War of the Worlds (NO SPOILERS, please!)

[Saruman]

Originally Posted by CBright7831

Wait! I think I found it. It in the part with the boat about to tip over, right?

That would be it.

[CBright7831]

I also found this:

[Orga777]

Interesting. So mabye the ships are going to be like the ones described in the book. That is good news.

[THE ONE AND ONLY]

Here's the Japanese trailer to the flick. You'll find that it focuses on the human toll wrought by the invasion.http://www.dreamworksfansite.com/war...trailer_qt.php

[Gorjirus]

Time to Bump this thing...

Now the release is only one month away, and my fevor for this film grows. I have seen the new extended trailer, and it gives us new images to go on.We get to see the alien ship outlined in flames (which looks awesome), and the "searching" tentacle scene is also accounted for, and it looks like the alien does have tripod legs. It just looks great to me. I can't wait.

[SandwormPhish]

Best of all it looks like we might actually get to see some of the 'war' bits. In addition to the aerial attack seen in the newer trailer (an F-18 flashing over cruise's head and launching a missile) the latest Fangoria had some images from the movie that included what looked to be a group of armor and infantry (with AT weapons no less) fighting at night.

[SandwormPhish]

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramo...cal_large.html

New theatrical trailer. Few more tripod glimpses, some battle glimpses.. shame that music in it is one of those trailer specific pieces that's a royal pain to get ahold of.

[Studio Asperger]

It's been a while since my previous rants on this film, which I don't plan on resurrecting.

Suffice to say, this is going to be the movie that either goes a little way to restoring my faith in Speilberg, or cements my belief that Hollywood should leave books alone.

[Spiral Fire]

Hmmmmm.... I have some very high hopes for this movie, and from what I've seen, it looks very promising. We can only hope its as good as it looks.
I hope this doesn't turn into another Alien Vs. Predator...

[Goji Son]

Originally Posted by Studio Asperger

It's been a while since my previous rants on this film, which I don't plan on resurrecting.

Suffice to say, this is going to be the movie that either goes a little way to restoring my faith in Speilberg, or cements my belief that Hollywood should leave books alone.

I was kind of mad that they didn't make this into Welles' classic book but rather just use the name but still, books can never be fully adapted into film and the other way around.

[Saruman]

Originally Posted by Goji Son

I was kind of mad that they didn't make this into Welles' classic book but rather just use the name but still, books can never be fully adapted into film and the other way around.

I think one of the things people are missing about this is that you simply can't make this movie without updating it, it won't have the terror or suspense that it needs to. If you do this movie as a period piece, your going to be sitting there watching jets and tanks battling the alien war machines and saying, "hmmm, wonder how they would stand up to an M1 Tank or maybe an F-16?" The suspense is going to be lacking because they would be using much older equipment than what we now have today.

By updating it, you can make it relate to people today and it's going to be a lot more intense if you see an Alien War Machine roll over a a whole bunch of M1's or take out a squad of F-16's with ease. Something like that is going to have more impact than a period piece simply because you can relate to it better.

I'm glad they are updating it because it's one of those movies that really does need to be updated to make it have a real impact on todays generation.

[Spiral Fire]

Originally Posted by Saruman

I think one of the things people are missing about this is that you simply can't make this movie without updating it, it won't have the terror or suspense that it needs to. If you do this movie as a period piece, your going to be sitting there watching jets and tanks battling the alien war machines and saying, "hmmm, wonder how they would stand up to an M1 Tank or maybe an F-16?" The suspense is going to be lacking because they would be using much older equipment than what we now have today.

By updating it, you can make it relate to people today and it's going to be a lot more intense if you see an Alien War Machine roll over a a whole bunch of M1's or take out a squad of F-16's with ease. Something like that is going to have more impact than a period piece simply because you can relate to it better.

I'm glad they are updating it because it's one of those movies that really does need to be updated to make it have a real impact on todays generation.

That's true, remakes are getting old. I mean, come on, a "Herbie" remake? Dear god...remaking War of the Worlds was a good idea, but tweaking it to modern times is also a plus.If you look at the older covers of the novel or old movie, it would be very awkward to see artillery and propeller fighters battling UFOs yet again.

