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Guns, tanks, bombs… They’re like toys against The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes pic!
1953’s War of the Worlds is our focus today. Produced by George Pal, directed by Byron Haskin (Robinson Crusoe On Mars, Treasure Island, Too Late For Tears) and starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson this flick set the world on fire (heh) when it was released. It won the Oscar for its groundbreaking special effects, which we’ll see in the pic below.
I actually have a lot of love for Spielberg’s WAR OF THE WORLDS, warts and all, but even Spielberg didn’t come close to topping these iconic sci-fi designs. Although they seem misnamed (no three legs... hell, not even one legs on these suckers), the tripods in the original rock so hard and now you can see them being set up!
Here’s the pic! Enjoy (and click for the slightly bigger version)!
If you have a pic you think should be included email me. I’m looking for the iconic, the rare or the just plain cool behind the scenes shots to feature here.
Tomorrow’s Behind the Scenes pic features an alien of a completely different breed and is one of my favorite pics that I’ve collected. See ya’ then!
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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Previous Behind the Scenes pics:
- Alien
- Big Trouble In Little China
- Clash of the Titans
- Dr. Strangelove
- Sesame Street
- The Birds
- The Dark Knight
- Batman (1989)
- Batman: The TV Series
- Stephen King’s IT
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Superman
- The French Connection
- Tron
- The Road Warrior
- Ghostbusters
- King Kong (’33)
- The Empire Strikes Back (Luke with Slate)
- Rebel Without A Cause
- Taxi Driver
- Metropolis
- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Tommy Chong Meets The Blues Brothers
- The Empire Strikes Back (Filming the Crawl)
- John Carpenter’s The Thing
- Jaws
- Die Hard
- Aliens
- Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man
- The Howling
- Revenge of the Creature
- The Empire Strikes Back (Vader & Luke Duel)
- The Godfather
- Rambo III
- Vertigo
- Planet of the Apes
- Pan’s Labyrinth
- Labyrinth
- RoboCop
- The Adventures of Robin Hood
- Marathon Man
- Young Frankenstein
- Viva Las Vegas
- The Empire Strikes Back (Han driving a snow cat)
- Rio Bravo
- Giant
- Back to the Future II
- The Time Machine
Readers Talkback
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will be featured tomorrow?
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I always assumed the models were small enough to fit in your palm. I never realized how bbig they actually were. Man I wish I was on that stage.
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I love hearing about things like that. Back when going the cinema was still a magical experience.
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Top work, my man.
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one :)
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by a long shot.
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Wasn't this movie in color?
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Aug. 26, 2010, 5:27 p.m. CST
Cue Spielberg's WOTW sucks in 5..4..3..2..1
by Planty_McPlant_Plants_His_Plant_At_AICN
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...or at least they were supposed to. Three laser-like beams were supposed to come out of the ships, seemingly propelling them in the air. But the effect used to create this was a little too practical and made the ships melt. As a result they dropped it, but in one shot you can still see the beams if you look closely.
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I really, really love it. A lot. And I quite enjoyed Speilberg's version of the movie, too. I don't think he did a bad job at all.
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That film LOOKED amazing. A visual feast in scope.
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. . . are you douches going to discuss in this pic of the day talk-back? Moonraker maybe?
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please tell me your being sarcastic with that list. Bicentennial Man as #1? Get the F**k outa here!
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Hey guys the ships are landing.
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Just like that case of herpes, haters.
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Williams delivers in WORLD'S GREATEST DAD, INSOMNIA and ONE HOUR PHOTO, all of which came after the movie mentioned above, whose name I shall not sully my keyboard by typing.
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and I'd be happy. How cool would it be to have a photo taken in the shop these were made in.
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I'm pretty sure hula-hoops were used to make the crazy alien sounds for this movie. Which is why hula-hoops freak me out.<P> Although I gotta give credit to whomever came up with the hula-hoop idea. Pretty damn genius.
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War of the Worlds was awesome. I do prefer The Day the Earth Stood Still, but they are quite different. I also liked the Spielberg version. There was some cool stuff in it: the train on fire, the river of dead bodies, the loud, blaring tripods.... pretty cool stuff. The original is better though. Someone mentioned Robinson Crusoe On Mars. I rented that, thinking it was going to be a super cheesy 60's sci fi film and found it to be really good. It was very well-writen and well-acted and it wasn't too over the top in its storytelling.
