Monday Rewind is on hiatus today. Sure, I could tell you that Larry Crowne got his ass handed to him by Transformers, Cars 2 and Bad Teacher this weekend, barely getting one over on Monte Carlo. But that’s just depressing.  (Why the hatin’ on Larry?  Look up “character based story”, people.  Then get back to me.)   Instead?  Since it’s one of my favorite holidays — the day when you can blow up stuff and be called a True American — I’ve decided to whip out a top ten list.  This is a list of all things good, fine and true, movies that you can point to and say yep, that right there?  America.  Speaking of whipping things out, let’s get started:

10)  Blazing Saddles: More schnitzengruben?  Yes, please!  If you haven’t seen this movie yet, unhook yourself from your internet IV and watch it Right Now.  Don’t worry, I’ll wait right here.  This Mel Brooks satire of the beloved cowboy genre gets everything right.  From the rampant but undercover racism that made the West what it is today (full of people that aren’t Native American) to the no-holds-barred final scenes that bust through the fourth wall and into the French Mistake (“Watch.  Me….” Let’s just say for this scene alone, Dom Deluise is God in my eyes.)  This is one of the most quoted movies that ain’t Star Wars or Monty Python, and it’s all American.  God bless us, every one.

9) Dave:  Which proves to the world that in America, if you stop being a jerk, people start to wonder what the hell is going on.  Basically a revamped Prince and the Pauper tale, a beloved but less-than-successful guy who happens to look like the jerkwad President gets tapped to step in when said jerkwad lapses into a coma.  Need I say that the plain-old Joe does a better job?  Or that he nabs the First Lady?  Didn’t think so.  Adorable, and lots of fun.

8 ) The Best Years of our Lives: Coming back home from war is a bee-yotch.  Or so I’ve been told.  But lest you think that we’ve gotten weak since Vietnam, this movie shows us that even The Greatest Generation had it rough.  Coming back as heroes ain’t no picnic, not after what those soldiers had been through.  Bonus points for casting WWII hero Harold Russell — a man that lost both of his hands in the war — as a man who had to not only come to terms with his disability, but come to terms with how others now viewed him.  A classic movie that earns every good thing that’s ever been said about it.

7) Mr. Smith goes to Washington: Before America got into WWI, before Clarence got his wings, this movie showed us all that Jimmy Steward was a force to be reckoned with.  His fillibuster is amazing, and it makes me wish that they still allowed that sort of thing.  In Jefferson Smith, the smalltown guy that tries his best to do the right thing against the colossal machine that is Capitol Hill, we see ourselves.  Okay, we see how we’d all like to be, if we only had the guts.

6) Johnny Tremain: Yeah, yeah, yeah.  How can I possibly rank a Disney movie ahead of two of the most beloved movies about America?  Well, because it’s my list, and because it’s a Fourth of July list, so it gets points for things that go boom.  This once was a staple of elementary school history class (I must have seen it at least 5 times, god bless the American school system!)  It looks at the Revolutionary War through the eyes of a young man that doesn’t seem to be able to do much, but ends up proving everyone wrong.  Points for the underdog factor, and for the absolutely shameless heartstring pulling, a requirement for all true patriotic films.

5) 1776: Wonder where Gwyneth Paltrow got her pipes?  Look no further.  Gwyneth’s mom Blythe Danner, as Martha Jefferson, Thomas’ beautiful and vibrant young wife, sings “He Plays the Violin” and steals the audience away ‘til it’s done.  Hey, where else are you gonna hear The White Shadow belt one out?  Shockingly, this movie is not only a successful adaptation of a Broadway hit musical, but it’s chock full of actual historical stuff.  This is the movie to put on for your friends who hates to learn anything.  You can’t help but be drawn in by this movie, and out of nowhere that stick-in-the-mud friend who thinks Paul Revere warned the British is a little bit wiser.  It could happen.

