so why do all the tripods die then?
all seemed to happen rather conveniently
and what was that red plant?

dunno about the tom cruise film, I could never bother watching the whole thing but the original war of the worlds had the aliens dying from the common cold.

Yup – they go that way in the film too. Not sure, but I think the red plant was just alien excrement (blood red?!).

They cultivated the red plant for food. Humans were the fertiliser.

Swine Flu.

what a crap story

I thought I was being a bit ignorant not knowing the storyline – think I was better off not knowing

Book was better, film was poor. They died because they were infected by diseases and viruses etc they picked up on earth. Basically all about showing that all our technology is useless and we are finally saved by the smallest things on earth or some such thing.

It's a great story. Poorly told. My 12 yo is gonna get the book now because even he could see that the Cruise film was all special effect and little substance.

It's actually not a bad reproduction of the book. Most of the important elements/themes of the book are conveyed, and surprisingly the book has an almost equally hokey and happy ending. Don't be so quick to slam it just 'cause it's Hollywood.

I read the book as a kid when we had to stay "in" during rainy lunchtimes. The vivid pictures it conjured in my mind then remain with me today. I don't think any film could do it justice but I suppose if I read it again now I might agree with you. The double LP was good! 🙂

In the book at least the Martian's superior technology and ruthless industrial slaughter is a metaphor for the British Empire's thoughtless exploitation of the rest of the planet (obviously in the book, set in Victorian times, the Martians attack England, being the superpower of the time), whereas the Martians fall not to Britain's military might, but to a humble disease. In other words it is all about hubris.

The Jeff Wayne album is better than the Spielberg movie though…

Trouble is the original deals with the aliens as 19th century men would (for obvious reasons) things like the telegraph, mass transport, and so on were only just becoming widespread, so Wells could limit the action somewhat. Transpose that same story to the 21st century, and it becomes harder to make it "realistic" enough to hold together. Some of the characters are reduced (Tim Roth becomes both the wounded soldier hoping for a braver future, and the deranged pastor with whom the journalist in the original has to spend time. The daughter in the film I think represents the hope/love that the journalist from the book carries that he can be reunited with his wife, which he is at the end, hence the somewhat predictable "Hollywood" ending to the film.

Book good.

Original movie ok.

Whizz-bang SFX version: c'mon, don't criticise the watered-down plot, just enjoy the bangs and exploshuns!

So what did happen in the HGW original story and where did they go?, I think I recall they retreat back to Mars, but not sure, It's been a few years. As this is in the 'bike forum' prehaps they cycled back to Mars.

They all died same as in the film, from disease.

So what did happen in the HGW original story and where did they go?,

All the Martians die in the book.

Surely the definitive version was Orson Welles's radio play.

The film was on last night, if you'd have watched it all then you'd have found out the answers 🙂

Thought it was the common cold that killed them?

eh? what's a book 😯

I'm a bit of a film slut and easily pleased… Liked both films!,the second managed to let me get lost in it, so for me it worked at a level.
Even knowing the ending you still get the feeling they where putting the brakes on at the end..whether due to time or running over budget…

For me it just confirms what I already believe… when it comes to nature we are clueless … and just tenants on this planet…

The aliens are obviously not that clever either… you should wash you food before eating it.. and I think bird flu got em in the end. They should have barbecued us all with a death ray before landing just to make sure… I mean…don't we just taste like chicken?

Zone
B-)

>Even knowing the ending you still get the feeling they where putting the brakes on at the end

More like an emergency stop 🙂

Like everyone else says, read the book, it's much better.

I have…. 😉 I was joking… it was a sort of social comment joke!

I remember when as a family we got our first black and white telly… I would still rather go out on my bike

😀

The albums good so is the live show. I always liked the idea at the end of the album where Huston speaking to the astronauts about seeing something coming from mars then the transmission goes dead.

The thing that really wrecks the tom cruise film is the screaming little bitch all the way through the film and his **** of a son i'd have fed the pair to the aliens.

In the late 70s when I was a wee boy, my mum used to play the album after we went to bed.

If I was still awake and heard it, it scared me shitless.

Still find it all a bit disturbing. 😳 The artwork in the gatefold sleeve sticks with me, kind of victorian juxtaposed with the scary tripods and a bit of gore thrown in for a hint of jolliness.

Way to go mum!

The film may have been better if they'd looked for some one in the lead role that could actually act as Tom Cruise can't act for sh1t

Noooo Nathaniel!

Weee oooo weeee oooo weeee oooooo

😆

Yeah right E.T. we know your game, kill him! 😈

if tom cruize cant act how did he get to were he is? anyway..i enjoyed the film…and i used to love the original when i was younger…but i should really read the book shouldnt i?

With Quinn on this one.

My mum bought me this for xmas one year. Jeff Waynes Muscial (yes musical) version is great with Richard Burton, David Essex, Phil Lynnot, etc narrating the lead roles with some seriously atmospheric (scary as hell when you are younger) music.

The sleeve artwork was also something nightmares were made of.

Just d'loaded it and listening to Horsell Common and the Heat Ray.

Thunder child is my favourite track off the album but the narration of Richard Burton absolutely nailed it as a classic album

UUULAAAAH

What would be really cool is if the people who did the amazing Final Fantasy CGI film, took the original story line, and the artwork and music from Geoff Wayne's War of the Worlds and created something that was true to the book i.e. Set in the Victorian era.
Of course would never happen as the Americans wouldn't enjoy/understand it!

ExRoadie – This would be really great! Especially if they really stuck to the original book narrative.

Pantsonfire – Cut it out with the "Ulllaahhh" – you're scaring me!

Quinn – the first time I saw Final Fantasy I thought about War of the Worlds and what a fantastic way it would be to bring the Victorian world to life!
Now, if only I had a spare 100 million 🙂

My dad used to play that at a fair volume when I was a child…absolutely loved it – got it in the car and I listen to it regularly…superb CD. Original film is better than the Tom Cruise version but both were ok.

If they did do a CGI version and stuck to the storyline do you think they could do the same to the original Lords of the Rings? The cartoon/film that only got a 1/3 finished? That would be superb as well.