It also has Jack Kruschen as one of the three men with the white flag. He and Les Tremayne were both in ANGRY RED PLANET (another Martian movie) later on. @@Bonedadyo
This movie has one of my favorite scenes in cinema: When the Sylvia realizes her uncle is walking out to meet the Martians she straights screaming for him and has to held back. Camera cuts to him walking but you can hear her screaming in the background. When the Martians fire their weapon at him, cut to her screaming, cut to General yelling "LET EM HAVE IT!", cut to soldier yelling "FIRE!: artillery unleashed. As Hitchcock would say, Pure Cinema!
When I was a kid , I used to go to the movies twice a week , especially in the summer. I saw all types of movies, from Francis The Talking Mule starring Donald O'Conner to Kiss Me Deadly, a Mickey Spillane story starring Ralph Meeker. War of the Worlds and The Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Kevin McCarthy were two movies that I still watch and get a kick out of to this day. Thank you for your review.
An excellent review of one of my personal favourites.... I was also awe struck when I first saw it in the late 60's ... I'm 60 now ... this and The Forbidden Planet must surely be two of the best in the genre... thank you once again... and yes I will re-watch it again soon ....
Great to hear from someone who likes classic sci-fi too! *And it is especially gratifying that you are older than I am-I begin to feel like the dinosaur "Jerome" mentions when I comment here and realise that most people are a generation junior to me!*
This is stuff from my childhood. I remember watching this when I was very young, and the shape, the color, the gliding elegance of the war machines have always hypnotized me. I've always loved watching every sequence of the martian advance on earth. And it sticks with me. Compared to other invasion movies, where CGI depicts alien ships moving at breakneck speed...the "'Lava flow" progression of the Martians strikes me as far MORE terrifying than the furiously speeding ships portrayed in more modern works. The Martians don't NEED speed. Their technology is far superior and they know it. They can simply glide. And destroy. And there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to stop it. Brilliant film. Will always love it.
I enjoyed your review of the 1953 version of ‘War of the Worlds’. I have very fond memories of getting the bejeezus creeped out of me as a kid while watching this movie. I always look forward to your reviews, especially when it’s something near and dear to me. Also, you’re not a dinosaur. You’re a connoisseur old school technology. 😁
Production designer Albert Nozaki came up with the idea of the Martian war machines being supported by invisible electromagnetic "legs" because he thought Wells' concept of mechanical tripods would appear more absurd than terrifying and mysterious to filmgoers. I think he was correct. The manta ray shape and the use of sheet copper imply alien technology at work quite well. The wires that supported Nozaki's alien machines also supplied power to the internal lighting effects and the mechanism that moved the "cobra head' heat ray weapon.
Great review . I’ve been in the theatre business working since 1977. Star Wars was the first movie I worked . My manager was a motion picture pioneer award recipient. What I come away with from productions like this is the admiration for people involved in production and the actors . Such sprite different time as I think everyone worked MUCH harder and had a dedication to the craft and finished product we will never see again .
Thank you for reviewing this movie. I loved this movie since I was a kid, and still do. The Divine Intervention ending is also similar to the movie Day of the Triffids. The movie poster seems to be an inspiration for the first Star Wars movie: some people clinging to the crest of a hill, while larger-than live images loom in the background.
Blast from the past. I saw this on a black and white mid-sixties TV. It freaked out my little brain. Seeing it in color as an adult was quite a treat. I'm gonna pull it off my bookshelf and read it again. Peace on earth... and our solar system.
When someone ask what movie started my infatuation with horror movies, this is the one I claim. I was probably five years old or so and my uncle took a group of us to the drive in to see it. I spent a goodly amount of time hiding from the screen behind the front seat but I saw enough to be forever addicted to the rush of terror. I’ve enjoyed all of your reviews and reactions, very insightful! I wish I had a friend like you to discuss films with! Good luck with your channel!
First off thank you for not being a "Quality Elitist" I got one mad at me because I said a person doesn't have to watch STAR WARS in 4K to enjoy it. That statement set this guy off so bad he was saying I was insulting the directors and I don't understand because I'm not an artist. That last part cracked me up because I am in fact an artist. To me a person should enjoy a movie any way they want. If someone wants to watch it on a 72inch 4K screen, good. If someone wants to watch it on their 5 inch telephone, good. If someone wants to watch it in their backyard, projected on a sheet sitting next to their kids, good. Enjoy movies the way you like. The 1953 The War of the Worlds is one of my all favorites. Although as I've gotten older and I have been exposed to more movies it has slid down my list. But it does hold one very special honor. it was the first movie that ever compelled me to want to read the book that inspired it. Unfortunately it took me decades to finally do that. Even then it was the audiobook(not a strong reader). This movie amazed me as a kid. You mentioned imagine being a kid in the 50s watching the intro, I can tell you I was a kid in the 80s and I was downright fascinated. Those fantastical landscapes had me hooked. And then the colors and visuals. I was always a STAR WARS guy but i was always awed by what this movie pulled off. The Martian machines are still beautiful to me. They are such an icon of 50s aesthetic. And their movement is so slow and graceful. Yet the destruction the bring is so devastating. And the sound of the death ray, perfection! I think my favorite thing about the movie is how it really feels like a global effort. Yes we follow the main protagonists but we get to glimpse the world wide fight against the Martians. So when the movie got to the lowest point it really feels hopeless. And thus that final reprieve is so powerful Just a wonderful treat of a movie. A very nice and thorough review. Thank you!
Too right! I was fortunate enough to see a lot of classic movies in the theater in the early '80s as they showed classics, but for most of us not around in the 50s and 60s, we saw these movies on a tiny TV set growing up. For the first Star Wars (the 1977 movie was the only one I was too young to see in the movies new), I grew up watching it on TV-and sometimes it was a Black and White TV (we had a colour one in the family room, but my brother and I had a B/W one in our room). The first time I saw it on the big screen was in 1997 when the Special Edition came out.
I saw this on its original release, and even tho I was only 5 years old, I appreciated it on a very deep level. For one thing, I was already interested in astronomy and the depiction of the planetary landscapes, having had a book full of the same kinds of paintings by the same artist ----Chesley Bonestell---at home. The absolute hopelessness of mankind was a very riveting dramatic situation to experience, especially at such a young age. Like the Earth was being attacked by thousands of Terminators at the same time (to use a modern model for comparison).
You do a splendid job of combining a fan's eye view and a critical analysis in your movie reviews. In spite of many viewings of both movies, it had not occurred to me before that three actors from The Thing from Another World were also in this movie.
Good review. Enjoyed it. The audio commentaries included with this DVD is the best audio commentary I have ever heard. There are two commentaries: film historians and original actors. Great discussions.
I love this movie. I am a massive Gerry Anderson fan, so seeing strings doesn't bother me. It is quite a thought provoking movie. I found myself thinking more about people's behaviors than I did the aliens and the reasons for the invasion. Being a devout man of faith, I liked the religious undertones of the movie. I watched this and the remake back to back last year. I prefer this version, but I enjoy older movies more than newer movies or remakes. You make me want to watch it again with some 🍿!
Such a fantastic review. You have the ability to make someone fall in love with a film again, a film they've probably seen many times and make them ( me ) feel like they're hearing about it for the very first time, I want to watch it again right now lol, I'm sure those who haven't seen it are excited to do so now too. I love 1950's science fiction and War Of The Worlds is the film I picture when I think of it because of its iconic imagery and technicolour, I do love it although I'd put some films above it in terms of favourites, two of those being The Day The Earth Stood Still and It Came From Outer Space, It Came From Outer Space was released a few months after War Of The Worlds, I also believe Invaders From Mars was released in 1953, a good year for science fiction, a good year for film in general, Roman Holiday, Stalag 17, The Band Wagon- call back to Astaire & Charisse lol, The Big Heat, From Here To Eternity, Niagra, Peter Pan and so many others. The thought of being around in 1953, putting on a letterman jacket and hopping in one of those abnormally gigantic chrome land yachts to go see War Of The Worlds at a Drive In would be amazing, in reality I wouldn't be wearing a letterman jacket because in a geek lol, in fact I'd probably avoid anyone wearing one like they had Covid and I'd more than likely wait the gazillion years for it to air on a tiny TV and have to keep moving an aerial on top to get a decent picture, yup, that's how it would go lol. You're so right, the Martians do have an ET thing happening lol, not sure why I never connected them, even the creepy long fingers, I've always imagined catching one and playing Simon on its face czcams.com/video/GWC1O2WaIxM/video.html . I think you're also right about it being the first time a Nuclear bomb went off in a film based on a fictional story, I remembered a Nuclear bomb exploding in the film Split Second and tried to remember when it was made, it's a black and white Noir/Thriller so wondered was it late 40's, it was actually released a few months after War Of The Worlds in 53, there's a low budget film about the aftermath of an explosion, the film was called "Five", it was 1950 or 51 I think but it wasn't widely released and had no explosion on screen, apparently the very few who've seen it would argue against it deserving to be described as a film altogether so War Of The Worlds has to take it Lol. Ive watched many films where the picture quality was so bad brothers and sisters have asked why the TV is broken, or why I only have the sound on lol, I think if you love classic film ya learn fast being a picture elitist can be a pointless endeavour lol. I've waffled on again. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~
I enjoyed your comments on a film I saw at a drive-in some 67 yrs ago. One of the most memorable scenes of this great picture was looking down on Dr. Forrester running up a desolate, debris-strewn street L.A. street. That is modern calamity.
