The original Independence Day changed summer movies forever.
In 1990, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were Hollywood outsiders.
Critics moaned, butUniversal Soldierbecame a modest success.
Such grumpiness mattered little to audiences.
There was, however, a problem with Emmerichs big idea.
Emmerich, with his background in shoestring sci-fi, had a cunning plan.
Engels seven-strong team was brought over to the U.S. and housed in an old aircraft carrier in Los Angeles.
The film did, however, have a champion at Fox: its head of marketing, Tom Sherak.
According to Tom Shones 2004 book,Blockbuster, Sherak was convinced of its future success.
He said ofIndependence Day, I have the feeling this is going to be a phenomenon.
Within three days, it had made approximately $63 million at the U.S. box office alone.
This movie delves into some very archetypal needs and myths, a professor told theLA Times.
There is an idea that we, as people, have been fragmented since a primordial time.
Anything that can provide us with the illusion of oneness and unity will have an appeal.
Head of marketing Tom Sherak describedIndependence Days media assault as a campaign that P.T.
Barnum would have been proud of.
The blanket approach, as we now know, worked extraordinarily well.
In 2014, no fewer than 10 movies were advertised during the Super Bowl.
InIndependence Days case, it was that unforgettable effects shot of aliens blowing up the White House.
But the duo also went further into the past in their quest for inspiration.
The alien invasion premise was evidently the stuff of 50s B-movies, such asEarth vs.
The Flying Saucersand the 1953 adaptation of H.G.
(In the words of my generation, up yours!)
To this end, the pair went for a light, self-aware tone.
Independence Dayarrived at a time when meta references in movies were the height of fashion.
Its a tone that can still be seen in blockbusters todaysuch as almost anything produced by Marvel Studios.
This is the way the world would end in film after film, Tom Shone wrote ofIndependence Day.
Not with a bang, nor a whimper, but a wisecrack.
Ironically, even the president of effects studio Digital Domain appeared to concur.
But the effects are fantastic.TwisterandIndependence Dayarent about characters.
Theyre big thrill rides.
Like it or not, these thrill rides were internationally successful.
According to Box Office Mojo, more than 60 percent ofIndependence Days gross came from overseas.
They have action and spectacle that can appeal to people who dont speak English.
I suppose well feel guilty for liking both kinds.
Although based on an existing franchise,Age of Extinctionwas firmly in the mold established by Emmerich and Devlin.
Age of Extinctions action set-pieces frequently take precedence over plot.
Again, likeIndependence Day,more than 60 percent of that gross has come from overseas.
Given the cyclical nature of tastes in genre and storytelling, its certainly possible.
