War of the Worlds.

[Holst]

I went out and spent money for it. I've seen the original maybe 20 times and read the book for times and have the LP of Jeff Wayne's rock opera.

I thought this one is interesting because it is close to the book, Characters and scenes are merged. The Artillaryman and the Curate became the Ambulance driver. The Destruction of Weybridge and the Thunderchild became the scene with the ferry boat minus about three martian war machines losing the battles. The Pony cart became a mini van. Did you see Gene Barry at the end, he didn't get any lines.

The book is still the best, neither movie really got to the point of the plot..

From the book

And before we judge of them too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals, such as the vanished bison and the dodo, but upon its inferior races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination waged by European immigrants, in the space of fifty years. Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?

[RussinOhio]

I've always been a fan of HG Wells book. I did like Spielbergs WOTW but I felt it could have been so much better. It ended to abruptly, and how the hell did Robbie escape that humungus fireball as he went over the hill with the Army?

I will say that watching the alien tripod-fighting-machine rise from the ground and attack was quite exciting.
Still, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the old 1953 George Pal movie....cheesy effects & all!

Russ

[dr*audio]

For 1953 I think the effects were pretty darn good. And I like the Martian machines in the George Pal version much better than Speilberg's.

[RussinOhio]

For 1953 I think the effects were pretty darn good. And I like the Martian machines in the George Pal version much better than Speilberg's.

Well, come to think of it yes. I'll have to agree Warren that for 1953 the effects in the G.Pal film were quite good. I have to disagree on the martian ships though....I think Spielbergs Tripods were awesome! I like the fact that the new movie stuck to the idea of tripod-fighting-machines like in Wells' book.

I only wish Spielbergs movie had MARTIANS as the alien invaders! Like in the Pal movie. "We already know Mars is lifeless....we know too much about Mars"....was the reason Spielberg had the attackers orgin a mystery.
One must suspend their dis-belief in a Sci-fi thriller about attacking aliens.
So, he has them rise from the ground here on Earth! Duh! Like we don't know much about Earths geology either!

Russ

[Holst]

All that holds the 1953 film back with modern audiences is the style of the film. It's like "Gone with the Wind" with aliens, very well choreographed, long takes with a single camera. Acting like they are on stage with larger gestures. That from me is a compliment, but to many people it just seems old. The war machines in George Pals flick were better in that they looked Alien. Spielbergs were half right, but the top parts lacked something other worldly.

What they both lacked is Wells

At first I took it for the wet roof of a house, but one flash following another showed it to be in swift rolling movement. It was an elusive vision--a moment of bewildering darkness, and then, in a flash like daylight, the red masses of the Orphanage near the crest of the hill, the green tops of the pine trees, and this problematical object came out clear and sharp and bright.

And this Thing I saw! How can I describe it? A monstrous tripod, higher than many houses, striding over the young pine trees, and smashing them aside in its career; a walking engine of glittering metal, striding now across the heather; articulate ropes of steel dangling from it, and the clattering tumult of its passage mingling with the riot of the thunder.

A flash, and it came out vividly, heeling over one way with two feet in the air, to vanish and reappear almost instantly as it seemed, with the next flash, a hundred yards nearer. Can you imagine a milking stool tilted and bowled violently along the ground?

That was the impression those instant flashes gave. But instead of a milking stool imagine it a great body of machinery on a tripod stand. Then suddenly the trees in the pine wood ahead of me were parted, as brittle reeds are parted by a man thrusting through them; they were snapped off and driven headlong, and a second huge tripod appeared, rushing, as it seemed, headlong towards me.

And I was galloping hard to meet it! At the sight of the second monster my nerve went altogether. Not stopping to look again, I wrenched the horse's head hard round to the right and in another moment the dog cart had heeled over upon the horse; the shafts smashed noisily, and I was flung sideways and fell heavily into a shallow pool of water.

I crawled out almost immediately, and crouched, my feet still in the water, under a clump of furze. The horse lay motionless (his neck was broken, poor brute!) and by the lightning flashes I saw the black bulk of the overturned dog cart and the silhouette of the wheel still spinning slowly. In another moment the colossal mechanism went striding by me, and passed uphill towards Pyrford.

Seen nearer, the Thing was incredibly strange, for it was no mere insensate machine driving on its way. Machine it was, with a ringing metallic pace, and long, flexible, glittering tentacles (one of which gripped a young pine tree) swinging and rattling about its strange body. It picked its road as it went striding along, and the brazen hood that surmounted it moved to and fro with the inevitable suggestion of a head looking about.

Behind the main body was a huge mass of white metal like a gigantic fisherman's basket, and puffs of green smoke squirted out from the joints of the limbs as the monster swept by me. And in an instant it was gone.

Too cool for any movie!

[shelby1420]

Loved it, thought it was awesome, kids want to see it now............. not to sure if the two little girls will be ok with it though...... I loved it though, kicked the crap outta the original but still not as good as the book!!!

[RussinOhio]

Basically for me it's this:

The 1953 film is great...
Spielbergs film is good...
The Wells book is a Sci-fi masterpiece!

I had very high hopes this past summer waiting for Spielbergs WOTW. It was'nt the GREAT movie I hoped it'd be....but as alien invasion movies go, at least it was a LOT better than ID4 (Independence Day).

Russ

[corporalcripp]

Anyone notice the weird lack of tv sets in the Pal version? I think it took nearly 3 years to make that film.Tv was just getting started at the start of shooting,so you see people listening to radios for news.Funnily enough,Day The Earth Stood Still has some tv in it,Drew Pearson is seen watching a monitor showing Klaatu's ship.Also,atv is seen in the foyer of the place Klaatu moves into.
Speilberg's version is fine,but I'll always prefer Pal's version,even if the suporting wires for the ships are plainly visible in some scenes.

ps,missed Gene Barry's cameo,gotta see it again to find him.

[RussinOhio]

[QUOTEps,missed Gene Barry's cameo,gotta see it again to find him.[/QUOTE]

He's at the very end, standing on the porch as the little girl runs up to her mom.


Russ

[corporalcripp]

I'll catch Barry next time.The actress opposite Barry in Pal's version had a cameo in the War Of The Worlds tv series-now that's onefor me,but,anyone else notice?

[Wireworm5]

I saw this movie for the first time on my HT. Upscaled I thought the picture quality wasn't that great, I've seen better. But the sound was spectacular on the DTS track. I played the movie at my regular volume and it came through louder than I expected. I didn't adjust the volume down as I wanted to see if my speakers could handle it. At various parts of the movie I thought that my speakers might blow from the effects. However no damage was done. Let me tell you I have never heard HT sound this good, I was smiling ear to ear. Money well wasted. :yes:
As for the movie I thought the story followed the original movie just as Holst pointed out with some minor changes.