the fact that you do not have a parachute or any other visible means of slowing your fall does not mean that you should not walk away from the wreckage completely unscathed and straight into your girl's arms
    * The standard trip home from space, when assisted by an atomic blast, lasts approximately two to three pulls on a cigar
    * Although aliens possess technological capabilities millions of years beyond our own that enables them to embed secret codes in our satellite network, they can be stymied by Morse Code, which is generally printed on the front panel of a child's walkie talkie
    * The most sophisticated labs in the world have impenetrable vault doors buried 30 stories into mountains but use regular hardware store glass panes for observation rooms in the lab nerve center
    * Although aliens possess tentacles dexterous enough to manipulate human vocal cords from outside the throat when the need to speak strikes them, they can not open a door for themselves
    * The correct military honor for a hero who saves the world by sacrificing his own life by flying directly into the alien death ray is to clap and cheer wildly in front of the hero's family immediately after he perishes
    * Any vehicle, including clunkers, can make the trip down from Manhattan to Washington D.C. in just a few hours in gridlocked end-of-the-world type traffic


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## Dave (May 26, 2004)

I'm sure there are more than those!

In fact, I read some others in an article on Slashdot (I can't find it), but then that was what I liked about the film. I never understood why it was such a successful film though, nor why people here were upset when I said that 'Mars Attacks!" has the same plot, but that it was _intentionally_ funny (and therefore better, or at least acceptable for it to be clichÃ©d.)


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## steve12553 (Aug 18, 2006)

*Re: Independance Day Cliches*



			
				AScifi Dave said:
			
		

> I'm sure there are more than those!
> 
> In fact, I read some others in an article on Slashdot (I can't find it), but then that was what I liked about the film. I never understood why it was such a successful film though, nor why people here were upset when I said that 'Mars Attacks!" has the same plot, but that it was _intentionally_ funny (and therefore better, or at least acceptable for it to be clichÃ©d.)


 
Good point. Both films stole major parts of their stories from War of the Worlds. Actual they used more of it than the Speilberg version.


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## Cloud (Aug 18, 2006)

*Re: Independance Day Cliches*

most of those are not cliches, really, they're just silly plot devices. Why are you a fan of SF/F if you are unwilling to suspend your disbelief? Or if you are, to expend so much energy on these silly plot devices?

Frankly, I never look for or demand any kind of reality, veracity, or plausibility in movies, because I generally dislike the ones that have those elements. It's part of the reason I like SF/F so much--I don't want my entertainment to have too much congruity with reality. I live in the real world; don't want to play in it.

Why is a doornail dead, anyway?


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## Paige Turner (Aug 18, 2006)

*Re: Independance Day Cliches*



			
				Cloud said:
			
		

> Why is a doornail dead, anyway?


You can't use the live ones. They're too bendy.

And apart from the 78 outrageous plot points listed above, I think that movie was pretty plausible.


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## steve12553 (Aug 18, 2006)

*Re: Independance Day Cliches*



			
				Paige Turner said:
			
		

> You can't use the live ones. They're too bendy.
> 
> And apart from the 78 outrageous plot points listed above, I think that movie was pretty plausible.


 
It's not so much that it was pausible but it was fun and we were ready to give a high degree of suspension of disbelief. It used a lot of emotional plot devices and played with us. We let it because it was fun. There are many other movies that I am much more willing tobe critical about because they just weren't as much fun.


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## Scifi fan (Mar 30, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

A little late to this discussion, but there's really no solid plan for a sequel, and I don't think there should be - the story ended with the Earthlings living happily ever after, and that's that.


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## biodroid (Mar 31, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

I love this movie and still watch it now and again. I think the funniest blooper in the movie is after the city ships destroyed the cities and Jasmine is walking around the ruins you can see the destruction of all the buildings but all the palm trees are still standing and the leaves are not even ruffled. Hehe that one gets me all the time.


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## Scifi fan (Apr 1, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

Lots of little bloopers, but still a good movie. The president's speech was pompous and boring, though.


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## biodroid (Apr 1, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

I guess thats why Bill Pullman is not an A-List celebrity. Jeff Goldblum did a great job.


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## clovis-man (Apr 3, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

I love movie quotes. My favorite from this one is Will Smith: "And what the hell is that smell?"


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## biodroid (Apr 3, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

"Now that's what I call a close encounter!"


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## Scifi fan (Apr 6, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

This is a retelling of H. G. Wells The War of the Worlds, and it has at least three similarities.

1) In the novel by H. G. Wells, the defending English got one of the aliens, and that also happened here;
2) The Wells novel dealt with the consequences of a devastating war on the human population, and that also happened here.
3) The novel had the invaders destroyed by the common flu virus, and something quite similar happened here.


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## Grimward (Apr 6, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

Hmm, stretching it a bit to liken the War of the Worlds virus to Independence Day's Computer Virus (after all, the good guys still had to shoot the aliens down in Independence Day after the computer virus did its stuff), but would agree with the other two.  

