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"War of the Worlds" Remake -- good news, bad news
dowse_com | 1/13/05

Posted on 01/13/2005 1:41:37 PM PST by pabianice

OK, movie fans. First, there was the Wells novel, written in 1898 and astonishingly ahead of its time. Then, there was the first movie in 1953 -- also ahead of its time and very watchable for its effects, although Gene Barry was arguably not the best guy for the lead role. Now, we have the Speilberg remake, due out this summer.

The good news is that the film appears to try and recreate as much of the novel as possible, updating it from 1898 to 2005. The trailer looks like fun. And of course, CGI now lets a producer create visual effects undreamed of 50 years ago.

The bad news is varied. First, we have Speilberg, one of the great visual movie makers around but crippled with a political correctness that has turned most of his recent movies into dinner theater for the DNC. Tom Cruise takes the lead again, but he, too, is hot and cold and often seems unclear about a character's motivation. The, there is the tortured history of this remake, apparently set to have begun filming in 2001 but since re-re-re-written and had cast and crew changes. Such a history is, in Hollywood, usually a predictor of a really bad final product. Usually.

As noted in another thread, the recent remake of "Flight of the Phoenix" is notable only because it crashed and burned at the box office, returning just under $ 20 million on a $ 70 million+ investment to date.

We'll have to see what happens with "War."

Production sketch from remake of "WOTW."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: moviereview
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To: muleskinner

Neither "Do you like our owl?" or the photo make any sense.


81 posted on 01/13/2005 4:20:44 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (expert, break it down, ex = has been, spurt = drip under pressure.)
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To: pabianice

I watched the trailer. I get the "They're already here" part.


82 posted on 01/13/2005 4:22:01 PM PST by steveo (Member: Fathers Against Rude Television)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

I didn't read that one, I said WOTW was a toss up because the movie was so different. I robot the movie is about as different as you can get from asimov's book.


83 posted on 01/13/2005 4:29:09 PM PST by tfecw (dolphins are the spawn of evil)
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To: tfecw

Check out the URL in my reply #75.


84 posted on 01/13/2005 4:33:25 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (expert, break it down, ex = has been, spurt = drip under pressure.)
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To: silent_jonny; Thoro

Agreed. "AI" wasn't Spielberg's fault, he was dragged into it by that weirdo Kubrick. Spielberg did the best he could with the material he was given.


85 posted on 01/13/2005 4:40:02 PM PST by Future Snake Eater ("Stupid grandma leaver-outers!"--Tom Servo)
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To: WestVirginiaRebel
Something happened in the '90's.

Yes, something did happen. He got tired of commercial success and little-to-no respect from his Hollyweird peers. Notice that all of his films were terrific action/adventure/comedy/horror types that were just genuine fun to watch and left you feeling like you had a really good time.

Then came "Schindler's List." Definitely a terrific movie, but he moved over into depressing adult material and, except for "The Lost World," he hasn't really come back. He wanted to win Oscars, and it almost seems that he lost his sense of fun and adventure along the way.

86 posted on 01/13/2005 4:43:42 PM PST by Future Snake Eater ("Stupid grandma leaver-outers!"--Tom Servo)
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To: pabianice

I predict another "Mars Attacks".

ACK. ACK ACK. ACK ACK ACK.


87 posted on 01/13/2005 5:00:27 PM PST by Da Bilge Troll (The Compassionate Troll)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Neither "Do you like our owl?" or the photo make any sense.

From Blade Runner.

88 posted on 01/13/2005 5:01:44 PM PST by Da Bilge Troll (The Compassionate Troll)
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To: WestVirginiaRebel
I'd like to see Ender's Game The Uplift War picked up, too.

It's been a while since I read it, but IIRC so much of the action is inside Ender's head that it might be hard to film well. Uplift War, on the other hand, would make one heck of a movie. Even with the horrific "gorilla warfare" pun. Startide could be good as well, though at the moment anything involving disastrous tidal waves probably isn't gonna go over well. :-)

Sorry, slightly rabid Brin fan here.

