Getting colder...
This movie holds the record for most miniature model work to appear in one film. Model shop supervisor Michael Joyce estimated that more miniatures were used for this film than in any other two films combined. Due to the advances in digital technology since this film's release, most experts believe this record may stand forever.
Over seventy mock news broadcasts were created for the film. All used real-life newscasters, since the makers believed that actors would not look convincing in such scenes.
Except for the bi-plane during the crop-dusting scene, any airplane seen in the air in this film is either a model or computer-generated effect.
The quote, "And what the hell is that smell?" was not in the script. The scene was filmed in the salt flats near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Great Salt Lake is home to tiny crustaceans called brine shrimp. When they die, the bodies sink to the bottom of the lake (which isn't very deep) and decompose. When the wind kicks up just right, the bottom mud is disturbed and the smell of millions of decaying brine shrimp can be very, very bad. Apparently, nobody warned the star.
The huge hype that the film began generating caused Warner Bros. to postpone the release of Mars Attacks! from summer to Christmas, and Steven Spielberg (temporarily) cancelled his plans to direct War of the Worlds.
George