STACK October 2016 Issue 144

28 / 125

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
With the awesome spectacle of
Independence Day – who can
forget the destruction of the
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
or more, so he knew a much
bigger effects budget would be
required.
Emmerich also admits that
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
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.
“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
to do these things because
it's my genre, it's what I'm
interested in.”
In a weird way I had to invent
my own genre, which is science
fiction blended with disaster
WAR
of the
WORLDS
THEY CAME FROM OUTER SPACE
visit
28 OCTOBER 2016
DVD&BD
FEATURE
• Independence
Day:
Resurgence
is out on
Oct 19
Invasion of the
Bodysnatchers (1978)
The 1956 version is a classic, but
Philip Kaufman’s take on
an insidious invasion
by pod people is
truly unsettling.
Mars Attacks (1996)
In Tim Burton's gleeful black comedy,
the invading aliens are closer in
spirit to the mischievous,
murderous creatures
of Gremlins.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
War of the Worlds meets
Groundhog Day as Tom
Cruise dies over and
over again battling
aliens.
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.
Four of our favourite alien invasion flicks…