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That's such a great list, post first choice, that I may actually make the effort to watch Bicentennial Man. But I swear if it's a joke, I will draw the Prophet Mo, send it to the Taliban and sign your name to it. You just have to give me your real name and address though. So do that now. And the postal address for the Taliban if you could. Xthxbye.
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Even Robin Williams makes fun of how bad Bicentennial Man was. Just watch his latest HBO special.
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the version on tv always seemed too cropped and fuzzy, never took the time to sit through it
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Yeah, Robinson Crusoe on Mars holds up surprisingly well. And looks gorgeous in widescreen. It feels sort of like a really long Twilight Zone episode in color with a big budget.
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After Wilhelm, of course.
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Yuck. That movie was slow torture. Slow, dull, painful, boring torture. Like A.I., but not even THAT good.
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It is a beautiful looking movie. I like how much of the movie was based on real science and scientific ideas as opposed to just science fiction.
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BILL_COSBYS_POBKET_PBUSSY (inspired by BEYONDTHUNDERDOME2GIRLS1CUPBILLC OSBY and the genius dentist monologue by Mr Jello Pudding himself)or<br>BILL_COSBY_TOUBUCHED_MYBYE_PBENIS <br>Good day, sir.<br><br><br><br><br>  ‍‍‍‍<br>I SAID GOOD DAY, SIR!
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I really hope we get a HD version of the film soon. Blu Ray? HD broadcast? I believe it is in the Turner library. (whoever owns that now.. I can't keep track)
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Because we actually win. It's unbelievable, but we win.
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Next to the Original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the Blob and the Thing, War of The Worlds is one of my favorite Invasion Flicks... <p> I use to love watching this on an OLd School Television show called Family Classics.
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We won in that too. The aliens died due to our air pollution. Am I remembering that incorrectly?
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Was that show on Sundays on WGN?
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...that if you half-squeeze an edamame pod (preferably one with two soybeans inside) so that the beans are just starting to emerge from the pod, it looks like a 1953 War of the Worlds flying machine? <p> Try it. You'll be amazed. For at least five seconds.
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that starts with that exact quote! The piece is Spielberg discussing George Pal's WOTW.
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Watched the movie with the tattoo artist, and he sketched up a rough outline while we had a few beers. After a few revisions, he tattooed it on me freehand (no stencil). He was so proud of the work that he took a bunch of pictures. Over the years, I have had several people recognize the work from seeing it in magazines.
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Jeff Goldblum has something to do with it.
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...but I wanted to reiterate that the ships actually DO have 3 beams that are supposed to stabilize them like legs. It's even mentioned in the film, though I can't remember which character says it. Sure, they aren't real physical legs, but at least they tried.
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...the Jeff Wayne version. Awesome.
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Still, pretty cool pic. Is that "guns, tanks and bombs" line a famous quote from the film or something? Speaking of Godzilla, when are we gonna see some 'man in suit!' 'man in suit!' 'man in suit!'?!
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and see those ships rise out of the pits for the first time and hear that thrum thrum thrum, it still creeps me out.
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for me, anyway....as the three un-wise men approach the Goose-neck From Hell..it has its back to them ...then cut to a startling close up of the red, pulsating Cobra-head light...it sloooowwwly starts to turn around to face the three men....and as it turns and finally sees them, the metallic snake stalk lowers itself into predator-strike position. No matter how many times I see it, that moment makes my hair stand on end....(the only other two scenes from 50's sci-fi that did that to me...the little girl's hysterical reaction to the formic acid in "Them!" and the look on Kevin McCarthy's face in "Body Snatchers" when after kissing Dana Wynter, he realizes he has just smooched a soul-less Pod.
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Aug. 26, 2010, 7:28 p.m. CST
Everybody knows that when you wave the white flag, you wanna be
by Manos
Heh heh
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Crap
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1.) I liked Bicentennial Man. It was a little slow and cheesy at points, but overall, I thought it was a pretty good, watchable movie. The practical makeup effects were good too. You wouldn't see a robot done like that now. 2.) I'd LOVE to see a sequel to Spielberg's WotW. Not with the tripods coming back, but like, 20 years afterwards, with Earth dealing with the aftermath of the Tripods, and with technology reverse-engineered from the tripods.
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http://bit.ly/didVYT
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Has to be the aliens hand over Silvia's shoulder. Her look of sheer and utter silenced terror is something that will always stick with me. I must say though this movie did give me nightmares growing up as a kid. I could swear I would always heard the machines sounds throughout the day...