Your review is excellent. THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is my favorite sci fi movie and one of the best of the "Army vs. Monster" movies of the 1950s. I originally was introduced to TWOTW in the old Classics Illustrated comic books. I was fortunate to have the Pegasus preassembled models of the Martian Flying Machine and the Martin figure (the figure's accessories includes the chopped-off Martian "eye" and two books on the floor---THE WAR OF THE WORLDS and TO SERVE MAN (from THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode). Also, Les Tremayne and Jack Kruschen were in another Martian sci fi movie THE ANGRY RED PLANET---and Kruschen is killed by a Martian in that movie, too. Also, INDEPENDENCE DAY's alien spaceship destroying the White House, etc. ripped off Ray Harryhausen's EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS in which flying saucers attack Washington, DC. Harryhausen's movie was based on true incidents of UFOs buzzing Washington, DC in July, 1952---which was an international story back then, but for some reason it's been mostly forgotten.
I forgot to mention, in case you've never seen it, there was a 1988 tv series that was a direct sequel to the 1953 movie. The tv series changed a lot of the movie in that the Martians were not really Martians, but were from another planet, and they did not die from Earth's bacteria, but went into suspended animation. The bodies were stored at an Army base until in 1988, terrorists attacked the base and accidentally freed the Martians/aliens. The awakened aliens then took over the bodies of the terrorists and resurrected their attempt to conquer Earth with the War Machines from the original movie, and the aliens burst out of the chests of their human hosts. The tv series was ripping off ALIEN and THE THING and was so far removed from the novel and 1953 movie that I got fed up and stopped watching it after a couple of episodes. I've read that Ann Robinson returned as Sylvia van Buren in the tv series. Byron Haskin later directed ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS, and he recycled the Martian War Machines from the 1953 movie. One of the YB-49 flying wing prototypes crashed, killing the crew ( I have a model of it), and Edwards Air Force Base is named after co-pilot Glenn Edwards. The YB-49 program was controversially cancelled which angered Northrop head/YB-49 designer Jack Northrop. When the Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth flying wing was announced, retired Jack Northrop was allowed to see it which finally vindicated him. Also, in INDEPENDENCE DAY, I don't think it's a coincidence that the Northrop B-2 Spirit flying wing fired a nuclear cruise missile at the alien spaceship over Houston (where I live), and the alien spaceship survived, like the Northrop YB-49 scene in the 1953 movie. I will watch INDEPENDENCE DAY on July 4 ( like I do every July 4 (Bill Pullman's Presidential speech was filmed in front of the hangar that once house housed the B-29 "Enola Gay" that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima) . The B-2 is being replaced by the Northrop B-21 Raider (named after the Gen. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders of World War II) and it is also a flying wing. I enjoy your great reviews and look forward to reading them.
Another superbly intelligent and comprehensive review of a landmark and much beloved classic. Please see my earlier comments about your equally thorough and insightful review of the 1933 “King Kong”. All the superlatives I used to describe how well you captured that film apply here. A brief note about the Criterion edition. I think it does bring out the full glory of the Technicolor image, which is so effectively employed in this film. To me, it was much more of an eye-dazzling than an eye-straining experience. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it look as good. Also on the disc are some marvelous extras, including a fascinating description by sound designer Ben Burtt and special effects supervisor Craig Barron of tracking down how the film’s visual and sound effects were done, then recreating many of them using non-digital technology that either was actual equipment still around, or approximated what they had available back then. It’s quite astonishing to see how the skeleton rays were produced, for example, not to mention probably somewhat dangerous! There is also “The Sky Is Falling”, a very good documentary on its making, featuring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson (a gracious woman, whom I met and got to autograph a WOTW poster), and, most delightfully, an interview with Diana Gemora, the daughter of Martian builder and performer Charlie Gemora (who was inside the Martian when it indeed almost toppled over as it exited), about her all-nighter experience helping her dad build and operate the Martian used in the movie. I always look forward to your reviews, this one especially. You are unparalleled as a film connoisseur, historian, and critic. I’d be interested in your take on the Speilberg version of WOTW, if you manage to include that in your busy schedule. I’m sure you get many suggestions for reviews, as if you didn’t have a ton of your own already.
Great review. I thoroughly enjoy your reviews because you are an actual movie buff, not some snob pretending movies are more than just movies intended to tell us a story in an entertaining way. Being collaborations by a huge number of people, movies cannot be dissected as to their meaning the way a book written by one person can be. No compromises are necessary in a book. Movies are nothing but compromise due to budget, available technology, budget, what's allowed at the time, budget, and luck.
Ah, nice to finally see the review, this was such a childhood favorite of mine. It would air about every six months or so on one of the local stations, and I'd never miss it, often watching with my dad. Getting to see it at a kiddie matinee in an actual theater was a real treat! I think the cinematography and composition of the film are often overlooked...what is essentially a "God Shot' of Clayton of walking down a deserted street, with an aerial view of a building in the foreground, is one of the most haunting evocations of desolation I've ever seen. There's a LOT of controversy as to what the lower torso of the Martians looked like - the puppet was only built as a top half. Apparently, there was extreme difficulty actually constructing the puppet...it actually fell apart soon after its scene with Sylvia and Clayton! Thank you again for another thoughtful and well-researched review. And it sure sounds like your mom is fun to watch movies with!
After my initial viewing of "The War of The Worlds," I began scrutinizing some of the special effects. Not so much the wires suspending the Martian machines, as the heat ray generators. I told my folks, "That ray gun looks a lot like a flat highway lamp and the neck looks like a gold flexible ladies watch band." I also likened the Martian spy "eye" to an art deco version of a drive-in movie speaker. Thanks, Jerome Weiselberry, for this very in-depth review of one of my all-time favorite Sci Fi films.
Jerome, I now realize I need to watch this film from beginning to end. This is one of those movies I have caught countless times when it was already in progress but have never seen in it's entirety. Thanks for this awesome, detailed, thorough review! You my dear, are simply the best!
You should! Often with this kind of movie the set-up is the best part, and there's some great stuff in the beginning here. The fact that I didn't remember any of it makes me wonder if I really did see the whole thing before, or if I was just too young to appreciate what I saw. Thank you! :)
In 1993 I traveled to Washington DC for the much hyped Famous Monsters Convention. Tied in with the con were screenings of three science fiction classics on the big screen put on by the Smithsonian Institute (I believe). Off the top of my head I recall the three restored film prints specifically: "Forbidden Planet", "The Time Machine" and "War Of The Worlds". WOTW was unbelievably fantastic on the huge theater screen! I had seen the movie several times on TV since I was a child, but the special effects and technicolor really hit you with awe. The destruction climax of Los Angeles was spectacularly thrilling! Three years later, when "Independence Day" was released in theaters I was greatly disappointed. It couldn't hold a candle to the original George Pal "The War Of The Worlds".
The original War of the Worlds was the first science fiction film to be budgeted in lush, rich technicolor photography. This is why the color palettes change during the opening titles, to highlight this and surprise the audience unaware of this. Also, a fun fact, if you look at the Martian War Machines during their introductory scene you will notice as they rise above the ground, three flickering beams of light descend from craft and suspiciously look like tripod legs. This was an intentional easter egg for fans, there was no way to effectively create legs and animate them using stop motion techniques within budget, so they were dropped. The film itself is heavy handed in its criticism of communism as 1953 was the era of McCarthyism, and the Red Scare he accelerated, with George Pal and Barry Lyndon using the antagonists as placeholders for the Soviets. The average 1950's American, the freedom loving capitalist and proponents of democracy were told Russians were soulless atheists that would rather see the USA blown to kingdom come or assimilated into communism, lacking any idea of free will and writers used that to their advantage in their sci-fi films. This is why the Martians vaporize the churchgoers during their first assault, and church bells ring as the survivors pray to God when the War Machines begin to fall. The aliens fall due to their rejection of God, and pay the price, much like Americans believed would happen to the Soviets. Sci-fi films from that period are fascinating in this regard.
Be that Dinosaur. Hells I am. I Wuld rather watch a movie as it was meant to be seen Than all made "Modern". Great review and This old man agrees with you 100%
Great review of a great sci fi classic! The VFX and design are amazing to this day. Although The Time Machine is my favorite George Pal film, which also has marvelous VFX, TWOTW’s are still the finest. You probably know that both Gene Barry and Ann Robinson had a cameo at the end of Spielberg’s remake. But George Pal’s film is just the best. I was very lucky to meet Pal not long before he passed. He was a sweet, kind man, and his films reflect his warm humanity.
4:16 When the opening credits flash from a colored font to white and then back to color while the soundtrack music is punctuated with a cymbal crash, I believe the suggestion is not lightning but the visual effect of distant artillery fire at night, implying the violence of war rather than the violence of nature. We must keep in mind that the audience in 1953 was full of combat veterans from WWII and Korea who knew what such flashes meant by first-hand experience.
I enjoyed your review of this film. I managed to obtain the Criterion edition of the film on DVD, and it was so fantastic that I have rewatched it every now and then. I also have the original H.G. Wells book, and I enjoyed it fine. Anyways, keep up the good work.
