The War of the Worlds

Media:	VHS Tape
Directed by:	Byron Haskin
Starring:	Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne
Release date:	29 July, 2003
List price:	~~$9.95~~
Our price:	$7.96 that is 20% off!

The War of the Worlds

Average rating:

Little things do matter.

Sci-fi flicks of the 1950s are frequently second-rate entertainment. This film is a notable exception to the typical cheesy schlock. Producer George Pal presents a dazzling display of visual effects. In addition, the distinctive sound effects belong in the sci-fi hall of fame. The classic novel by H. G. Wells suffers a change in location and time era, but the critical plot remains intact. Mars attacks Earth with magnificent war machines that fire fantastic death rays. Their space ships land all over the world and global conflict ensues. As world capitals fall, America faces oblivion. Mass hysteria leads to panic in the streets. The Martian foe seems invincible. Amid all the explosions and ray blasts, Gene Barry is a scientific egghead that runs around frantically trying to understand the menace and counter superior Martian technology. Ann Robinson plays a real Pearl Pureheart type. She and Barry cling to each other amid the flame and the thunder of battle. A three-eyed Martian interrupts their quiet interlude in the old farmhouse, a great moment in the film. Released in 1953, this film has overtones of "threats by sinister forces." Regardless of what the filmmaker intended, forget the McCarthy era paranoia and relish the excitement. Rich color photography makes the climactic attack on Los Angeles great fun. The story moves swiftly along and avoids superfluous subplots. Collectors of classic sci-fi/horror flicks certainly need this one. ;-)

Great for its time!

If you have ever listened to the original Orson Welles' infamous radio show of the same name, you will have to watch this movie. The story begins as a meteor crashes to the earth and puzzles the residents of a California town.

The incident isn't given much thought, until one night, everything in town turns off. No electricity, no phones, watches stop. Gene Barry, the resident scientist from Pacific Tech, is trying to find out what's going on, as masters' student Ann Robinson tries to help.....predictably, they fall in love while chaos ensues all over the planet.

The aliens are not friendly. Their technology outdoes anything on earth. Not even atomic energy seems to stop them. So, what does? You'll have to watch this and see. The movie is somewhere between a really great B movie and an actual heavy duty motion picture event. The story is entertaining, and the writing is not as corny and stilted as a lot of sci fi movies made in the 50's. And whoa, those special effects! Not bad for an old classic!

The granddaddy of sci-fi disaster flicks

"War of the Worlds" may seem dated and stodgy by today's standards, but its place in cinema history is still important. It is the granddaddy of modern disaster flicks. It was one of the first movies to envision the ultimate nightmare - an invasion from outer space by technologically superior aliens. It helped bring into being the still popular notion that, if the world is ever to be saved, the only nation that can do it is America. While it was not the first movie in which special effects had a starring role, it did, I suspect, help to inspire many populist filmmakers at work today, such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It was pivotal in legitimizing science fiction as a respectable film genre.

It begins in a small Southwestern town. One night the locals see what appears to be a meteor streak across the sky and crash in the desert. They race to the crash site and soon discover this is no natural object. It is the first of thousands of Martian warships that descend on our unsuspecting planet. These space crafts are armed with powerful rays that destroy everything in their path. By throwing up a defensive shield, each is impervious to all our weapons, including atomic bombs. [Perhaps the inspiration to the shields in Star Trek?] The story focuses on a scientist [Gene Barry] and the local librarian [Ann Robinson] he falls in love with. Together they experience many dangerous encounters with the aliens, all the while trying to devise a way to defeat them. The answer comes in a clever and unexpected way.