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really fun pic. I do enjoy reading this feature on my lunch every day.
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I loved it as a kid and I still do. The shape and sound of the martian war machines were perfect. (I liked the Spielberg version--everything but the farmhouse scene.) By the way I believe they reused these WOTW ships for Robinson Crusoe on Mars. That movie in my opinion suffered from only one problem--a cheesy name.
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Oooooooo-Laaaaaaaaa!!!
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FTW! (as much as I hate typing that.. there is simply no better way of saying it)<br><br>http://tinyurl.com/3yny7le
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The Pal version had the machines being supported by three beams which acted sort of like STAR WARS 'repulsors'. You could occasionally barely make them out under the machines. I love the film, but I also love the Spielberg version which was closer to the feel of the novel, including the part where puny humans did manage to take out one of the warmechs before the aliens are affected by the viruses.
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boring and sickly sweet....
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World's Greatest Dad last year.
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WOTW scared the fuck outta me, on network TV. I was about seven years old. <p>Got in trouble at school for the rest of the week, constantly drawing the martian warships instead of learning the fucking catechisms. Even then, I knew what was REALLY important.
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The 1988-1990 TV series was a guilty pleasure. I think it was packaged in syndication with seasons 2 and 3 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The show continued to use (sparingly) the alien and ship designs and sound effects from the George Pal film. Of course the new body-snatching bit was a money saving and actor-involving device that would prove useful again on the 2003 Battlestar Galactica.
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But nobody comments on Yer Mama's choice of "best scifi" being "Beyond Thunderdome"??? WTF? Road Warrior I can see on the list. I actually liked Beyond Thunderdome, but it belongs on nobody's top five list!
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Martian death ray
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Love it. And very cool picture.
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I love love love the 1950 version and the coolest part in that is when the army lets those little bastards have it. All we get in the 2005 one are a few helicopters and tanks going over a hill, a few explosions and - that's all, folks! All the fighting, what little there was, took place off camera. Where were the kick ass battle sequences? I realize SS was trying to be different but FUCK "War" is in the god damn title! You could've had your family drama AND some awesome action bits Stevie boy but nooooooooo! Oh well, maybe we'll get another remake in 2060.
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of her generation. RUINED War of the Worlds. OMG that was awful.
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Like a fine bordeaux, it's a vintage '53 aged to perfection.<br> <br>FORRESTER!, FORRESTER!...DOCTOR CLAYTON FORRESTER!!!
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That movie gets better not only with age but each sucky update of HG Wells' classic. Spielberg in bed with the US military after their public falling out post CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and ET. Why put the US army in a movie battling aliens if none of them are shown dead or wounded (NONE!) or make a bad decision either. Only thing worst than that? The painfully long basement sequence with Tim Robbins.
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Sorry, but, as far as I'm concerned, Spielberg's WOTW was yet another in a long series of his directorial misfires. Stop trying to keep up with the kids, Steve, and go back to making those distinctive popcorn classics that pretty much put you where you are now. In ten years, no one will be waxing nostalgic over A.I., THE TERMINAL or even MINORITY REPORT, but, with the kind of track record that includes E.T., RAIDERS, JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, JURASSIC PARK and everything but the first and last five minutes of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, I guess you can afford to fuck off for the rest of your career. Have fun. Hell, even the syndicated WOTW series from the Eighties managed to get it right (it helped that they reused the designs and replicated the effects of the original film) ... except for the "V"-style "the aliens are pretending to be humans" scenario, which, given how un-human the aliens were shaped, didn't make a lot of sense.
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Aug. 26, 2010, 10:36 p.m. CST
Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" is the best inasion film ever. A
by Proman1984
No warts. Just a great film that is routinely critisized for the things that it did RIGHT. Not only is it a faitful adaptation of the novel (well, it is - and yes I do mean the ending, especially) it also a true cinematic experince. It's deeply sad and downbeat but it's not nihilistic. Think about this for a second. The fact that Tom's son survived was a masterstroke. We, as viewers, should not have been rooting for him to perish (and I wasn't) and despite all of the violience, the we. Also, it about the need to protect the family but it's realistic about the family not always staying together as a single unit. The car attack, the burning train, the first attack, the ferry that goes from a safe heaven to the last place you want to be... all images for the ages. The movie has an amazing sound design and the set peices have weight, the have depth, you really feel like actual building are being destroyed as opposed to a pixel deep images. Great film!