While Spielbergs version was closer to the book aka tripods, etc it still doesn't hold up to this classic. First saw this on a black and white tv. What a revelation when seeing it color. As far as the newer prints again, what a revelation: All those damn wires holding up the spaceships. lol.
Thanks. I was very curious what your thoughts would be on this one. Wells and this particular novel of his (as well as this movie and the novel's various---numerous---incarnations have captivated me over a lifetime, so this is familiar and beloved territory. I particularly liked your choice of images selected, many of which aren't typical, obvious choices (the burned-out exposure of the crowd watching the A-blast for instance), and your observations about the camerawork. I have an entirely different reaction/thoughts about the Martian, which I see as incredibly eerie, evocative, innovative and designed in a way completely unique for its time (no big-headed green-skinned guy or human-shaped rubber suit), but also agree about the "little face" on the electronic eye, which could've easily been avoided by turning the "face" upside down. I guess everyone involved in its making was too close to it to see that the thing could, in fact, look like a little weird face! (I have a comic book adaptation of the movie in which the drawings of that prop just makes on go "awwwh, how cute!--hope it doesn't get hurt!" I look at this adaptation as a "paraphrasing" of the book, since so many of its particulars vary from the Victorian era setting. I see your take as very fair-minded and very well-balanced (not unusual for you). Anyway....I could ramble, babble etc on this one for a long time, so I'd better stop there. I'm very glad that you watched the film again and gave it a second chance. It IS one of the all-time SF film classics, and that for a number of reasons you so well point out. (Glad you mentioned Al Nozaki by name. He deserves so much credit for this film. Plus, he was a friend. A wonderful human being.)
Again one of the best Sci Fy movies of all time. I prefer this version to all of the remakes. When it comes on TV no matter what I am up to, I've got to stop and watch it.
At one point the FX team tried to generate real electrical sparks by passing very high voltage current through the Martian vessels. It was decided not to carry on after the arcs were drawn to a crew member's belt buckle and the whole thing was declared much too dangerous.
Came across your channel when I was rewatching the Prisoner series and looking for videos. Quickly got hooked, and wish I had come across it a few months ago when I really had time to spare. Excellent reviews, excellent channel.
To be honest, I saw this film after I had listened to Jeff Wayne's album and read the book. The swan like aliens were a disappointment. It's only as I have got older, that I have understood how great this version is. Easily the best sci fi film of that era, although The Day The Earth Stood Still has a special place in my heart. I will always consider Jeff Wayne's version as the best, but that's probably because it terrified me as a child, and the album art is very cool. Anyway. Thanks for your WOTW book, and now film, review. It's so cool to see your opinions of the reimaginings of this great story.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is the greatest SF film of all time. Richard Wise directed several of the best films in several genres. SF, The Day the Earth Stood Still, musical (West Side Story), and horror (The Haunting).
Hey friend! I had just recently watch this for the first time in a long time too (although not 20 years lol) I have that same DVD. One of my favorite directors, Joe Dante has a commentary on it and I don't think I ever listen to it yet. Nice pointing out some comparisons to Independence Day - also one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time. I would say there were probably homages. Not too unusual to show landmarks getting destroyed. That also happened later in The Earth VS the Flying Saucers (Mars Attacks really pays homage to that movie - I think they even use the same saucers!) Funny you called yourself a dinosaur. I had just watched Jurassic World as I have been going though my Jurassic Park/World movies! Haha. Good job friend! God Bless! 🙏
Splendid presentation, as always. This film along with its nightmarish 1953 cousin "Invaders from Mars" totally captivated me as a child (when seeing them on TV many years after their production) and influenced my later appreciation for science fiction on film (as they did the likes of Spielberg).
I love this movie. It scared 😱 me so much as well as a kid! Those haunting sound effects certainly stay with you and play on your mind. A brilliant and very enjoyable review of what is my favourite ever sci-fi film.
Yes, Spielberg has stated that the aliens here were a definite influence on "E.T." Great review...this movie scared the life out of me when I was a kid. Something about the hopeless moment near the end where all the people were in the church and you could hear the world just being destroyed outside...stayed with me for years.
This is also on my VHS shelf (I really need to upgrade my media). When I was a kid, I made a model of a war machine out of FOR SALE signs, pieces of plastic Mt. Dew bottles, and thin plywood (used my Dad's band saw to make a neck and head). I wonder if it is in a box somewhere. 6:18 lol now I remember it stood on a tripod made of clear soda straws filled with gold glitter.
Nicely done. A tiny postscript. The two stars of this rendition appear in the final scene of Speilberg's rendition starring Tom Cruise as the grandparents - nice touch.
In Spielberg's 2005 version, when the tripod first emerges from the ground, a street sign in the background says "Van Buren.". The name of Ann Robinson's character in the 1953 film was Sylvia Van Buren. And it's in front of a church, no less.
I was only two years old when this movie was made, so I missed it theatrical showing. I also missed the later re-releases through the theaters. I did see the movie on TV when I was a schoolboy. I saw it on a black and white TV, and didn't realize that it was in color until I re-watched it with my kids 30+years later. It scared me in an exhilarating way the first time I saw it. The BBC One version more closely follows the book. The aliens are tripodal, and it is a period piece. I did read the book in when I was about 18-20 years old, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Old Classic War of the Worlds watched it many of time over the years & it still holds up even today, as your finally got to watch the movie for the first time, would you consider Reviewing & Discussing the Steven Spielberg Version and Compering it with this (1953) version, enjoyed your review took me back to watching it again still a classic film
"The War of the Worlds" is bookended by two Paramount Pictures "Easter eggs", the first one appears in the scene where the townsfolk note the fall of what they assume is a meteor. A man is shown on a step ladder working with a cinema marquee advertising the Paramount blockbuster, "Sampson and Delilah", as held over. Held over indeed! Held over almost three years must be some kind of record! The second is a detail in the very elaborate miniature set of a Los Angeles street -- a billboard advertising a Bob Hope movie called "Off Limits", I believe. I'm not sure because the audience only gets a glimpse of part of the sign.
Dude, I love everything about this review. Seriously, you give the details that I want to hear from reviewers, and you didn’t do that “I won’t give the ending away” thing 20 minutes into the review which I really appreciated. I listened to David Tennant read this book and I think he added a lot more personality to it in his delivery. For that reason, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I did as a teenager and found it very interesting. I also completely agree with you that the setting of the book as far as time really does play an important role in distinguishing it. Very well done.
@@JeromeWeiselberry I did! Do you do classic literature a lot? I’ve been looking around CZcams for tubers who review more classic lit and especially classic horror and suspense.
I'm afraid I don't discuss classic literature (or read it) as frequently as I'd like to. I've done it more in the past, and I hope to get book reviews back into my regular video rotation. It's encouraging to hear you'd be interested in more of that kind of thing. Here's a link to my book review playlist, if you'd like to peruse that and see what I've already covered: czcams.com/play/PLgzy2Zy55qWfiFgUEsUDcy0LyMo-RCKWR.html
I hear you about hating snakes. We had a snake problem in our house last fall. Thankfully the snakes are all gone now, but that was not a pleasant experience.
Kudos on a very cogent analysis of this sci-fi classic and it's underlining spiritual themes. No doubt H.G. Wells would have balked at the addition of religious elements to the story but I think the film does a good job balancing the spiritual with the more purely science based speculative aspects of his fiction. As a kid War of the Worlds held me spellbound from beginning to end. It's so vivid and exciting with imagery straight out of pulp magazine covers. Also you are correct, Steven Spielberg was influenced by these aliens when he created E.T. I quite like the Spielberg/Tom Cruise War of the Worlds too. That one is more of a 9/11 allegory. On its release I recall a lot of people complained about the "deus ex machina" ending. Guess they never read Wells' novel. Yeesh!
Great Time ing Jerome I just watched this again I had previously watched it on DVD (Not sure if it was the restoration DVD) The cover looks different on my DVD than what you showed. This is the 3rd time I have seen this movie This time I streamed it from Amazon and the quality was excellent I didn’t see any wires but I wasn’t Looking for them either Thank you for reviewing this film
Thanks for the review! This is one of my all time favorite movies! I've loved it since I was a kid. I own the 2005 DVD release as well as the new Criterion Blu-ray. I really wish that I still had the VHS tape that I grew up with, but I lost track of it long ago.
I saw it on tape back in the day too, but my mom had recorded it off the tv. It's astonishing how many tapes we still have kicking around, but that one is unaccounted for.
Thank you for your myriad of special insights into the movie's themes and subplots. A very enjoyable review. Waxing imaginative is what science fiction is all about!
Originally the wires used to suspend the Martian war machines were invisible. Paramount used prints made by Technicolor for the original release, which hid the wires. Paramount then used prints by Eastman which were inferior and didn't hide the wires. Home Video and TV showings of the film used the Eastman elements. In 1988 Paramount made a sequel TV series which featured Ann Robinson reprising here role from the film. Both Gene Berry and Ann Robinson appear near the end of Steven Spielberg's 2005 remake.
Absolute classic, and sits alongside my DVDs of The Time Machine, Forbidden Planet, Day the Earth Stood Still, This Island Earth. Would have been amazing if it was shot in widescreen though!
