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Reviews
Fail Safe (2000)
A great production on its own
If you have never seen or never had seen the original 1964 film, you would find this an exceptional piece of television, both in the story and the acting, and in the live production. It fairly portrays the tension and seriousness of the Cold War, now so easily forgotten (which I am old enough to have lived through, in the Cuban missile crisis). But what I find one of the most interesting qualities of this film is how it illustrates the range and risk taking of George Clooney as an actor, who was the driving force behind making this film and doing it live (as in "real time") on network television. The number and type of roles he has acted in his career is amazing. One of the best out there, as proved again over and over in the ten years since Fail Safe was performed. See it if you can.
Independence Day (1996)
Is there anyone who STILL doesn't get this is a spoof?
OK, let me lay out ALL the movies alluded to in Independence Day (actually I'll probably forget some)...opening scenes and giant space ships - the 1980's TV mini-series "V." The creatures - "Alien." Attacks on the giant ship, AND the mother ship - "Stars Wars." Using lights on a helicopter to signal "friendly signs" to the aliens - "Close Encounters" (and then it gets blown up - hilarious! and the pilot of the helicopter is the same actor in the same role in another movie about "friendly aliens" - 1984's "Starman."). "Data" from "Star Trek - Next Generation" as the crazy scientist leader of Area 51. Bill Pullman, AKA "Lone Star" from "Space Balls" as the President. Randy Quaid as the "suicide pilot" blowing up the big ship - same as Slim Pickens straight out of "Dr. Strangelove." "War of the Worlds" (giving their computer a "cold" like the aliens dying from earth "viruses"). The early scene of Randy Quaid's kids in the trailer park watching an old B&W movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Jeff Goldblum from "Earth Girls Are Easy." "Star Wars" type dogfights. The final race OUT of the mother ship before it explodes a la "Star Wars," Episode VI. HAS ANYONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE THIS MOVIE WATCHED ANY OTHER SCI-FI MOVIES? I laughed all the way thought it and still do.