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It is the best inansion film ever.
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Schindler's List. Glad he doesn't just make 'popcorn classics.'
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And I'm TV's Frank...!
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I eventually read the book and thought it was neat how the heat ray was described. It'd set things on fire easily but you wouldn't actually see the ray. As I recall. But, about this version. I really liked how graceful the Martian spaceships were. Just cruising slowly around, blasting everything. The sound was re-used in a macintosh Star Trek game (in the late '80s) for one of the phaser weapons used by an alien ship type. Maybe it was the Gorn ship... it's been awhile.
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putting on the batsuit in '89. And Winona Ryder in the catsuit trying out for Returns. People probably have no idea these pictures exist.
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But that it was really bad. Hmmm... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425638/ <p> wikipedia entry on it http://tinyurl.com/252kd2q
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8iLYvDKU5s
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Has anybody seen my Twilight Zone talkback? What the heck happened to the TZ articles? They were great.
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Technicolor, lean editing, and every scene is composed like a souvenir post card. Arguably the best of '50s sci fi. And one of the best movies of that decade period.
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I guess i suck and i´m gay and i must die of AIDS. Long live to AICN talkbackers.
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The problem of the 50´s movie is the christian propaganda. The original book crapped on religion. HG Wells was a socialist, after all.
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AICN should direct all it's funds into uncovering these pictures for the good of humanity.
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Fantastic film. One of my earliest memories of watching films at home as a young child (4-5 years old) was being scared shitless by the sounds of the Martian machines. I like Spielberg's version as well (the tripod design and sounds in his version were top notch), but this is an absolute classic. The 'guns, tanks, planes...' line was delivered by the US Army General, played by Les Tremayne.
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... they both are lacking, but I'd rather watch Spielberg's. I thought it was pretty awesome, just from a visceral point of view. Yeah the kid showing up at the end is kind of lame, and the part with Tim Robbins not very good, but there are a lot of exciting and scary scenes. That shit on the ferry where you see the one underwater is nightmarish.<p>I'd still like to see a big budget adaptation that is at least the same era as the novel.
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A Victorian WOTW would be nice to see, but can't believe that project would get OK'd by today's money men. On the other hand, judging by what's been offered on-screen this summer, you never know. For right now, I'll take both versions that we have and be very happy. Let's not forget, Pal had the nads to drop a nuke outside of LA using the Flying Wing! Not even Spielberg had the balls to match that.
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in case you guys haven't figured it out by now, he's joking. he does this with every topic - list 3 "maybes" and 2 "WTF" movies, just to make you think he MIGHT be serious. If he just listed 5 crappers, then you'd know he's trolling. It's quite funny. I look forward to more of them.
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Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. [For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.] Amen.
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Aug. 27, 2010, 7:30 a.m. CST
Ridley Scott and Paul Bettany for a true adaptation, please.
by Mr Nicholas
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when worlds collide would me next?
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Spielberg's WOTW did have some great moments, not bad at all!
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would me next? where is my coffee!
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Great pic! I love miniatures. Even though it doesn't look "realistic" like all the cgi stuff these days, there's something way better about this. It's like the filmmakers cared more or something. They had to wrench alot more out of very little. Love it!<br><br>Btw, don't understand the hate for Spielberg's take on it. I actually really liked his version alot too. Thought it was pretty scary. The end was terrible, though -- not the virus ending, that's consistent with the book and the original film version, the "everything is okay at grammas house" ending. That was D U M B. But the rest of it I thought was pretty cool.
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Lost me when Dakota Fanning and him ended up in the basket waiting to be shredded. </p> <p>In that scenario they would have been shredded. My suspension of disbelief was pushed a little too far by that scene.</p> <p>Its a shame because there were nice touches ... though the burying of the craft and arrival by lightening didn't really do it for me I did like the scene where he is dusting off his friends in the mirror. And the refugee scenes. And the crashed plane </p> <p> I just wished they had left him as an everyman witnessing the end of the world whilst trying to protect his kids rather than have him turn into Ethan Hunt half way through the film. </p> <p> Also might have had more poigniancy if someone important had died - preferably Tom or Dakota, rather than the convenient happy ending he plumped for.