Really enjoy this film. Another great thing about it (for me) is that it was featured in my favorite childhood movie of all -- Joe Dante's Explorers. Ethan Hawke, in his first film role, plays a sci-fi obsessed kid, and this is one of the movies he watches. NOBODY remembers that one (other than to mention it was also the inimitable River Phoenix's first role), which is a bit tragic. But I also like it that way. It's my own personal little flick that my childhood buddies/neighbors & I will always share together. Pure joy & boyhood camaraderie. That made War of the Worlds essential viewing for me.
Funny, I just came across that movie when I was looking up something else a couple weeks ago! I'm not familiar with it at all, but it looks interesting.
@@JeromeWeiselberry Oh, cool. I mean, I can't be objective. It's as close to my heart as anything. There are flaws, but there's undeniable magic as well. The Jerry Goldsmith score is absolute perfection. Check out 'The Construction' track. You may recognize it, as it's been repurposed for TV countless times.
I can only speak from experience,, I've seen Independence Day and I'm aware of wotw films,, I've never read HG Wells book and I've only recently heard Orson Welles radio play,, although my parents spoke about it when I was a child, and this is because after something like 76 my Dad bought himself a copy of the double album Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds and would play it full pelt every Sunday whilst my Mum was cooking the Sunday roast,, inside was a large book of sleeve notes, voice actor bio's, lyrics and illustrations,, these would show panic-stricken running crowds,, aquaducts and cricket fields,, steamships blasted on rivers,, the red weed,, and in particular a martian being pecked out of a tripod by a large black crow,, very memorable,, then this film always looked made for television,, but now you've explained why there are no tripods I understand and agree with it and would wish to watch it entirely,, thank you 4 yet another naturally good review,, you're iconic 😏🏆💐
I love this movie. I've watched it a couple times. The last time, probably nearly 10 years ago. I seem to recall having basically the same opinions/feelings about it as you expressed here. I think it's time I rewatch it. *I've also got the 2005 DVD
If you are interested, La-La Land Records is releasing the Leith Stevens soundtrack of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS on September 5: THE WAR OF THE WORLDS / WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE 70th Anniversary Expanded and Remastered Music by Leith Stevens Limited Edition of 1500 units Coming from La-La Land Records September 5, 2023
It's a shame that the quality of many Si-Fi movies has declined lately. They're full of CGI and look amazingly realistic, but they're too tech-dependent. "The War of the Worlds" is incredibly good in every respect considering that it was produced in the mid-1950s. The special effects are surprisingly well done and can't be believed to be a movie nearly 70 years old. Especially I liked the smooth movement of the spacecrafts. Is it an animation? Also, the "sound" of the destructive rays emitted from the spacecrafts was really eerie. This movie gave me a very good time. By the way, didn't you find Sylvia's hairstyle very interesting? Thank you very much, Jerome. I think this is a great movie and worth watching.
No animation, just good old models and miniatures and practical effects work. :) I think I read that Ann Robinson wore a wig for the film and wasn't fond of it (and I can understand why--I'm not crazy about the bangs), but then people didn't recognize her as the actress from the film without it.
I love your reviews! This is a great 50s scifi flick. Still have my 1994 Laserdisc of TWoTW. It has an isolated sfx audio track, which I don't believe is on any of the DVD releases.
This 1953 film was state-of-the-art for it's day, and in my opinion it has aged very well. The Tom Cruise version was also very good, and included a lot of things not shown in this one.
Informative as ever, and with a unmatched smile. Best of both worlds I guess lol :) Anyhoo, it was a fun review. Glad you dug the film. Should check out the original Invaders From Mars though. It just barely managed to beat War of the Worlds to the "first color alien flick" Though not by much. The movie has a surreal vibe and some of the most amazing lighting and camera work I swear.
Ah, you're right: War of the Worlds was released in August but Invaders from Mars was released in April. A busy year for the Martians! I'd say Invaders from Mars still doesn't have the global scale that WOTW does, but the first half of the film has some really great cinematography. I did a mini review of it (czcams.com/video/e8NfCcxVHmo/video.html) but it seems to have a copyright claim and might not be watchable depending on your area. :( I'll have to see if I can do something about that...
The 2004 film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which doesn't get anywhere near enough credit for pioneering most of the green screen filming methods used today, also paid homage to numerous classic sci-fi films including Godzilla and King Kong, and the Martian heat ray sound effect was recycled as the sound of the giant robots' lasers.
They actually are sort of tripods...if you look closely in that scene that starts at 6:17, you can see three almost invisible "beams of energy" coming out of the bottom for the craft, acting as "the tripod" . Thanks for the great review. This is one of my favourite movies. Also, I see some people have already mentioned it, but you should check out Jeff Wayne's musical version of War of the Worlds from 1978. My friends and I listened to that countless times when it came out.
Yes, I included the clip on purpose because it showed that. General Mann says something akin to "like invisible legs?", and then Dr. Forrester corrects him with a scientific-sounding hypothesis for how the machines float. Ha, yes, between this video and the book review, many people have recommended the musical version, which I had never heard of before.
As far as I'm concerned, this is still the best alien invasion movie out there. What's not to love? The acting is stellar, the visuals and sound are amazing, and the script is a wonderful adaptation of the source novel with, as you bring out so well, some excellent religious overtones that ultimately pays tribute to the hand of Providence. There are a lot of good man vs alien movies, but this one still sets the standard. Great review!
Alien Voices did a cassette full-cast drama of it that is emulating the radio show. ("Alien Voices" was a company made up of many of the Star Trek actors. They did old sci-fi books-especially Wells and Verne)
First, you do have class. I liked the 1953 Film better than the remake. Also, about your previous post about The Invaders, I liked that show too. Quinn Martin produced that show, and he did a good job on a Sci-fi Show, for a man whom normally made crime dramas. I liked Roy Thinnas' acting. I also wish it lasted longer than 2 years. The scariest episode was "The Enemy", w/ Richard Anderson. The last show was where he stopped a secret invasion, and ended w/ him being able to convince DA, the late Peter Mark Richman, about the Invaders. There was also an awful 2 part made-for -TV Movie, The Invaders, with Scott Backula & Roy Thinnas only in a cameo part. But we did get to see what The Invaders finally looked like, something from Star Wars. How about someone like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, or Tim Burton (Do it seriously Tim) , doing a made for TV film showing what happened since 1968 and showing a final/invasion showdown between the human race and The Invaders. Also, I used to watch it on reruns on WPIX, Channel 11 in NY and now on Metro TV #33 in NY. And I wonder if the Sci-fi TV Series 'V", which I used to watch got the idea for that show, from The Invaders.
I assume that you already have, but I'll ask just to make sure... since you have access to the 2005 DVD, you've watched all the bonus content? The commentaries are excellent. The making-of features are great. And it includes the Orson Welles radio show.
The first and only time I saw the original version I hummed the songs of Godzilla's march each time the humans tried destroying the aliens hah...not sure if you did the same, Ms. J. I love your old films reviews; please keep it up!
10:26 "Another alumnus from 'The Thing' is Paul Frees..." His scene as the reporter always triggers the nerd in me because I cannot fathom how the script error got by into the finished release edit. The journalist notes that he is making his report on a tape recorder because "there's no radio, no radio at all", but he's standing right next to a military radar truck that's tracking the approach of the XB-49. If there's no radio at all, then the radar wouldn't work either.
You're NOT a dinosaur.
Your a classical Lady.
The best of both worlds.
Literature and Film.
PLEASE continue
Nearly 70 years old and still as powerful as ever! The effects still hold up and those manta ray designs on the Martian ships are timeless.
One of my favorite films. The late Les Tremayne who played General Mann was a friend of mine.
I remember Les Tremayne as Mentor from SHAZAM! in the 1970’s.
It also has Jack Kruschen as one of the three men with the white flag. He and Les Tremayne were both in ANGRY RED PLANET (another Martian movie) later on. @@Bonedadyo
That is awesome to hear! I always loved his acting. It must have been great knowing him! ✌️
This movie has one of my favorite scenes in cinema: When the Sylvia realizes her uncle is walking out to meet the Martians she straights screaming for him and has to held back. Camera cuts to him walking but you can hear her screaming in the background. When the Martians fire their weapon at him, cut to her screaming, cut to General yelling "LET EM HAVE IT!", cut to soldier yelling "FIRE!: artillery unleashed. As Hitchcock would say, Pure Cinema!
When I was a kid , I used to go to the movies twice a week , especially in the summer. I saw all types of movies, from Francis The Talking Mule starring Donald O'Conner to Kiss Me Deadly, a Mickey Spillane story starring Ralph Meeker. War of the Worlds and The Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Kevin McCarthy were two movies that I still watch and get a kick out of to this day. Thank you for your review.
If you ask me, that film had the definitive Martian Heat Ray. An absolute classic from George Pal.
Absolutely. And I can totally still hear it in my head!
An excellent review of one of my personal favourites.... I was also awe struck when I first saw it in the late 60's ... I'm 60 now ... this and The Forbidden Planet must surely be two of the best in the genre... thank you once again... and yes I will re-watch it again soon ....
Great to hear from someone who likes classic sci-fi too! *And it is especially gratifying that you are older than I am-I begin to feel like the dinosaur "Jerome" mentions when I comment here and realise that most people are a generation junior to me!*
@@SJHFoto A significant portion of my audience is actually 60+ years young. No need to keep referring to yourself like you're ancient!
