THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: NEXT CENTURY
Starring.
With special appearance of
and.
Songs sung and composed by.
Edited by Sound.
Settings Interior decoration Wardrobe.
Production manager.
Photography.
Screenplay and direction.
This film is dedicated to Herbert George Wells and Orson Wells.
What are you doing to him?
- We're playing. - So why did you kick him?
For he is a human and I am a Martian.
- Yes? What if he kicked you? - He is too weak.
And what if I played a Martian? What do you say to this now?
- Run shaver! - No, set him free.
- What? - Sooner or later you'll have to,
and he will catch ma and boot me away... Set him free...
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: NEXT CENTURY
At the close of the 20th century, mankind has been honored to get in touch
with an extraterrestrial civilisation for the first time in history.
The first extraterrestial spaceships touched down at 11: 15
in the south-western part of the country to a hearty tumultuous
welcome from a local population. The spacecomers who represent
a standard of culture and development which is
superior to the terrestrial one, have embarked upon a historic
mission to share their knowledge and experience with the humans.
You are always in a hurry, Mr. Idem.
I beg your pardon, Mr. Idem,
this is a new version of your commentary.
- New what? - Version.
What do you mean, the latest news?
And what's the latest news?
What did you bring me here?
I told you, a new version you are to deliver.
Give me back my text, bastard!
Your text is before your eyes. Understood?
Attention! You are on!
6, 5, 4,
3, 2, 1.
Go!
Hallo to all of you who care to listen to me and I take
it for granted that nobody compels you to listen!
The day is December 28,
three days go till the end of the year
and the century.
If anyone of you folks knows how many days are to go till the end of the world,
please don't fail to give us a ring!
Today is the 12th day of a new era.
Twelve days ago mankind ceased to be alone.
Today our space brothers paid an official visit to the National Gallery
to say they admire terrestrial culture for being so profound.
The blood group marking operation,
vital for all of us, is going on smoothly.
The checkpoints can mark your ID cards in no time at all.
Remember, to be a good citizen means to have no trouble,
and you will have no trouble, if you are not a trouble for the others.
Go to mark and register your blood group.
A new worthwhile idea is the "TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP"
distinction to be awarded to those who have made a particularly
weighty contribution to developing contacts with the Martians.
The respective motions will be proposed by the Martians
and by special committees.
To demonstrate our support for this idea we reduce the TV licence
fare for all those awarded the "TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP".
Now foreign reports?
Well, actually the eyes of the whole world stay turned to our country,
so no wonder there is nothing special to report.
This was the news of the day from your independent Iron Idem whom you trust!
Whom you should trust!
Whom you have to trust!
And now the electrifier.
The latest hit from "THE INSTANT GLUE" band.
"An Ode to the Martian."
You really gave it to them.
What?
The end of the world business,
telling them to ring up if somebody knows.
And did anyone ring?
Were they supposed to?
Why did you change my text?
- Did someone change your text? - Yes, one of your apes.
Your program is broadcast live
and you are free to say what you want...
Now listen, if this ever repeats again, I'll break off the program.
You could have done it today and you haven't.
You had fear?
I still have some sense of responsibility.
Responsibility, fear, discipline. It's all the same.
Nothing to be ashamed of, these are welcome virtues.
Listen. Everything has it's bounds.
And it's price.
Are you going to rebel? Can you afford?
- I... - You are an independent,
and I am to check up on you.
"And the Martians are our chance".
And what would you actually like to tell people by television?
What is going on in streets.
You mean the traffic?
I heard...
there were some accidents. Tell the viewers not to get hysterical.
You sound convincing. A good idea for tomorrow.
Will you do it?
I'll give it a thought.
Mouth! I said: Mouth?!
What do you want?
- Love. - Love who?
Them.
What did you do to my wife?
- Took her away. - Why?
Because you love her.
What has she to do with it?
You'll fall for them sooner.
Why just me?
They like to see you on television. There's something optimistic about you.
So what?
We want you to tell them how you like them.
Here is the Token of Friendship no. 614. Repeat!
The Token of Friendship 614. It hurts.
What am I to do with it?
Rejoice and register as a friend.
Bullshit!
It's an honor. Don't annoy your friends.
Will you register?
Yes.
I'm glad to see you like them a little already.
- I want to register. - As a friend?
Yes.
Honest congratulations. I knew straight you were an honest man.
- Name? - Iron Idem.
Ah, it's you!
Yes.
You always come up with something there in television.
- Want to help yourself? - No. So will you register?!
I will put on the record.
I will.
Have you your blood group certificate?
