Independence Day

 Released Year: 1996

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Casted by:

Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller

Jeff Goldblum as David Levinson

Bill Pullman as Thomas J. Whitmore

Margaret Colin as Constance Spano

Vivica A. Fox as Jasmine Dubrow

Judd Hirsch as Julius Levinson

 Story:

On July 2, 1996, an enormous alien mothership that has one fourth the mass of the Moon enters orbit around Earth, deploying 36 smaller spacecraft, each 15 miles (24 km) wide, that take positions over some of Earth's major cities and military bases. David Levinson, an MIT-trained satellite technician, decodes a signal embedded in the global satellite transmissions that he determines is a timer counting down to a coordinated attack. With the help of his former wife, White House Communications Director Constance Spano, Levinson, and his father Julius, gain access to the Oval Office and warn President Thomas J. Whitmore that the aliens are hostile. Whitmore orders large-scale evacuations of New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., but it is too late; the timer reaches zero and the ships activate devastating directed-energy weapons, killing millions. Whitmore, the Levinsons, and a few others, narrowly escape aboard Air Force One as the capital is destroyed, along with other locations over which the ships are positioned.

On July 3, international military leaders begin ordering individual counterattacks. Their aviation forces attack destroyer ships positioned above the ruins of the cities, but they are protected by force fields. Each destroyer launches a swarm of attack fighters, which wipe out the human fighter squadrons. Captain Steven Hiller of the Los Angeles USMC squadron survives by luring his attacker to the enclosed spaces of the Grand Canyon and sacrificing his plane, forcing the alien to crash-land. He subdues the injured alien pilot and flags down a convoy of refugees, hitching a ride with former combat pilot Russell Casse. They transport the unconscious alien to nearby Area 51 where Whitmore's group has landed. Through Secretary of Defense Albert Nimzicki, they learn that a faction of the government has been involved in a UFO conspiracy since 1947, when one of the invaders' attack fighters crashed in Roswell. Area 51 houses the refurbished attacker ship and three alien corpses recovered from the crash.

When eccentric scientist Brackish Okun examines the alien, it regains consciousness and attacks. It telepathically invades Okun's mind and uses his vocal cords to communicate with Whitmore before launching a psychic attack against him. Whitmore begins seeing visions of the aliens collecting resources by moving from planet to planet and exterminating all life. After Secret Service agents and military personnel kill the alien, he reluctantly authorizes a nuclear attack; a B-2 Spirit fires a nuclear cruise missile at a destroyer positioned above Houston, but the ship remains intact.

On July 4, Levinson demonstrates that the key to defeating the aliens is deactivating their force fields, and devises a way to do it by uploading a computer virus into the mothership. He proposes using the refurbished attack ship to gain entry which Hiller volunteers to pilot. The two are able to implant the virus and deploy a nuclear weapon on board. With military pilots in short supply, Whitmore enlists the help of volunteers with flight experience including Casse and leads an attack on a destroyer ship bearing down on Area 51. Although the fighters are able to inflict damage, their supply of missiles is quickly exhausted. As the destroyer prepares to fire on the base, the last missile jams and Casse decides to sacrifice his own life. He flies his plane kamikaze-style into the directed-energy weapon port, which results in an explosion that destroys the ship. Human resistance forces around the world successfully destroy the other craft using this vulnerability. As humankind is rejoicing in victory, Hiller and Levinson have returned to Area 51 unharmed and reunite with their families. They and military officers nearby accompany Whitmore and his daughter in watching the wreckage from the mothership burn up, resembling a fireworks display as it enters Earth's atmosphere.

 L² Scored: 7.5/10 

L² Comment:

I didn't watch this movie 20 years ago and honestly, i didn't even notice about this movie at all... Until recently the second movie is out, i stopped myself from going to the cinema to watch this movie because everyone say the 2 movies are some sort link to each other... Well, after few months only i manage to find this movie. Overall the storyline is ok but not too excited really...