[Charles RB]

Well, the third trailer on this page has me more optimistic. The principle of the aliens beating the crap out of Earth with no real resistance seems to be here, and I like the mass evacuation to the docks scene.

Originally Posted by Saruman

The suspense is going to be lacking because they would be using much older equipment than what we now have today.

How does that remove the suspense? They're using ancient artillery against alien invaders, that should heighten the suspense as there's evidently no chance they can win and you're going to witness a massacre.

I'm glad they are updating it because it's one of those movies that really does need to be updated to make it have a real impact on todays generation.

People being incinerated and snatched up by giant alien machines while total chaos breaks out is only going to have an impact if it's happening in modern day America? It's people being incinerated and snatched up and totally helpless against merciless alien hordes, you don't need to change the setting for that to make an impact on screen.

[Saruman]

Originally Posted by Charles RB

How does that remove the suspense? They're using ancient artillery against alien invaders, that should heighten the suspense as there's evidently no chance they can win and you're going to witness a massacre.

How? Easy, because we have already seen it and read it and know it by heart. A period piece isn't going to have you on the edge of your seat. Most people will look at it and be unimpressed. Hell most people wont even know what most of the weapons and vehicles back then were actually capable of, which makes it less impressive. What do you think most people today will know more about, Tanks and Fighters from say WWII or from the war in Iraq? It's going to be the war in Iraq because people see this stuff on the news every day and they know what most of this stuff can actually do, so to see it useless against an Alien War Machine has a vastly greater effect.

People being incinerated and snatched up by giant alien machines while total chaos breaks out is only going to have an impact if it's happening in modern day America? It's people being incinerated and snatched up and totally helpless against merciless alien hordes, you don't need to change the setting for that to make an impact on screen.

You might want to actually comment on what I ACTUALLY SAID instead of making stuff up, or please point out where I said anything about humans being helpless in the film not having an impact.

It has nothing to do with the general populace, it's has everything to do with the weapons at our disposal. And as I said above, doing a period piece will lose most of the impact because people simply wont be impressed seeing Alien War Machines rolling over 70 year old military vehicles and equipment.

The original book and movie are great and they worked so well because they related to the times they were in. That is also why the radio brodcast was so successful.

What do you think is going to happen if you did that radio broadcast today? Absolutely NOTHING. Times have changed and it just isn't something you are going to pass off.

That is why you have to update this film if your going to do it, it isn't going to impress anyone if you don't. You could do a period piece and it could be the best movie ever made, but it's still only going to have a ho hum effect on todays movie goers.

[SandwormPhish]

Definite point there Saruman.. plus while a period piece would be nice a lot of the themes from WOTW (i.e. Colonialism) were a major issue back in the day. The sort of thing readers of Well's book would be seeing in the papers and hearing discussed.

Now though colonialism isn't much of a relavent issue.. it's dead at the moment so alluding to it isn't going to do much of anything for the average film-goer.

Of course I'm one of those people who thinks this can remain true to the idea of the book as long as we get the story of Cruise's character trying to survive while the martians kick seven kinds of crap out of the military.

Also, am I the only one getting sick of the ID4/WOTW comparisons? Quite frankly I don't see it beyond the general alien invasion theme..

[Studio Asperger]

Originally Posted by Saruman

You might want to actually comment on what I ACTUALLY SAID instead of making stuff up, or please point out where I said anything about humans being helpless in the film not having an impact.

It has nothing to do with the general populace, it's has everything to do with the weapons at our disposal. And as I said above, doing a period piece will lose most of the impact because people simply wont be impressed seeing Alien War Machines rolling over 70 year old military vehicles and equipment.

The original book and movie are great and they worked so well because they related to the times they were in. That is also why the radio brodcast was so successful.

What do you think is going to happen if you did that radio broadcast today? Absolutely NOTHING. Times have changed and it just isn't something you are going to pass off.

That is why you have to update this film if your going to do it, it isn't going to impress anyone if you don't. You could do a period piece and it could be the best movie ever made, but it's still only going to have a ho hum effect on todays movie goers.

*TWITCH*

You have summed up pretty much everything that is wrong with today's moviegoing populace - that they won't be interested in a film unless it has lots of big shiny toys in it.

