[John Casler]

For those interested,

This is the cover of the original book.




Below is the Original Movie Poster which stared Gene Barry









This is the cover of the Double album by Jeff Wayne which is crazy good with Richard Burton doing the narration.



Below is the link to the WotW website for the album and it says it is now #6 on the charts in the UK and a new SACD release is now available in Europe and soon in the US.

http://www.thewaroftheworlds.com/


This is what is said about the new SACD on HighFidelity

Sony Music Releases Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds in 5.1 SACD Surround Sound
 Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds was released earlier this week in 5.1 SACD Surround Sound by Sony Music's Columbia Records label in Europe.

The new Super Audio CD version of the recording is being made available in two editions - a 2 SACD Set packaged in a Digipak case with a 8 page booklet (Columbia Records UK DPCD 96000) and a "Definitive Version, Collectors Edition" which features the 2 SACD Set, 1 CD of the "best remixes" from 1979-2005, 3 CDs worth of rarities featuring "never heard before material" by Richard Burton, Phil Lynott, David Essex and Justin Hayward of Moody Blues fame, a DVD "making of War of the Worlds", a 12" x 12" hardback presentation book about the rock opera and an 80 page full color book (Columbia Records UK CECD96000).

A U.S. release of both editions of the War of the Worlds SACDs is forthcoming with these editions carrying Sony Music U.S. catalog numbers.

A Major Re-Release
The re-release of this classic rock opera that first appeared in 1978 is being made in anticipation of the release of a new movie version of War of the Worlds directed by Steven Speilberg and starring Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins. Both the Jeff Wayne rock opera and the upcoming movie are based on the H.G. Wells novel about an attack of Earth from Mars.

Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds Rock Opera is one of the best selling albums of all time in the U.K. which explains its appearance initially in Europe. It features a host of stars - from the movie and music worlds - including narrator Richard Burton, one of the eras best known actors and musicans including Moody Blues vocalist Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, David Essex, Chris Thompson, Julie Covington and several singers from the U.K. cast of Godspell.

Comments from Sony's SACD Project Team in Europe
In announcing Monday's release of the two SACD editions of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, the Sony SACD Project Team in Europe said that "SonyBMG has today released a staggering new version of Jeff Wayne’s seminal 1970’s album The War of The Worlds. After a three year restoration, remixing and re-mastering project, which saw Jeff Wayne and an expert team of audio engineers revisit 70-plus original 24-track master tapes, the album is re-borne as one of the most stunning surround sound productions ever created. Presented as a hybrid Super Audio CD, the album is playable on any standard CD or DVD-Video player as well as the new generation super high-resolution 5.1 multi-channel Super Audio CD players."

For more info, go here:

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=19437495
 

This site says a CGI movie more faithful to the original is being made and will use the music as part of the soundtrack

http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war%20of%20the%20worlds%20jeff%20wayne%202006.htm

[Danberg]

I'm also one that was a bit dissapointed.  

Expected more of a "plot".   I just couldn't identify with the main characters.  

Never felt what was going on regarding the aliens, could really happen.  

Visually, it didn't appear contrived and looked very realistic, just not enough to wholly imerse me in it on an emotional level.  Several times throughout, I felt as though I was "watching a movie," not being swept away emotionally by what was hapening on the screen.

I agree with the others that felt that it was rushed into production.  After seeing "Saving Private Ryan." I expected more from Spielberg.   Maybe I went into it with expectations too high!

[JohnnyLightOn]

I feel the same as Danberg.  There just wasn't enough of a story to pull me in.

I would have enjoyed it better if I had known the original story, especially how it ended.  Then I would have felt OK about the way it ended while I was watching it.

WOTW was OK, but I liked Batman better.

[Jon L]

I feel the same as Danberg.  There just wasn't enough of a story to pull me in.

I would have enjoyed it better if I had known the original story, especially how it ended.  Then I would have felt OK about the way it ended while I was watching it.

WOTW was OK, but I liked Batman better.