Let's see, the first time I watched it, I liked the film for its effects.  Doesn't exactly have stirring dialogue, although I have to agree that Goldblum's hilarious (his Dad in the movie is kind of funny, too).  My favorite is after they've planted the bomb in the mother ship:

*Will Smith:*  "I ain't heard no fat lady!"
*Jeff Goldblum:* "Forget the fat lady.  You're obsessed with the fat lady.  Just get us out of here!"

There's a lot of eminently forgettable performances in the movie, but I'll watch it now and again anyway.


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## Scifi fan (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

The movie came on again, and there's one scene I don't find credible. 

After the alien ships destroyed the various cities, the scene switched to the air force base, where the pilots would be briefed on their counterattack. They were cheerful, even comical, but that wouldn't be likely. They would have known that, if the aliens could have come all the way to Earth, in such giant ships, the aliens would be far, far more advanced, and would blow the Earth fighter jets to bits - which is what happened, of course.

A more credible scene, by the way, is from Harry Turtledove's WorldWar series. After the initial alien contact, the RAF bombers were sent to attack the ships that landed, and the bomber crews knew it would be a suicide mission.


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## Rodders (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

I find this watchable, but nowhere near a favourite. The wife loves it though and we have to watch it every single time it comes on telly.


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## steve12553 (Jul 12, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

This is one I watch over every so often probably because it's an emotional movie not a thoughful one. They definitely stole many of the concepts from H.G. Welles and to be honest it was really a better remake than the Speilberg-Cruise collaboration.


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## AE35Unit (Jul 12, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

When I first saw it I remember feeling awe when Smith steps outside and sees this huge ship coming in and just thinking wow what that must be like if real! 
I love the film tho when I saw the scene where the alien ship blows up the building with all the people on it  near the beginning I was like,oh typical,the aliens just want to wipe us out! But that puts bums in seats! 
I don't see this a a retelling of War of the Worlds tho. Its just a similar story.


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## blacknorth (Jul 12, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

I enjoyed this for the first hour or so but lost interest when the humans began their fight-back.

With regards the whole virus/computer virus Welles analogy, I thought it was neat and worked very well. It's an interesting take on how certain biological terms, for example memory, have become technological terms also.

On the whole I felt Spielberg's WOTW was better, for reasons which are not really apparent on the screen.


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## J-Sun (Jul 13, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*

I like ID4 in the sense that it delivers what it promises and doesn't really seem to pretend to be much more or hide what it is - it's a paint-by-numbers summer blockbuster and, if you give it a *lot* of leeway, it's a lot of fun.

And I agree with AE that that scene of "one morning with saucers" is intense and effective.

Also agree with biodroid about the ultra-sturdy palm trees. I actually didn't even notice that the first time I saw it, but did the second time and couldn't believe I'd missed it.

Re: scififan's point about the laughing joking jet pilots, I think that was a bit of false bravado just to get them out there and do what they had to do, even if it was hopeless. I don't know that they really believed what they had to pretend to feel.

I already put my favorite quote into the Famous SFF Quotes thread.


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## Scifi fan (Jul 13, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*



> Re: scififan's point about the laughing joking jet pilots, I think that was a bit of false bravado just to get them out there and do what they had to do, even if it was hopeless. I don't know that they really believed what they had to pretend to feel.



I don't get that. Contrast that scene with a scene in the WWII movie, "A Bridge Too Far." In "Bridge", there was a scene where Robert Redford tried to raise his men's morale with jokes, but they just looked at him tense and glum looks. This obviously showed how false that joking was.

This wasn't the case with ID4 and the pilots. There was no indication that they were in a false bravado. 

I enjoy talking about scenes and analysing things. Thanks, J-Sun.


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## J-Sun (Jul 13, 2009)

*Re: When I first watched Independance Day...*



Scifi fan said:


> I don't get that. Contrast that scene with a scene in the WWII movie, "A Bridge Too Far." In "Bridge", there was a scene where Robert Redford tried to raise his men's morale with jokes, but they just looked at him tense and glum looks. This obviously showed how false that joking was.
> 
> This wasn't the case with ID4 and the pilots. There was no indication that they were in a false bravado.



Hm, you may be right. I haven't seen the Redford movie, but I can visualize the scene. Perhaps there, he was trying to instill that in subordinates who weren't buying it, whereas the fighter pilots may have been engaged in self-hypnosis or were responding to each other as all being in the same boat. Or I could be completely wrong.  This is just from memory and I may not be recalling the scene right.



Scifi fan said:


> I enjoy talking about scenes and analysing things. Thanks, J-Sun.



Sure thing - me, too.


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## museatlantis (Apr 16, 2010)

One of my all time fave films. I love the music and effects. Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith make a great team


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