Scream

 Released Year: 1996

Directed by Wes Craven

Casted by:

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott

Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis

Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher

Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers

David Arquette as Dewey Riley

Rose McGowan as Tatum Riley

Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks

Drew Barrymore as Casey Becker

 Story:

 High school student Casey Becker receives a flirtatious phone call from an unknown person, asking her, "What's your favorite scary movie?" The situation quickly escalates out of control as the caller turns sadistic and threatens her life. He reveals that her boyfriend Steve is being held hostage. After failing to answer a question correctly about horror films, Steve is murdered. When Casey refuses to cooperate with the caller, she is attacked and murdered by a masked killer, and her body is hung from a tree.

The following day, the news media descend on the town and a police investigation begins. Meanwhile, Sidney Prescott struggles with the impending one-year anniversary of her mother's murder by Cotton Weary . While waiting at home for her friend Tatum Riley, Sidney receives a threatening phone call. After she hangs up, she is attacked by the killer. Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis arrives and offers support, but after he drops his cell phone Sidney suspects him of making the call. She flees. Billy is arrested and Tatum takes Sidney to her house.

Billy is released the next day. Suspicion has shifted to Sidney's father Neil Prescott, as the calls have been traced to his phone. School is suspended in the wake of the murders. After the students have left the school, Principal Himbry is stabbed to death in his office. Billy's friend Stu Macher throws a party to celebrate the school closure. The party is attended by Sidney, Tatum, their friend Randy Meeks, and several other students. Reporter Gale Weathers attends uninvited to cover the situation, as she expects the killer to strike. Tatum is killed during the party after having her neck crushed by a garage door. Billy arrives to speak to Sidney privately, and the two ultimately consummate their relationship. Deputy sheriff Dewey Riley and Gale investigate a nearby abandoned car. Many party attendees are drawn away after hearing news of Himbry's death; Randy, Sidney, Billy, Stu, and Gale's cameraman Kenny remain.

After having sex, Sidney and Billy are attacked by the killer, who seemingly murders Billy. Sidney escapes the killer and seeks help from Kenny, but he gets his throat slit by the killer. Sidney again flees. Gale and Dewey, having discovered the car belongs to Neil Prescott, return to the house. They believe Neil is the killer and has come to the party to continue his spree. Gale attempts to leave the scene in her van but drives off-road and crashes to avoid hitting Sidney. Meanwhile, Dewey is stabbed in the back while investigating in the house. Sidney takes Dewey's gun. Stu and Randy appear and accuse each other of being the killer. Sidney retreats into the house, where she finds Billy, wounded but still alive. She gives Billy the gun; he lets Randy into the house and then shoots him. Billy has feigned his injuries and is actually the killer; Stu is his accomplice.

Billy and Stu discuss their plan to kill Sidney and frame her father—whom they have taken hostage—for their murder spree. The pair admit to being the killers of her mother, Maureen. Billy says he was motivated to seek revenge on Maureen because of an affair she was having with Billy's father, Hank, which drove his mother away. Gale, thought dead by the killers, intervenes. Sidney takes advantage of this to turn the tables on her attackers, killing Stu. Randy is revealed to be wounded but alive. Billy attacks Sidney but she shoots him through the head, killing him. As the sun rises and police arrive, a badly-injured Dewey is taken away by ambulance and Gale makes an impromptu news report about the night's events.

 L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

The very first movie of Scream :) Neve Campbell so pretty that time and Courteney still looks bitchy as ever~ lol... But a big surprise is Drew Barrymore, i never know she was in the movie as well~ 

The storyline is already expected, and i have roughly know what will happen from "Scary Movie"~ haha... Wanna look for the 2nd movie, anybody has it?!?