I had seen the original movie, but that still didn't help one bit.  Frankly, the original movie, other than its historic value, doesn't do anything for me, either.  Tom Cruise version is even worse, especially the characters (Tom, son, and daughter).  By the end of the movie, I was praying the aliens would get them.  

Let's face it.  Both movies suffer from the one huge flaw that doesn't allow suspension of disbelief:  incredibly advanced beings from another world, smart enough to bury huge machines in earth and observe us for eons, are not aware of viruses?  Even if they weren't observing us, even us humans put ourselves in helmets and spacesuits when we send people to the Moon for God's sake..

[nathanm]

What are the chances that any machine, of human or advanced alien make, would possibly survive thousands of years being buried in the ground?  I mean, that's like taking one of King Tut's chariots that was buried with him out for a few laps.  Yeah, right.  Those aliens would've lightning bolted into a big pile of rust most likely.  What about earthquakes, flooding, erosion?  Guys with metal detectors? What if the tripods were buried so deep into the earth's mantle as to be heated by the fires of Hell!?   That could inflict even more damage.

Surely there must've been an alien meeting regarding the feasability of going ahead with the plans when they knew damn well their death machines were WAY antiquated.  Not enough money in the budget to go with the modern, state-of-the-art death machines, with Virus Guard™?  What kind of half-ass genocide are they running here?

I don't know about you guys, but I'm beginning to think this story is all MADE UP!

[SWG255]

This is the "pointless difference" I referred to in my earlier post. I do not understand Spielberg's having the tripods buried underground, to be "activated" by lightining carrying the actual invaders down to their craft. The original story had the aliens (Martians) arriving in large metal cylinders, fired from Mars by some kind of interplanetary artillery. While that too seems ridiculous today, it's not a bad scenario given the understanding of things in 1898.  One more thing, if the aliens were here "millions" of years ago, as is suggested in the current film, wouldn't it have ben easier to conquer us before we had electricity, gun powder, or the wheel?  

So, I guess it doesn't pay to esamine our summer entertainment too closely.  

What are the chances that any machine, of human or advanced alien make, would possibly survive thousands of years being buried in the ground?  I mean, that's like taking one of King Tut's chariots that was buried with him out for a few laps.  Yeah, right.  Those aliens would've lightning bolted into a big pile of rust most likely.  What about earthquakes, flooding, erosion?  Guys with metal detectors? What if the tripods were buried so deep into the earth's mantle as to be heated by the fires of Hell!?   Th ...

[John Casler]

This is the "pointless difference" I referred to in my earlier post. I do not understand Spielberg's having the tripods buried underground, to be "activated" by lightining carrying the actual invaders down to their craft. The original story had the aliens (Martians) arriving in large metal cylinders, fired from Mars by some kind of interplanetary artillery. While that too seems ridiculous today, it's not a bad scenario given the understanding of things in 1898.  One more thing, if the aliens were here "mill ...

Maybe Speilberg's screen writer, fashioned the aliens as "extraterrestrial " farmers, who went around placing their "farm" equipment, then allowing the planet to "grow" the crop, which is then harvested.

Just long term farming of the human resource.

Who knows how many other "farms" they had around the galaxy?

I actually really liked the way they transproted themselves into the waiting Tripods.  It was spectacular, powerful, and violent!!!

And most seem to forget the opening lines say "minds immeasurably superior to ours", so who are we to question their methods       with our pitiful little cranuims??  

[Carlman]

Speaking of farming.. what were they farming?  That's the one thing I didn't get... (small cranium, ya know?)  

They made a point of showing the bloody roots everywhere and were fertilizing it... so, what were they growing?  Blood weed?  Doesn't Roundup kill that?  ha.

That was the only thing in the movie I didn't understand where they were going... maybe it's obvious to everyone else?

[John Casler]

Speaking of farming.. what were they farming?  That's the one thing I didn't get... (small cranium, ya know?)  

