Walt Disney, part L: It's not my fault, if in God's plan, he made the Devil so much stronger than a man

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

1996

Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

Written by Tab Murphy, Irene Mecchi, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White, and Jonathan Roberts (based on the novel Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo)

Spoilers: high

Walt Disney, part XLIX: The pits

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

1996

Directed by Henry Selick

Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, and Steve Bloom (based on the novel by Roald Dahl)

Spoilers: moderate

If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all

HAMLET

1996

Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh (based on the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare)

Spoilers: hey, remember that time Norway conquered Denmark?

When the day comes that we have to go to war against Utah, we are really gonna kick ass

BROKEN ARROW

1996

Directed by John Woo

Written by Graham Yost

Spoiler alert: moderate

Welcome to Earth

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Probably the best straight-up alien invasion film we've ever gotten—or, at the least, the most excessive—Independence Day will live forever.

1996

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich

With Jeff Goldblum (David Levinson), Judd Hirsch (Julius Levinson), Bill Pullman (Pres. Thomas Whitmore), Mary McDonnell (First Lady Marilyn Whitmore), Robert Loggia (Gen. Grey), James Rebhorn (Sec. Def. Albert Nimziki), Mae Whitman (Patricia Whitmore), Margaret Colin (Constance Spano), Brent Spiner (Dr. Brakish Okun), Adam Baldwin (Maj. Mitchell), Randy Quaid (Russell Casse), Vivica Fox (Jasmine Dubrow), and Will Smith (Capt. Steven Hiller)

Spoiler alert: high

John Carpenter, part XXIV: Land of the free

ESCAPE FROM L.A.

And so it finally begins.  Welcome to Late Period Carpenter.

1996

Directed by John Carpenter

Written by Debra Hill, Kurt Russell, and John Carpenter

With Kurt Russell (Snake Plissken), Stacey Keach (Malloy), Michelle Forbes (Brazen), Steve Buscemi (Maps to the Stars Eddie), Peter Fonda (Pipeline), Bruce Campbell (Surgeon General of Beverly Hills), Pam Grier (Hershe Las Palmas), Georges Corraface (Cuervo Jones), and Cliff Robertson (The President of the United States)

Spoiler alert: high

Impossible Week, part I: Red light! Green light!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

The collision of one of our greatest actors with one of our greatest directors produces one of the greatest spy films of them all.  Funny how that works.

1996
Directed by Brian De Palma
Written by David Koepp, Steve Zaillian, and Robert Towne (based on the show created by Bruce Geller)
With Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt), Jon Voight (Jim Phelps), Emmanuelle Beart (Claire Phelps), Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell), Jean Reno (Franz Krieger), Kristin Scott Thomas (Sarah Davies), Emilio Estevez (Jack Harmon), Ingeborga Dapkunaite (Hannah Williams), Henry Czerny (Eugene Kittridge), and Vanessa Redgrave (Max)

Spoiler alert: severe, because the twists are rad