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 greatest trainwreck in herstory.
Showtimes
A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.
Showtimes
Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most - each other.
Showtimes
A new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg.
Showtimes
From writer/director Michael Sarnoski (Pig) & starring Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, & Bill Skarsgård.
Showtimes
Academy Award-winning director Daniel Roher’s first narrative feature, starring Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu, & Dustin Hoffman.
Showtimes
Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) joins Aidan Turner (Rivals) in a striking new staging of Christopher Hampton’s celebrated adaptation of the classic novel.
Showtimes
In Xanadu a golden goddess did decree... Welcome to your own musical fantasy.
Showtimes
The most shocking tale of carnage ever seen.
Showtimes
Boston Premiere! The defining documentary about the legendary Swedish punk band Anti-Cimex.
Showtimes
In Laura Laabs’ debut feature, the history of Germany over the past nearly 100 years is the central theme all wrapped up in one glorious mess of a film.
Showtimes
Christopher Nolan's second Batman film, featuring an Academy Award-winning turn by Heath Ledger.
Showtimes
Can a 21-year-old African prince find happiness and the girl of his dreams while working incognito at a fast food restaurant in Queens?
Showtimes
© 2026 the Coolidge Theatre Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit cultural and charitable organization.