Tremors 2: Aftershocks

 Released Year: 1996

Directed by S.S. Wilson

Casted by:

Fred Ward as Earl Bassett
Christopher Gartin as Grady Hoover
Helen Shaver as Kate "White" Reilly
Michael Gross as Burt Gummer

 Story:

 While Earl and Val became wealthy with their discovery of the Graboids, Earl lost most of his fortune through an ostrich farm and other investments. Earl is approached by two men, Grady Hoover and Señor Ortega. Ortega knows that Earl and Val dealt with the Graboids previously. He informs Earl that there are more of them killing workers at the Petromaya Oil Field; he needs help to dispose of them. Earl refuses, horrified at the prospect that there are more of the creatures that almost killed him. Grady tells him that Ortega will pay him $50,000 for each graboid. Earl agrees to eliminate the Graboids, and Grady accompanies him.

On their way to the Petromaya Oil Field, Earl and Grady are introduced to Pedro, the company's chief engineer and Kate Reilly, a geologist. Ortega brings Earl and Grady a few cases of dynamite and an CAR-15. A man named Julio introduces a seismic monitor that will show Grady and Earl where the Graboids are. Grady builds a chain with a few empty aluminum cans attached to it to attract the Graboids.

Earl and Grady kill 16 Graboids using dynamite strapped to remote-control toy cars. Another Graboid snags the chain Grady hooked to the back of the truck. The Graboid begins dragging them across the field. When the Graboid snaps the chain Earl sees more Graboids approaching on the seismic monitor. Earl calls up Burt Gummer, an old friend of his who helped him take down the Graboids with Val. Burt comes in with an army truck filled with explosives and weapons. The group splits up to kill more of the Graboids.

Earl and Grady see another Graboid on the seismograph. Oddly, the Graboid is moving away from them, so Earl and Grady investigate. Upon reaching the top of a hill, the Graboid surfaces. In a panic Earl backs his truck down the side of the hill and into a pile of rocks, breaking an axle. They see the Graboid has not moved. Earl and Grady wait for Pedro to bring the Graboid back to the refinery. The Graboid makes loud, painful noises, and Grady and Earl see some of the insides of the Graboid are missing, leading Earl to believe that something emerged from it.

While Earl tries contacting Kate over the radio, he notices that the radio's transmitter has been damaged, then he and Grady hear another Graboid making a noise just like that of the one they encountered earlier. Grady sees Pedro's truck coming up the road only to stop. When Earl and Grady walk to the truck, they see it is damaged and all that is left of Pedro are his severed arms. Earl decides to call for help by hiking to a nearby radio tower.

Burt has become worried that his monitor is showing no Graboids and begins returning to the refinery. When Grady and Earl reach the radio tower they find it has been damaged. Earl spots a car near a small bar that Grady tries hotwiring. The two hear a strange noise coming from the bar, then see a creature resembling a smaller two-legged Graboid, dubbed a "Shrieker", emerge from the bar. Grady and Earl kill it, but three more Shriekers come for them. They drive the car back to the refinery. As Burt is trying to get back he is ambushed by Shriekers.

Kate, unable to contact anyone, grows worried. Julio agrees to find them. As he is about to leave a Shrieker devours him. Grady and Earl kill the Shrieker that killed Julio and reunite with Kate. As they are about to leave another Shrieker appears and begins damaging their car's engine, but Earl kills it. Burt arrives with his truck damaged from the Shriekers that attacked him. He shows them a Shrieker he caught alive, unaware that another Shrieker has stowed away underneath his truck.

The four discover that the Shrieker hunts by using a heat sensor on top of its head, explaining why the Shriekers attacked the cars and the radio tower. When it consumes a piece of food it creates another Shrieker. While enjoying this spectacle, Kate, Earl, Grady and Burt are ambushed by Shriekers. The group plans to drive off with Julio's car, but another Shrieker is blocking their path. Burt uses his .50 BMG rifle to kill it, but the bullet goes through the Shrieker and damages the engine block of Julio's car. More Shriekers trap Grady, Earl and Kate on top of an oil tower and Burt in the bucket of a tractor.

The Shriekers start jumping onto each other's backs to reach Grady, Earl and Kate. Burt makes the Shriekers chase him into the storage compartment where his truck is. He is able to lock a door and close a garage, trapping them. However, this proves to be problematic as the garage is filled with food and allows the Shrikers to reproduce at a rapid rate. Earl sprays himself with a fire extinguisher to make him cold so that the Shriekers will not see him, so that he can reach Burt's bombs.