No.
So how do you imagine this?
But I have, I have this!
You should have said so at once.
Lean forward, please.
614, a nice low number and you are ashamed of it?
Too bad.
No, I am not ashamed.
So why do you keep it hidden?
I only have to keep my ears warm.
You don't have to apologize. Not to me.
I only keep records.
But I would not hide it.
- Your photo? - I haven't any. What for?
You qualify for the Life Permit.
I haven't any.
I might give it to you anyway. You would stick it in later.
But can one trust people?
Sign here.
- Will you stick it in? - Yes, I will.
Under the regulations we should sing the anthem now,
but since you are from television, I will let up on this.
What else can we do for you?
I thought I could learn something about my wife.
Does she also want to register?
No.
She's been taken away by the Martians.
Mr. Idem, you seem a reasonable man, you have a responsible job.
You don't believe in what you are saying, do you?
Why do you give in to gossip and hysteria?
So what am I to do?
You may go back home.
Excuse me.
Mr. Idem, wait!
As a matter of fact I see your point.
Between the two of us, those Martians are awful scoundrels.
Aren't they?
I admire men like you.
So much sacrifice for a friendship with such runts.
Many times,
I sight with relief to realize, I don't have to decide on anything myself,
that I am only an office worker you know, from this to that paragraph.
To have the right of choice, like you do, must be a cruel thing.
Are you playing a provocator?
Yes, yes. It was a provocation. A duty, you see?
There's a varying human element coming here.
Not all are like you... with honest intent.
I am so pleased, Mr. Idem, so pleased.
You haven't failed me.
Help me, you puppet.
You are young, only your mind is full of shit!
Help me, please!
Please...
smash those howling bastards, I beg you.
- I have come. - So I can see.
I have come so that you don't need to employ your sleuth.
It's not enough.
What else do you want?
I want you to write your texts by yourself.
- What for? - Simply, because you can do it.
You feel the viewers' tastes.
What are they to believe in now?
Do you expect me to stick my finger in your asshole and wiggle
you around like a puppet and reward you with a candy afterwards?
I have dozens of such puppets.
You must be different.
You must know what to do yourself.
What I want from you is spontaneity, ardour, faith.
Maybe I...
need a candy?
What's a candy for you?
My wife, give her back.
They say:
To get something you must want it like hell.
It's not true.
To get something you must be scared like hell.
Are you scared enough to get candies?
Martians!
Loove!
Laaw!
I am very sorry, Mr. Idem, but you no longer live here.
You no longer can go upstairs.
What do you mean?
There were complaints that you disturb peace.
A committee came.
They found your door open and your TV-set blaring forth at full volume.
Only decent people live here.
You have demolished everything and they want peace.
Going upstairs is pointless for you. You don't live here.
Mr. Idem, if you do, I will have to...
You don't need it, do you.
Mr. Idem, what are you doing?
Mr. Idem, this is a service lodge.
Please don't touch it. And I used to like you so much.
You must be not well. Must you demolish everything?
Mr. Idem, wait.
They told me to give it back to you.
You may take it. I give it to you for exemplary service.
And one more thing...
from the committee.
Today is December 29, an exceptional day.
A day on which we celebrate no anniversary!
Today, there have been no noteworthy deaths,
but maybe there have been some worthwhile births.
If you know anything about it,
Iron Idem, that is I am waiting for your calls.
Remember!
A wife may betray you! A lover may spurn you!
A friend may desert you!
But I, or television, shall never!!
Our friends from Mars have spent the 13th day
of their visit on tightening interplanetary friendship.
13 is not an unlucky number on Mars any longer.
But it is still sometimes on the Earth.
Recently, some not very serious street accidents have happened.
So while you are out in a street bear in mind that the Martians
are still not familiar with the terrestrial street traffic rules.
Demonstrate your friendly feelings by taking more care.
Help a Martian in the street!
One proof of the thrill which our space visitors give you are
questions of whether we will broadcast a Martian language course.
No, we won't! There is no need.
The Martian's phenomenal intellectual powers
have enabled them to master our language immediately.
To confide to the Martians your most secret thoughts and desires,
you may stick to English.
The sanitation office reminds you that
today is the deadline for compulsory blood group marking and registration.
The ID cards failing to provide the blood test record are invalid,
which in itself should spur you to take part in this expedient operation.
The warning is out that the dodgers act
against their own interest and general weal.
We are pleased to note that the circle of persons
honored with the "Token of Friendship" is growing.
Remember, those granted the honor should report
to the registration stations to receive a Life Permit
which relieves you of the duty to mark your blood group.