4) M.A.S.H.: This film does for war movies what Blazing Saddles did for westerns, but with a much lighter touch.  The distrust of authority and blatant disregard for decorum?  Absolutely 100% A-murrrr-ican.  I feel sorry for the poor bastards that signed up for duty with a hospital unit in the mistaken believe that this is what really went on.  Still, it’s a great look at how America shifted gears thanks to Vietnam.  Or, rather, thanks to the powers-that-be screwing things up.  Potato, potatoe.

3) Born on the Fourth of July: Oliver Stone’s unflinching look at how the Vietnam War took it’s toll on the soldiers that fought over there, could easily be seen as the sequel to Platoon.  But it stands up on it’s own, not only because it’s built around the true story of Ron Kovic, but because it’s a powerful film in it’s own right.  And America loves a comeback story, so this tale of a young man who has everything to live for and then has to start all over again is an emotional fist-pumper.  Which brings me to….

2) Red Dawn: “Wolverines!”  If that doesn’t get your fist in the air, well…you didn’t grow up in the 80’s.  Ah, the 80’s; we hated The Commies, loved power ballads and feared packing up and hitting the highway to avoid WWIII.  And it’s all here in this film!  But don’t worry, a group of kids has our back.  This is the Brat Pack on full auto, before tiger blood and Dancing With The Stars.  Ask anyone who has seen this movie, it’s a makes-ya-proud kinda film.  Plus, it’s easy to follow, a big plus if you’re putting this on after a full day of drinking in this insane heat while watching things go boom.

1) Independence Day:  What?  It’s all about the title, baby.  Who cares if this movie figures that alien life is IBM compatible?  Yes, the story has holes you can drive an alien spacecraft through.  Michael Bay brings it, and it is ON.  If you see Will Smith — king of the July 4th weekend — punch an alien in the face and don’t get the least little bit pumped, you are dead inside.  Though my favorite is Randy Quaid’s wacked-out cropduster that just knows he was a victim of alien abduction.  When he volunteers to help America put the smackdown on those creepy aliens and he tells everyone he wants to do this because he was abducted and wants a little payback?  OMG, if that isn’t America in a nutshell (the good, the bad and the just plain ol’ Jerry Springer), it’s sure damn close.

Now go forth and grill, drink, stay out in the sun too long and watch professionals really blow some $%^#* up.  It’s the American way!  If you need a break to grab some a/c?  Well, these movies’ll be here for you.  God Bless Amurrrica.

Well, it looks like the possibility of a sequel to Independence Day is more than just a rumor. In a recent interview with MTV News, director Roland Emmerich revealed that, while there’s no script as of yet, there is definitely an idea for what the sequel will entail.

Emmerich plans on the sequel having a much larger scope than the original film, and says that the sequel will actually consist of two films that simply pick up where the first left off.

While I’m still skeptical as to how well an Independence Day sequel will play out, it’s reassuring to know that several of the stars from the film have already agreed to reprise their roles for subsequent films. Audiences will get to see Will Smith once again grace the screen as Captain Steve Hiller, and Bill Pullman will return as the president who helped steer the world through its alien invasion.

No plot details have been revealed yet (after all, the film is still in idea mode), but Emmerich did say that the film will not take place in space. According to the director, “It’s always about earth and that earth gets invaded,” so the plan is to keep the film’s action rooted on earth.

An official title for the sequel(s) hasn’t been decided on, but Emmerich’s is currently playing with the title ID4-ever.

More news to come as details are revealed.

There’s more human suffering on display in Roland Emmerich’s 2012 than any other film I’ve seen. Emmerich raises the stakes of his own game, creating a level of destruction that outdoes anything seen in Independence Day or The Day After Tomorrow. Where he succeeds most brilliantly is in forming a perfectly satisfying piece of coherent bubble gum B-movie, where Michael Bay, given a comparable amount of funding, will produce utter chaos.