@@JeromeWeiselberry Oh! Well, that's all right then! I just assumed with you being a 20-something, your audience was too
This is stuff from my childhood. I remember watching this when I was very young, and the shape, the color, the gliding elegance of the war machines have always hypnotized me. I've always loved watching every sequence of the martian advance on earth. And it sticks with me. Compared to other invasion movies, where CGI depicts alien ships moving at breakneck speed...the "'Lava flow" progression of the Martians strikes me as far MORE terrifying than the furiously speeding ships portrayed in more modern works. The Martians don't NEED speed. Their technology is far superior and they know it. They can simply glide. And destroy. And there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to stop it. Brilliant film. Will always love it.
I enjoyed your review of the 1953 version of ‘War of the Worlds’. I have very fond memories of getting the bejeezus creeped out of me as a kid while watching this movie. I always look forward to your reviews, especially when it’s something near and dear to me. Also, you’re not a dinosaur. You’re a connoisseur old school technology. 😁
Production designer Albert Nozaki came up with the idea of the Martian war machines being supported by invisible electromagnetic "legs" because he thought Wells' concept of mechanical tripods would appear more absurd than terrifying and mysterious to filmgoers. I think he was correct. The manta ray shape and the use of sheet copper imply alien technology at work quite well. The wires that supported Nozaki's alien machines also supplied power to the internal lighting effects and the mechanism that moved the "cobra head' heat ray weapon.
I love how you actually say "I'm not a quality elitist". You really bring a fresh, non judgemental attitude to your reviews.
Great review . I’ve been in the theatre business working since 1977. Star Wars was the first movie I worked . My manager was a motion picture pioneer award recipient. What I come away with from productions like this is the admiration for people involved in production and the actors . Such sprite different time as I think everyone worked MUCH harder and had a dedication to the craft and finished product we will never see again .
Thank you for reviewing this movie. I loved this movie since I was a kid, and still do. The Divine Intervention ending is also similar to the movie Day of the Triffids. The movie poster seems to be an inspiration for the first Star Wars movie: some people clinging to the crest of a hill, while larger-than live images loom in the background.
Blast from the past.
I saw this on a black and white mid-sixties TV.
It freaked out my little brain.
Seeing it in color as an adult was quite a treat.
I'm gonna pull it off my bookshelf and read it again.
Peace on earth... and our solar system.
When someone ask what movie started my infatuation with horror movies, this is the one I claim. I was probably five years old or so and my uncle took a group of us to the drive in to see it. I spent a goodly amount of time hiding from the screen behind the front seat but I saw enough to be forever addicted to the rush of terror. I’ve enjoyed all of your reviews and reactions, very insightful! I wish I had a friend like you to discuss films with! Good luck with your channel!
First off thank you for not being a "Quality Elitist" I got one mad at me because I said a person doesn't have to watch STAR WARS in 4K to enjoy it. That statement set this guy off so bad he was saying I was insulting the directors and I don't understand because I'm not an artist. That last part cracked me up because I am in fact an artist. To me a person should enjoy a movie any way they want. If someone wants to watch it on a 72inch 4K screen, good. If someone wants to watch it on their 5 inch telephone, good. If someone wants to watch it in their backyard, projected on a sheet sitting next to their kids, good. Enjoy movies the way you like.
The 1953 The War of the Worlds is one of my all favorites. Although as I've gotten older and I have been exposed to more movies it has slid down my list. But it does hold one very special honor. it was the first movie that ever compelled me to want to read the book that inspired it. Unfortunately it took me decades to finally do that. Even then it was the audiobook(not a strong reader). This movie amazed me as a kid. You mentioned imagine being a kid in the 50s watching the intro, I can tell you I was a kid in the 80s and I was downright fascinated. Those fantastical landscapes had me hooked. And then the colors and visuals. I was always a STAR WARS guy but i was always awed by what this movie pulled off. The Martian machines are still beautiful to me. They are such an icon of 50s aesthetic. And their movement is so slow and graceful. Yet the destruction the bring is so devastating. And the sound of the death ray, perfection! I think my favorite thing about the movie is how it really feels like a global effort. Yes we follow the main protagonists but we get to glimpse the world wide fight against the Martians. So when the movie got to the lowest point it really feels hopeless. And thus that final reprieve is so powerful
Just a wonderful treat of a movie. A very nice and thorough review. Thank you!
Too right! I was fortunate enough to see a lot of classic movies in the theater in the early '80s as they showed classics, but for most of us not around in the 50s and 60s, we saw these movies on a tiny TV set growing up. For the first Star Wars (the 1977 movie was the only one I was too young to see in the movies new), I grew up watching it on TV-and sometimes it was a Black and White TV (we had a colour one in the family room, but my brother and I had a B/W one in our room). The first time I saw it on the big screen was in 1997 when the Special Edition came out.
I saw this on its original release, and even tho I was only 5 years old, I appreciated it on a very deep level. For one thing, I was already interested in astronomy and the depiction of the planetary landscapes, having had a book full of the same kinds of paintings by the same artist ----Chesley Bonestell---at home. The absolute hopelessness of mankind was a very riveting dramatic situation to experience, especially at such a young age. Like the Earth was being attacked by thousands of Terminators at the same time (to use a modern model for comparison).
You do a splendid job of combining a fan's eye view and a critical analysis in your movie reviews. In spite of many viewings of both movies, it had not occurred to me before that three actors from The Thing from Another World were also in this movie.
Good review. Enjoyed it. The audio commentaries included with this DVD is the best audio commentary I have ever heard. There are two commentaries: film historians and original actors. Great discussions.
I love this movie. I am a massive Gerry Anderson fan, so seeing strings doesn't bother me. It is quite a thought provoking movie. I found myself thinking more about people's behaviors than I did the aliens and the reasons for the invasion. Being a devout man of faith, I liked the religious undertones of the movie. I watched this and the remake back to back last year. I prefer this version, but I enjoy older movies more than newer movies or remakes. You make me want to watch it again with some 🍿!
to attempt to compare GA to Pal, is ludicrous, imo; utter trash vs. genius.
You are such a gifted
reviewer, Jerome. It takes talent to form words without having to stop/start the camera. I look fwd to your reviews.
This was one of my favorite sci fi movies growing up. Thank for the review!
Such a fantastic review. You have the ability to make someone fall in love with a film again, a film they've probably seen many times and make them ( me ) feel like they're hearing about it for the very first time, I want to watch it again right now lol, I'm sure those who haven't seen it are excited to do so now too. I love 1950's science fiction and War Of The Worlds is the film I picture when I think of it because of its iconic imagery and technicolour, I do love it although I'd put some films above it in terms of favourites, two of those being The Day The Earth Stood Still and It Came From Outer Space, It Came From Outer Space was released a few months after War Of The Worlds, I also believe Invaders From Mars was released in 1953, a good year for science fiction, a good year for film in general, Roman Holiday, Stalag 17, The Band Wagon- call back to Astaire & Charisse lol, The Big Heat, From Here To Eternity, Niagra, Peter Pan and so many others. The thought of being around in 1953, putting on a letterman jacket and hopping in one of those abnormally gigantic chrome land yachts to go see War Of The Worlds at a Drive In would be amazing, in reality I wouldn't be wearing a letterman jacket because in a geek lol, in fact I'd probably avoid anyone wearing one like they had Covid and I'd more than likely wait the gazillion years for it to air on a tiny TV and have to keep moving an aerial on top to get a decent picture, yup, that's how it would go lol. You're so right, the Martians do have an ET thing happening lol, not sure why I never connected them, even the creepy long fingers, I've always imagined catching one and playing Simon on its face czcams.com/video/GWC1O2WaIxM/video.html . I think you're also right about it being the first time a Nuclear bomb went off in a film based on a fictional story, I remembered a Nuclear bomb exploding in the film Split Second and tried to remember when it was made, it's a black and white Noir/Thriller so wondered was it late 40's, it was actually released a few months after War Of The Worlds in 53, there's a low budget film about the aftermath of an explosion, the film was called "Five", it was 1950 or 51 I think but it wasn't widely released and had no explosion on screen, apparently the very few who've seen it would argue against it deserving to be described as a film altogether so War Of The Worlds has to take it Lol. Ive watched many films where the picture quality was so bad brothers and sisters have asked why the TV is broken, or why I only have the sound on lol, I think if you love classic film ya learn fast being a picture elitist can be a pointless endeavour lol. I've waffled on again. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~
I enjoyed your comments on a film I saw at a drive-in some 67 yrs ago. One of the most memorable scenes of this great picture was looking down on Dr. Forrester running up a desolate, debris-strewn street L.A. street. That is modern calamity.
Your review is excellent. THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is my favorite sci fi movie and one of the best of the "Army vs. Monster" movies of the 1950s. I originally was introduced to TWOTW in the old Classics Illustrated comic books.
I was fortunate to have the Pegasus preassembled models of the Martian Flying Machine and the Martin figure (the figure's accessories includes the chopped-off Martian "eye" and two books on the floor---THE WAR OF THE WORLDS and TO SERVE MAN (from THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode).
Also, Les Tremayne and Jack Kruschen were in another Martian sci fi movie THE ANGRY RED PLANET---and Kruschen is killed by a Martian in that movie, too.