89 posted on 01/13/2005 5:02:15 PM PST by Foxfire4
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

Thanks! What a great site. Just have to get some ballads by Robert Service! I never seem to have the time to really search the net as much as I like. I really appreciate it. Caught the Sci Fi category and have to check it out.


90 posted on 01/13/2005 5:05:03 PM PST by unbalanced but fair
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
Planet of the apes was only a short story.

There might have been a Planet of the Apes short story but someone expanded it into a full length novel. I read that novel in high school. The hero was not an American astronaut but a French journalist. The book, as I recall, was a English translation of the original French.
91 posted on 01/13/2005 5:05:35 PM PST by redheadtoo
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To: unbalanced but fair
http://www.mochinet.com/poets/service/index.cgi

Above URL is the complete works of Robert Service.
92 posted on 01/13/2005 5:10:21 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (So I talk to myself, at least I am talking to a mind that is my equal)
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To: labowski

I still have mine, too. One of those albums I'll always keep.


93 posted on 01/13/2005 5:20:10 PM PST by Ladysmith (Wisconsin Hunter Shootings: If you want on/off the WI Hunters ping list, please let me know.)
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To: redheadtoo
http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/title.html#O


While searching I found this.



Queer Little Folks
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Table Of Contents

More Books

More by this Author

Hen that Hatched Ducks
The Nutcrackers of Nutcracker Lodge
The History of Tip-Top
Miss Katy-Did and Miss Cricket
Mother Magpie's Mischief
The Squirrels that live in a House
Hum, the Son of Buz
Our Country Neighbours
The Diverting History of Little Whiskey
94 posted on 01/13/2005 5:22:34 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (So I talk to myself, at least I am talking to a mind that is my equal)
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To: spiffy

Yep, I still have the old album. Loved Richard Burton's deep voice, loved the music, loved the cover to the album...


95 posted on 01/13/2005 5:25:00 PM PST by Ladysmith (Wisconsin Hunter Shootings: If you want on/off the WI Hunters ping list, please let me know.)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

Thanks again. Ever since I was a teenager and read "The Creation of Sam McGee" I've been hooked.
I'm not necessarily a Harlan Ellison fan but the movie version of "A Boy and His Dog" was pretty good. It's hard to watch it now because I keep picturing Don Johnson in "Miami Vice." Of course, that was a short story. I think I envied Ellison's writing ability since we were close to the same age. But I didn't always care for the themes.


96 posted on 01/13/2005 5:29:17 PM PST by unbalanced but fair
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Hmm, I hope its good. But if any book needed the blockbuster production budget, that would be it.


97 posted on 01/13/2005 6:26:37 PM PST by pierrem15
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To: PogySailor
I agree. I really liked Blade Runner. It's too slow for most people but it's outstanding when you look at it as futuristic type movie with all the problems of the future but not the modern conveniences for all. What I mean is the constant rain (global warming) the pillar's of fire burning off (methane gas) and the flying cars for the better off and the normal people were still on the ground using mass transportation. Allot of sci-fi movies project the future as a socialist utopia but not this one. I also liked Harrison Ford in the Bogart type roll and of course Sean Young is HOT. Anyway I can go on. And the police wearing face Shields was cool. I did not read the novel it was made from but I did read a follow up novel to it. Don't remember the name but I remember it SUCKED. It might have been blade runner two or something. I think now I'll have to go find the original novel and read it.
98 posted on 01/13/2005 6:26:57 PM PST by BBell
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To: muleskinner
Sean Young is hot. Too bad her memories were fabricated. Or maybe thats a good thing.....
99 posted on 01/13/2005 6:30:54 PM PST by BBell
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To: pabianice

I don't understand why they keep making remakes of movies everybody has seen a dozen times already.


100 posted on 01/13/2005 6:34:37 PM PST by ozzymandus
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