The only well-rounded character in 2012 is the calamity itself: unprecedentedly huge solar flares are causing the core of the earth to heat up and weaken the crust of the earth. This is making the tectonic plates of the earth shift around, causing earthquakes, tidal waves, volcanoes and the bisection of the occasional grocery store. Emmerich takes about a half an hour to warm up the audience for impending doom, which makes 2012 incredibly lengthy when it doesn’t need to be. He could lop off the entire front portion of the film and begin with a mysterious bang, letting us put the pieces together as we go along, and it would have functioned just as well.

As a result, we get weird subplots — the replacement of famous artwork in the Louvre and Buddhist monks and simple nonsense. That’s okay, though, because this breathing room lets us hang out with characters, none of whom are totally fleshed out, but also none that are really unlikeable. John Cusack, as a failed everyman writer, is as likable as he’s been in every role in his career.

Blessed with a slightly better script, he would really hold 2012 together; as it stands, it’s definitely an ensemble piece. We get fine turns from Oliver Platt, Woody Harrelson and Chitwel Ejiofor, but they’re the standard characters we’ve become familiar with since Emmerich showed them off in Independence Day. His actors are chess pieces in showcase scenes, which is totally fine. The movie knows what it wants to be, satisfies that purpose, and nothing more.

It’s an average film, highly entertaining in the theater and ultimately disposable on the way out. However, the “rollercoaster ride” cliche totally applies to 2012, and seems to wear it with pride. The thing is, I can’t see Emmerich going anywhere after this film; he’s going to have to try his hand at a different game, because where do you go after destroying the world?

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

It often happens that movies that seem to end on a nicely wrapped up note still leave that slight dangling thread from which a sequel could potentially be weaved. This does not, however, mean that filmmakers should grab the opportunity to do so.

Independence Day is one such film that should be left alone. In 1996, writer and director Roland Emmerich gave audiences an action-packed movie that left us cheering for humanity, while also leading us to wonder about what would happen if aliens ever did attack earth.

After Jeff Goldblum’s computer genius and Will Smith’s flying skills give armies around the world the opportunity to take down the alien invaders, humans achieve victory, the aliens are blown to bits, the world is saved, and the 4th of July takes on a new significance. Although we can ponder what happens to the film’s characters after earth’s near-destruction, for the most part Emmerich gave his audience a rather tidy ending.

Still, Emmerich has written a sequel to Independence Day, and is currently in talks with 20th Century Fox to work out the production specifics. Considering that the film ended with the aliens being destroyed, after having left their own ravished planet, one has to wonder what a sequel could entail. It wouldn’t make sense for more aliens to return, and does anyone really want to see a movie about David/Jeff Goldblum getting back together with his ex-wife? Or Captain Hiller/Will Smith’s newlywed years with his exotic dancing bride? What does that leave Emmerich to work with?

The biggest issue the sequel is facing as far as production goes, though, is the financial aspect.

Will Smith is one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood, largely because he receives a cut of the profits from every movie he does. Because of this, FOX is hesitant to cast Smith in his original role, a decision that would severely damage the chance of an Independence Day 2 being any good at all.

For now, the possibility of Independence Day 2 remains just that– a possibility. Personal opinion is that it should stay as such, but if it does go forward, it’ll be interesting to see whether they can manage to make a movie that is anywhere near the quality of the original.

The first teaser trailer for what is already being named an “epic” for Roland Emmerich’s 2012 has just hit the web! And of coarse we have it for you!

Besides the shear awesomeness of what happens in the clip below, it is exactly what it is, it’s a teaser trailer. And boy did they do it right! I really want to see more of it, NOW!!

Emmerich is responsible for other epic films such as Independence Day, The Patriot, The Day After Tomorrow, and one of my all time favs, Stargate. Check out the teaser below and let me know what you think.

The film is slated for a mid July 2009 release. Another summer blockbuster? I am sure we will see sooner than later.