Also, INDEPENDENCE DAY's alien spaceship destroying the White House, etc. ripped off Ray Harryhausen's EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS in which flying saucers attack Washington, DC. Harryhausen's movie was based on true incidents of UFOs buzzing Washington, DC in July, 1952---which was an international story back then, but for some reason it's been mostly forgotten.
I forgot to mention, in case you've never seen it, there was a 1988 tv series that was a direct sequel to the 1953 movie. The tv series changed a lot of the movie in that the Martians were not really Martians, but were from another planet, and they did not die from Earth's bacteria, but went into suspended animation. The bodies were stored at an Army base until in 1988, terrorists attacked the base and accidentally freed the Martians/aliens. The awakened aliens then took over the bodies of the terrorists and resurrected their attempt to conquer Earth with the War Machines from the original movie, and the aliens burst out of the chests of their human hosts. The tv series was ripping off ALIEN and THE THING and was so far removed from the novel and 1953 movie that I got fed up and stopped watching it after a couple of episodes. I've read that Ann Robinson returned as Sylvia van Buren in the tv series.
Byron Haskin later directed ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS, and he recycled the Martian War Machines from the 1953 movie.
One of the YB-49 flying wing prototypes crashed, killing the crew ( I have a model of it), and Edwards Air Force Base is named after co-pilot Glenn Edwards. The YB-49 program was controversially cancelled which angered Northrop head/YB-49 designer Jack Northrop. When the Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth flying wing was announced, retired Jack Northrop was allowed to see it which finally vindicated him. Also, in INDEPENDENCE DAY, I don't think it's a coincidence that the Northrop B-2 Spirit flying wing fired a nuclear cruise missile at the alien spaceship over Houston (where I live), and the alien spaceship survived, like the Northrop YB-49 scene in the 1953 movie. I will watch INDEPENDENCE DAY on July 4 ( like I do every July 4 (Bill Pullman's Presidential speech was filmed in front of the hangar that once house housed the B-29 "Enola Gay" that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima) .
The B-2 is being replaced by the Northrop B-21 Raider (named after the Gen. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders of World War II) and it is also a flying wing.
I enjoy your great reviews and look forward to reading them.
Another superbly intelligent and comprehensive review of a landmark and much beloved classic. Please see my earlier comments about your equally thorough and insightful review of the 1933 “King Kong”. All the superlatives I used to describe how well you captured that film apply here.
A brief note about the Criterion edition. I think it does bring out the full glory of the Technicolor image, which is so effectively employed in this film. To me, it was much more of an eye-dazzling than an eye-straining experience. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it look as good.
Also on the disc are some marvelous extras, including a fascinating description by sound designer Ben Burtt and special effects supervisor Craig Barron of tracking down how the film’s visual and sound effects were done, then recreating many of them using non-digital technology that either was actual equipment still around, or approximated what they had available back then. It’s quite astonishing to see how the skeleton rays were produced, for example, not to mention probably somewhat dangerous!
There is also “The Sky Is Falling”, a very good documentary on its making, featuring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson (a gracious woman, whom I met and got to autograph a WOTW poster), and, most delightfully, an interview with Diana Gemora, the daughter of Martian builder and performer Charlie Gemora (who was inside the Martian when it indeed almost toppled over as it exited), about her all-nighter experience helping her dad build and operate the Martian used in the movie.
I always look forward to your reviews, this one especially. You are unparalleled as a film connoisseur, historian, and critic. I’d be interested in your take on the Speilberg version of WOTW, if you manage to include that in your busy schedule. I’m sure you get many suggestions for reviews, as if you didn’t have a ton of your own already.
Great review. I thoroughly enjoy your reviews because you are an actual movie buff, not some snob pretending movies are more than just movies intended to tell us a story in an entertaining way. Being collaborations by a huge number of people, movies cannot be dissected as to their meaning the way a book written by one person can be. No compromises are necessary in a book. Movies are nothing but compromise due to budget, available technology, budget, what's allowed at the time, budget, and luck.
Ah, nice to finally see the review, this was such a childhood favorite of mine. It would air about every six months or so on one of the local stations, and I'd never miss it, often watching with my dad. Getting to see it at a kiddie matinee in an actual theater was a real treat! I think the cinematography and composition of the film are often overlooked...what is essentially a "God Shot' of Clayton of walking down a deserted street, with an aerial view of a building in the foreground, is one of the most haunting evocations of desolation I've ever seen. There's a LOT of controversy as to what the lower torso of the Martians looked like - the puppet was only built as a top half. Apparently, there was extreme difficulty actually constructing the puppet...it actually fell apart soon after its scene with Sylvia and Clayton! Thank you again for another thoughtful and well-researched review. And it sure sounds like your mom is fun to watch movies with!
I hear the "ray beam" sound from this movie in so many other sci-fi movies and TV shows.
I'm proud to know where it comes from.
After my initial viewing of "The War of The Worlds," I began scrutinizing some of the special effects. Not so much the wires suspending the Martian machines, as the heat ray generators. I told my folks, "That ray gun looks a lot like a flat highway lamp and the neck looks like a gold flexible ladies watch band." I also likened the Martian spy "eye" to an art deco version of a drive-in movie speaker. Thanks, Jerome Weiselberry, for this very in-depth review of one of my all-time favorite Sci Fi films.
Jerome, I now realize I need to watch this film from beginning to end. This is one of those movies I have caught countless times when it was already in progress but have never seen in it's entirety. Thanks for this awesome, detailed, thorough review! You my dear, are simply the best!
You should! Often with this kind of movie the set-up is the best part, and there's some great stuff in the beginning here. The fact that I didn't remember any of it makes me wonder if I really did see the whole thing before, or if I was just too young to appreciate what I saw. Thank you! :)
In 1993 I traveled to Washington DC for the much hyped Famous Monsters Convention. Tied in with the con were screenings of three science fiction classics on the big screen put on by the Smithsonian Institute (I believe). Off the top of my head I recall the three restored film prints specifically: "Forbidden Planet", "The Time Machine" and "War Of The Worlds". WOTW was unbelievably fantastic on the huge theater screen! I had seen the movie several times on TV since I was a child, but the special effects and technicolor really hit you with awe. The destruction climax of Los Angeles was spectacularly thrilling! Three years later, when "Independence Day" was released in theaters I was greatly disappointed. It couldn't hold a candle to the original George Pal "The War Of The Worlds".
The original War of the Worlds was the first science fiction film to be budgeted in lush, rich technicolor photography. This is why the color palettes change during the opening titles, to highlight this and surprise the audience unaware of this. Also, a fun fact, if you look at the Martian War Machines during their introductory scene you will notice as they rise above the ground, three flickering beams of light descend from craft and suspiciously look like tripod legs. This was an intentional easter egg for fans, there was no way to effectively create legs and animate them using stop motion techniques within budget, so they were dropped. The film itself is heavy handed in its criticism of communism as 1953 was the era of McCarthyism, and the Red Scare he accelerated, with George Pal and Barry Lyndon using the antagonists as placeholders for the Soviets. The average 1950's American, the freedom loving capitalist and proponents of democracy were told Russians were soulless atheists that would rather see the USA blown to kingdom come or assimilated into communism, lacking any idea of free will and writers used that to their advantage in their sci-fi films. This is why the Martians vaporize the churchgoers during their first assault, and church bells ring as the survivors pray to God when the War Machines begin to fall. The aliens fall due to their rejection of God, and pay the price, much like Americans believed would happen to the Soviets. Sci-fi films from that period are fascinating in this regard.
Be that Dinosaur. Hells I am. I Wuld rather watch a movie as it was meant to be seen Than all made "Modern". Great review and This old man agrees with you 100%
You ALWAYS seem to hit the right spot at the right time.
Thank you for my comfort watching
Really enjoy these well written and researched reviews, thank you.
Great review of a great sci fi classic! The VFX and design are amazing to this day. Although The Time Machine is my favorite George Pal film, which also has marvelous VFX, TWOTW’s are still the finest. You probably know that both Gene Barry and Ann Robinson had a cameo at the end of Spielberg’s remake. But George Pal’s film is just the best. I was very lucky to meet Pal not long before he passed. He was a sweet, kind man, and his films reflect his warm humanity.
4:16 When the opening credits flash from a colored font to white and then back to color while the soundtrack music is punctuated with a cymbal crash, I believe the suggestion is not lightning but the visual effect of distant artillery fire at night, implying the violence of war rather than the violence of nature. We must keep in mind that the audience in 1953 was full of combat veterans from WWII and Korea who knew what such flashes meant by first-hand experience.
Jerome Weiselberry thank you for your explanation...
Thanks for telling me about the 4K digital restoration, I didn't know it was released!
I enjoyed your review of this film. I managed to obtain the Criterion edition of the film on DVD, and it was so fantastic that I have rewatched it every now and then. I also have the original H.G. Wells book, and I enjoyed it fine.
Anyways, keep up the good work.
While Spielbergs version was closer to the book aka tripods, etc it still doesn't hold up to this classic. First saw this on a black and white tv. What a revelation when seeing it color. As far as the newer prints again, what a revelation: All those damn wires holding up the spaceships. lol.
