War of the Worlds: The True Story

The film bases its documentary approach on the 1938 Orson Welles CBS radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, by presenting itself as a true account of actual events. Director Timothy Hines said, in reference to this technique, "When Orson Welles broadcast War of the Worlds on the radio in the 1930s, he presented it in such a way as to not clearly identify that it was a work of fiction. He did it for the drama. And many people took the fictional news broadcast as a real news broadcast. People believed they were hearing an actual invasion from Mars that night. We are approaching the story in the same way, as if it were an actual news documentary". ==Cast==

The then-82-year-old actor Floyd Reichman, playing Bertie Wells, was recruited from the Theatre Puget Sound website by producer Goforth. Goforth played the character "The Wife" in flashbacks. Jim Cissell provides narration. Seattle-area actors Jack Clay (professor emeritus of the UW School of Drama) and John Kaufmann complete the main cast. Principal photography filmed at the Hogland House, a bed and breakfast in Mukilteo, Washington. ==Release==

According to the production company's website, the film was scheduled for a July 2011 release, to be available only in theaters on select weekends. In 2011, the film was scheduled to tour 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada. Co-Producer Donovan Le stated that opening on weekends would be the most lucrative, with "no internet distribution whatsoever until the movie has played out its run." Hines stated he was inspired by Kevin Smith's Rockstar Tour for his film Red State. The film premiered in Seattle on June 14, 2012, to begin its 50-theatre tour of the United States. To qualify for nomination for the Oscars, from December 18–24, 2012, True Story played in Pasadena, California. ==Reception==

Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times described the film as "clever like Wells" and "hugely inventive and ambitious," with an "eye-popping variety of" original and archival footage", matched to the period, adding, "War of the Worlds: The True Story," a mock sci-fi docudrama packed with a truly impressive —and clever —mix of editing (a reported years' worth), special effects, visual artistry and offbeat storytelling. In closing, he wrote, "It's quite a production." "But ultimately the viewer is less consumed by the story than in dispassionately admiring the craftsmanship on display. The dramatic scenes, filmed in sepia tones to blend in with the historical footage, are clumsily staged and acted. And the endless battle sequences blend in together in wearying fashion, making the film seem far longer than its 105 minutes." Shawn Frances, critic of the film review site, You Won Cannes, praised the film writing, "Ever since the 1953 movie adaptation of War of the Worlds there have been numerous other translations of Wells' novel, even a 1988 short-lived TV series, but of all the ones I have seen the only two—yes, only two—I find worthy of repeated viewings is the '53 film and this new 2013 docudrama." The Port Townsend Leader, published in Hines' home town, described the film's visuals as "packing a punch" despite the limited budget, finding the "designs of the tripods and aliens much truer to the book" than in other films of Wells' story, and that "Hines uses [the aliens'] limited screen time well." The review noted that "scenes of destruction and panic tend to blur together after awhile" in spite of some "standout set pieces", and the sepia-toned palette of the film "loses its appeal". Concluding, the film "puts a unique spin on something that has been done many times before, which is no small feat." ==References==