The thing about setting the film in modern times is that it has been DONE TO SODDING DEATH already. I don't see why it's so impossible that a film can have emotional impact without sticking it in modern times, I really don't. As I have said before though, the modern setting's not my main problem with how the film's shaping up, it's everyone's reasons for defending it that are winding me up the wrong way now. So everybody's read the book, knows it by heart and thus knows what to expect, eh? Well, you could say that about the modern setting as well, so those who've read the book are not likely to be surprised by anything (aside from these 'wtf?' type moments Spielberg seems to be adding in there). Perhaps, to drag up an example from Morgoth, what's going to happen next? A WWII movie, only since everyone has read about and knows WWII by heart, we'll completely re-write it?! Granted, that's drastic, but I really wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened.

Maybe it's true that humans only care about their machines rather than themselves these days, which quite frankly is sad beyond belief.

[Morgoth]

[quote=Saruman] The suspense is going to be lacking because they would be using much older equipment than what we now have today.QUOTE]


That has to be the single most insipid sentence I've ever seen from you. The suspense in any film derives from giving the audience an investment in the characters, not the trapings of technology which surround them. Or did you watch Braveheart and start thinking 'hey, all the Scots need are a few uzis and those Brits will get the hell off their land.' Nevermind for a moment that the book was set in the 1890's, so the jets and tanks bit wouldn't apply. Think howitzers and battleships.

Spielberg is missing a chance to invest a great deal of wonder into the film by having it set in a historic timeframe rather than trying to have something that is 'updated' for the sort of couch potato vermin who would probably watch paint dry if it was marketed properly (and then rant about how cool it was). 'Updating' the story is simply lazy and contrived, I'm surprised he wouldn't tackle the challenge of doing a faithful adaptation, since no one has been bold enough to do that before.

I still have severe reservations about this film, but I'm slightly more optomistic about it than either Batman Begins or Fantastic Four.

[Saruman]

[quote=Morgoth]

Originally Posted by Saruman

The suspense is going to be lacking because they would be using much older equipment than what we now have today.QUOTE]


That has to be the single most insipid sentence I've ever seen from you. The suspense in any film derives from giving the audience an investment in the characters, not the trapings of technology which surround them. Or did you watch Braveheart and start thinking 'hey, all the Scots need are a few uzis and those Brits will get the hell off their land.' Nevermind for a moment that the book was set in the 1890's, so the jets and tanks bit wouldn't apply. Think howitzers and battleships.

Spielberg is missing a chance to invest a great deal of wonder into the film by having it set in a historic timeframe rather than trying to have something that is 'updated' for the sort of couch potato vermin who would probably watch paint dry if it was marketed properly (and then rant about how cool it was). 'Updating' the story is simply lazy and contrived, I'm surprised he wouldn't tackle the challenge of doing a faithful adaptation, since no one has been bold enough to do that before.

I still have severe reservations about this film, but I'm slightly more optomistic about it than either Batman Begins or Fantastic Four.

You not getting it, I can't wait for someone to develop my idea for a monitor so that I can reach through and ***** slap you.

Yes a period piece would be nice and interesting, I'm not saying that it wouldn't. I also never said that the actors/actresses wouldn't be good and not sell it, it has nothing to do with them. What it has to do with is technology, our Military Vs. the Alien War Machines.

What made the original WotW so great is that, and I will put this in caps for you so you don't miss it, it RELATED TO THE TIME it was set in.

As I asked Charles, and I will ask you the same thing. What is a person today going to be able to relate to more, an Alien War Machine trampling 70 year old technology or an Alien War Maching trampling todays technology? What is going to have the greater impact on them? What is going to make them sit on the edge of their seat? It's a pretty obvious answer, even you can figure that one out I would think and hope.

If your going to "RE-tell" this story, then you have to update it and make it relate to the times and people of today, because that was what the original did better than anything else, it related to the time it was in. That is what makes that story so great, it's not the writing or the characters, it's that you can change the time it takes place in and still have the exact same story with current technology, that was the true brilliance of the book. That you don't or aren't capable of understanding that is pretty mind boggling. This story works in ANY time frame with a simple facelift.

