Hollywood Immortal

[Chapter 391: Record-Breaking Opening Weekend Box Office and the Critics' Fury]

Despite harsh criticism and negative press from film critics, Independence Day still drew massive crowds to theaters.

In just two days, Independence Day shattered expectations with a staggering $56.25 million box office in North America.

This undeniable fact enraged and infuriated critics; their reviews had been completely ignored by audiences.

That dazzling box office number only proved one thing: professional critics wielded far less influence on big-budget blockbusters than they liked to believe, and they certainly didn't have the guiding impact on the film industry's direction that they had always imagined.

What was even more alarming was that, from now on, no major studio would spend hefty sums on courting these critics during a movie's release -- because that would directly cut into their revenues. Particularly damning was the exclusive interview Linton gave to The New York Times, which blew away the curtain of embarrassment covering these critics.

So, on Sunday, July 6 -- the third day after the movie's release -- the critics' attacks went into overdrive, escalating beyond just the film itself.

"The worst movie in history. What was Michael Bay thinking? Linton's performance was nothing but clowning around."

"I'd rather sleep on the street for two hours than endure the endless noise of Independence Day in a theater."

"Don't expect anything from the plot, and forget about the actors' performances. Independence Day is trash."

"Ridiculous story, awful acting. Independence Day pollutes the American people's eyes and ears. Both Michael Bay and Linton should be arrested and sent to community service."

...

The critics seemed like a swarm of cats with their tails stepped on, unleashing a relentless barrage of venomous attacks on the film, Michael Bay, and Linton. They were eager to crown Michael Bay the worst director ever and to label Linton the worst actor in history.

---

It wasn't only the critics -- Independence Day's runaway success also sparked strong resentment from Disney.

Just last week, Disney's animated film Pocahontas had premiered and earned $31.2 million in its opening weekend, with high expectations riding on its box office performance.

Since Independence Day and Pocahontas were completely different genres with distinct audiences, Disney hadn't considered Independence Day much of a threat.

But when faced with a phenomenon-level blockbuster, reason went out the window. Independence Day smashed box office records on its first day.

Starting Saturday, theaters naturally ramped up screenings of Independence Day. Since the total number of screens was limited, Pocahontas's showings inevitably took a hit.

Moreover, many casual moviegoers without a fixed choice would walk into theaters, see Independence Day's popularity, and pick it without hesitation.

As a result, Pocahontas's July 5 box office dropped over a million dollars compared to July 4, slipping below $6 million.

Disney was somewhat fortunate -- the movie had already been out for a week, so its peak earning phase had passed. Also, due to the film's genre and audience, the impact, while noticeable, wasn't devastating.

Paramount, however, was in a much worse position. They were preparing to release Congo next week -- an action-adventure film targeting largely the same demographic as Independence Day. If Independence Day maintained its current momentum, Paramount's outlook was grim.

Initially indifferent, Disney and Paramount swiftly took action, launching attacks and attempts to stifle Independence Day.

All media outlets under the two companies stopped any positive promotion of Independence Day, wiping out controversial topics as well, and instead filled their pages with scathing articles penned by professional critics.

Viacom's CBS and Disney's Family Channel even started inviting critics onto talk shows to openly condemn Independence Day on national television, trying to dissuade viewers from choosing to watch the film.

CBS moved up a scheduled interview with Roger Ebert from Monday to Sunday, airing his sharpest criticisms of Independence Day live to audiences across America.

Paramount's only request to Roger Ebert was to make his review even harsher, hoping to sway more viewers.

---

At 8 p.m., CBS aired the live show Siskel & Ebert & the Movies.

On screen, Gene Siskel turned to Roger Ebert and said, "Since Independence Day's release, it's faced unanimous backlash across the country. The media and critics regard it as a hopeless disaster, with professional ratings barely hitting 3 out of 10. Roger, can you break down why?"

"First off, Independence Day's plot and structure suffer from serious issues. Anyone who saw the trailers knows it's yet another alien invasion story -- Americans saving the world. Such cliche, overused stories are everywhere in Hollywood. Audiences are just fed up.

This one is, without a doubt, the worst, dullest, and most absurd one I've ever seen. The storyline is thin and predictable, full of logical holes, the acting is superficial, and the special effects look cheap and crude."

Siskel interjected, "Roger, can you give some concrete examples?"

"The utterly absurd scene where a computer virus disables the alien shields. Anyone familiar with computing knows a virus depends on an operating system -- what works on a Windows PC doesn't affect a Mac. So, are the aliens running Windows?

Besides that, it's just an endless parade of explosions, characters are cardboard cutouts, and the emotions are cheap and manipulative...

This film lacks depth, human warmth, or any artistic merit at all..."

With Siskel assisting, Ebert mercilessly tore apart the film's plot, acting, logic, and structure.

---

CBS was one of the Big Four networks in America. Its influence far surpassed that of MCA and UPN, meaning millions saw the program.

Inevitably, some viewers, especially those over 40, found some truth in Ebert's words and were discouraged from seeing Independence Day.

But younger audiences mostly thought he was just nitpicking for the sake of it, and it didn't affect their plans to watch the film.

In fact, as Linton had suspected, Independence Day's core audience was aged 17 to 26.

This was reflected in the box office numbers: although earnings dipped slightly on Sunday, they still reached $21.81 million.

The total for the first three days stood at $78.06 million -- a new North American record for opening weekend box office.

*****

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