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The War Of The Worlds (1953)
Released By: Paramount Pictures   Rating: G   In Theaters: N/A
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Studio: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: G
Director: Byron Haskin
Language: English
Official Website: N/A
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: Gene Barry, Jack Kruschen, William Phipps
Published ID: 578893
UPC: 097360530377, 097360263947,
Plot: H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds had been on Paramount Pictures' docket since the silent era, when it was optioned as a potential Cecil B. DeMille production. When Paramount finally got around to a filming the Wells novel, the property was firmly in the hands of special-effects maestro George Pal. Like Orson Welles' infamous 1938 radio adaptation, the film eschews Wells' original Victorian England setting for a contemporary American locale, in this case Southern California. A meteorlike object crash-lands near the small town of Linda Rosa. Among the crowd of curious onlookers is Pacific Tech scientist Gene Barry, who strikes up a friendship with Ann Robinson, the niece of local minister Lewis Martin. Because the meteor is too hot to approach at present, Barry decides to wait a few days to investigate, leaving three townsmen to guard the strange, glowing object. Left alone, the three men decide to approach the meterorite, and are evaporated for their trouble. It turns out that this is no meteorite, but an invading spaceship from the planet Mars. The hideous-looking Martians utilize huge, mushroomlike flying ships, equipped with heat rays, to pursue the helpless earthlings. When the military is called in, the Martians demonstrated their ruthlessness by zapping Ann's minister uncle, who'd hoped to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the standoff. As Barry and Ann seek shelter, the Martians go on a destructive rampage. Nothing-not even an atom-bomb blast-can halt the Martian death machines. The film's climax occurs in a besieged Los Angeles, where Barry fights through a crowd of refugees and looters so that he may be reunited with Ann in Earth's last moments of existence. In the end, the Martians are defeated not by science or the military, but by bacteria germs-or, to quote H.G. Wells, the humblest things that God in his wisdom has put upon the earth. Forty years' worth of progressively improving special effects have not dimmed the brilliance of George Pal's War of the Worlds. Even on television, Pal's Oscar-winning camera trickery is awesome to behold. So indelible an impression has this film made on modern-day sci-fi mavens that, when a 1988 TV version of War of the Worlds was put together, it was conceived as a direct sequel to the 1953 film, rather than a derivation of the Wells novel or the Welles radio production. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
All around excellent
Added 10/21/2009

The other reviews said this was a very crisp copy of the movie. They were absolutely correct.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
My Halloween tradition
Added 10/20/2009

Ah, War of the Worlds. Still my favorite incarnation of this story. This was shown on television around Halloween just about every year in the 80's, and it was my yearly tradition as a kid to come home after an evening of trick-or-treating with my mother and sit down and watch this while eating my candy and popcorn. If I wasn't regularly watching it then, I was renting it on VHS from the local video store. Finally, after years of hoping for a Special Edition DVD, we have this. (The original DVD's only bonus was a trailer.)

As far as the movie itself, where do I begin? It's absolutely timeless. 90% of the special effects hold up even now. In fact, some of them look even better than the overtly-CG stuff seen today. Sometimes, models and practical animation effects look better. The story is filled with drama, and as I get older, I still find lots of little nuances in it that I never noticed on previous viewings. Of course, seeing it first as a child (dozens of times), I didn't understand the dialogue per se, so what grabbed me was the overwhelming fear of the unknown, the fate of loved ones, and the menacing imagery, colors and sounds of the Martians. The hissing of the machines creeped me out for years, and whenever I hear a neighbor's sprinkler on a summer night, I still get a chill. The manta-ray shape of the ships is very affecting on a visceral, psychological level, as well as the cobra-like "head" that shoots the heat rays. This, to me, is still the epitome of frightening Hollywood aliens.

This new Special Edition is loaded with a sizable amount of extras. There's two seperate commentaries; one with stars Gene Barry and Anne Robinson, and another with filmmaker/writer fans Joe Dante, Bob Burns, and Bill Warren. Also included is an hour-long documentary about the making of the movie (meticulously guided by Anne Robinson, who has remained almost an unofficial "keeper of the flame" as far as War of the Worlds fandom and information), a featurette on original author H.G. Wells, as well as an audio feature which includes the entire 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles. Although it's unfortunate that the original Cinemascope print hasn't been put out on DVD yet, perhaps they will in the future. Nevertheless, the print looks great here, with amazing detail and color. Oh, and the trailer is also included.