[Morgoth]

What you seem to be refusing to understand is that WE ALREADY HAVE SEEN THE MODERN WORLD BLASTED TO BITS BY XENO VERMIN! If Spielberg was going to do something new and original, then he'd have been better off taking the bold step of doing a faithful adaptation. As has been pointed out, the primitive technology of the 1890's would increase, not limit, the suspense, the knuckle-biting knowledge that all the soliders and military we see rushing about to defend the cities aren't going to do a damn thing. I simply think that Spielberg is just going for a quick and easy out by translating the story (or what little of it he's decided to retain) to a modern setting. You can't keep telling me people don't relate or become interested in films that take place in the past, because the biggest grosser of all time is Titanic (disgusting as that may be) and that is a film set in the past with a story everybody already knows - the ship sinks. Handled well, War of the Worlds would be the same way. Instead, we get another dose of 're-imagining' - and my opinion of that has been made vitriolic from crap like 'Planet of the Apes' and the ever popular GINO.

Can the story work in a different time-frame? Of course, and it already has, twice in exceedingly successful ways. This time, however, i think the bolder and more imaginative step would have been to go back to its roots, rather than turn it into something like an updated ID4 or, worse, Battlefield Earth. I have serious concerns that Spielberg is ****ing around with the story too much (the inclusion of Dakota Fanning leads me to believe he's yet again resorting to the 'slap a kid into this mess to manipulate the audience' trick yet again). Yes, I'm annoyed that it's not set in the 1890's, but that is actually one of my lesser concerns about what he's put on film.

And, here's a point, if this 'modern technology' crap is so important, then why is PJ taking the bold step of keeping Kong in his Depression era roots? There is a quote from a Toho exec, who I can't recall right now, who observed about GINO that Americans seem obsessed with their military weapons and can't abide something that pretty well ignores them. Seems perhaps you might share the fixation on technological junk rather than storytelling and characters - which is what will make or break this film and any other, not 'it's more relevant to today's video-game junkie geeks if it has F-18s and M-1s'.

Good thing you don't have that sort of monitor Saruman, cause I'd be introducing you to about 12" of Victorian Rhineland steel and see if the bayonet's antiquity made it 'less relevant'. (kidding of course, we still need you to harvest those design pics and finish a certain piece of fiction)

[Charles RB]

Originally Posted by Saruman

A period piece isn't going to have you on the edge of your seat.

You clearly watched a different opening to Saving Private Ryan than me then.

Screw modern tech, people dying on screen gets me on the edge of my screen and there's far more people dying on screen in nasty ways in a period piece.

What is a person today going to be able to relate to more, an Alien War Machine trampling 70 year old technology or an Alien War Maching trampling todays technology? What is going to have the greater impact on them? What is going to make them sit on the edge of their seat? It's a pretty obvious answer, even you can figure that one out I would think and hope.

Since the whole point of the military facing the Martians is the military loses- the 19th Century tech. Because you automatically know you're going to see everyone of those soldiers die because their guns won't work, and that's one damn powerful moment to see on screen.

And with 1890s tech, the soldiers won't be in tanks & choppers that are going to explode. They're going to all be out in the open getting incinerated. And people dying is more relatable than technology going boom and a lot more edge-of-your-seat.

Hell most people wont even know what most of the weapons and vehicles back then were actually capable of, which makes it less impressive.

Doesn't matter. They don't have to know. They just have to know the Martians are going to win.

people simply wont be impressed seeing Alien War Machines rolling over 70 year old military vehicles and equipment.

They will be impressed seeing Alien Tripods roll over 19th Century infantry, burning them in their hundreds and snatching them up w/ tendrils to feed off them while all the soldiers can do is run like **** & hope that saves them.

This story works in ANY time frame with a simple facelift.

It can, yes. But setting in the original time and place has never been done on screen before (well, except Pendragon's one). We've seen aliens blowing up the modern-day planet before loads of times- we haven't seen them nuke the 19th Century on the big screen. It's something new.

And while you can also move Frankenstein to any time frame if you want, most of the time nobody does. An alien invasion in the 19th Century can be relatable to a modern-audience if it's good.

