The War of the Worlds (2005)

Director:

Timothy Hines

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel)
Timothy Hines (screenplay) ...

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Action | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

We can't stop them

Plot:

Martians launch a deadly attack on Earth.

Plot Keywords:

English | Alien Ruling Earth | 1900s | Alien Invasion | England

Cast

Anthony Piana	...	The Writer
Jack Clay	...	Ogilvy
James Lathrop	...	The Artilleryman
Darlene Sellers	...	Mrs. Elphinstone
John Kaufmann	...	The Curate
Jamie Lynn Sease	...	Miss Elphinstone
Susan Goforth	...	The Writer's Wife
W. Bernard Bauman	...	Henderson

Also Known As:

Classic War of the Worlds (International: English title) (recut version)
H.G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds' (USA) (complete title)
The Great Boer War (USA) (fake working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

179 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

USA:Unrated (unrated)

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Pendragon Pictures

Trivia:

Timothy Hines and Pendragon Pictures settled their claim with Dark Horse Comics concerning Pendragon's accusation that Dark Horse plagiarized the designs in their film for a graphic novel comic book.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Much of the Architecture in the street scenes of "London" is, in fact, American; Brownstones, typical of U.S. cities (and definitely not British ones), are seen throughout the film and the in the UK, lamp posts terminating in square lanterns and topped with a hood to reflect light down upon the street have always been favored over the American-style spherical lamps seen in the film.

Movie Connections:

Version of War of the Worlds (2005) (V)

Very Educational In Its Way

I honestly believe that ANYONE considering film-making be subjected to this mind-boggling failure. Like the "films" of Edward Wood, Jr. in the '60s and '70s, this film is a shining example of why real filmmakers expend so much energy rewriting scripts, re-editing their films, and reworking their special effects until they finally look right. This movie is also a decent argument FOR the studios' pre-screening process. If Mr. Hines were forced to endure the honest reactions of an impartial audience, perhaps he would have cut 75% or the walking/running/strolling scenes and edited this movie down to a more bearable 90 minutes.

Film students should view this movie as an example of just how dangerous thinking their work is "good enough" can truly be. Every performance, every line of dialog, every digital effect, every filter effect, indeed every frame of video expresses the danger of striving for mere mediocrity. A beginning filmmaker may find himself/herself tempted from time to time to think "At least I accomplished SOMETHING" or "Just finishing this will be an accomplishment in itself". This movie will help them understand just how badly a film can turn out.

Critics might also benefit from seeing this movie before they dub the latest summer entertainment "the worst movie ever made".

Beginning writers can learn from this film just how important rewrites are, and perhaps understand the necessity for rewrites. Also, beginning directors can learn the importance of a GOOD screenplay, and some degree of respect for just how hard it is to write a script that causes the audience to feel emotionally compelled through the story. Writers and directors who watch bad made-for-cable movies of the week and think "I can do better than THAT" can see get an idea from this movie how difficult it really IS to produce even mediocre results.

I sincerely believe this movie can serve as an educational tool to beginning filmmakers. Particularly those entering the craft in this current post-Lucas and post-Spielberg environment. There is a reason filmmakers such as these are hailed for their ability with special effects. The War of the Worlds illustrates clearly that not everyone can pull it off. Some can't even come CLOSE to it.