Those of you that were impressed with Paramount's CAV release of 'When Worlds Collide' a couple of months ago are going to love 'War Of The Worlds'. In a review of 'When Worlds Collide', I commented on the exceptional quality of the transfer, particularly considering the age of the source material. 'War Of The Worlds' is, if anything, better. The Technicolor hues are beautiful. The transfer is spectacular. Absolutely clear, not a trace of grain. The image is crisp with excellent detail. Watching this disc, I was amazed that I was watching a 42 year old movie. The film runs 85 minutes and is presented on 3 sides in CAV. Side breaks are pretty good, considering they didn't have much leeway on time. The film was released in 1952, before the advent of CinemaScope, and is not a widescreen film. A trailer for 'When Worlds Collide' follows the feature.
Paramount also located stereo tracks for 'War Of The Worlds' and has come up with a sound transfer to match the video. The liner notes indicate this is the first time this film has been available in stereo. The soundtrack is very clear with good depth for such an old recording. The quality of the soundtrack also adds to the illusion that this is a much newer film.
'War Of The Worlds' is, in my humble opinion, a better film than 'When Worlds Collide', making the $45 price tag a little easier to swallow. It is still overpriced but, none the less, recommended. The disc has a fabulous transfer and the movie is a "must have" for fans of the genre. Enjoy.
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