Alien invasion box office hit about media-driven fear and paranoia.
Aliens have been spying on us for ages, waiting for the perfect time to strike. The time is now. Divorced dock worker Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is on daddy duty when the invasion begins. Can he save the world from the extraterrestrial war machines? And can he forgive his own mistakes, as a father and a human being?
H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds (1898) is the ultimate alien invasion novel, inspiring countless games, series, books and films. One of the best adaptations is Steven Spielberg’s 2005 box office hit, which was an allegory for how in the fragile post-9/11 era, everyone had to fend for themselves. As part of Imagine's Ghost in the Feed theme programme, the 2005 film shows how the media feeds into our paranoia and fears.
At this special screening of War of the Worlds during Cinema Literair, the OBA’s popular monthly film- and book event, presenter Gawie Keyser will be speaking with everyone’s favourite media scholar Dan Hassler-Forest. Together, Gawie and Dan will explore The War of the Worlds’ many iterations: from the original novel and the 1953 adaptation to the recent 2025 version that most would rather forget. Of course, Orson Welles’ infamous radio play from 1938, which supposedly sparked mass panic, will also be included. The War of the Worlds has become part of our collective imagination. What does Wells’ story tell us about the worlds of the past, and the world of today?
Please note: this programme will take place in the Theaterzaal at OBA Oosterdok, before Imagine festival begins. The talk show will be held in Dutch.
