What could have been

[Wastedyuthe]

I am sure we posted something like this on the old forum. But as we are now on a new (and excellent) forum, I think we ought to have some piccy's posted here on what this film should have been like.

Of course there was the missing Camelot scene...



... and pictures were painted on exactly what the view would have been like over the hill...



... There were also hints that aliens would also grow in cocoons in the red weed...



Anyone else want to contribute?

[Rob]

I always wanted to see the bit with the Tripod picking through the abandoned houses. I'd have liked to have seen much more in the city scenes, not just the initial, RUN FOR YOU LIFE sprint that Cruise does.

I wonder wheather they will ever add scenes are release a special edition directors cut DVD.

Probably not...

[Thunder Child]

Its interesting to see those humans on fire in that Over The Hill painting, suggesting that the alien beam was first intended to be an actual Heat ray...

[almichev]

Glad they did away with the eggs, too much like Alien i think.

All the pre-production paintings and the camelot scene make me very frustrated with what the film could have been like - dark, scary, exciting and moving. Such a waste of vision.

[rusti]

They wanted the film to be a popcorn muncher where you can take little Johnny Brat for his holiday. So realising that all the juicy bits were bloody violent and brutal, the execs decided to do away with all those bits too keep the film rating low.

Why do you think they have a chavvy family with disgustingly mental kids in the film: that's right to make it a family picture.

Whole movie was a cop out.

[Wastedyuthe]

Of course there was a scene filmed where he is in the bar after work, which is why he is late meeting his ex and his kids at his house. This was cut to move the story along I suppose, and perhaps might have been a worthwhile cut. It would have introduced the lady we meet at the ferry, but would we have needed to, really?
There were more walking scenes filmed too, where we would have seen more red weed, and one of these clips would have been Tom taking the alien artefact he found earlier (you see him put it in his pocket where the lightning struck) and placing it on the ground- but I am not sure why. I did see photo's of these somewhere on the web, but unfortunately can't remember where. If anyone has them or knows where to find them, please post.
By the way, I do think the film was great. It was the film that made me buy the book and got me into all of this. However, I do agree that it could have been so much better with some of the scenes (like the Camelot scene) put in. I have said before, that I hope when the Jeff Wayne version comes out on dvd, that Spielberg might want to cash in by releasing a Director's cut of his vision. I wouldn't see it as competition for Wayne's dvd, and at least we could hopefully get a film that would be closer to the vision we all wanted.

[Lensman]

I guess Rusti/Mr Fibble saw a different version of the movie than I did. The version I saw wasn't at all aimed at a younger audience. It was a frightening and sobering film, which left its audience remarkably quiet and thoughtful at the end. And I know that's not just my personal observation-- I just read a review the other day from a film critic who also remarked on how unusually quiet people were when leaving the theatre.

I think Spielberg accomplished his goal much better than those slamming this film realize. He wasn't making a popcorn movie. He wasn't making "Independence Day II". He didn't put in the "over the hill" battle scene because that's not the kind of film he was making!

And I apologize if this ruffles anyone's feathers, but that so-called "Camelot" scene seems to have grown to mythic proportions, as if putting a deleted scene back in would suddenly make the movie the kind of film people *want* it to be.

Well sorry, WOTW fans, it's *not* the kind of movie *you* wanted it to be-- it's the kind Spielberg wanted it to be. Sure, I wanted a period piece true to Wells' story, but clearly Spielberg wanted to tell a different story.

If those lambasting this film could set aside their preconceptions, and watch this film for what it *is* rather than what they *want* it to be, they might see this is a very good film, despite some serious flaws. In fact, if it weren't for those flaws, this would be a Great film.
.

[Wastedyuthe]

Yes I agree Lensman- it is a very good film and hardly a family film at all- let's face it, the film has a body count of millions- we just don't see it all on screen. I am so glad it wasn't just another ID4, but still, there should have been a bit more invasion action imo. I suppose I just wanted to see more of the tripods and more death and destruction (am I a sadistic sod or wot?!). This is the reason why I would like the Camelot scene re-inserted. There is no more death on screen as such, but there is more tripod action, and it sounds very chilling as Ray and co observe a tripod feeling their way through a buildings windows and picking out people to put in it's baskets- showing us there is no where to hide at all. Very creepy. However, I do appreciate the film for what it is. Has anyone got those piccys of the other missing scenes?

[bittersound]

Wow, that's an awesome picture!

[steann]

bittersound said:

Wow, that's an awesome picture!

WOW

hmmm cocoons a bit too the invasion the body snatchers there methinks

'scuse me a sec while i steal the pic i mean borrow the pic

[Wastedyuthe]

Yeah- I painted them myself *cough!!*

[nervouspete]

Wastedyuthe: "Behold... Camelot!"

Steann: "Camelot!"

Black Mirror: "Camelot!"

Rob: "Camelot!"

Lensman: "It's only a deleted scene."

Wastedyuthe: "SHH!"

...

I entirely agree with Lensman, by the way.

[steann]

wastedyuthe said:

Yeah- I painted them myself *cough!!*

raised eyebrow here

[steann]

nervouspete said:

Wastedyuthe: "Behold... Camelot!"

Steann: "Camelot!"

Black Mirror: "Camelot!"

Rob: "Camelot!"

Lensman: "It's only a deleted scene."

Wastedyuthe: "SHH!"

...

I entirely agree with Lensman, by the way.

couldn't have put it better meself ( saved me typing all of that it did )

[Wastedyuthe]

Here's a pic I found Googling...