STACK #144 Oct 2016

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DVD&BD FEATURE

WAR of the WORLDS

Master of disaster Roland Emmerich is back with Independence Day: Resurgence , the sequel to his groundbreaking 1996 sci-fi smash. And advancements in visual effects technology means a bigger and more spectacular invasion this time around. Words Adam Colby W ith the awesome spectacle of Independence Day – who can forget the destruction of the or more, so he knew a much bigger effects budget would be required. Emmerich also admits that

White House and other landmarks? – Roland Emmerich created a whole new sub-genre: the sci-fi disaster flick. But it wasn’t until he was shooting the apocalyptic geological epic 2012 that he first thought about returning to the film that started it all. “[ 2012 ] was the first movie I shot using digital cameras; the first one I totally relied only on computer graphics for the effects,” the German filmmaker recalls. “I realised, all of a sudden, how far technology had advanced. I talked a lot with my visual effects supervisor about it, and said, ‘at the time we couldn't do so many things, but now we can do them’, and that's what got me going.” Independence Day: Resurgence is set 20 years after the events of the first film, with Earth once again facing annihilation from a mighty new alien invasion force. However, this time around, mankind is better prepared, having reverse- engineered some of the old alien spacecrafts to create new hybrid technology and defences. Similarly, advances in visual effects technology allowed Emmerich and his team to do things that simply weren't possible back in 1996. He points out that there were 400–450 visual effects shots deployed in Independence Day , whereas blockbusters these days can use 2,000

he was disappointed with the way some of the effects turned out in the first film – in particular the “little stick figure” aliens – so he was more than happy to embrace the new technology. “Some people are still very nostalgic about the whole model thing, but I'm not, really,” he

“It's a little bit like asking Woody Allen or Alfred Hitchcock why they were doing their movies,” he reflects. “You find your own genre in a way. I'm not a particular fan of superhero movies or comic book films, because I grew up in Germany and didn't have that stuff. So in a weird way I had to invent my own genre, which is science fiction blended with disaster. “In every one of these movies, you can have a different aspect, such as with The Day After Tomorrow , where it was climate change and how it could affect our lives. And 2012 is pretty much a re-telling of Noah's Ark in a modern way. So in a way I'm quite happy

In a weird way I had to invent my own genre, which is science fiction blended with disaster

says. “I don't have to do that any more and I'm relieved! Now I'm very relaxed, saying, ‘Ok, a little bit here, a little bit there... Let's do a new simulation...’” Describing himself as “Germany's oldest teenager”, Emmerich has no qualms about continuing to make films in the genre that he created.

to do these things because it's my genre, it's what I'm interested in.”

• Independence Day: Resurgence is out on Oct 19

THEY CAME FROM OUTER SPACE

Four of our favourite alien invasion flicks…

Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1978) The 1956 version is a classic, but Philip Kaufman’s take on an insidious invasion

Mars Attacks (1996) In Tim Burton's gleeful black comedy, the invading aliens are closer in spirit to the mischievous, murderous creatures of Gremlins .

Attack the Block (2011) Extraterrestrial invaders get more than they bargained for when they face off against a hoodie gang on a London council estate.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) War of the Worlds meets Groundhog Day as Tom

Cruise dies over and over again battling aliens.

by pod people is truly unsettling.

OCTOBER 2016

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