Re: I see some of your points, but only in regard to stylistic issues & not at all with your second assessment.

"I will agree that Spielberg used some of his familiar tricks to rev-up suspense in the cellar scene. The hide and seek routine is nothing new in this kind of Spielberg film; it's even reaching the point of being cliche` because it's so predictable. Regrettably, the H&S stunt was employed with the same stylistic flourishes and excesses that he's used in earlier films (i.e., Raptors in the kitchen in Jurassic Park, spider-bots in Minority Report, etc.)."

So I guess these things are less aggrevating to you than me. nothing wrong with that but I'll get back to that aggrevation later.

'OTOH, the terra farming angle was new, and the use of human ash and blood as fertilizer was a very dark, scary idea brought off quite effectively, I thought."

OK I saw this differently. It seemed to me that the insineration (spelling?) was there for shock value. the blood as fetilizer looked like a selfconflicting twist. I thought it was illogical to destroy a valuable commodity. So you saw a duel purpose. I Think it's a stretch but maybe you saw something I missed there. Anyways I sw it as a bit forced. You can find the same darkness in your garden variety horror film without it feeling forced.

"I was also impressed and more than a little shocked by the very effective creepiness of the "floaters" in the stream sequence and the "human/rat-catcher" sequence.'

didn't it seem way too staged? I thought it did. i like a good shock but soooo many of them in movies are cheats. I have reached a point where cheats just drive me up the wall. I think it is a cheap substitute for well thought out scares with substance. i really admire movies like the Sixth sense where everything was very carefully considered and no cheats were used yet the emotional intent of each scene was preserved.

"On the second point you mentioned I completely differ with your impressions: Tim Robbins character, Harlan Ogilvy, seemed a little off from the start and got progressively creepy. When the aliens investigated the basement and Harlan's warped plans became clear, Tom Cruise's character had to adjust rapidly, from fearful prey to protective father, as Robbin's character seemed the greater threat. After all, Harlan's irrational actions would've eventually lead to everyone's deaths at the hands of the invaders."

I didn't think his plans were warped at all. think about it, without fighting back some how some way the people of earth were doomed without a miracle (lucky earth got one in the end). What bothered me was that he simply turned stupid and was bent on getting caught. The funny thing is, his irrational behavior was putting TC and child in greater danger (nothing a spare boot couldn't fix) but it was his first action, a very rational one, that saved their asses in the first place. that transformation simply felt forced and staged.

Now here's what really burns me up about this movie. you mentioned things being cliche. i think the movie is mostly a string of cliches. All the ridiculous near death escapes, running from falling bridges, swimming from sinking ships, running from fireballs. I'm just sick of this crap. I watched Jaws again over the weekend. What a brilliant movie. It drives me nuts that someone can make movies that good and then end up making things like War of the Worlds. Of course one can find improbablities even in Jaws but nothing of the order of magnitude of todays action movies. NO MORE RUNNING FROM FIRE BALLS PLEASE!!!

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - War of the Worlds------After thoughts. - patrickU 01:44:36 07/08/05 (36)

Re: War of the Worlds------After thoughts. - RGA 20:54:07 07/08/05 (18)

Those airborne toxins came straight from H.G. Wells. Be fair. nt - clarkjohnsen 11:54:20 07/09/05 (12)

That may be - RGA 17:58:58 07/10/05 (11)

You may be right -- I rarely go to such type movies... nt - clarkjohnsen 10:45:07 07/11/05 (7)

Typical, ... - Audiophilander 10:57:12 07/11/05 (6)

I was being conciliatory. You OTOH are your usual stodgy self. Desist. nt - clarkjohnsen 11:11:15 07/11/05 (5)

I believe that, in your case, "being conciliatory" is a euphemism for flip-flopping. - Audiophilander 23:04:11 07/11/05 (4)

Well at least you're not calling me a "chickensh*t" like in your original message. - clarkjohnsen 10:41:56 07/12/05 (3)

Too close to bat guano, and we know for whom that's reserved. - Audiophilander 15:26:42 07/12/05 (2)

NOTE BENE: This is the writer's fourth version of this particular post. Would someone please inform him... - clarkjohnsen 08:08:35 07/13/05 (1)

"I hate reading drafts." - Don't worry about it, you're too old to be concerned about conscription. - Audiophilander 08:56:19 07/13/05 (0)

Ummmm... - Audiophilander 22:56:58 07/10/05 (2)

A film should stand ENTIRELY on its own merit! - RGA 11:44:44 07/11/05 (1)

"If I read the book I would not need to see the film..." - It's a classic! I thought that everyone had read WoTW... - Audiophilander 17:01:02 07/11/05 (0)

Re: War of the Worlds------After thoughts. - patrickU 01:20:28 07/09/05 (0)

A fair assessment, but I differ with your conclusions. - Audiophilander 00:11:41 07/09/05 (3)

Re: A fair assessment, but I differ with your conclusions. - RGA 01:27:28 07/09/05 (2)

Again, with all due respect, you are dead-wrong. - Audiophilander 09:34:22 07/09/05 (1)

Re: Again, with all due respect, you are dead-wrong. - RGA 10:12:09 07/09/05 (0)

Judging from your misguided critique of WoTW, this must be your favorite Hollywood picture: - Audiophilander 10:59:48 07/08/05 (10)

Re: Judging from your misguided critique of WoTW, this must be your favorite Hollywood picture: - Analog Scott 22:04:59 07/08/05 (2)

I see some of your points, but only in regard to stylistic issues & not at all with your second assessment. - Audiophilander 23:10:12 07/08/05 (1)

Re: I see some of your points, but only in regard to stylistic issues & not at all with your second assessment. - Analog Scott 15:11:38 07/09/05 (0)

Re: Judging from your misguided critique of WoTW, this must be your favorite Hollywood picture: - patrickU 11:06:28 07/08/05 (6)

You may think that you're the enfant terrible of American film curmudgeons, but... - Audiophilander 12:06:50 07/08/05 (5)

Re: You are so out of tune, that... - patrickU 12:36:05 07/08/05 (4)

"you 'bete noir ' it seems" - ...and you, Betty Crock-er (schiese) it seems, right? - Audiophilander 13:22:26 07/08/05 (3)

Re: Nein " Scheisse ".... - patrickU 13:34:27 07/08/05 (2)

"Could you please crawl out of the window?" - I'd rather hang in there, even though your suggestion is a stretch. - Audiophilander 13:51:09 07/08/05 (1)

Re: "Could you please crawl out of the window?" - I'd rather hang in there, even though your suggestion is a stretch. - patrickU 01:24:58 07/09/05 (0)

Re: War of the Worlds------After thoughts. - mr grits 08:49:22 07/08/05 (2)

Maybe - Bulkington 11:37:27 07/08/05 (0)

Re: War of the Worlds------After thoughts. - patrickU 10:10:10 07/08/05 (0)

Re: War of the Worlds------After thoughts. - Jeff Starrs 02:46:30 07/08/05 (2)

Ask anyone that's been in battle: if they're honest, they'll agree - tinear 05:17:31 07/08/05 (1)

Re: I was never in battle... - Jeff Starrs 05:33:43 07/08/05 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: I see some of your points, but only in regard to stylistic issues & not at all with your second assessment. - Analog Scott 15:11:38 07/09/05 (0)

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