It takes great effort and a very specific talent to become known as a filmmaker who blows stuff up, but Roland Emmerich is the pope (Michael Bay is still a choir boy). With the release of White House Down, starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, we feel compelled to do an ode to director Roland Emmerich and his precious dynamite plunger. Here are five of his greatest on-screen ka-booms.
A Sun God (Stargate, 1994)
1994’s Stargate was the first breakout hit for German director Roland Emmerich (unless you count Universal Soldier, which didn’t scale the same box office heights). He left quite an impression, no doubt thanks to the ending which involved BLOWING UP AN EGYPTIAN SUN GOD INSIDE A FLOATING PYRAMID IN SPACE!
Sure, Ra was actually an alien and the floating pyramid was really a spaceship, but don’t let that water down the intoxicating levels of awesome in that explosion.
PS spoilers.
‘Stargate’ DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand options
The White House (Independence Day, 1996)
The levelling of entire cities is so prevalent in modern blockbusters that it’s become almost mundane, but back in the ‘90s, witnessing such mass destruction was a novelty.
The White House destruction scene is a special effects marvel that remains the figurehead of Emmerich’s resounding portfolio of ostentatious explosions, and one he showcased with the enormity it deserved.
‘Independence Day’ DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand options
Godzilla (Godzilla, 1998)
Roland Emmerich was gifted the chance to blow up one of cinema’s greatest monsters (as well as the optimistic expectations of Gojiro fans hoping to get a good American Godzilla movie). Hammered with two stampedes of jet fighter missiles to either side, Godzilla met a rather anticlimactic death.
Emmerich also managed to destroy our hearts: Gojiro’s last whimpering exhale makes us crumble every time…
‘Godzilla’ DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand options
A Poor Colonial Soldier’s Head (The Patriot, 2000)
Set amongst the horrifically “dignified” battles during the American Revolution,The Patriot displays one particularly vicious blink-and-you’ll-miss-it head-splosion.
Building up with a POV shot from the soon-to-be-decapitated soldier, we see a fired cannonball bounce across the field hurtling straight towards the unfortunate lad. Then, with a swift cut, the spherical iron meets the doomed face in a terrible death that’s so very gif-able.
‘The Patriot’ DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand options
Shakespeare’s Good Name (Anonymous, 2011)
In a drastic deviation from the norm, Emmerich directed this 2011 “historical” drama in an attempt to destroy the good name of Sir William Shakespeare, accusing the famous playwright of being a total fraud.
But considering how Emmerich and writer John Orloff handled the narrative so poorly, we’d say they had more success in kabooming their own argument.
‘Anonymous’ DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand options
