Independence Day [Blu-ray]

Overview

A group of intrepid humans attempts to save the Earth from vicious extraterrestrials in this extremely popular science-fiction adventure. Borrowing liberally from War of the Worlds, Aliens, and every sci-fi invasion film inbetween, director Roland Emmerich and producer and co-writer Dean Devlin present a visually slick, fast-paced adventure filled with expensive special effects and large-scale action sequences. The story begins with the approach of a series of massive spaceships, which many on Earth greet with open arms, looking forward to the first contact with alien life. Unfortunately, these extraterrestrials have not come in peace, and they unleash powerful weapons that destroy most of the world's major cities. Thrown into chaos, the survivors struggle to band together and put up a last-ditch resistance in order to save the human race. As this is a Hollywood film, this effort is led by a group of scrappy Americans, including a computer genius who had foreseen the alien's evil intent (Jeff Goldblum), a hot-shot jet pilot (Will Smith), and the President of the United States (Bill Pullman). While some critics objected to the film's lack of originality and lapses in logic, the combination of grand visual spectacle and crowd-pleasing storytelling proved irresistible to audiences, resulting in an international smash hit.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/11/2008
UPC:	0024543444237
Original Release:	1996
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:25:00
Sales rank:	29,512

Special Features

Closed Caption; Scene-specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin; Commentary by special effects supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith; Trivia track; Search content; Personal scene selections; Alien Scavenger Hunt game; Enhanced for D-Box motion control systems; Theatrical teaser and trailers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Will Smith	Capt. Steven Hiller
Bill Pullman	President Thomas J. Whitmore
Jeff Goldblum	David Levinson
Mary McDonnell	Marilyn Whitmore
Judd Hirsch	Julius Levinson
Margaret Colin	Constance Spano
Randy Quaid	Russell Casse
Robert Loggia	Gen. William Grey
James Rebhorn	Albert Nimziki
Harvey Fierstein	Marty Gilbert
Adam Baldwin	Major Mitchell
Brent Spiner	Dr. Brakish Okun
James Duval	Miguel
Vivica A. Fox	Jasmine Dubrow
Lisa Jakub	Alicia
Ross Bagley	Dylan
Mae Whitman	Patricia Whitmore
Bill Smitrovich	Captain Watson
Kiersten Warren	Tiffany,Co-Worker No. 4
Harry Connick Jr.	Jimmy
Giuseppe Andrews	Troy
John Storey	Dr. Isaacs
Frank Novak	Teddy
Devon Gummersall	Philip
Leland Orser	Tech/Med. Asst. No. 1
Mirron E. Willis	Aide,Secret Serviceman
Ross Lacy	Aide
David Pressman	Whitmore's Aide
Vivian Palermo	Tech/Med. Asst. No. 2
Raphael Sbarge	Commander/Tech
Bobby Hosea	Commanding Officer
Dan Lauria	Commanding Officer
Steve Giannell	Radar Tech
Eric Paskel	Radar Tech
Carlos LaCamara	Radar Operator
John Bennett Perry	Secret Serviceman
Tim Kelleher	Technician
Wayne Wilderson	Area 51 Technician
Jay Acovone	Area 51 Guard
Thom Barry	SETI Tech Two
Jana Marie Hupp	SETI Tech Three
Matt Pashkow	Second Officer
Robert Pine	Chief of Staff
Marisa Morell	Co-Worker No. 2
Michael Winther	Co-Worker No. 3
Paul LeClair	Co-Worker No. 5
Capt. Michael 'Chewy' Vacca	Lt. Peterson
David Chanel	Secret Service Agent
John Capodice	Mario
Greg Collins	Military Aide
Derek Webster	Sky Crane Pilot
Mark Fite	Pilot
Eric Neal Newman	Pilot
Levani	Russian Pilot
Kristof Konrad	Russian Pilot
Kevin Sifuentes	Tank Commander
Elston Ridgle	Soldier
Randy Oglesby	Mechanic
Jack Moore	Mechanic
Barry Del Sherman	Street Preacher
Lyman Ward	Secret Service Guy
Anthony Crivello	Lincoln
Richard Speight Jr.	Ed
Barbara Beck	Monica Soloway,Housewife
Joe Fowler	Reporter
Andrew Warne	Reporter
Sharon Tay	Reporter
Peter Jozef Lucas	Russian Reporter
Yelena Danova	Russian Newscaster
Derek Kim	Korean Newscaster
Vanessa J. Wells	Newscaster
Jessika Cardinahl	German Video Newscaster
Gary W. Cruz	Video Newscaster
Ron Pitts	Video Newscaster
Wendy Walsh	Video Newscaster
Christine Devine	Video Newscaster
Mark Thompson	Video Newscaster
Jack Germond	Video Newscaster
Morton Kondracke	Video Newscaster
Ernie Anastos	Rex Black/NY Newscaster
Cinckevin Cooney	Atlantic Air
Rance Howard	Chaplain
Nelson Mashita	Japanese Tech
Jeff Phillips	B-2 Pilot,B-2 Pilot
Steve Giannelli	Radar Tech
James Wong	SETI Tech One
Andrew Keegan	Older Boy
Jim Piddock	Reginald
Jerry Dunphy	Himself
Barry Nolan	Himself
George Putnam	Himself
Pat Skipper	Redneck
Lisa Star	Woman on Roof
Malcolm Danare	Intellectual on Roof
Robin Groth	Flagstaff News Anchor
Richard Pachorek	LAPD Helicopter Pilot
Jim Cummings	Special Vocal Effects
John McLaughlin	Himself
Sayed Badreya	Arab Pilot
Fred Barnes	Himself
John Bradley	Lucas
Arthur Brooks	Trucker on Roof
Eleanor Clift	Herself
Joyce Cohen	Kim Peters
Deeny Dakota	Boomer
James Joyce	Master C.P.O.
Carlos Lara	Farmer Kid
Jon Mathews	Thomson
Michael Moertl	Thief
Mike Monteleone	Butler
Julie Moran	Entertainment Tonight Reporter
Lee Strauss	Elvis Fanatic
Adam Tomei	Sailor
Eric Zee	Northridge Field Reporter
Harry Connick	Actor
David Arnold	Composer

