Film is Pwn

This blog is more about the Independence Day Effect than it is about Independence Day, for the record.

There is a strange phenomenon that we call in the Film Is Pwn circle the Independence Day Effect.  As Tom and I discussed in our first podcast, we both saw the 1996 mega blockbuster in theaters while we were both teenagers.  Speaking for myself, I saw ID on its opening night in the now defunct Matthews Festival movie theater outside our hometown of Charlotte, NC.  At the time, the hype for ID had been tremendous; nothing else opening that summer had half the buzz it did.  I remember seeing the amazing shot of the White House being blown up over and over again in the months leading up to its release so that all good teenage boys like myself and my brother Joseph HAD no choice but to see it.

And for the two hour running length of the film, we as part of a sold out audience were completely mesmerized, transfixed by the images on the screen.  We collectively laughed at every joke, were scared at all the right places, applauded when Will Smith punched the alien in the face, got goosebumps when Bill Pullman’s President gave his inspirational speech, and when Randy Quaid’s character sacrificed himself in a kamikaze mission there were tears (not by me mind you, I’m too tough for that).

I will never forget the feeling of exhilaration when humanity finally beat those evil aliens.  Triumph was in the air watching Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum walk through the desert smoking their victory cigars as the remains of an alien ship smoldered behind them.  The entire audience left the theater with their spirits lifted like we had just watched the Shawshank Redemption.

I’ll regret admitting this I’m sure, but I turned to my brother as we exited the theater, adrenaline still pumping as though my beloved Chicago Cubs had finally won the World Series (it’s gonna happen! . . . eventually), and said in what I’m reasonably sure is an exact quote: “The only thing that would be more amazing than that movie would be a bad review.”

Well, there were bad reviews, and in the magic of hindsight I have to concede that there is no wrong opinion of Independence Day.  It was a lot of fun, probably a Top Ten Theatrical Experience, but I now hold it in contempt.  Okay, contempt is a rather strong world, as I hold some surplus fondness for the initial thrill despite my disdain for the film as bonafide entertainment.

In a matter of weeks, without having to see ID a second time, so many things started to bother me.  Glaring flaws I failed to notice or chose to overlook as part of the collective audience where we marched off the logic cliff like a good lemming, started to stick out in my mind when I thought about it.  When I did see the movie when it was out on VHS (don’t ask what VHS is — look it up!), I felt significantly let down.  The emotional high was not there, the adrenaline from the theatrical experience was gone, and there was a movie full of clichés and loud noises.  Joseph and Tom shared this same rapid falling off in their feelings for ID, which is comforting in a way.

This is the Independence Day Effect (IDE).  IDE is when you watch a movie and have a great time even though it’s not a great movie.  This experience does not mean you’re stupid to enjoy certain, dreadful movies, it means that you have turned off your brain long enough to allow yourself to enjoy fireworks.  Independence Day is fireworks.  It’s loud, it’s pretty, it gets your heart racing, but it’s a hollow, empty experience with no lasting effect. 

The great movies make you think and benefit from analysis; it’s only been a matter of days since I experienced the Dark Knight, and I love it all the more and am looking forward to seeing it a second time.  But a movie that really has profited from the passage of time is director Curtis Hanson’s masterpiece L.A. Confidential. 

I remember watching L.A. Confidential in theaters in 1997 and enjoying the film a lot.  Thinking about the film days later, I liked it more.  I recently re-watched L.A. Confidential and enjoy just as much, eleven years later.  The intricate story of L.A. Confidential rewards multiple viewings and the performances of Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey are extraordinary.  But, that’s a blog for another day.

If you have not discovered the joy that is Rifftrax, Independence Day is a good movie to do it with.  Rent Independence Day, purchase the audio commentary from Rifftrax.com (no, we get no commission) and sync it up to the movie.  It’s rather easy, you just need to be able to play your mp3, you’ll hear the funny guys from Mystery Science Theater 3000 introduce he movie and tell you when to pause the track, start the movie, and when to unpause the track.  Then you are essentially watching Independence Day with three of the funniest men in the planet making hilarious comments throughout.  It’s an absolute blast and I guarantee you a heck of a good time.

–Daniel J. Roos