The Silver Screen Oasis

Any comments on The War of the Worlds (1953) that TCM aired last night?

I saw it at the New Mayfield Repertory Cinema when I was in college and I thought it was only so-so. "The Thing from Another World," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "It Came from Outer Space" are just much more vivid and vital than this movie.

Frankly, I've never been that taken with any of the science fiction films of George Pal. They seem so pedestrian somehow, which is sad because by all accounts Pal was a very nice person who really liked science fiction.

Hello,

I like the look of the props...gleaming metal, flexi-tubing, pulsing lamps, shiny Martian ships, shiny Martian limbs. Nothing fancy prop-wise, the alien stuff just looks right. Boy, could that lady (Ann Robinson) shriek and...Paul Frees? Love Frees voice.

By the way...was the alien ship from War Of The Worlds used a second time for Robinson Crusoe On Mars?

Rusty

Ever since the first time I saw WOTW, I've thought that the sound of an electric pencil sharpener is very much like the sound that those Martian weapons made.

I like this movie a lot, and I think for its time it's excellent. For me, the later version somehow misses the point of the story, and was unnecessary --I liked the version of it lampooned in "Scary Movie 4" a lot better.

WAR OF THE WORLDS has always been my favorite sc-fi film of the '50s. I was about 7 when it came out and it just floored me. The special effects were state-of-the-art in '53 and I think they hold up very well. Sure, you can see the wires on the Martian machines, but that never took away from thrilling the audience.

As for the remake, all I can say is I HATE IT! While the effects were interesting and well done, that's all it has going for it. Every time Dakota Fanning screamed, it was like somebody running their fingernails down a chalkboard. Ouch!