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Barring the stupid "everything's okay at grammas house!" ending in which it appears the aliens completely avoided blowing up Boston, though the rest of the world lies in ruin, I thought it was pretty cool. Some genuinely scary moments and cool efx / sound. As far as Giant Robot Monster flix go it was WAAAAAAY better than Bayformers. This tripods reminded me of the Invid from Robotech / Mospeada.
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Totally agree that someone important shoudl have died. That was REALLY dumb. At the very least, his son should have died. It shoulda ended with Cruise and Fanning standing on a hill over a ruined Boston, determined to rebuild and live again. Woulda been a better nod to 9/11 fear / aftermath too which his movie was clearly exploiting.
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That would have been a better ending - to be honest pretty much anything I can imagine would have been a better ending. In fact quite a good ending might have been that they get to the house and it's in ruins! Anything really that would have had me leaving the cinema wondering what the future might hold for the Tom & co. in light of their experiences. Apart from the possible psychological trauma of killing a man with his bear hands (which he seemed to get over pretty quickly) you kind of got the feeling everything would be back to normal in a few weeks! house is fine, kids are fine, ex wife fine. Back to work on the docks Monday!
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That film needed more Lea Thompson. And a make-out scene with Lea and Lis Shue making out. Maybe with Steenburger touching herself in a corner.
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I dont think Cruise has bear hands ... racoon hands maybe!
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I have to say that the original 1953/George Pal version of War of The Worlds is one of my all time favorite classic Sci-Fi movies from any era (40ies, 50ies, 60ies etc etc...) Sure if you watch it nowadays? The acting is classic over-the-top 1950ies cheesy movie-acting and the special effects are old-OLD school..but as a little kid watching THIS movie (among many, many others)..well..as an adult now it still has a special spot in my heart for such a cool movie. I was pretty dispoointed with the Steven Speilberg version with Tom "I am a total Tool" Cruise that came out a few years back. I still remember the late 80ies/very early 90ies TV series "War of The Worlds" that tried to capture the feel and the magic of the original Movie (in fact Ann Robinson even had a cameo AND one of the original tripod ships even made an appearence too...but nothing could really save the series due to bad acting and useless plot basically) One last note...back when I lived in Loas Angeles and I would commute to work..every day I would pass by the City Hall building and often times I would think of that Iconic scene out of War of The Worlds where you had the ALien Invader Tripod Ship demolishing downtown 50ies LA and the City Hall Building figured prominently in it. Keep up the great work on this collumn...loving each one that is written!!
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If I remember right, she really wanted the role so she publicized herself by chiding Tim Burton on a talk show while wearing a Catwoman costume. I saw this. Unless I have my actresses mixed up. :| It was parodied in a Tiny Toons cartoon.
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occasionally you could make them out, even in the US version. They kinda sizzled. and if you looked under the ships you could see spots burning/sparking where they touched the ground.
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The Jeff Wayne version "The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one," he said. "The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one - but still they come!" Thought they were planning to animate this
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You're probably thinking of Sean Young.
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Love that 'rock opera' version. Forever Autumn was a top ten hit back in the late 70's wasn't it? At least I remember hearing it all the time on the radio. "Now your not here!"
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I thought it was great. Everytime I see a thunder storm coming I automatically think of that scene in the beginning of the movie. I really thought it was great.
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Thanks very much for clearing that up for me. That explains why I wasn't able to find a youtube vid of Winona Wyder from the talk show but found Sean Young in costume from the talk show immediately.
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how about, 1.Robinson Crusoe On Mars,2.crack in the world, 3.Quatermass and the Pit, thats all for now.
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7 Faces of Dr. Lao(ok fantasy)
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This Island Earth - or is that too appreciated? Unrelated ... I wish they would remake some of the Fu Mancu films.
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Barbara Judd sees our past in "Quatermass and the Pit"
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thats a winner!
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keep the ball rolling folks!
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Winona Rider did not put on the cat woman suit to get the role - that was Sean Young.<p> Story being she had been originally cast in the first batman movie but had broken her leg during stunt training/rehearsals and was replaced. So when the role of Catwoman was being discussed for a subsequent movie, she felt she was somehow entitled to the part and just showed up - when she was told she would have to audition, she stormed out and went batshit insane - including showing up on TV talk shows in the role of catwoman.
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of Jack Arnold's Universal output in the '50s, It Came From Outer Space, The Incredible Shrinking Man (classic), Creature From The Black Lagoon (ditto), Tarantula (one of the better giant bug flicks), even Peter Sellers' The Mouse That Roared..
