By Martin Unsworth
George Pal’s perennial sci-fi classic gets a deluxe UHD release from popular Australian boutique label Imprint, and it’s well worth the double (or triple) dip!
Based on H.G. Wells’ novel, this is probably people’s favourite version of the tale (closely followed by the musical version), despite transplanting the action from Victorian London to a small Californian town. It still holds up well after all these years, and it’s always a pleasure to revisit, particularly when it’s presented in such a lavish style. Most of the extras and commentaries have been heard and seen before, but Imprint has put their edition out with a lovely-looking 3D lenticular slipcover and a rather superb 44-page booklet. While the UK 4K edition featured another Pal film, When Worlds Collide, as a bonus disc (in standard HD only), Imprint has the 4K and standard edition together, and both discs contain the same extras.
Despite everyone knowing this as a George Pal film, it’s actually Byron Haskin who directed the picture – and a great job he does too. Although Haskin helmed a few superb fantasy films (including Conquest of Space and Robinson Crusoe on Mars), he never really gets the credit he deserves. It’s a Technicolor explosion of vivid images, with a cool Martian design and some genuinely creepy moments.
Imprint’s edition is well worth splashing out on if you’re a fan of the movie.
