The spin the pres. receives from films like INDEPENDENCE DAY must be a mixed one. Yes, it is true that the POTUS of ID4 is an un-Clinton in construction, a war hero who inspires his military. Clearly this calls to mind for many viewers the relentless news media and anti-Clinton propagandists who harp on Bill's last of military service and opposition to the Vietnam War. Sure it was Bob Dole would went to Rupert Murdoch's Fox studio and told them we need more great films like ID4. (That was really reading Hollywood the riot act, huh? 'You folks need to make more big-budget, big-hype scifi blockbusters with pro-American military slants.') But, can it really hurt any sitting president to have films come out which portray a generic president as a kick-ass war hero topgun? If the residue of 'this is what a strong president is like' lingers after the films, surely the sitting president gets some of that to fall on him. Some of the news media seemed anxious and poised to make Clinton into something like this bigstick president during the latest go-round with Saddam. Pentagon and Middle East correspondents seemed to get really excited that maybe the Gulf War "euphoria" of American "sorties" were going to rule again. The U.S. once again became "we" to reporters, just as it had during Bush's Iraq war. So perhaps INDEPENDENCE DAY rah-rahs have their afterglow that embues the presidency with power and legitimacy even if Commander in Chief Clinton takes his lumps for not serving in an unpopular war. (I always found it a little curious though, that very little was made of the fact that Bill Clinton DID, in his first weeks in office, bomb Iraq in response to no-fly-zone violations in 1993. Yet he is still portrayed as a pres who never pulled the trigger.) The more interesting cinematic treatment of the Clinton presidency will no doubt be the forthcoming film a clef version of PRIMARY COLORS. ---- To sign off SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]