Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005)

[AndyC]

trek_geezer wrote:
> If they don't , it will just be a better made version
> of Independence Day.

Which was pretty much a remake of the 1953 version.

[Dave Munger]

Check out what might have been:

http://lavender.fortunecity.com/judidench/584/warworlds.html

Anyone here read the Harlan Ellison story "Jefty Is Five"?

[Doc Rogers]

Thanks for the explanation on that liner. I didn't know even Steven had 'borrowed' this one for The Shining. But to be frank, I have no idea what other movie it must have come from. Good luck plowing thru the internet!

[AndyC]

Not a movie line, but an old proverb.

[JohnL]

Now it's being reported that War of the Worlds is now Out of the Night;

http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=6333

Anyone still think this is going to be in any way a faithful adaption of the book?

[Ash]

JohnL wrote:

> Now it's being reported that War of the Worlds is now Out of
> the Night;
>
> http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=6333
>
> Anyone still think this is going to be in any way a faithful
> adaption of the book?


What bothers me is what they wrote on that website:

"Dutch distributor UIP is reporting that the anticipated Paramount adaptation of H.G. Well's 1989 novel, The War of the Worlds"

Notice something wrong there?

[Ozzymandias]

Does anyone remember the War of the Worlds rock opera with Richard Burton and some other British art rockers of the 70s? The opening theme is cool but then it becomes boring. After you've heard the Orsen Welles radio show, a musical doesn't work.

[peter johnson]

Of course I remember the Rock Opera!  People used to play that constantly in my dorm at college -- Rick Wakeman & other art-rockers of the day all contributed to it, though it was spearheaded by a guy from The Moody Blues, whose name escapes me.  Wakeman also did a Rock Opera version of "Journey to the Center of the Earth".
I love the Ellison story, "Jeffty is Five".  Ellison really gets the spirit of imagination of the radio audience correct.  Ellison does a lot of things very very well.
What a goddamn shame that Speilberg ain't gonna do "War" right!  "Spirit" my ass!  Oh, well, I'll still give it a chance . . .
peter johnson/denny crane

[trent]

There starting to film War of the worlds 13 blocks from where I live it's going to be very exciting there building a gas station here in Bayonne, NJ on the city's little league field and there using it for some key shots's then their gonna blow it up. It's gonna be great !!!

[Marc W Creary]

An earlier message of yours indicated the NPR broadcast of War of the Worlds from 1988.  I have been trying to find this on CD for many years.  I checked at Lodestone Audio and could not find it.  Any more information as to where I could obtain a copy?

[peter johnson]

Well, I went to the website for Lodestone & found, in disbelief, that it is indeed out-of-print, but an old-time radio site says it may be back in print again soon.  Hope so.  
In the meantime, try contacting the Producer directly:  Judit Walcutt at OtherWorld Media, PO Box 566, Freeland, WA  98249, and/or oworld@whidbey.com
She's the wife of the great David Ossman, of Firesign Theatre fame.
Tell 'em Peter sentcha!
Barring that, I guess e-bay's your next bet.
Damn shame it's not still widely available.  Try contacting your local PRI/NPR affiliate(s) & see if they can run you off a copy.
peter johnson/denny crane

[racdrums]

I agree. Cheesey special effects??????   The 1953 special effects were great.  I do have a feeling that the remake will fall short of the original, but if it is true to H.G.Welles' novel it will be great.

[decoy]

3 things:

1. They dont change the date. The movie should be set in the 1800s same as the book.

2. they dont change the location to be america. sorry americans but I'm really tired of America being the centre every alien invasion. London and the surrounding heaths were a great setting for the book and England was great for the PC game (I'm not english by the way).

3. That this be a remake of the BOOK and not Orson Well's radio broadcast.

however, this would require Spielberg not producing drivel to please the masses, Tom Cruise being able to act and Hollywood writers not having their heads firmle ensconced where the sun dont shine ao I am pretty sure my dreams will end unfulfilled

:)

[dean]

I am a massive fan of the Jeff Wayne musical version of War of the Worlds, fantastic stuff.  I liked it so much so I actually remixed it, though it's not soo good. :-)  

But I don't like it enough to make War of the Worlds, an actual film musical...as funny as that would be!

I don't get it, but I don't see why people are getting so upset about whether the film should stick to the novel, and keep it exact and to-the-letter.

I mean, the original welles radio broadcast was fantastic, and updated the story not only to another country, but in time as well.  I understand the concerns, especially from fans of the novel, but by updating the story line, in my opinion anyway, will give it more authenticity: when we watch people running in panic, we can think that it could happen to us.

I am a bit concerned with how the treatment of the human response is: the nuclear bomb bit makes it a bit tricky.  I think one effective thing about the novel is the fact that the aliens weren't seemingly invulnerable like in independence day.  So this is a bit  of a tricky plot point indeed.

The only thing worth worrying about is the fact that the key to this movie is the sense of hopelessness by the population.  It ain't War of the worlds without the mass dissillusionment.

A few rules of my own for a time-updated version:

Don't focus on the big-wigs of the government and how they are dealing with the threat, focus on the little guys, much like the book: not knowing what's going on helps with the panic.

You must have a similar scene when the main character gets trapped with the Curate.  That part of the book would make for quite an eerie and terrifying scene.

It doesn't really matter where it is set; America or London, or other, just as long as it includes a city in which millions are running for their lives in panic.

Orson welles' broadcast CAN be drawn upon, it was fantastic and very well made, but you must certainly base it on the novel

the feel of the novel is the most important thing, especially if it is an updated version, so if Speilberg at least gets that right, the picture isn't ruined.

That's about it really...

[JJ]

I love the late 1900s setting for a few reasons:
1) HG Wells foresaw chemical warfare and exposed the helplessness of the military
2) The martians could not adapt to earth's gravity and had to use machinery
3) They martians used shields to avoid the military barriages
4) They used an overwelming firepower and machines (can't wait to see the tripods instead of the cheesy hovering 1953 shielded ones)
5) Military technology was good enough to hurt them, but the martians could dodge cannonballs
6) This is very important: News traveled so slowly back then that London almost did not get a chance to evacuate...and the early reports were almost rumors. Communication also hurt the military while the martians were able to communicate with each other.
7) The lost hope of mankind and a changed world (they could avoid the red weed since we know for a fact that is not what gives Mars its color).

Write me back your thoughts...later,