[Charles RB]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

There is a quote from a Toho exec, who I can't recall right now, who observed about GINO that Americans seem obsessed with their military weapons and can't abide something that pretty well ignores them.

That was Shusuke Kaneko, I think- "It seems the Americans can't accept something that can't be put down by their own arms".

[Raptor]

Originally Posted by Saruman

What made the original WotW so great is that, and I will put this in caps for you so you don't miss it, it RELATED TO THE TIME it was set in.

Morgoth mentioned BRAVEHEART as an example of where "updating" just isn't necessary, IMO. PASSION OF THE CHRIST, anyone? And what about Kong's upcoming film? Isn't everyone just simply ENCHANTED that it is going to be a period piece THIS TIME? Next thing you know, some turkey is going to want to "re-do" THE ALAMO with Santa Ana launching a Polaris missile at the defenders and Davy and the gang manning modern mortars on the ramparts. Actually, as far as military action goes, that is a prime example of classic warfare. Look at the number of troops involved. Those were infantry REGIMENTS, not a squadron of B-52s impersonally dropping bombs on a "target".
WOTW has had plenty of "contemporary" treatments since it was first broadcast by Orson Welles in 1938, culminating with the TV series and periodic TV movies, such as 1994's WITHOUT WARNING, co-starring journalist Sander Vanocur. There is also plenty debate whether or not ID-4 is yet another "rip-off". I personally believe so. Strange that an Earth virus that defeated earlier invaders is now simply a computer bug... Then again, consider the lack of unoriginality found in about ANYTHING D&E are associated with...

What is a person today going to be able to relate to more, an Alien War Machine trampling 70 year old technology or an Alien War Maching trampling todays technology? What is going to have the greater impact on them? What is going to make them sit on the edge of their seat? It's a pretty obvious answer, even you can figure that one out I would think and hope.

Look for folks wearing T-shirts saying, "I'M ONLY HERE FOR THE DESTRUCTION". Someone had mentioned this in relation to JURASSIC PARK. I'm convinced the average moviegoer these days is only there for the SFX; forget things like acting, plot and story. Is it a generational/age thing as I believe Morgoth mentioned in a SW discussion? Quite possibly, but I will tell you all this: Those of us who can appreciate history in ANY aspect do have to go "back in time" in many instances via reference material to open this new "realm" where we can comprehend it. History can be a lot more than just a course you HAVE to study in school. What is so "wrong" about wanting to see WOTW in its proper context, namely when it was written? Would BEN-HUR be "better" if it was "updated"?

If your going to "RE-tell" this story, then you have to update it and make it relate to the times and people of today, because that was what the original did better than anything else, it related to the time it was in.

I think the radio broadcast was especially timely and effective. The country was edgy, new technology (radio) was being introduced and the Mercury Players had a perfect opportunity to set America on its butt like never before. Look at the '50s sci fi films. The U.S. ALWAYS wins against Martians, monsters or whatever. Nothing to really think about here, maybe because the Cold War was already providing an overload? Such tender little psyches we seem to have, yet Uncle Sam and his spawn are supposed to be so "tough" ! I hope we get scared out of our collective wits by this latest invasion force but bet it's going to fall flat psychologically. The TV series was an excellent sequel and update IMO, bringing in additional premises and giving the Martians a much more sinister character where they didn't have to rely on their massive machines to take over our planet. I personally find guerilla action a lot more scary and exciting than masses of troops and weapons squaring off against an enemy. It's just more personal that way, I believe. Besides, about any story focuses on a "hero" - the central character who has to deal with a challenge all by his lonesome. Yes, he'll get to see his hometown trashed and have to rough it for a bit on his own but that's what makes heroes, isn't it? Of course, another option would be to just have the Martians win for a change.

[Denizen]

Well, there is always Pendragon Pictures' version, also coming out this year, and it is a period piece.

[Saruman]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

What you seem to be refusing to understand is that WE ALREADY HAVE SEEN THE MODERN WORLD BLASTED TO BITS BY XENO VERMIN!

So then you are considering ANY and ALL alien invasion movies the same as WOTW. Sorry Clint, but that is where your narrow minded view is wrong. If you consider ID4 to be a WOTW story then I would have to say you are insane because it isn't even close. Is it an alien invasion movie, sure, but it's not WOTW.

