ALL SCI-FI

[orzel-w]

This movie came to my attention courtesy of Filmfax #138 (Summer 2014). It first aired on the History Channel in 2013, then on BBC America in July, 2014. I haven't seen it, but I definitely want to, providing I can find it on DVD or streaming. The story re-imagines WW I as H.G. Wells' war between Earth and Mars, combining CGI with re-enacted WW I footage.

A History Channel teaser can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b95Ge1w61YA

More here:
http://www.history.co.uk/shows/the-great-martian-war/videos

And probably the best here:
http://www.rsvlts.com/2014/10/13/great-martian-war-video/
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Bud Brewster]

I love what they've done with this wild idea, and I look forward to seeing it.

However, I'll probably have to turn the sound off, because that music that blares out during the clips is slightly less melodic than a cat with it's tail caught in a blender.

Please tell me the actual movie doesn't have the music the clip does. That would be great.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[orzel-w]

[orzel-w]

After reading additional commentary on this production I amended my initial post from "...combining CGI with actual WW I footage" to "...combining CGI with re-enacted WW I footage."

I still haven't seen this turn up on Netflix DVD; not even as a future offering.
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Gord Green]

I've really liked the parts I've seen. The Youtube clips are good, but the download for the movie is so warped that the picture and the sound are unwatchable.

There are a few sources online for this film, but they are from sites that are a bit dodgey and require signning up.

I couldn't find it available from Amazon either. It was originally done for the UK and Canadian and may be available on PAL format there. Also, with all the repeats done by the History Channel this one has not shown up since the original showing for some reason.

This post does not go into the plot and other info on the film, so I thought I'd look into it.

The following is edited from various sites including Wikipedia.

THE GREAT MARTIAN WAR 1913 - 1917



Combining period archive materials with state-of-the-art special effects, The Great Martian War 1913–1917 features "previously recorded" interviews with now aging or dead war veterans while looking back at the entire sweep of the interplanetary conflict.



The war begins in the depths of Germany's Bohemian Forest, following a massive explosion and shock wave that is felt by the rest of Europe. Elements of the German army are sent to investigate and are wiped out. The German government makes a panicked appeal for military assistance in fighting what turns out to be a powerful, non-human invading force thought to be from Mars.



As the conflict unfolds, the film showcases the devastation of Western Europe, where a rag-tag human alliance digs in against monstrous Martian fighting machines, unaware that deep flaws exist in their military leadership's central battle strategy. Across the Atlantic, the film outlines the political battle for the White House as president Woodrow Wilson struggles to maintain U. S. neutrality, all the while sending aid to the beleaguered European alliance.





From the skies over central London, where biplanes battle a towering alien tripod, to the war’s catastrophic final act, the Allies, now standing on the brink of total defeat by the alien invaders, must decide if launching an untested and potentially devastating secret weapon is worth risking the lives of millions and causing a global pandemic.



[img]https://i.imgur.com/5kH4Obj.jpg/img]



Exploring the war's events are modern historians with opposing views about the conflict's many controversies.





They most especially disagree on an incendiary new discovery by one of them centered around the uncrackable "Martian Code", a vast century old cache of alien documents seized following the conclusion of the war.







These documents now appear to contain the direst of warnings that the war may only be paused, with its second act now unfolding in a way no one can anticipate





A reviewer commented :

"What an audacious, perfectly clever, and perfectly realized project…. The utmost skill and craftsmanship have delivered this merging of faux archival-style (scratched, battered) footage (appearing as though from The Great War) with an endless CGI army of ruthless Titan alien machines.…To my mind, the result was utterly awesome, and 'awesome' is not a word I throw around lightly….

Indeed, the entire film seems authentic, and to have pulled it off so satisfactorily reflects uncommonly well on The Great Martian War’s creative team.
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Bud Brewster]

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Great post, Gord!

It still isn't on DVD, as far as I can tell.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)