Thanks. I was very curious what your thoughts would be on this one. Wells and this particular novel of his (as well as this movie and the novel's various---numerous---incarnations have captivated me over a lifetime, so this is familiar and beloved territory. I particularly liked your choice of images selected, many of which aren't typical, obvious choices (the burned-out exposure of the crowd watching the A-blast for instance), and your observations about the camerawork. I have an entirely different reaction/thoughts about the Martian, which I see as incredibly eerie, evocative, innovative and designed in a way completely unique for its time (no big-headed green-skinned guy or human-shaped rubber suit), but also agree about the "little face" on the electronic eye, which could've easily been avoided by turning the "face" upside down. I guess everyone involved in its making was too close to it to see that the thing could, in fact, look like a little weird face! (I have a comic book adaptation of the movie in which the drawings of that prop just makes on go "awwwh, how cute!--hope it doesn't get hurt!" I look at this adaptation as a "paraphrasing" of the book, since so many of its particulars vary from the Victorian era setting. I see your take as very fair-minded and very well-balanced (not unusual for you). Anyway....I could ramble, babble etc on this one for a long time, so I'd better stop there. I'm very glad that you watched the film again and gave it a second chance. It IS one of the all-time SF film classics, and that for a number of reasons you so well point out. (Glad you mentioned Al Nozaki by name. He deserves so much credit for this film. Plus, he was a friend. A wonderful human being.)
Again one of the best Sci Fy movies of all time. I prefer this version to all of the remakes. When it comes on TV no matter what I am up to, I've got to stop and watch it.
One of the best, the martian fighting machines are an elegant design.
At one point the FX team tried to generate real electrical sparks by passing very high voltage current through the Martian vessels. It was decided not to carry on after the arcs were drawn to a crew member's belt buckle and the whole thing was declared much too dangerous.
Came across your channel when I was rewatching the Prisoner series and looking for videos. Quickly got hooked, and wish I had come across it a few months ago when I really had time to spare. Excellent reviews, excellent channel.
Thank you! :)
To be honest, I saw this film after I had listened to Jeff Wayne's album and read the book. The swan like aliens were a disappointment. It's only as I have got older, that I have understood how great this version is.
Easily the best sci fi film of that era, although The Day The Earth Stood Still has a special place in my heart.
I will always consider Jeff Wayne's version as the best, but that's probably because it terrified me as a child, and the album art is very cool.
Anyway. Thanks for your WOTW book, and now film, review. It's so cool to see your opinions of the reimaginings of this great story.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is the greatest SF film of all time. Richard Wise directed several of the best films in several genres. SF, The Day the Earth Stood Still, musical (West Side Story), and horror (The Haunting).
Hey friend! I had just recently watch this for the first time in a long time too (although not 20 years lol) I have that same DVD. One of my favorite directors, Joe Dante has a commentary on it and I don't think I ever listen to it yet. Nice pointing out some comparisons to Independence Day - also one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time. I would say there were probably homages. Not too unusual to show landmarks getting destroyed. That also happened later in The Earth VS the Flying Saucers (Mars Attacks really pays homage to that movie - I think they even use the same saucers!) Funny you called yourself a dinosaur. I had just watched Jurassic World as I have been going though my Jurassic Park/World movies! Haha. Good job friend! God Bless! 🙏
Splendid presentation, as always. This film along with its nightmarish 1953 cousin "Invaders from Mars" totally captivated me as a child (when seeing them on TV many years after their production) and influenced my later appreciation for science fiction on film (as they did the likes of Spielberg).
I love this movie. It scared 😱 me so much as well as a kid! Those haunting sound effects certainly stay with you and play on your mind. A brilliant and very enjoyable review of what is my favourite ever sci-fi film.
Yes, Spielberg has stated that the aliens here were a definite influence on "E.T."
Great review...this movie scared the life out of me when I was a kid. Something about the hopeless moment near the end where all the people were in the church and you could hear the world just being destroyed outside...stayed with me for years.
That's what struck me in particular when I saw this on its original release at age 5!
This is also on my VHS shelf (I really need to upgrade my media). When I was a kid, I made a model of a war machine out of FOR SALE signs, pieces of plastic Mt. Dew bottles, and thin plywood (used my Dad's band saw to make a neck and head). I wonder if it is in a box somewhere. 6:18 lol now I remember it stood on a tripod made of clear soda straws filled with gold glitter.
I'm 66 and saw the movie in the mid 60's and loved it, I thought it was fascinating.
Nicely done. A tiny postscript. The two stars of this rendition appear in the final scene of Speilberg's rendition starring Tom Cruise as the grandparents - nice touch.
In Spielberg's 2005 version, when the tripod first emerges from the ground, a street sign in the background says "Van Buren.". The name of Ann Robinson's character in the 1953 film was Sylvia Van Buren. And it's in front of a church, no less.
I was only two years old when this movie was made, so I missed it theatrical showing. I also missed the later re-releases through the theaters. I did see the movie on TV when I was a schoolboy. I saw it on a black and white TV, and didn't realize that it was in color until I re-watched it with my kids 30+years later. It scared me in an exhilarating way the first time I saw it. The BBC One version more closely follows the book. The aliens are tripodal, and it is a period piece. I did read the book in when I was about 18-20 years old, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am REALLY looking forward to this, "Jerome" I'll watch it very soon! I have to say, I like how your interests are so varied.
The Old Classic War of the Worlds watched it many of time over the years & it still holds up even today, as your finally got to watch the movie for the first time, would you consider Reviewing & Discussing the Steven Spielberg Version and Compering it with this (1953) version, enjoyed your review took me back to watching it again still a classic film
"The War of the Worlds" is bookended by two Paramount Pictures "Easter eggs", the first one appears in the scene where the townsfolk note the fall of what they assume is a meteor. A man is shown on a step ladder working with a cinema marquee advertising the Paramount blockbuster, "Sampson and Delilah", as held over. Held over indeed! Held over almost three years must be some kind of record! The second is a detail in the very elaborate miniature set of a Los Angeles street -- a billboard advertising a Bob Hope movie called "Off Limits", I believe. I'm not sure because the audience only gets a glimpse of part of the sign.
Dude, I love everything about this review. Seriously, you give the details that I want to hear from reviewers, and you didn’t do that “I won’t give the ending away” thing 20 minutes into the review which I really appreciated.
I listened to David Tennant read this book and I think he added a lot more personality to it in his delivery. For that reason, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I did as a teenager and found it very interesting. I also completely agree with you that the setting of the book as far as time really does play an important role in distinguishing it. Very well done.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. :)
@@JeromeWeiselberry I did! Do you do classic literature a lot? I’ve been looking around CZcams for tubers who review more classic lit and especially classic horror and suspense.
I'm afraid I don't discuss classic literature (or read it) as frequently as I'd like to. I've done it more in the past, and I hope to get book reviews back into my regular video rotation. It's encouraging to hear you'd be interested in more of that kind of thing. Here's a link to my book review playlist, if you'd like to peruse that and see what I've already covered: czcams.com/play/PLgzy2Zy55qWfiFgUEsUDcy0LyMo-RCKWR.html
@@JeromeWeiselberry you should watch the green slime movie 🎥
Great video! I appreciate how thorough you are. Thanks!
Jeff Wayne's musical version is the iteration I remember hiding behind the couch from as a kid.
You Dinosaur !! That was classic Jerome Weiselberry. Had me rolling in the isles! Great review thank you so much. :)
Glad you enjoyed it! :D
I hear you about hating snakes. We had a snake problem in our house last fall. Thankfully the snakes are all gone now, but that was not a pleasant experience.
YIKES. D: That sounds dreadful! I'm glad the situation's been taken care of, and I hope it never happens again!
Kudos on a very cogent analysis of this sci-fi classic and it's underlining spiritual themes. No doubt H.G. Wells would have balked at the addition of religious elements to the story but I think the film does a good job balancing the spiritual with the more purely science based speculative aspects of his fiction. As a kid War of the Worlds held me spellbound from beginning to end. It's so vivid and exciting with imagery straight out of pulp magazine covers. Also you are correct, Steven Spielberg was influenced by these aliens when he created E.T. I quite like the Spielberg/Tom Cruise War of the Worlds too. That one is more of a 9/11 allegory. On its release I recall a lot of people complained about the "deus ex machina" ending. Guess they never read Wells' novel. Yeesh!
"What you got in here fella? It's tickin like a bomb" Is my ring tone. I always make sure its off before a flight. 😁
Great Time ing Jerome I just watched this again I had previously watched it on DVD (Not sure if it was the restoration DVD) The cover looks different on my DVD than what you showed. This is the 3rd time I have seen this movie This time I streamed it from Amazon and the quality was excellent I didn’t see any wires but I wasn’t Looking for them either Thank you for reviewing this film
Another excellent and informative review.
I would not expect anything less.
Oh, thank you!
Thanks for the review! This is one of my all time favorite movies! I've loved it since I was a kid. I own the 2005 DVD release as well as the new Criterion Blu-ray. I really wish that I still had the VHS tape that I grew up with, but I lost track of it long ago.
I saw it on tape back in the day too, but my mom had recorded it off the tv. It's astonishing how many tapes we still have kicking around, but that one is unaccounted for.
Thank you for your myriad of special insights into the movie's themes and subplots. A very enjoyable review. Waxing imaginative is what science fiction is all about!
Glad you liked it!
THE best 50's sci-fi a masterpiece! The sound effects should have won the Oscar
They did.
Without a doubt this is the BEST review of this classic sci-fi movie I've ever seen or read - thank you !