I notice that a lot of people tend to glorify one version of War of the Worlds over another, with this one receiving a fair amount of praise, and the 2005 Spielberg one getting dumped on more often than not. Whatever happened to liking all of something? I enjoy each version of the story for its own unique voice. The 1898 novel, the 1938 radio drama, the late 80's TV show, and both movie versions...are all great. Get them, because they're all classics and timecapsules of their time, and should be cherished as such.

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Still an all-time classic!
Added 10/11/2009

Excellent movie, excellent price. Some reviewers have mentioned that the quality is so improved that now you can see the wires holding up the spaceships. This is true - and who cares!? I thoroughly enjoyed the additional item on the making of the movie. It was interesting to see just how they handled the special effects at that point in time. Don't pass this one up!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
VHS
Added 9/14/2009

Purchased for disbled brother. Quick shipment, great price. Would purchase other movies in the future. He loved the movie...
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
1953 War of the Worlds
Added 9/12/2009

This classic 1953 version of War of the Worlds is much better than the recent re-make. I also found the commentaries very interesting. The included audio copy of the original Orson Wells broadcast of War of the Worlds is a gem!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
All around excellent
Added 10/21/2009

The other reviews said this was a very crisp copy of the movie. They were absolutely correct.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
My Halloween tradition
Added 10/20/2009

Ah, War of the Worlds. Still my favorite incarnation of this story. This was shown on television around Halloween just about every year in the 80's, and it was my yearly tradition as a kid to come home after an evening of trick-or-treating with my mother and sit down and watch this while eating my candy and popcorn. If I wasn't regularly watching it then, I was renting it on VHS from the local video store. Finally, after years of hoping for a Special Edition DVD, we have this. (The original DVD's only bonus was a trailer.)

As far as the movie itself, where do I begin? It's absolutely timeless. 90% of the special effects hold up even now. In fact, some of them look even better than the overtly-CG stuff seen today. Sometimes, models and practical animation effects look better. The story is filled with drama, and as I get older, I still find lots of little nuances in it that I never noticed on previous viewings. Of course, seeing it first as a child (dozens of times), I didn't understand the dialogue per se, so what grabbed me was the overwhelming fear of the unknown, the fate of loved ones, and the menacing imagery, colors and sounds of the Martians. The hissing of the machines creeped me out for years, and whenever I hear a neighbor's sprinkler on a summer night, I still get a chill. The manta-ray shape of the ships is very affecting on a visceral, psychological level, as well as the cobra-like "head" that shoots the heat rays. This, to me, is still the epitome of frightening Hollywood aliens.

This new Special Edition is loaded with a sizable amount of extras. There's two seperate commentaries; one with stars Gene Barry and Anne Robinson, and another with filmmaker/writer fans Joe Dante, Bob Burns, and Bill Warren. Also included is an hour-long documentary about the making of the movie (meticulously guided by Anne Robinson, who has remained almost an unofficial "keeper of the flame" as far as War of the Worlds fandom and information), a featurette on original author H.G. Wells, as well as an audio feature which includes the entire 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles. Although it's unfortunate that the original Cinemascope print hasn't been put out on DVD yet, perhaps they will in the future. Nevertheless, the print looks great here, with amazing detail and color. Oh, and the trailer is also included.

I notice that a lot of people tend to glorify one version of War of the Worlds over another, with this one receiving a fair amount of praise, and the 2005 Spielberg one getting dumped on more often than not. Whatever happened to liking all of something? I enjoy each version of the story for its own unique voice. The 1898 novel, the 1938 radio drama, the late 80's TV show, and both movie versions...are all great. Get them, because they're all classics and timecapsules of their time, and should be cherished as such.

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Still an all-time classic!
Added 10/11/2009

Excellent movie, excellent price. Some reviewers have mentioned that the quality is so improved that now you can see the wires holding up the spaceships. This is true - and who cares!? I thoroughly enjoyed the additional item on the making of the movie. It was interesting to see just how they handled the special effects at that point in time. Don't pass this one up!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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