WAR of the WORLDS (vhs) George Pal, Gene and 50 similar items

Box is a little shelf worn around the corners. Cassette is nice and clean and this movie is now Out Of Print in all formats and no longer being manufactured. Pre-viewed for quality and had a few quick rolling lines on the opening B W real WWI and WWII documentary footage which itself is scratched and damaged so the defect seems to blend right in. Other than the hiccup mentioned, it plays great on my Emerson deck with nice color. Pop-n-go retro video is convenient without pesky menus to navigate. The full screen picture is also perfect for old school tube TVs as the image will fill your square frame. When a meteor falls near a small community in Southern California, a large orb emerges. A death ray disintegrates the first investigators and scientist Barry guesses that the meteor is a pioneer Martian spaceship. He then discovers that meteors have been landing all over the world. Soon flying machines with attached death rays arise from the meteors, and no matter how much armament is gathered against them (including an A-bomb), the death-dealing flying machines are invincible. The machines are not robots, but controlled from within by Martians, who raid Los Angeles but eventually succumb to Earth's bacteria. The ruined buildings, the deserted city, the sinister flying saucer-like craft and the Martians themselves in a ruined basement confrontation come together in a stunning special effects climax. This is a movie that actually benefeits from the 'softness' of a vhs transfer. The grain actually helps to hide the wires which are way more evident in the dvd transfer which is too sharp. This version sells the special effects a little better.