If Spielberg was going to do something new and original, then he'd have been better off taking the bold step of doing a faithful adaptation.

Then wouldn't you as a fantasy writer be better off just doing Tolkiens stories over and over again? They did create, shape and start the genre that you write in now. So by your thinking your stories are not even worth reading because I can go pull out "The Hobbit" and read it anytime I want. It's all just fantasy after all.

As has been pointed out, the primitive technology of the 1890's would increase, not limit, the suspense, the knuckle-biting knowledge that all the soliders and military we see rushing about to defend the cities aren't going to do a damn thing.

So you think it will have more of an impact on todays movie goers if they see 70 year old military vehicles getting trounced by Alien War Machines? Again, sorry but that isn't even in the realm of reality.

I simply think that Spielberg is just going for a quick and easy out by translating the story (or what little of it he's decided to retain) to a modern setting.

Maybe he is or maybe he just wants to tell the story HIS way. Just like Peter Jackson is telling Kong HIS way, and just like he told the LOTR HIS way. Are you going to say that PJ's LOTR movies sucked because he changed things or didn't include every little thing you wanted?

You can't keep telling me people don't relate or become interested in films that take place in the past,

Again you completely miss the point. WOTW worked so well because it reflected the people and happenings of the time, that was what made it so effective. By updating the story Speilberg can make it relate to us, the people of this time, which gives it much more impact to todays movie goer.

because the biggest grosser of all time is Titanic (disgusting as that may be) and that is a film set in the past with a story everybody already knows - the ship sinks.

Yeah the ship sinks, I guess the whole love story, which is what the movie was turned into had nothing to do with how well it sold the audience. Please, your going to try and say that whole movie was completely accurate and faithful, again sorry, but I don't think so.

Handled well, War of the Worlds would be the same way. Instead, we get another dose of 're-imagining' - and my opinion of that has been made vitriolic from crap like 'Planet of the Apes' and the ever popular GINO.

Yada Yada Yada blah blah blah, I already know the speech you don't need to go over it again.

Can the story work in a different time-frame? Of course, and it already has, twice in exceedingly successful ways. This time, however, i think the bolder and more imaginative step would have been to go back to its roots, rather than turn it into something like an updated ID4 or, worse, Battlefield Earth.

For even mentioning BFE you should be soundly booted in the head. ID4 isn't WOTW, so why bring it up. There have been hundreds of alien invasion movies, but that doesn't make them all WOTW. By your reasoning Godzilla vs Gigan is WOTW because it has aliens trying to take over the earth.

I have serious concerns that Spielberg is ****ing around with the story too much (the inclusion of Dakota Fanning leads me to believe he's yet again resorting to the 'slap a kid into this mess to manipulate the audience' trick yet again).

Hey go figure our planet is being attacked and there are actually kids on the planet, OMG what shall we ever do. That's right we should just make a movie with no kids in it what so ever, that would be one of the things your version would have making it so accurate I guess.

Yes, I'm annoyed that it's not set in the 1890's, but that is actually one of my lesser concerns about what he's put on film.

What I bolded is the key part, it's simply not what you want, which is fine. Don't go see the movie if it annoys you that much.

And, here's a point, if this 'modern technology' crap is so important, then why is PJ taking the bold step of keeping Kong in his Depression era roots?

Technology isn't an important aspect of the King Kong story. He's keeping the setting because PJ want's to do it HIS way, that is his choice, he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to. Setting Kong in modern times isn't going to drasticaly change anything about that story other than he might be killed with missiles while tangled in bridge suspension cabels.

There is a quote from a Toho exec, who I can't recall right now, who observed about GINO that Americans seem obsessed with their military weapons and can't abide something that pretty well ignores them.

An exec who has made one of the worst Godzilla movies ever. Oh thats right you loved that one didn't you. But didn't that Exec also completely take Godzilla from a Sci-Fi creature and turn him into a Fantasy creature as well as KG, Mothra & Baragon? Wow Clint, he completely went in an opposite direction and you liked it. Maybe you should figure out whether you want things to stay the same or change since you don't seem to know what you really want.

