On Wed, 7 Apr 2021 07:28:32 -0700 (PDT), Jack Bohn
<
jack.bohn64@gmail.com> wrote:
Don wrote:
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2021/04/space-1979-wells-thon-one-that-everyone.html
Arcane art appeals to me. For instance, Pendragon Pictures' product:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells%27_The_War_of_the_Worlds_(Pendragon_Pictures_film)
took precedence over Cruise's vehicle and Asylum's mockbuster back in
2005. (Both of the latter two picture products remain unviewed by me to
this day.)
I caught the Cruise movie on TV, being interrupted by commercials sheared some pretentiousness off of it, and it was more modestly enjoyable.
I just plain enjoy it every time I see it.
Although it's interesting to watch a movie with a Wells character:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_After_Time_(1979_film)
it's more interesting for me to watch a Wellsian short story series with
Wells appearing as a character in his own story:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Infinite_Worlds_of_H._G._Wells
Wow! It's just about a year ago that I watched my copy of "Infinite Worlds." (you can guess why I had the time)
I remember finding the Wells-as-character parts unstructured, and being disappointed in the Wells adaptations. But maybe I'll have time to rewatch it next week if you post a review.
Interesting point you bring up about few recent adaptations of Wells. I could point to last years "The Invisible Man" but you could point back that it takes less from the novel than any recent Bond takes from Fleming's. I suppose any science fiction
story has a lifespan bounded by its predictions. "The First Men IN the Moon" (1964), like "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) before it, had to move from present or near-future into Hidden History. "Things to Come" would need to be overhauled (like _
War of the Worlds_ has been) to our current ability to respond to its events. I don't know what can be done with _War in the Air_, which, significantly, has no film adaptations.
Last year's /Invisible Man/ was so far off the mark I don't even
regard it as related to Wells. I regard it as yet another version of
/Sleeping with the Enemy/ (and countless others, no doubt) where the
evil husband (and he /is/ evil in these films, BTW) has made himself a
special suit. Like one of the Marvel "heroes", only different.
I suppose _The Time Machine_ and _The Invisible Man_, being essentially impossible, will never be caught up with. I guess for most of the other works, you are basically buying a recognized name, and maybe a bit of insurance against plagiarism lawsuits.
(much the case with Verne's _Journey to the Center of the Earth_. Essentially impossible, and many adaptations of that title are really more Burrough's Pellucidar.)
/The Invisible Man/ has had at least two good film adaptations (yes, I
liked /The Hollow Man/). /The Time Machine/ has not had one yet. I
think the problem is that the latter is much much harder to insert a love-interest into. Not that it prevented the filmmakers from trying.
--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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