As he is walking the frost from his body dissolves and the Shriekers see Earl in Burt's truck. Earl sets off a timed charge and throws it in the back of Burt's truck. Grady, Burt and Kate pull him out with a hose, and the four run from the refinery. The bomb detonates the explosives in Burt's truck and destroys the refinery, killing the Shriekers.

Grady tells Earl that the Petromaya corporation owes them for 28 worms they killed. As they walk towards the remains of the refinery, Earl suggests they charge the corporation for the Shriekers they killed. When Grady says that they can open up their own Monster World, Earl says, "No way.", but Grady says, "Oh, C'mon, Earl. This could be like your big third chance".

L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment:

This second movie is not as good as the first movie, the storyline is a bit bored and expect able. Kevin Bacon no more in this movie but leaving Fred Ward on the lead of this movie. The only exciting part is when the wormy creatures transform and has leg...

Primal Fear

Released Year: 1996
Directed by Gregory Hoblit

Casted by:
Richard Gere as Martin Vail
Laura Linney as Janet Venable
Edward Norton as Aaron Stampler
Story:

Martin Vail is a prominent defense attorney in Chicago who jumps at the chance to represent Aaron Stampler, a young, stuttering altar boy accused of murdering the Archbishop. At first interested primarily in the publicity that the case will bring, Vail comes to believe that his client is truly innocent, much to the chagrin of the prosecutor (and Vail's former lover), Janet Venable.

Vail discovers that powerful civic leaders, including the District Attorney, have lost millions in real estate investments due to a decision by the Archbishop not to develop certain church lands. The archbishop received numerous death threats as a result. He also learns that the archbishop had been sexually abusing altar boys, including Stampler.

Introducing this evidence, while it would make Stampler more sympathetic to the jury, would also give his client a motive for murder, something the prosecution otherwise has lacked. The trial does not proceed well for the defense, as there is considerable evidence against Stampler and public opinion holds him almost certainly guilty. When Vail confronts his client and accuses him of having lied, Aaron breaks down and transforms into a new persona, a violent sociopath who calls himself "Roy." He confesses to the murder of the archbishop and throws Vail against the wall, injuring him.

When this incident is over, Aaron appears to have no recollection of it. Molly Arrington, the psychiatrist examining Aaron, is convinced he suffers from multiple personality disorder due to childhood abuse by his own father. However, Vail cannot enter an insanity plea during an ongoing trial.

Vail sets up a confrontation in court. After Venable questions him harshly, Aaron turns into Roy and charges at her, threatening to snap her neck if anyone comes near him. Aaron is subdued by courthouse marshals and is rushed back to his cell. In light of Aaron's apparent insanity, the judge dismisses the jury in favor of a bench trial and then finds Aaron not guilty by reason of mental insanity, and remands him to a mental hospital. Vail visits to tell him this news. Aaron says he recalls nothing of what happened in the courtroom, having again "lost time." However, just as Vail is leaving, Aaron asks him to "tell Ms. Venable I hope her neck is okay," which is not something that Aaron should have been able to remember if he had "lost time." Vail points this out, whereupon Stampler grins slyly and reveals that he has been pretending to be insane the whole time. But he didn't make up the identity of Roy, he made up Aaron.

Stampler now admits to having murdered the archbishop, as well as his girlfriend, Linda, whom the cleric also had molested. Stunned and disillusioned, Vail walks away, with Roy taunting him from the cell.

L² Scored: 3/10

L² Comment:

Omg~ what a big yawn yawn on this film, the storyline is kinda old fashion (well, what can i expect? its an 1996 film anyway) and the pace was so slow. I fall asleep during half way of the movie~ heck

Edward Norton has been nominated in a few awards and won the Golden Globe best supporting actor based on this film. Well, he's cute anyway. But with Gere, Linney & Norton, these 3 beautiful creatures, the movie still can't attract me much~ damn...