Seems perhaps you might share the fixation on technological junk rather than storytelling and characters

That's right, making the story and technology relate to the people of today and this era's problems has nothing to do with storytelling. You sure that your a writer because I am questioning it right about now.

which is what will make or break this film and any other, not 'it's more relevant to today's video-game junkie geeks if it has F-18s and M-1s'.

You saw SW Ep.3 didn't you and you even need to ask that question.

Good thing you don't have that sort of monitor Saruman, cause I'd be introducing you to about 12" of Victorian Rhineland steel and see if the bayonet's antiquity made it 'less relevant'.

Wonder how well you can use that bayonet while your dodging uzi fire, look technology wins again.

(kidding of course, we still need you to harvest those design pics and finish a certain piece of fiction)

DUH!!!!! I already sent it to you, if you would ever read it over and get back to me maybe it would get finished sometime before next year, and here I though Alzheimer's only struck the old.

[Saruman]

Originally Posted by Charles RB

You clearly watched a different opening to Saving Private Ryan than me then.

Slightly different case here. SPR is a WWII story, you can't tell it in a different setting because of that. You could possibably change the war it took place in but that would even be difficult to do. WOTW is a fantasy that can be easily adapted to any era.

Screw modern tech, people dying on screen gets me on the edge of my screen and there's far more people dying on screen in nasty ways in a period piece.

This makes absolutely no sense. There are more nasty ways to die in a period piece? Unless I have been missing something we not only have new weapons that they could have only dreamed of, but we have improved upon the ones they had available to them. So how are more people dying in nasty ways?

Since the whole point of the military facing the Martians is the military loses- the 19th Century tech. Because you automatically know you're going to see everyone of those soldiers die because their guns won't work, and that's one damn powerful moment to see on screen.

So it's better to know that everything we have is worthless and people will die because of old tech instead of using modern weapons and letting people think it may stand up to the Alien weapons? Ok, I see the logic there. I guess its better to know everyone is going to die instead of having a hint of doubt. Yeah that just adds so much to the suspense it's killing me.

And with 1890s tech, the soldiers won't be in tanks & choppers that are going to explode. They're going to all be out in the open getting incinerated. And people dying is more relatable than technology going boom and a lot more edge-of-your-seat.

Again this makes no sense. There is a difference in someone being instantly incinerated and a vehicle blowing up? Where is the difference, your not seeing anything more in one scene than the other. You seem to be under some misguided idea that this is going to be a graphic movie showing people slowly melt away which is never going to happen.

Oh and how does a 70 year old tank and a modern tank differ in how it is destroyed by the alien war machines? It's not going to be any different and your not going to see the people inside dying. So again your point here is useless and doesn't put you more on the edge of your seat.

Doesn't matter. They don't have to know. They just have to know the Martians are going to win.

They don't win though. And yes it will matter.

They will be impressed seeing Alien Tripods roll over 19th Century infantry, burning them in their hundreds and snatching them up w/ tendrils to feed off them while all the soldiers can do is run like **** & hope that saves them.

Somehow they wont be impressed with 21st century infantry getting rolled over by Alien War Machines? Again how is one so much more impressive or different than the other? Answer is it isn't, it's the same.

It can, yes. But setting in the original time and place has never been done on screen before (well, except Pendragon's one). We've seen aliens blowing up the modern-day planet before loads of times- we haven't seen them nuke the 19th Century on the big screen. It's something new.

You haven't? I seem to recall seeing alien ships in the Showa Godzilla movies destroying comparable machinery. Oh but wait, that was a Godzilla film so there couldn't have been an alien invasion attempt now could there.

And while you can also move Frankenstein to any time frame if you want, most of the time nobody does. An alien invasion in the 19th Century can be relatable to a modern-audience if it's good.

It can't be relatable because you were never there to experience the events of that time. Can you relate to someone who fought in WWII? ABSOLUTELY NOT, because you weren't there. You can learn about WWII and what went on, but you can not relate to the actual events, only people that actually experienced it can relate to it. I can understand what effects the bombs dropped on Japan had, but I can't ever relate to the experience of those that suffered from it. Relating to something and just having knowledge of it are two completely different things.