War of the Worlds - BBC
- Thread starter wiskey
- Start date
danny la rouge
More like *fanny* la rouge!
I’ll be watching it on catch up.
Reno
The In Kraut
I got so excited at the prospect of an adaptation which takes place in the period when it was written, but it was shown in Canada a few weeks ago and the reviews were terrible, indicating that this was made by people with little interest in the novel. Apparently it starts out mediocre and then gets worse. I believe this was supposed to be Christmas programming by the BBC, but they lost faith in it and have now dumped it in a November slot. There is another TV adaptation in the works, yet again set in contemporary times.
ginger_syn
Her Insanity laughs under pressure...👾
Despite not being faithful to the book I enjoyed it and will be watching again.
fucthest8
Cool people die horrible, preventable deaths.
Yeah, I don't mind that they've inserted a love story, just wanted to see it set in the right period. Here's hoping they cover the major points, was a bit worried about the "preview" of her wandering around with a child though...
Me too.
I don't like modern science fiction and never watch it.
I've been a fan of H G Wells for as long as I can remember though.
The BBC made a British version of Independence day as an audio book. It's available online somewhere.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
It was originally scheduled for November last year. The scenes in 'Woking' were filmed in Great Budworth near where I went to school. A former schoolfriend of mine was watching some of the filming as she was in the village that day, so was intrigued for that reason also. But I have to admit to being disappointed already. It is a fantastic story, without out the moralising 'love triangle' or the importance of the Admiralty in the story and the flash forwards of wandering through a Red Planet, an allusion to the 'Red weed' at a guess. There was already a love story between the Narrator and his wife, there was no need to change that, a change that makes it worse imho.
In short it has rather disappointed me and I am not hopeful of any improvement.
ginger_syn
Her Insanity laughs under pressure...👾
Yes seemed a bit random.
Same. I'll carry on watching it but could well do without that.
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
World on Fire had the same sort of love triangle thing, it seems to be obligatory.
It is obligatory in fucking everything, it seems.
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
I'd say it starts out bad and gets worse.
Mumbles274
running from law and the press and the parents
Just watched it. Don't see the need for the flash forwards. Just tell the story ffs
Looks great, Glad its set in the right time. But my memory of the plot is that they all came over a number of nights and all opened more or less together. It doesnt have that sense that it was a wave of attacks.
As has been said. Just Make the story as it is told
Will watch it all though
Looks great, Glad its set in the right time. But my memory of the plot is that they all came over a number of nights and all opened more or less together. It doesnt have that sense that it was a wave of attacks.
As has been said. Just Make the story as it is told
Will watch it all though
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
Almost every victorian novel by men has a distinct lack of major roles for women, so they have to beef them up, but it is a massive shame they can't do so more imaginatively.
Like everyone else, it looks worthy but dull. So may well find better things to do on future sundays.
Hopefully their adaptation of Black Narcissus, which is coming next in this timeslot, will be more like it. The film of that sticks fairly closely to the book (bar one significant change at the end) so it'll be hard to improve upon, but should still be fun.
Like everyone else, it looks worthy but dull. So may well find better things to do on future sundays.
Hopefully their adaptation of Black Narcissus, which is coming next in this timeslot, will be more like it. The film of that sticks fairly closely to the book (bar one significant change at the end) so it'll be hard to improve upon, but should still be fun.
Reno
The In Kraut
The unnamed narrator of the novel is mostly a passive witness and isn’t much of a character at all. It makes sense to give him a personality and to add more characters for him to interact with. Even a love interest would be ok as long as it’s kept understated. She could have been someone he meets on his travels and who joins him and she even could have been a suffragette. Here it feels like that was more important than adapting the novel though. What I hate is the condescending idea that classic novels have to be made “relevant” for modern audiences in the mistaken belief that otherwise they can’t relate to the past. So they’ve shoehorned in modern social concerns which have nothing to do with the theme if the book. Apart from that, this lacks urgency and the effects suck.
This is like that awful Time Machine remake from 2002 where I thought they’d make a more faithful movie than the (fun but strictly kids stuff) 60s version and then they made a staggeringly awful film.
This is like that awful Time Machine remake from 2002 where I thought they’d make a more faithful movie than the (fun but strictly kids stuff) 60s version and then they made a staggeringly awful film.
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danny la rouge
More like *fanny* la rouge!
It seemed fine to me. Perfectly watchable. And having her from Poldark in a major role works for me.
a_chap
When the world came apart, where were you?
For those who prefer a more authentic version of The War Of The Worlds, try this:
BBC Sounds - The War of the Worlds by HG Wells - Available Episodes
BBC Sounds - The War of the Worlds by HG Wells - Available Episodes
Kaka Tim
Half Arsed and Slapdash till I Die
I thought it was really good.
Dark, apocalyptic and exploring some interesting themes around imperialism (which is touched on within the book - the actions of the martians are directly compared with the actions of the europeans towards "lesser races") and some of the radical thinking of the time (which wells was very much interested in).
So having the hero - and his partner - as a "free thinking" radical sets the story up nicely for the Utopian ideas that emerge following the destruction of civilisation. And clear echoes of our sense of impending apocalypse. I like that they are not going so much for "authentic costume drama" - but a particular take on the politics, power structures and ideas of the time.
Its an adaptation - there is no rule saying that it has to stick to the original story - the trick is to pull out the best of the drama and thematic resonances of the source materiel.
Also - as with lord of the rings - their are some serious weaknesses in the original book - the narrator (as remarked on above) in the original is a passive observer - but also with a strong streak of unpleasant misanthropy - also some of the ideas and fears that wells was exploring have no real resonance today or are quite dodge (i.e. his support for eugenics, his disdainful and patronising view of the working class) . However - there is also much that is great about the original - and from what i saw, that's all still there.
Dark, apocalyptic and exploring some interesting themes around imperialism (which is touched on within the book - the actions of the martians are directly compared with the actions of the europeans towards "lesser races") and some of the radical thinking of the time (which wells was very much interested in).
So having the hero - and his partner - as a "free thinking" radical sets the story up nicely for the Utopian ideas that emerge following the destruction of civilisation. And clear echoes of our sense of impending apocalypse. I like that they are not going so much for "authentic costume drama" - but a particular take on the politics, power structures and ideas of the time.
Its an adaptation - there is no rule saying that it has to stick to the original story - the trick is to pull out the best of the drama and thematic resonances of the source materiel.
Also - as with lord of the rings - their are some serious weaknesses in the original book - the narrator (as remarked on above) in the original is a passive observer - but also with a strong streak of unpleasant misanthropy - also some of the ideas and fears that wells was exploring have no real resonance today or are quite dodge (i.e. his support for eugenics, his disdainful and patronising view of the working class) . However - there is also much that is great about the original - and from what i saw, that's all still there.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
i quite like the bits where it is alien invasion and great panic but i don't like the amount of jumping about in it from 'war' to 'post-war' and back again.
plus there's demelza out of poldark and her son seems to be the warleggans' little boy
plus there's demelza out of poldark and her son seems to be the warleggans' little boy
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