Technical Credits

Roland Emmerich

Dean Devlin

Roland Emmerich	Director,Screenwriter,Executive Producer,Producer,Producer,Executive Producer
Dean Devlin	Screenwriter,Producer,Director
Clay Pinney	Special Effects
Volker Engel	Special Effects
Tricia Ashford	Special Effects
Douglas Hans Smith	Special Effects
Joseph Viskocil	Special Effects
Jeff Wexler	Sound Mixer,Sound/Sound Designer
Sandy Gendler	Sound Mixer
Val Kuklowsky	Sound Mixer
William Fay	Executive Producer,Producer
Bob Beemer	Sound Effects
Bill W. Benton	Sound Effects
Bruce Bisenz	Sound Effects
Noah Blough	Sound Effects
James Bolt	Sound Effects
Gino Acevedo	Special Effects
Rick Barker	Stunts
Victor Abbene	Special Effects
Stacey Weigert	Special Effects
Brian J. Williams	Stunts
Tom Morga	Stunts
Ray Lykins	Stunts
Gary Charles Davis	Stunts
Peter Bucossi	Stunts
Chris Howell	Stunts
Frank Ferrara Sr.	Stunts
Norman Douglass	Stunts
Doug Coleman	Stunts
Dana Hee	Stunts
Wendy Kurtzman	Casting
Gilbert Combs	Stunts
Eddie Matthews	Stunts
Chris Carpenter	Sound/Sound Designer
Lincoln D. Hiatt	Producer
Peter Winther	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Independence Day's grand-scale invasion of theaters marked it one of the biggest summer blockbusters of the 1990s. The story is simple enough: Aliens show up over the Fourth of July weekend and without reason blow up most of the world. It's up to the heroic survivors -- stern-faced president Bill Pullman, amiable Army pilot Will Smith, and plucky software programmer Jeff Goldblum among them -- to save the planet. Independence Day is a lot of things: patriotic battle cry; special effects extravaganza; really, really scary and loud. Though the film is not particularly dramatic or thought provoking, director Roland Emmerich (The Patriot) makes an entertaining ride out of fabulous effects, particularly the horrifyingly fiery obliteration of cities worldwide. Smith is fresh once again with a terrific alien-whuppin' swagger, and though Pullman's rousing Fourth of July speech before the climactic battle is not on the literary level of Henry V's St. Crispin's Day speech, it is equally motivational. A loud throwback to alien paranoia of the H. G. Wells classic War of the Worlds, ID4 more than found itself a place in sci-fi/action history, it attacked and took over.

Barnes & Noble - Pete Segall

A movie you either go with or completely resist, this cheerfully disreputable science fiction blockbuster actually has more in common with its '50s film brethren than many other modern films. Unlike the director's heavily dismissed follow-up effort Godzilla, Independence Day revels in its genre conventions and aliens-from-Mars clichés, not to mention its steadfast rah-rah patriotism that pervades throughout. Borrowing heavily from such films as Alien and especially Star Wars, the film has enough broad performance style and overheated exchanges to fit in nicely with the films it semi-parodies. In fact, at times, it almost feels like a product of Cold War paranoia, especially in designing its alien invaders as predators before we even get to know who they are. Director Roland Emmerich pulls out all the stops, and even if it's not to everyone's liking, you can't blame the guy for trying. An Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects, and part of the $300 million-plus box office club, though it's one of those blockbusters that has as many detractors as admirers.

All Movie Guide - Jason Clark