We know now that in the early years of the 20th century this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own. We know now that as human beings busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Yet across an immense ethereal gulf, minds that to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle, intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this Earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.
On September 18, 2020, I reviewed for us the Criterion Blu-Ray of War of the Worlds. Today I am reviewing the 4K version of the same movie. And I have the same basic review:
I had seen this movie a few times on regular TV and it never looked as good. The special features explain why: This beautiful movie was originally shot in glorious Technicolor and looked fantastic. But the TV and subsequent movie releases used a cheaper Eastman Kodak process that took away the gorgeousness of this movie.
Also they added a great new 5.1 soundtrack, which is vdry good and effective. At 85 minutes the movie paces along gracefully and with perfect picture and sound I really enjoyed this.
This movie is less about special effects and more about the people fighting the Martians. Again, I really enjoyed it. I was also very impresses with the sharpness of the images, sharper than the blu-ray. Starring Gene Barry, and made in in 1956, this is a better movie than the Steven Spielberg version of 2005.