Am I invited?
What will you have?
Something expensive.
I receive a commission on the bill you will pay.
Are you sure you can afford it? It's an expensive brandy.
So your commission will rise accordingly.
Aren't you taking too much care about me?
No.
I just want to get rid of the money before I have a fancy to buy you.
What are you doing?
I don't want you to get broke.
Or maybe I want you to afford to buy me.
- What's your name? - Gea.
Do you like me?
You are beautiful.
Take off your clothes...
No, no need.
I want to sleep, just sleep.
But you still have two hours to go.
I want to spend them just here.
You want nothing, except sleep?
Yes.
What good is it?
Maybe I have a dream.
This is worth much more than what you've paid.
So throw me out.
You even have a Life Permit. Is this your ID?
Yes.
Why are you hanging around at night?
- I'm taking a walk... - Your address?
- For the time being. - Send off to a flop-house.
That's how it is with you. Your flop-house accommodation
card has been written out for you and you don't use it?!
Is anything wrong?
Do you want to be all right? So where do you want to go?
To the flop-house.
Well...
And this will cover the bill for the ride.
Iron Idem!
You'll be all right here and you'll have some adress, won't you.
Are you the Iron Idem News?
Who are you?
Show me your mug! Come on!
Is it really you, the television pimp?!
Where did you lose your fluff?
You know what?
I hate you, you television French letter.
You horn in on human brains, tread down on them, soil them, mangle them...
but hygroscopially, in a condom.
You give pleasure, but you are barren.
How many brains did you devour today, you glass condom?!
One, my own.
And that's why you are here... But good for you.
After you have taken it in, thrown it out, spat it out,
you will have a new one.
You'll begin thinking, but then you will have to change the job.
You know something.
You look even quite nice here, without your fluff.
It's as if there were two of you.
One is a scoundrel whom you leave behind the door,
while the other is going out in the street.
You would be afraid to wear that wig in the street, wouldn't you.
Because while you're wearing it, you talk bullshit about freedom,
and when you take it off you think you are free.
But what sort of freedom is that, if you have to keep a wig in your wardrobe?
I like you, but you will die.
First you, and then the whole television of yours.
Maybe I will blast it, maybe someone else,
but you will all die.
When you go to set fire to the TV studios, take me along.
Would you go, would you really go along?!
I don't know if I am a believer,
but now I would like to know the prayer.
It's as if they put me in a glass vessel
along with 10 hungry rats.
The rats are huge like silver pigs with tiny aerials.
I know you cannot help me.
But you can listen, really listen.
And then try to find a single word,
sequel a single word for me to take along.
The silver pigs have trodden me into the ground, not only me.
Humans grope in mud and make piggish airs from there,
they grunt like swine to please the others.
As if they had anything to lose yet.
As if they did not know they will all end up in shit one by one.
If only someone stood by my side,
looked at me like a human and talked to me with the human voice!
That's why I have come to you.
To talk to a human being.
To pray to a human being.
I have come for your attention,
your single word,
give me this single word.
You sin.
Those with blood group "0" go to donate their blood first.
Don't eat anything, stay on an empty stomach.
The remainder exercise and wait for their group to be called out.
You donate your blood voluntarily. Who fails, will not get breakfast.
Who does not eat, cannot donate blood.
Who cannot donate blood, loses accommodation in our flop-house.
You donate blood voluntarily.
Those in the waiting row, exercise, please. Let's exercise!
Why don't you exercise?
Come on, exercise!
Why don't you exercise, little bug?
Because I am pregnant.
This is not a delivery room.
Go, go and feel better there.
Everything is all right.
Keep an order.
Order is your good.
Stand and wait for your turn at the checkpoint.
Get ready your blood group certificates.
Those with Life Permit don't queue.
Sanitary control is your good.
Do not resist. All is right.
Mr. Idem,
it's me.
Mr. Idem, don't have any hard feelings against me...
I just do what I am told,
so you do, don't you? That's why we both are needed.
Even if I am only a porter.
You know. A good caretaker is also worth something.
I am duty conscious, I have a good memory,
I know everything about lodgers.
I am a professional.
A good porter is hard to find.
They are always in demand and appreciated.
I am also honest.
I gave you back the TV-set, although I could have kept it, couldn't I?
Don't worry about the walkie-talkies you smashed.
I told them they fell down by themselves.
The TV-set is in a fine working order.
You really can behave.
Pass on, pass on!
No hard feelings?
I was waiting for you.
I were to find you in a flop house, but the street is sealed off.
I thought I would find you here, and I am lucky.