Wow, thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
Great review. I admire the context and film history you add to you comments.
Thanks!
Originally the wires used to suspend the Martian war machines were invisible. Paramount used prints made by Technicolor for the original release, which hid the wires. Paramount then used prints by Eastman which were inferior and didn't hide the wires. Home Video and TV showings of the film used the Eastman elements. In 1988 Paramount made a sequel TV series which featured Ann Robinson reprising here role from the film. Both Gene Berry and Ann Robinson appear near the end of Steven Spielberg's 2005 remake.
50's movies are so stylish, I gotta check this one out. Thanks for sharing! 🙆♀️
Fun Fact: Dr Clayton Forrester is the name of the hero of this film and is the name of the mad scientist from Mystery Science Theatre 3000
Absolute classic, and sits alongside my DVDs of The Time Machine, Forbidden Planet, Day the Earth Stood Still, This Island Earth.
Would have been amazing if it was shot in widescreen though!
Really enjoy this film. Another great thing about it (for me) is that it was featured in my favorite childhood movie of all -- Joe Dante's Explorers. Ethan Hawke, in his first film role, plays a sci-fi obsessed kid, and this is one of the movies he watches. NOBODY remembers that one (other than to mention it was also the inimitable River Phoenix's first role), which is a bit tragic. But I also like it that way. It's my own personal little flick that my childhood buddies/neighbors & I will always share together. Pure joy & boyhood camaraderie. That made War of the Worlds essential viewing for me.
Funny, I just came across that movie when I was looking up something else a couple weeks ago! I'm not familiar with it at all, but it looks interesting.
@@JeromeWeiselberry Oh, cool. I mean, I can't be objective. It's as close to my heart as anything. There are flaws, but there's undeniable magic as well. The Jerry Goldsmith score is absolute perfection. Check out 'The Construction' track. You may recognize it, as it's been repurposed for TV countless times.
I can only speak from experience,, I've seen Independence Day and I'm aware of wotw films,, I've never read HG Wells book and I've only recently heard Orson Welles radio play,, although my parents spoke about it when I was a child, and this is because after something like 76 my Dad bought himself a copy of the double album Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds and would play it full pelt every Sunday whilst my Mum was cooking the Sunday roast,, inside was a large book of sleeve notes, voice actor bio's, lyrics and illustrations,, these would show panic-stricken running crowds,, aquaducts and cricket fields,, steamships blasted on rivers,, the red weed,, and in particular a martian being pecked out of a tripod by a large black crow,, very memorable,, then this film always looked made for television,, but now you've explained why there are no tripods I understand and agree with it and would wish to watch it entirely,, thank you 4 yet another naturally good review,, you're iconic 😏🏆💐
Great review of a great classic. Thanks👍!
Ann Robinson and Gene Barry was also in Spielberg's version, at the end of the movie..
I love this movie.
I've watched it a couple times. The last time, probably nearly 10 years ago. I seem to recall having basically the same opinions/feelings about it as you expressed here.
I think it's time I rewatch it.
*I've also got the 2005 DVD
I will take classic special effects, even if wires may be visible, over CGI any day.
If you are interested, La-La Land Records is releasing the Leith Stevens soundtrack of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS on September 5:
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS / WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
70th Anniversary Expanded and Remastered
Music by Leith Stevens
Limited Edition of 1500 units
Coming from La-La Land Records September 5, 2023
I like that way you think and view watching old movies. Im a dinosaur myself.
Hello from U.K. Just Subbed, I have seen The War of the Worlds Show live in Portsmouth, Brighton and West London, I’m a big fan
It's a shame that the quality of many Si-Fi movies has declined lately. They're full of CGI and look amazingly realistic, but they're too tech-dependent. "The War of the Worlds" is incredibly good in every respect considering that it was produced in the mid-1950s. The special effects are surprisingly well done and can't be believed to be a movie nearly 70 years old. Especially I liked the smooth movement of the spacecrafts. Is it an animation? Also, the "sound" of the destructive rays emitted from the spacecrafts was really eerie. This movie gave me a very good time. By the way, didn't you find Sylvia's hairstyle very interesting? Thank you very much, Jerome. I think this is a great movie and worth watching.
No animation, just good old models and miniatures and practical effects work. :) I think I read that Ann Robinson wore a wig for the film and wasn't fond of it (and I can understand why--I'm not crazy about the bangs), but then people didn't recognize her as the actress from the film without it.
Very interesting! Arigato💘💘
Thank you very much! Your reply is very interesting and funny. 😄😄
Another great review, no surprise. I pretty much agree with everything you said here, and I'm glad you gave this one another watch.
Gene Barry and Ann Robinson have cameos near the end of Steven Spielberg's remake.
I love your reviews! This is a great 50s scifi flick. Still have my 1994 Laserdisc of TWoTW. It has an isolated sfx audio track, which I don't believe is on any of the DVD releases.
Thanks!
This 1953 film was state-of-the-art for it's day, and in my opinion it has aged very well. The Tom Cruise version was also very good, and included a lot of things not shown in this one.
Informative as ever, and with a unmatched smile. Best of both worlds I guess lol :) Anyhoo, it was a fun review. Glad you dug the film. Should check out the original Invaders From Mars though. It just barely managed to beat War of the Worlds to the "first color alien flick" Though not by much. The movie has a surreal vibe and some of the most amazing lighting and camera work I swear.
Ah, you're right: War of the Worlds was released in August but Invaders from Mars was released in April. A busy year for the Martians! I'd say Invaders from Mars still doesn't have the global scale that WOTW does, but the first half of the film has some really great cinematography. I did a mini review of it (czcams.com/video/e8NfCcxVHmo/video.html) but it seems to have a copyright claim and might not be watchable depending on your area. :( I'll have to see if I can do something about that...
The 2004 film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which doesn't get anywhere near enough credit for pioneering most of the green screen filming methods used today, also paid homage to numerous classic sci-fi films including Godzilla and King Kong, and the Martian heat ray sound effect was recycled as the sound of the giant robots' lasers.
They actually are sort of tripods...if you look closely in that scene that starts at 6:17, you can see three almost invisible "beams of energy" coming out of the bottom for the craft, acting as "the tripod" . Thanks for the great review. This is one of my favourite movies. Also, I see some people have already mentioned it, but you should check out Jeff Wayne's musical version of War of the Worlds from 1978. My friends and I listened to that countless times when it came out.
Yes, I included the clip on purpose because it showed that. General Mann says something akin to "like invisible legs?", and then Dr. Forrester corrects him with a scientific-sounding hypothesis for how the machines float. Ha, yes, between this video and the book review, many people have recommended the musical version, which I had never heard of before.
As far as I'm concerned, this is still the best alien invasion movie out there. What's not to love? The acting is stellar, the visuals and sound are amazing, and the script is a wonderful adaptation of the source novel with, as you bring out so well, some excellent religious overtones that ultimately pays tribute to the hand of Providence. There are a lot of good man vs alien movies, but this one still sets the standard. Great review!
Great review, JW...👍
Great video as always. On the topic of War Of The Worlds, I would love to been alive during the radio show broadcast.
Alien Voices did a cassette full-cast drama of it that is emulating the radio show. ("Alien Voices" was a company made up of many of the Star Trek actors. They did old sci-fi books-especially Wells and Verne)
First, you do have class. I liked the 1953 Film better than the remake. Also, about your previous post about The Invaders, I liked that show too. Quinn Martin produced that show, and he did a good job on a Sci-fi Show, for a man whom normally made crime dramas. I liked Roy Thinnas' acting. I also wish it lasted longer than 2 years. The scariest episode was "The Enemy", w/ Richard Anderson. The last show was where he stopped a secret invasion, and ended w/ him being able to convince DA, the late Peter Mark Richman, about the Invaders. There was also an awful 2 part made-for -TV Movie, The Invaders, with Scott Backula & Roy Thinnas only in a cameo part. But we did get to see what The Invaders finally looked like, something from Star Wars. How about someone like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, or Tim Burton (Do it seriously Tim) , doing a made for TV film showing what happened since 1968 and showing a final/invasion showdown between the human race and The Invaders. Also, I used to watch it on reruns on WPIX, Channel 11 in NY and now on Metro TV #33 in NY. And I wonder if the Sci-fi TV Series 'V", which I used to watch got the idea for that show, from The Invaders.
Good review, Jerome. I would really like you to review The Time Machine (1960), please. I'm curious what you think about it. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! Lots of people have requested it, so it's on the to-do list. :)
One of my favourite films (1960 one) Absolute classic and very relevant.
I often imagine which time I would choose to visit.
I assume that you already have, but I'll ask just to make sure... since you have access to the 2005 DVD, you've watched all the bonus content?
The commentaries are excellent.
The making-of features are great.
And it includes the Orson Welles radio show.
The first and only time I saw the original version I hummed the songs of Godzilla's march each time the humans tried destroying the aliens hah...not sure if you did the same, Ms. J. I love your old films reviews; please keep it up!
10:26 "Another alumnus from 'The Thing' is Paul Frees..." His scene as the reporter always triggers the nerd in me because I cannot fathom how the script error got by into the finished release edit. The journalist notes that he is making his report on a tape recorder because "there's no radio, no radio at all", but he's standing right next to a military radar truck that's tracking the approach of the XB-49. If there's no radio at all, then the radar wouldn't work either.