Arts
As "Independence Day" quickly surpasses $100 million in domestic ticket sales, people across the country are talking not only about the success of the film, but also about that of its World Wide Web Internet site.
Up and running for only two months, the "Independence Day," or "ID4" web site has already become one of the most popular stops in the history of the Internet and has been viewed by millions of visitors.
With a decent Web browser and a little patience, visitors to the site -- located at http://www.id4.com/ -- should discover that the hype and popularity are well deserved, although the site is a bit complicated to use.
Unfortunately, to get maximum enjoyment out of the site, a computer user must have several auxiliary "plug-ins" on his or her system, and most users do not have this software.
Free copies of the software can be acquired, but downloading time can take up to half an hour per plug-in.
Still, the "ID4" site is pretty impressive, even without the additional software.
Upon reaching the front page of the site, choose the Netscape 2.0 Web browser if you took the time to download the extra software and Netscape 3.0 if you didn't.
From there, users can proceed to one of three main locations: Launch Pad, Area 51 and Contact.
Fans of the movie will want to head right into the Launch Pad, which includes a series of profiles on the actors who in the movie are the "freedom fighters," the humans who try to save the Earth from extinction.
Also in the Launch Pad section are some impressive "propaganda," which includes 10 downloadable sound bytes from the movie and three full-length trailers, five television advertisements.
One gem to be found: a marvelous screen saver which depicts a huge alien ship annihilating metropolitan New York with its laser beam.
The Launch Pad also has behind the scenes production notes, links to other "Independence Day" information on the Internet and other assorted goodies.
In the Area 51 and Contact sections, interested people can read a wealth of alleged alien sightings, descriptions and conspiracy theories, and even pick up some advice on what to do in the event of a real-life alien attack.
As tends to be the case throughout much of the site, the user will not be able to explore some of the resources in Area 51 and Contact -- for example, the alien conspiracy story chat room -- unless he or she downloads some of the aforementioned additional software.
Generally, the site is graphically pleasing and even includes some neat animated graphics, such as a spaceship dodging gunfire and a moving satellite.
The "ID4" site can be a bit difficult to navigate for first-time users, but visitors can use a "Help" screen to easily navigate the site.
Overall, the "Independence Day" website is well worth checking out, at least while the movie continues its run in the theaters.
The system is a bit confusing and some of its treasures require bulky auxiliary software.
However, the site provides more than enough resources to keep the casual visitor or rabid movie buff excited.
