War Of The Worlds

[Darth Groovy]

For all of you new kids that may not know War of the Worlds is a story about aliens from mars who invade the earth to rob it's natuaral rescources. I realize this may seem trite and played out, because many films and books have stolen this idea time and time again. (most recently ID4). The book was first written by HG Wells and published in 1898 . In 1938 , actor Orson Wells broadcasted a faux news broadcast depicting the events in Well's book as if he were viewing it as it happened from a first person point of view. The report was so convincing that mass hysteria was created as that people who heard the broadcast were convinced that we were in fact being invaded by "martians". In 1953 Goerge Pal produced what is in my own opinion one of the greatest Science Fiction Movies ever made. The film is fast paced and scary as hell. The film has a big budget feel on epic proportions that seldom worked for movies that involved "flying saucers". The Martian machines of descrution in the book were very tall spider like walkers that leveled monuments and landmarks in seconds and simply stepped over the rubble. The Goerge Pal movie used Flying Saucers to coincide with the fear and reports of "flying saucers" at the time, and for the most part still works today. Now coming soon Pendragon Pictures is releasing a new film based on the classic H.G. Wells novell. I am really getting exited about this release and am keeping a very close eye on this as it developes. Like Spiderman, there was a conflict with a scene involving the World Trade Center and the script is being reworked. As far As I know a release date has not been set, but it sounds as if things are coming along just fine. I will post more when I learn more, in the meantime, check out this concept poster!

[Rogue Nine]

They better not murder this movie like the Time Machine was murdered.

[Darth Groovy]

I agree with you, Time Machine was butchered like London Broil. I think this one shows some potential. They are promoting that it is "true to the original novel". We will see what happens. You sometimes bad casting can nearly ruin a film, like bad casting nearly ruined Bram Stoker's Dracula.

[Kstar__2]

as wierd as it sounds, i have heard of that book, and i maybe going to read it. a movie would be cool, if done good.

[Darth Groovy]

Actually a movie was made in 1953 by George Pal, the same person that did the original Time Machine, another one of my all time favorites. And yes the book is amazing!

[Hekx]

I tried getting my hands on the old version of the movie, but couldn't find any copies

 

I can't wait for the re-make

 

Planet of the Apes... kinda... sucked.

I haven't seen Time Machine, doesn't sound too great anyway

[Darklighter]

I have the soundtrack to that movie. It's really really brilliant.

 

The new film should be good, as long as they use decent actors, and stick by the original story.

[Guest Jed]

Interestingly enough, I've never heard of this. I have heard of The Time Machine and such, and loved the book, but not this...

 

And the Time Machine movie was....*cough*HORRIBLE*cough*

 

[Jedi_Monk]

Bram Stoker's Dracula was ruined for me because of how the whole second half of the movie turned into nothing but sympathy for the devil. Dracula was pure evil in a world that didn't believe in it anymore, in a world that thought that all of the ancient concepts like evil and demon possession could be attributed to mental disorders (as represented by the mental asylum). Making Dracula a sympathetic character tore the heart out of the book. Dracula was the antagonist, but he was far from the main character... the main thrust of the plot was all of these sophisticated people having to "unlearn" everything that science had told them and go back to ideals that were held by their ancestors so that they could destroy this ancient evil. And I hated, hated, their portrayal of Mina. They made Dracula's rape of her (to her very soul) into something consensual! Ugh! Terrible direction they took the plot of that movie, which is really sad because the erratic, schizophrenic way it was directed and edited fit the book so well.

 

[Darth Groovy]

Originally posted by Darklighter

I have the soundtrack to that movie. It's really really brilliant.

 

The new film should be good, as long as they use decent actors, and stick by the original story.

 

I've been hunting for months for that soundtrack, could you possibley post some info for me?

 

Also I would die for the Soundtrack to The Time Machine!

[StormHammer]

I'm definitely looking forward to the film if it truly remains faithful to the excellent novel (which incidentally I was reading today...now that's what I call one helluva coincidence ). I've just finished reading The Time Machine, and now I'm on War Of The Worlds. The Invisible Man is next (I'm reading a compilation of Wells' most familiar works from cover to cover).

 

I'm a bit confused now, though. I thought there were two versions in the pipeline...one based in America during modern times (which that site makes reference to), and another TV version that someone else had decided to make as a truthful adaptation of the novel. Now it seems they're one and the same...

 

Must have got my wires crossed somewhere.

 

I agree that they need to find some excellent actors for such an enterprise. Damian Lewis might be good in the central role, considering his work in both period drama and the war-torn Band Of Brothers.

 

As for the concept art on the site, this image...

 

 

...seems promising in relation to the book.

 

I wonder how big a budget they've got for this...because it seems to me there would have to be extensive CGI work, including backdrops, to recreate the locations of that time.

 

As for the 1950's version of The Time Machine it was fairly faithful to the actual novel. I haven't seen the modern remake, so I can't comment on that.

 

Wells was definitely a man before his time.

[Taos]

I'm keeping my figers crossed about this one Groovy! I hope things turn out well. I can't wait to see it!

 

[Chewbacco]

I don't understand. Is it scary?

I am not really a big fan of scary movies.

