Criterion Collection War of the Worlds

[Barry]

 I truly had an enormous and pleasant surprise watching the Criterion Collection War of the Worlds, the 1953 version.\
 
First, of course, is that We know now that in the early years of the 20^th 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.
 
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.  Criterion has restored it to it’s original form
 
Also they added a great new 5.1 soundtrack, with a great explanation of how that, and even Atmos, is done.
 
At 85 minutes the movie paces along gracefully and  with perfect picture and sound I really enjoyed this.  And I really enjoyed the bonus features too.