The War of the Worlds

55 years and one remake later and this George Pal special effects masterpiece still holds up. I have one book in my collection where sixty some odd pages alone are dedicated to the marvels of this adaptation of the famous H.G. Wells story and I don't think there is much more to be said on the subject other than good directing and acting will win out over CGI and visuals everytime. The basement scene here with the probing "alien eye" still packs more pound per punch than what Spielberg managed to provide and even the alien itself manages to be scarier than the computer animated ones in the remake and it goes without saying this film well earned it's Oscar in that department. As a bit of trivia, look for the great Pal himself as an old rubbie listening to a radio broadcast detailing the attack, a nice tip of the hat to the panic Orson caused years earlier with his broadcasted play.