But the War of the Worlds really happened
I've been to Woking and I've seen one of the Martian fighting machines. The other films are based on fiction as far as I know.
Earlier this week, alien hunters donned their tinfoil hats for World UFO day and with Yanks celebrating Independence Day today, the topic of extra-terrestrial takeover lingers in the air. The public has even been debating who would be best equipped to tackle an alien invasion. Whether that's Mr. Obama, his political opponent or …
Snap! I just came here to complain about lack of 'Footfall' as well. I'd imagine it's a little bit dated now, but then so's a lot of the stuff on this list.
I'd also like to add in John Wyndham's 'The Kraken Wakes'. An excellent book. I think I prefer it to 'Day of the Triffids'.
As with any list like this, there are always plenty more to add.
In real life, when the US President plays his last (but winning) ace with the babes in the background holding their breath and well-uniformed acolytes by his side look at large computer screens ... a blue screen of death appears.
And then death appears.
THE END!
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B movie I'd pick Mars attacks... much more fun than Independence day "hey , you'll need a lawyer right?" <ZZAAAP>
But why pick The Quatermass experiment when Quatermass and the pit was so much better especially to an 11 yr old hiding behind the sofa.
And what can beat War of the worlds: the album, Richard Burton and some kick ass music stomps Tom Cruise's effort flat(if he was standing on some boxes)
But just remember guys , all these films are just a distraction from the real rulers of this planet, and I'll leave you with just one hint... keep those robots bolted to the floor....
Is it the album that hasn't aged well, or the human race? It's only about that one song if you've become an album-hating "everything except the hit single is just filler" kind of guy. You don't listen to "a bit" of that album. This was 1978, a time you were expected to play it through from start to finish and experience it as a whole concept, while admiring the gatefold sleeve. It doesn't even get going until side 2 (of 4).
PS: get off my lawn
Dont forget the mice!!!!
Actually, I came to complain about Footfall being missed out as well, but I do not agree it is dated, not quite. I have read that some of the weapons used by the "baby elephants in elevator shoes and flying hang gliders" are actually being worked on seriously.
I especially liked the part where they form a special tactical team of sci-fi writers to help plan the fight back!!
Archangel taking off!
Are they not exactly the same plot - as in Independence Day is the HG Wells book set in the US but with the twist of a computer virus and not a cold virus doing for the aliens?
Mind you, so is Mars Attacks. Perhaps we should just do a list of "films with the plot of War of the Worlds"
Of the three, Mars Attacks wins purely because it does not take itself seriously, and mercilessly kills A list actors left right and centre.
Mars Attacks:
Most of those actors did the thing for scale rates too, just for the hell of it.
I recall Tim Burton saying he was mystified that Tom Jones hadn't made films before, as he turned out to be really bloody good as an actor and a joy to work with, unlike most other celebs-turned-filmstars it had been his displeasure to deal with over the years. When this was put to Tom Jones, his response was that he'd have loved to go into acting earlier, he'd really enjoyed doing it, but nobody'd ever bothered to ask him before.
+1 for Mars Attacks, funny as hell and really not taking itself seriously and taking ridicule to new heights. The nuclear bomb trapped explosion that gets inhaled by the Martian commander to get high is a particularly brilliant take on the "our most advanced weapons can't touch them" theme.
For me V topped it, but only because I saw this as a kid, got scared stiff when Donovan pulled of the skin in the first pilot episode and the whole story was very intriguing IMO. The now classic question of "what if...".
I also recall another sci-fi / horror-like series but completely forgot the name, maybe any of you guys recall this: it featured around Mars; people could travel there (it was colonized) but the planet housed (of course) aliens who were actually friendly. They manifested themselves as blue orbs, could change into whatever they wanted (what people thought of) but didn't like it very well when 'we' tried to invade Mars.
Any of you happen to recall this ?
It's not quite an alien invasion movie, but for one slight twist in the alien's plan it very nearly could have been. And it's one of the most effective plans in the history of sci-fi. A lone alien arrives, disguised as a human being. He takes out some revolutionary patents based on processes unknown to humanity at the time and using its superior intelligence and the odd bit of judiciously applied knowledge about how tech will develop (given it influences discoveries), commences to build a business empire that would make Rockefeller blush. The only thing that stops the alien from more or less just taking over the Earth by simply exploiting the way our society works, is that its intent isn't actually to take over but to achieve something else. Of course the something else is so mind-numblingly stupid it makes the cleverness of the rest of the plot meaningless, but it's still an outstanding idea for how an alien could gain control on Earth using just a smattering of superior knowledge.
Chocky wasn't terrifying. What istruly terrifying is if you watch it today and realize how paced, intelligent and thoughtful it was compared to children's television today. The little boy in Chocky was clever and showed excellent logic skills, integrity and forethought. I can only imagine that a child of the same age as that character in today's media would be deemed far too unrealistic.