Independence Day Resurgence is out next week.
Which made this a perfect opportunity to dig up some fun facts about
Independence Day, the movie, not the day.
I mean this is Cinefix, not history fix or
like learning fix or whatever, I mean, come on.
(Cough) Anyway,
here are Seven Things You Didn't Know about Independence Day, probably.
(Music)
>> Happy Fourth of July, Daddy. >> Same to you munchkin.
>> Even though the events of
Independence Day aka ID4, takes place around July 4th.
That isn't the only reason the filmmakers named the movie Independence Day.
They actually chose the name because there was another alien invasion movie in
production at the same exact time.
And they wanted to cement the date for ID4 and beat the competition market.
Movie in question, Mars Attacks.
It was originally supposed to come out in August just a month after ID4.
Ultimately Mars Attacks was not released until December and
pretty much nobody remembers or cares about that movie anyway.
So I guess the Independence Day team didn't really have anything to worry
about, did they?
Next thing.
(Sound) Even though the filmmakers had pretty much always wanted the movie to
be called Independence Day.
They were getting a lot pressure from Fox to change the title.
What you probably didn't know is,
this line at the end of Bill Pullman's speech was their ace in the hole
to keep the title they wanted. >> Today
we celebrate our Independence Day! >> They crowbarred
in that line about Independence Day at the very last moment.
Basically as their way of telling the studio go (Bleep) yourselves,
we're keeping our title.
(Sound) >> We're welcoming the new arrivals.
>> God, I hope they bring back Elvis.
>> Considering what a huge movie
Independence Day went on to become,
it's kind of surprising that they waited 20 years to do a sequel.
But most people don't know just how excited the studio was about the original
movie from day one. >> Good job, everyone, congratulations.
(Applause) >> Dean Devlin and
director Roland Emmerich finished the screenplay for
ID4 while they were in a hotel room in Mexico.
That detail isn't really important,
but it adds texture to the story, I mean, why were they in a hotel room in Mexico?
Seriously, somebody go find out.
Anyway, they sent the script to the studio on a Thursday back in 1995,
it was greenlit by the next day and in pre-production by Monday.
It's kind of a cool story because that would never happen today unless they
replaced Jeff Goldblum with Spiderman and Will Smith with Ironman.
Which I'm sure is on the table. >> It's our victory dance.
Not until the fat lady sings.
Okay. >> Speaking of Jeff Goldblum, you may
not have realized just how much trouble smoking that cigar caused him on set.
See, Jeff Goldblum just couldn't really handle smoking a cigar.
I think we can all agree that he's far too delicate.
So an AD was tasked with getting the cigar lit for him.
And for every moment that the cameras weren't rolling,
Goldblum would hand the cigar off giving it back to AD to keep it going.
So that Goldblum wouldn't have to be around the cigar smoke.
I have to say though he certainly looks like he knows what he's doing with
that cigar on camera.
And that ladies and gentlemen is acting. >> So this is healthy.
>> Well,
I could get used to it. >> I have got
to get me one of these. >> Aside from I have got to get me one of
these the most memorable moment from ID4 might be when the White House is blown up.
But I think he didn't know that shooting this particular special effect
was turned into a huge event by the studio's marketing department.
They built bleachers around the set and even invited the press to watch.
What actually was getting blown up was a miniature White House which was,
boom a bonus thing you didn't know.
It was about 14 feet wide and five feet high and it was
later composited in within the alien ship and the laser beam for the final shot.
They had seven cameras including an IMAX, but
they had only one backup mini White House incase it didn't work out.
So, having a bunch people around watching didn't exactly take any
pressure off of nailing on the first take.
Luckily, the first explosion had a good fireball, a great explosion and
the wreckage all looked perfect.
So, they got it on the first try, in spite of the moronic PR stunt by Fox marketing.
>> And this is what's left of it.
(Sound) >> I'll admit that
once you've seen one submarine, you've kind of seen them all.
But you still probably didn't know that this set is the same submarine that was
used in Crimson Tide and in Down Periscope.
>> Prepare for dive!
>> Fox just happened to still have it
around, so the ID4 team was able to snag a day with it for this quick scene, and
that's really it.
Moving on.
(Sound) >> Welcome to Earth.
>> In the extremely unlikely event
you've never seen Independence Day, and
you're watching this episode of Things You Didn't Know.
Consider this your spoiler warning for our last thing.
And we're only doing this because we're good guys.
You've had 20 years to watch this movie for
God's sake, >> In the words of my generation,
up yours! >> Okay,
now that it's just us cool guys who saw ID4 within an appropriate time frame.
We have a thing about when Randy Quaid's character flies his plane into the ship
at the end.
The original ending of the film actually had Russell flying his crop duster biplane
rather than having him decide to sacrifice himself at a critical moment.
He was going to head out on the mission already knowing he wouldn't return.
The filmmakers thought it would be a great idea to strap a bomb to a biplane and
they just loved the image of it.
But you know who didn't think it was a great idea or a believable image?
Test audiences.
The whole Wright Brothers suicide bomber thing was the only thing in the whole
movie that just wasn't working for audiences.
So, at the eleventh hour, they had to change Russell's plane to an F-16 and
redo some 16 digital effects that they've already done on the biplane sequence.
The whole subplot of Russell being an ex-fighter pilot was added after
the fact to justify these changes.
That's why the haircuts in this scene don't match the rest of the movie.
It was shot well after principal photography and
Randy Quaid's beard is pretty much all makeup.
The time crunch also forced the team to come up with some creative solutions for
special effects.
So when his plane explodes,
it's actually the same explosion from the Empire State Building.
They just turn the explosion upside down and replace the Empire State building
with a laser gun and then composited everything digitally.
It is almost literally smoke and mirrors.
Those were our Seven Things You probably Didn't Know about Independence Day.
But let us know if you're planning to see the new sequel once it comes out
next week.
Be sure to check out Cinefix.com and
subscribe for more truish things about movies.
And sometimes Jeff Goldblum's delicate constitution right here on
Things You Didn't Know. >> We're fine!
>> You all take care,
all right? >> Nothing
but love! >> We're fine!
>> Nothing but love for you.