They made a point of showing the bloody roots everywhere and were fertilizing it... so, what were they growing?  Blood weed?  Doesn't Roundup kill that?  ha.

That was the only thing in the movie I didn't understand where they were going... maybe it's obvious to everyone else?

I meant they were "farming" humans to eat.  In the original story, I think they ate the brains (and maybe blood).

The red weed is also part of the story and was supposed to be what made MARS the red planet in appearance.

I don't think they were "farming" the weed, I think it had inadvertantly been brought with them, and it was growing wherever they traveled.

If they were farming it, I am not aware of that in the original story line.

[Bemopti123]

Danberg wrote:

Never felt what was going on regarding the aliens, could really happen.

Visually, it didn't appear contrived and looked very realistic, just not enough to wholly imerse me in it on an emotional level. Several times throughout, I felt as though I was "watching a movie," not being swept away emotionally by what was hapening on the screen.

I agree with the others that felt that it was rushed into production. After seeing "Saving Private Ryan." I expected more from Spielberg. Maybe I went into it with expectations too high!

Maybe, we have expectations about the movie that comes from the previous historical background surrounding the WoftheWs radio broacast.  
I think your reaction is similar to mine, in the sense that we are products of an age of excess-where unless the 'text' in question shocks our senses into believing or engrossing ourselves into the story line, the text is not really good or entertaining.  

As for me, if I had not had much info on the old broacast or had not seen the 1950s film version....then, maybe I could have had a better time.

In clear contrast, my wife, actually got engrossed on the precept or the idea of the movie, for she was reacting with a little horror at what was to happen to people.  

I felt that TC did a fantastic job at portraying the main character....his worries, his fears and his reaction.  Too bad that the latest gossip about attempt to portray him in a unflattering fashion.  One of the few "boy" actors from the mid 1980s that has actually matured into decent roles.  

Paul

[nathanm]

I totally missed the idea of the bloody roots as well. (isn't that a Sepultura song?) Some kind of vegetation that grows with human fertilizer?  Seems pretty premature to go around planting vegetables when they haven't even cleared the land of the varmints.  Whatever it was it didn't last long.  What, like 2 days after they showed up the stuff spoiled and dried up?  

If the aliens were so damn smart they would've killed US with biological weapons.  Then again a bunch of people falling down and coughing doesn't make for as much movie fun as buildings and bridges being blown to smithereens.  Heck, the CG guys wouldn't have anything to do if the aliens simply dumped a super virus into the environment and everyone just fell over dead.

[Bemopti123]

Nathanm

If the aliens were so damn smart they would've killed US with biological weapons.

They were in fact dumb   If they were otherwise, and had waited a couple of million years, according to one of the characters of the movie, they could have waited a couple thousands of years more to see whether we would all killed each other off due to our greet or stupidity.

Paul

[Bingenito]

Interesting that there is one working car and 2 functional camera's (Video and Digital still) within 2 blocks of the main characters right after an EMP attack.

As someone else mentioned the freeway being wide open made me laugh. Here in Charlotte I can't drive to the store 3 miles away without hitting traffic on a good day. Now on a bad day like the end of the world or something I would think traffic might be a tad worse...could be wrong...who knows  

There are several other flaws that I could point out but I would really spoil the movie for others.

[bombadil111]

I took my daughter to see the "War."  And I would have to agree that it is a good movie, maybe even a very good movie . . . but . . .

. . . it didn't make into the realm of great, IMO.  More plot, more character development, more plot.  I expected more from Spielberg.  

I think people will forget about this one, while his earlier efforts, ala "Close Encounters," will live on.  Where's Richard Dreyfus when you need him?  By the way Dreyfus was great in Jaws to. . . another senseless movie made great by a strong storyline and character development.  Who can forget the story of the Indianapolis?  

So, WOTW was a good movie, just not a great movie.  YMMV.

3.5/5 stars

[John Casler]

OK,

I decided to go see this flick again, but this time I went to a local mall's Century City AMC CinePlex.