What do you want?
You know, my principle is not to chase the luck,
only to wait calmly till it turns up itself.
I am from BONUS AND BONUS attorneys. Atlaw and I have a request to you.
Could you spare a little time for me?
Let's have breakfast together, shall we?
My firm is footing the bill, of course.
Sir, my firm has sealed off your bank account,
but you really have no reason to worry.
We'll come to an arrangement, after all.
What we want is a palimony guarantee for your wife.
There is no reason to worry.
It's better to settle this by a transaction.
Your wife holds certain arguments against you.
For example, sir, here are the photos of what you did to the apartment.
Here is a porter's testimony before the committee.
You know things like these are bound to impress the court,
so I would advise a transaction.
This fork can pierce your neck,
go through your gullet and land in your midbrain.
Then I will turn it by 90 degrees
and pull it out fast, too fast for you to scream.
It would be no use anyway. Where is my wife?
Mr. Idem, I don't know...
I only carry out instructions.
- From whom? - I don't know,
Mr. Idem, please... I am just an errand boy.
No, I have no grudge against you.
You are right to treat humans this way.
They deserve it. They are submissive, cowardly, inactive, like me.
They need to be put to violence.
They do only what they are told to, like me.
I have a 15-year practice and I am still afraid.
No, you don't understand it.
You are free, independent.
You are right.
You can do anything with humans, if you only use a fork.
Now, coming back to our business. I really advise a compromise deal.
Today at twilight!
A TV SUPER SHOWin Dreams Hall which you can watch live!
Want a ticket? Donate you blood voluntarily.
Want 3 tickets? Donate a double dose of blood voluntarily.
Bring joy to your family.
Today is the last chance.
A nearby streets dwellers have already donated 129 liters of blood.
Try better!
The dodgers will be brought over to donate the double dose of blood,
but will not get TV SUPER SHOW tickets as a penalty.
Who fingers out the dodgers will get an extra ticket.
Today at twilight. In Dreams Hall. Today is the last day.
Hey mister, hole up here, or they'll suck you.
What?
They'll suck you of blood.
Do you want to get sucked of your blood?
What for? Don't be stupid.
From here you get a good view anyway.
How many times did he donate blood?
Never, only the compulsory delivery.
- 4 tickets are due to us. - What?
That's right. The grandpa wanted to dodge,
we denounce him, so it's one ticket.
Now the grandpa will yield a double dose, so it's 3. Altogether 4.
What? Four?
The old man is worth 2 at the most.
What do you expect, you little punk,
you have brought me here an old rotten lout and you want more tickets?!
Hey you with the plate in your ear! What are you doing here?
I am from television.
You have seen enough.
Can you offer me a good seat for the show?
- Sorry, I can't. - You can't?
Don't you know. All programs are cancelled.
Mine too?
There'll be a big show in the Dreams Hall in the evening
where you also are to appear.
What happened?
They say the Martians are going away tomorrow.
But officially I know nothing. If you don't know, how should I know?
Oh how beautiful!
Oh, how nice!
You my baby Martian!
Friend give a candy, a red candy.
No, you don't pay anything today.
Anything. It's free.
Everything is free.
Hey sir, do you know what fun we had today!
Sir, today...
Once this place is over you will announce my appearance.
But Mr. Idem, this will be broadcast live.
You can't do that.
- The sequence is already fixed. - The sequence has been changed.
You are late and you don't know. Your announcement is at the end.
Announcement? What announcement? Ah, announcement! It will be now.
The sequence is fixed by the boss and I would rather hear this from him.
Say it!
The concert of farewell to the Martians cannot do without Iron Idem.
Today there'll be no announcements,
no jokes,
no news.
I hear this is a good-bye to the Martians.
I also want to say good-bye to you.
But this is no reason to feel sad.
Simply, as of tomorrow you will love someone new.
Do you know why you like me?
The more idiotic my programs were, the wiser you felt.
That was the point.
To pick the TV chaos for truths which you thought convenient.
You accept only this what reinforces you in belief
that passiveness is a virtue and a must.
Because this is what you want to believe in.
You cry, you pity yourselves and what then?
Then you sit in front of a TV-set
and you feel you get the absolution for your sins,
you feel more human from those who you watch.
But you watch humans like you.
Hypocrites like you, feeble like you, submissive like you.
Television is created in your image.
Stop being a herd of silly blockheads.
Can you see this tin plate?
Do you think I could talk you into believing that it is an honor,
a reason for pride,
if you themeselves did not want to believe it yourselves?!
Now, what is it actually?
You are stupefied, volitionless.
