Early War of the Worlds reviews

[D.Shaffer]

I have the feeling the gag on the previews was to prevent spoilers. I'm assuming (hoping) that Spielberg has changed the "twist" of the story so that the aliens are not in fact defeated by a virus.

Dont take this the wrong way, but what's left of the original War of the Worlds after that point?

 

[demiurge1138]

Dont take this the wrong way, but what's left of the original War of the Worlds after that point?

Blood drinking aliens in tripods blowing stuff up. Oh, and they come to Earth in meteorites. That's about the basics.

As long as the twist isn't that they're destroyed by a computer virus ala Independence Day, I'll be happy.

Demiurge out.

 

[Someone]

And could someone explain the oddities of Scientology?

It was invented by a bad sci´fi writer that was heard saying that inventing a new religion would be a great way to make tons of money.

nuff said.

 

[frankthedm]

I am going to see the flick because the preview gave me the feeling of what it would had looked like had the creature from The Dunwich Horror multiplied to clear off the earth.

 

[trancejeremy]

Just for the record, while I am aware of Scientologist's beliefs, I wasn't referring to them when I called Mr. Cruise nuts (since I'm not going to judge anyone else's religious beliefs as long as they are legal), I was referring to his bizzare performance on Oprah when he was jumping all around and waving his arms like a lunatic.

Anyway, here's a link to a story about the review thing. It's apparently actually that they asked the reviewers not to publish their review until the movie has hit theaters, not that they didn't advance screen it. (I think)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050623/en_nm/film_germany_dc_1

Only one I could find though was about the Germans being upset over it..

 

[Berandor]

Anyway, how did this guy see it, anyway? I was under the impression that no movie critics (except one major guy) were given an advance screening?

As far as I know, there were preview screenings, but critics were asked not to print a review of it before the movie started. That's how it was in Germany, where the board of film critics warned their members not to sign anything to that effect. I know I just read a review of it rating it 2/5 - which is very likely since Harry Knowles gushes over it, because other films he gushed over were not very good either. His track record includes Armageddon, Blade II and other mediocre fare.

So when Knowles is very happy - be careful. Very careful.

 

[Hand of Evil]

So could someone inform me on the finer points of what Tom Cruise has done to earn people's ire recently?

Well, there was the antics, jumping on furniture, yohooing and cheering on how much he was in love with Katie; this was on the Opra show. Then with Matt (who was also out of line to me) asking Tom about comments he made about Brooke Shields and anti-depressants.Tom just shot back at Matt on the over medication of drugs and his beliefs, you can find that interview on the Today web site; Matt was not expecting Tom to fire back like he did and was very upset but Tom hit with knowledge and it was embrassment to Matt.

 

[GlassJaw]

Then with Matt (who was also out of line to me) asking Tom about comments he made about Brooke Shields and anti-depressants

Why was Matt out of line? Tom made a stupid comment in public and now he's being called on it. Good for Matt. Tom has no right to make comments on other people's medical condition and expect to get a free pass.

Tom hit with knowledge and it was embrassment to Matt.

I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say Tom countered with any "knowledge". It was more of a rant or a tantrum than anything else. He claimed that Matt didn't know about the history of psychiatry and he did. He was also essentially just spewing text from the scientolog books verbatim. Heck, he couldn't even put complete sentences together. He was just rambling.

 

[Taelorn76]

Well, there was the antics, jumping on furniture, yohooing and cheering on how much he was in love with Katie; this was on the Opra show. Then with Matt (who was also out of line to me) asking Tom about comments he made about Brooke Shields and anti-depressants.Tom just shot back at Matt on the over medication of drugs and his beliefs, you can find that interview on the Today web site; Matt was not expecting Tom to fire back like he did and was very upset but Tom hit with knowledge and it was embrassment to Matt.

Granted I have not seen the whole interview, but I have seen the clips of when the conversation starts to heat up and switch gears. And Tom does not answer Matt's questions he just states he (Tom) knows the history of psychiatry and that Matt knows nothing about it.

 

[Hand of Evil]

here is a link to the transscript: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8343367/

I think Matt was out of line for pushing it, Tom gave an answer, Matt did not let it go (to me), maybe he was doing his job. Yes, Tom did come across, shall I say preaching and he never quoted sources but then Matt could not answer him either.

Cruise: It is a religion. Because it's dealing with the spirit. You as a spiritual being. It gives you tools you can use to apply to your life.

We asked Cruise to explain his recent comments regarding Brooke Shields. Cruise created a firestorm when he criticized Shields for revealing that she went into therapy and took antidepressants to deal with her postpartum depression. Cruise has said that, as a Scientologist, he doesn't believe in psychiatric medicine.

Cruise: I've never agreed with psychiatry, ever. Before I was a Scientologist I never agreed with psychiatry. And when I started studying the history of psychiatry, I understood more and more why I didn't believe in psychology.

And as far as the Brooke Shields thing, look, you got to understand, I really care about Brooke Shields. I think, here's a wonderful and talented woman. And I want to see her do well. And I know that psychiatry is a pseudo science.

Lauer: But Tom, if she said that this particular thing helped her feel better, whether it was the antidepressants or going to a counselor or psychiatrist, isn't that enough?

Cruise: Matt, you have to understand this. Here we are today, where I talk out against drugs and psychiatric abuses of electric shocking people, okay, against their will, of drugging children with them not knowing the effects of these drugs. Do you know what Aderol is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that?

Lauer: The difference is —

Cruise: No, no, Matt.

Lauer: This wasn't against her will, though.

Cruise: Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt —

Lauer: But this wasn't against her will.

Cruise: Matt, I'm asking you a question.

Lauer: I understand there's abuse of all of these things.

Cruise: No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.

Lauer: Aren't there examples, and might not Brooke Shields be an example, of someone who benefited from one of those drugs?

Cruise: All it does is mask the problem, Matt. And if you understand the history of it, it masks the problem. That's what it does. That's all it does. You're not getting to the reason why. There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.

Lauer: So, postpartum depression to you is kind of a little psychological gobbledygook —

Cruise: No. I did not say that.

Lauer: I'm just asking what you, what would you call it?

Cruise: No. No. Abso— Matt, now you're talking about two different things.

Lauer: But that's what she went on the antidepressant for.

Cruise: But what happens, the antidepressant, all it does is mask the problem. There's ways, [with] vitamins and through exercise and various things... I'm not saying that that isn't real. That's not what I'm saying. That's an alteration of what I'm saying. I'm saying that drugs aren't the answer, these drugs are very dangerous. They're mind-altering, antipsychotic drugs. And there are ways of doing it without that so that we don't end up in a brave new world. The thing that I'm saying about Brooke is that there's misinformation, okay. And she doesn't understand the history of psychiatry. She doesn't understand in the same way that you don't understand it, Matt.

more at the link above...