The War of the Worlds (1953)
Body
On the 80th Anniversary of Orson Welles' panic-inducing Halloween Night broadcast, we're proud to present The War of the Worlds as the opening film of the 2018 Halloween Horror Marathon!
Visionary producer George Pal brought the classic H.G. Wells story of a Martian invasion to the big screen, and it instantly became a science fiction classic and winner of the 1953 Academy Award for Best Special Effects. It's a work of frightening imagination, with its manta-ray spaceships armed with cobra-like probes that shoot a white-hot disintegration ray. As formations of alien ships continue to wreak destruction around the globe, the military is helpless to stop this enemy while scientists race to find an effective weapon. Gene Barry and Ann Robinson play the hero and heroine roles that were de rigueur for movies like this in the '50s, and their encounter with one of the Martians is as creepy today as it was in '53.
This Week
The new movie from master filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho starring, Wagner Moura in a career-defining performance.
Showtimes
“I wrote and directed it as one movie — and I’m so glad to give the fans the chance to see it as one movie." - Quentin Tarantino
Showtimes
From Academy Award winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, starring Jessie Buckley, and Paul Mescal.
Showtimes
A film by Hikari, starring Brendan Fraser.
Showtimes
Post-film discussion with director Kim A. Snyder and librarian & author Cynthia Levinson, moderated by Alex Schaffner.
Showtimes
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet in the third and darkest chapter of Rian Johnson’s murder mystery opus.
Showtimes
The new film from Joachim Trier (The Worst Person in the World), starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning.
Showtimes
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno face off in a no-holds-barred competition for the title of Mr. Olympia.
Showtimes
Co-presented by the Goethe-Institut Boston.
Showtimes
A new film class taught by historian and educator Judi Freeman.
Showtimes
This Christmas, the snow hits the fan.
Showtimes
John McTiernan's Christmas classic, starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman.
Showtimes
The classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge as told by everyone's favorite band of Muppets!
Showtimes
© 2025 the Coolidge Theatre Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit cultural and charitable organization.