They tell you to donate blood, you donate it.
They tell you to go about on all fours, you do it!
You sell out your dignity, your honesty,
only to buy a larger TV-set, to get offal of authority.
Each of you wants to rule, but each is a slave.
Every one of you is being raped,
but the only thing you desire is to rape the others.
How different you are from those you spit at?
No different! We are the same!
Your favourite band is back with you in a moment.
The Instant Glue!
And yet you miss the right feel.
They won't remember a thing from what you said.
Pity.
What did you bank on?
Did you forget what they love us for?
For fiction.
The corpses lie down 10 meters to the entrance.
The mothers are running out.
Now the mothers are crying for vengeance
and shake their fists as if following the rockets in the sky.
All right. Let it be.
Will it go on live?
The concert is going live. We are shooting the corpses for tomorrow.
You know what?
I saw you today.
I take care of the water mains, you know.
I think you failed to pull it off.
I can tell you this straight, for I risk nothing.
The water mains will always be there, so I can speak my mind.
You simply failed to pull it off, you know.
Don't you see how beautifully they have arranged everything here.
In the open air, everything under a single pillar,
a healthy climate, beer available.
Now you tell me what more I need.
I have the courage to tell you this
because, you know, what you can do to me?
Nothing... because I keep the water mains working.
Dad look! It is real!
Listen Idem, will you tear off your other ear tomorrow?
Not me. Tomorrow you will take my place.
You glass condom,
come over here!
Come on!
You wanted to go with me, didn't you?
- Where? - What where? Don't you remember?
To blast off the TV studios.
You wanted me to take you along, didn't you?
Look, I have everything ready here.
All you need is a touch and bang!
You thought I was insane, didn't you?
You thought everybody went nuts and was falling
flat before that box filled with feces in color, didn't you?
No. No.
There are many like me.
They trust me, they found me and had no problem obtaining some dynamite.
They appreciated me, you see!
Are you going along?
You will just let me in. You'll show me the way
and while inside I'll move about by myself.
This makes no sense.
Don't get scared. If they catch anyone, it's only me. You are safe.
Television is a mere heap of wire.
No, old man, television is humans.
Stay here.
Leave this damned case.
Stay here!
They cheated you, you see?!
I'll take care of them, and you beat it.
They cheated you, do you hear?!
Where did you lose your mate?
It's your luck.
It's a pity you didn't stay with him.
You stood the chance of fine death.
Go ahead!
- The recording is all right. - We'll show it.
Beautiful death.
They will certainly raise a monument to him.
Tell us, Idem, Would he stand the chance of a monument without us.
16 hours ago the last spaceship of the Martian invaders left the Earth.
But 16 hours is not enough to forget the tragic wounds we have suffered.
We will never forget the humans who did not hesitate to give their lives
while opposing the Martian blood-suckers.
This man died while planting a bomb under the Martian rockets
outlined in the background.
But we cannot forget, eighter, those who, like Iron Idem,
disgraced mankind by aiding and abetting the Martians.
Passiveness is a virtue and a must.
One more important announcement.
In view of a danger of viral infection imported by the Martians,
everybody is requested to undergo voluntary encephalographic tests.
This is your duty, in your own good interest.
Don't be a trouble for the others and you will have no trouble.
Idem, I appeal to you, stop talking nonsense!
Have the courage to face the hideous truth of your crime,
the truth which is recorded in the official documents.
I am telling the truth.
What truth? An invented truth.
Mind it, Idem, there can be only one truth!
No.
Repeat the last lines. We need a different camera angle!
I said: Nooo!!
This is not a parliament, Idem. It's a court!
30 Minutes lunch break!
- Have you lunch coupons? - No.
Hands.
Tomorrow I will telecast your death.
Maybe you have a wish which I could meet as your friend?
I want to see my wife.
Just this?
Yes.
But you do understand...
you can't buy something for nothing either here or on Mars?
What do you want to buy from me?
Put on your wig and play your role to the end.
This is a show and the viewers would not accept changes.
So, a wife for a wig?
And more. Switch off the TV-set in my cell.
I can't promise this.
Tell me, why are you doing all this?
Well, I am growing, you see.
I feel I am growing.
Does the defendant want to have the last say before the verdict is announced?
I said:
Nooo!!
Hysteria, fear and hatred - here is the defendant's true face.
You have seen the trial. You have no right to remain passive.
Activeness is your duty.
This is your verdict. We expect your calls at this number!
What would you like to tell our viewers in your last word?
Get ready...!
Charge!
Fire!
Authoring DVD: CatMusic