[Inky Binky]

Originally posted by Hèkx Nòxú

I tried getting my hands on the old version of the movie, but couldn't find any copies

 

War Of The Worlds DVD is out:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305350221/qid%3D1039335951/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-3811850-2847920

 

And if anyone is interested in the book, you can download the original "War Of The Worlds" free. Its legal so don't worry:

 

http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/warworlds/warw.html

[Darth Groovy]

Well I would not look forward to anything made for television. There was a War Of The Worlds television show on in the late 80's that was just wretchidly awful. From what I have read, these guys frome Pentdragon Pictures are good with taking a small budget and making it look larger than life. It seems they did something with giant spider invasion with some cg elements and the Cannes Film festival said it was better than most of the big budget sci-fi films presently released. They also said that about Roland Zemerich when he was doing Godzilla, but that project changed so many hands it was doomed to fail. I really think it would be amazingly cool if an H.G. Wells story turned out to be one of the biggest hits ever. I don't know, I believe this one will turn out good.

[Darklighter]

I don't like televised versions of books and the like. I think a film of WOTW should be good. I actually like The Time Machine (with Guy Pearce). It was onlt til I heard from someone who had read the book, that they had changed the story a lot. That made me look at it differently. Though with the advancement in computer graphics nowadays, I think it will be fun to see how they oull off the huge spider-like robots. Oooo, it's gonna be awesome!

[StormHammer]

Originally posted by Darth Groovy

Well I would not look forward to anything made for television. There was a War Of The Worlds television show on in the late 80's that was just wretchidly awful.

 

If it's the one I think it is...they showed it over in the UK, and I totally agree...it was execrable tripe.

 

From what I have read, these guys frome Pentdragon Pictures are good with taking a small budget and making it look larger than life. It seems they did something with giant spider invasion with some cg elements and the Cannes Film festival said it was better than most of the big budget sci-fi films presently released.

 

That sounds promising, then. I mean, some of these recent films with 100 million dollar price tags seem a bit uninspired. If Pendragon can come up with a great script, good actors, good set pieces and focus more on the characters, it should be good.

 

I really think it would be amazingly cool if an H.G. Wells story turned out to be one of the biggest hits ever.

 

I totally agree. Wells is one of my favourite authors.

 

Originally posted by Darklighter

I don't like televised versions of books and the like.

 

Hmmm...I don't know. If it's implemented well enough, I like them.

 

Though with the advancement in computer graphics nowadays, I think it will be fun to see how they oull off the huge spider-like robots.

 

Spider-like? The war machines have only three legs. It will be interesting to see how they are translated to the big screen...without looking silly. I mean, Wells attributes their movement to something like a 3-legged milking stool skittering across the floor (spinning along, I imagine).

 

I just hope they spend a lot of time and thought on how these things are going to move, regardless of their eventual design.

 

Anyway, it occurs to me that Richard E. Grant might also be good in the role of the central character. And for some reason as I'm reading the book I can see Ewan McGregor as the artilleryman...

 

So who do you think should be cast in the key roles?

 

The Narrator (central character - arguably Wells himself) - my picks would be Richard E. Grant or Damian Lewis.

 

The Narrator's wife

 

Ogilvy the Astronomer - I could see Derek Jacobi in that role

 

Stent

 

The Artilleryman - Ewan McGregor?

 

The Curate

 

The Narrator's Brother

 

Miss Elphinstone

[git_sum_stuka]

The only problem is....The setting of the book was in 1902 so we wont be seeing any cruise missles or battleships

 

 

w00t im a probe now!

[StormHammer]

Originally posted by git_sum_stuka

The only problem is....The setting of the book was in 1902 so we wont be seeing any cruise missles or battleships

 

Er...there is a battleship in the book, called the Thunderchild, which has it's own artillery. On land, you also have 12-pounder canons and Maxim machine-guns. The Martians, of course, have the Heat-Ray.

 

However, I think you're missing the point. Part of the thinking behind the book was how unprepared we were for waging war against a more powerful foe (which was related to the unrest at the time it was written over the situation in Europe and the possibility - later the reality - of the First World War). So it wouldn't really matter what type of munitions or weapons of mass destruction we could throw at the aggressor...because the aggressor would simply take it in their stride.

 

There's no reason why this kind of adaptation wouldn't be as exciting and battle-torn as a modern-day equivalent.

[Darth Groovy]

War of The Worlds:

 

1. Guys greet first alien ship with white flag, they get destroyed.

 

2. Allied forces retalient with heavy firepower only to see it bounce off the forcefields.

 

3. Alien ships destroy key landmarks and level buildings in seconds.

 

4. Aliens nearly destroy the planet only to die of common viruses that humans have become immune too.

 

 

ID4:

 

1. Guys in peace chopper are blown from the sky.

 

2. Allied forces retalient with heavy firepower only to see it bounce off the forcefields.

 

3. Alien ships destroy key landmarks and level buildings in seconds. (Captiol building)

 

4. Aliens are destroyed with a "cold" or a virus uploaded to the mothership.

[StormHammer]

Similarities between Independence Day and War of the Worlds...

 

You only just figured this out? Or have you been intentionally keeping this to yourself?

 

And the Martians didn't have 'force fields' in the book...just tough armour. Their war machines could be taken out by a lucky hit from a 12-pounder canon or other artillery. The problem was they moved so fast it was hard to score a direct hit.

 

Since I've nearly finished reading the book again, I'd forgotten about the Black Smoke the Martians used in their offensive.

 

I still think it's damned uncanny the way Wells predicted the use of War Machines and Chemical agents in the forthcoming First World War...where the first tanks and Mustard Gas were used to deadly effect...