Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" is acutely attuned to the zeitgeist of post-9/11 America. In this adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel, Earth is still the most desirable piece of real estate in the Milky Way, the envy of the galactic neighborhood. But this retelling of the alien-invasion story, set in modern-day New Jersey rather than Wells' Edwardian London, tacitly acknowledges American fears of an attack on U.S. cities. A principal aspect of the film is the way a nation unites after an assault from a foreign invader. The idea of extraterrestrials bent on mankind's destruction has been a popular sci-fi theme for more than a century. At different times, the stories have been interpreted as metaphors for different fears, including attacks by Nazis and Soviets. In the homeland-security era, however, "War of the Worlds" and several coming TV dramas about alien invasion tap into American worries about domestic terrorism."Usually you see an uptick in science fiction and horror films when there's a lot of global anxiety," says Brannon Braga, executive producer of "Threshold," a CBS series, due out this fall, about alien infiltration. "It's understandable that we would rather see these very agonizing and complex issues depicted in a metaphorical, escapist format."Two other TV shows slated for fall explore external threats to mankind. "Invasion," on ABC, is about a Florida town battling what seems to be a stealthy alien takeover in the aftermath of a hurricane. NBC's "Fathom" centers on undersea creatures whose harmless appearance may be deceptive. Each may lead viewers to draw parallels between extraterrestrials and hidden terrorist cells.Only "Chicken Little," a Disney feature that adds flying saucers to the "sky is falling" plot, offers a lighthearted take on the invasion theme.
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