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It has some problems, but there are way too many things about that film that work to just dismiss it as a movie that sucks. Just the the various sounds the tripods make is worth the price of admission.
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Jack Arnold, yes!!!
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story by Jack Arnold, yes!!!
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pal,arnold and corman
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If you can accept it as the Tom Cruise Show, it IS all about him and his parenting problems, it has some great set pieces. The initial attack with the vaporizing victims, the auto 360 degree tracking scene, the reveal of the downed plane, the ferry attack...Spielberg still has a great eye for visuals.
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to be honest i don't care what Tom Cruise (or any other actor) does in his spare time! don't care at all! is he a good actor? i think so, but then again i am an idiot!
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he's rebuilding an engine, IN HIS FUCKING KITCHEN!
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when the machine rises up (long shot)in that town near the expressway, i think to myself "why the fuck can't michael bay think like that!" that one scene evokes more emotion(dread) then all of transformer's 1 and 2 combined!
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WHERE IS MY ROBOJOX REMAKE!!!
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he brought what is an epic story and made it a very personal story. i like that move, but i think a lot of people didn't.
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is about one man's journey (it also includes the farmhouse scene), so in that regard Spielberg's version is very much like the book. I like it also, but like Minority Report a bit more.
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Well I doubt any adaptation, even a late 19th century based one, will out and out adapt the book. I don't remember it too well, but I think it was lacking in the personality dept. <p>I don't buy that Spielberg's version was about Tom Cruise's home life. Tom Cruise is big but Spielberg is bigger
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spielberg's Politics are starting to creep into his movies more and more. asking "is it the terrorist, daddy" thats fine but the whole tim robbins ranting in the basement stuff was lame!
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the 1953 version tried to make the story more epic, showing world landmarks destroyed, with the army in los angeles,atomic bomb,ect. people i think wanted to see more of that in the remake?
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thats a damm good movie! some people find A.I. corny, myself i think that movie is fucking epic in scale! asking interesting questions about human nature.
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WHERE'S MY WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE REMAKE!!
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I like the cut of your jib
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thanks alot man!!!!!
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Because it was a depressing, shitty story where you couldn't root for anyone. And it wasn't even exciting.
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Aug. 27, 2010, 3:45 p.m. CST
Maybe it should be called War of the Worlds From One Man's Persp
by Thunderbolt Ross
I mean the book, of course, since that's what it is
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"And before we judge of them too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals, such as the vanished bison and the dodo, but upon its inferior races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination waged by European immigrants, in the space of fifty years. Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?"
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http://tinyurl.com/39pw4wt<BR><BR>Sequel to AsimovLives vs THE CHOPPAH:<BR><BR>http://tinyurl.com/2fmm5x4
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So cool, but so small.<p>Spielberg's War of the Worlds doesn't work for me, it's got some interesting ideas but a lot of stuff that doesn't gel, and some set pieces that stink of being JUST set pieces, not part of a larger story.
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I forced my family to watch the original on laserdisc after the spielberg one was such a horrible letdown. <BR><BR> That scene with the robot eye probe scared the shit out of me as a kid.
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and Awesome Movie. Still the best "War of the Worlds"-Movie in my opinion.
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it usd to be 60s for a long time but honestly its now 50s for its scifi, fantasy, and some westerns.
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George Pal turned the story into early Cold War propaganda, with heavy-handed Christianity (this was the decade Congress mandated the God had to be in the Pledge of Allegiance and on paper money) and the alien invasion was made to stand in for nuclear war. Spielberg faithfully transposed Pal's allegorical intentions to the fears of contemporary America. That doesn't make it good.
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Wow...Armageddon? LOL! Yeah, forget 2001, Blade Runner or Alien...etc.
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I used to have a copy of War of the Worlds on VHS that I'd taped off the air. One day my roommate was in a frustrating and interminable phone call with a bureaucrat at the LA City Hall. I popped in the tape and fast-forwarded to the scene where the Martian death machines blow it up. For the remainder of the call, we watched City Hall being disintegrated over and over and over... The miniature they used for that scene was a good eight or nine feet tall and made mostly of plaster, which is why it looks so convincing on-screen. The miniature Martian machines were so large because they were fully functional -- there was an insane amount of wiring and stuff inside them for the lighting and the deathray goosenecks. Power was delivered via some of the support wires.
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