Holy Junk Batman, the difference in the theaters made a "HUGE" difference.  Oh I still liked the movie and all, but the screen size, projector clarity, and SOUND SYSTEM, almost made it a different movie.

I am astonished.

The Mann Village Theater in Westwood just creamed the AMC.  

Of particular note was the overall BASS sensations.  At the Village when the Tripod "ZAPPED" a human   you actually, had a tactile physical sensation as they vaporized.

At the AMC it was "yeah ok, lets see another"

The scene where the Tripod first emerges out of the Ground, the Theater literally Shook and all the air in it shook.

In the AMC.... it was kinda loud, but didn't sound like anything below 30Hz

Well I guess the good news is, I'll have to see it one more time in Westwood.

[jcoat007]

I just saw it today.

I was thinking that I liked the movie, until the end.  I mean the whole alien thing and people being vaporized was pretty cool.  But like 1 billion people die in the invasion, but every member of Cruise's little clan makes it to the end.  

I think Speilberg put a big ribbon on the story at the end to make it a "happy ending" but in doing so he threw the rest of the movie out the window.  C'mon, the kid runs up the hill, the hill explodes into a ball of flames, but the kid miraculously appears at the end.  In fact the whole family appears at the end and they look like they just woke from a peaceful nap and Thanksgiving dinner is on the table.  

I'm not even going to get into the one small victory of pulling Cruise out of the alien's ass and then blowing the alien up.  Everyone knows that as soon as you're in the alien's ass you never get out.  

What a crock of sh*t.

[JeffB]

I thought the effects were great and it was suspensful.  But the movie was basically just one big chase seen.  The plot was virtually non-existent.  And what was there in terms of plot was not very believable.  I suppose there is not a lot one can do with a plot when creating a remake, but it left me wanting a lot more.

I have a lot of trouble believing a superiorly intelligent race could be so easily killed by viruses.  When I was a child of about 7, I thought the idea was clever.  But now, it seems silly.  It is plausible that viruses could be an issue, something the aliens would need to be careful of.  I can't except that it killed them all however, and that there was no secondary invading force.

I have a lot of trouble with the machines being buried in the ground.  They must have had millions of machines in the ground and we never found one?  And why did the Aliens not kill off the human race before we developed advanced weapons?  Are we still no threat to them at all with our nuclear warheads, because we are still way too primitive?  The food harvesting idea is interesting though, I had not thought about that.

I did like the movie pretty well.  If I had been ten years old, I probably would have thought it was awesome.  But a plotless long chase does not warrant any special praise.

I suppose the movie could provoke some thought about how the human race would act in survival mode, but I think the movie itself touched on this way too lightly.  It just put the idea out there, but didn't really explore it.

The world is a really big place.  Yet these machines appeared to be absolutely everywhere.  I have trouble with there being that many machines and that many Aliens and making such quick work of destroying the human race.

I would rather have a simple movie with some intriguing dialogue than all these effects and no plot.  As a child though, I seemed to like the exact opposite.

[JeffB]

Something else just occurred to me.  This movie did not have a hot chick in it.  When a hot chick talks, I have a difficult time listening to what they are saying.  I just stare at them in amazement and all thought processes shut down.  Hot chicks make it much easier for me to suspend my belief in the plot.  Thus, I can find a movie like Starship Troopers reasonably enjoyable simply because of Denise Richards.

[jcoat007]

Thus, I can find a movie like Starship Troopers reasonably enjoyable simply because of Denise Richards.

I always liked that movie, but never really knew why. Now I know.  

[ScottMayo]

If the aliens were so damn smart they would've killed US with biological weapons.

There were more plot holes in that movie that I want to count. Speilberg got so hung up on the broken family issue (he seems to obsess about this - even ET had that theme) that he forgot he was scripting science fiction, and science fiction is supposed to be self-consistant. I give it good marks for special effects, but it takes more than that to carry an epic.

Bloody inept aliens, that's all I can say. Not as inept as the writer, though.