Scientology question sets Cruise off

National Nine News AAP, Australia/June 23, 2005

Something strange happened in a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday when Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg sat down with the world's media to discuss their new film, War of the Worlds.

There were no water pistols disguised as microphones.

Katie Holmes was nowhere to be seen.

Cruise didn't bounce on a couch.

And, surprisingly, it was not until almost halfway through the 45-minute press conference was Holmes' name actually uttered.

"That's great," Spielberg said when a reporter from a US tabloid veered off talk about War of the Worlds and asked Cruise whether he had set a wedding date.

"Twenty minutes went by before that question was asked," Spielberg laughed.

Cruise has been criticised for talking more about new fiancee Holmes than his $US123 million ($A158.2 million) special effects loaded science fiction thriller.

Some reports said Spielberg was not too happy about Cruise's performances, including the infamous Oprah Winfrey couch bouncing guest appearance.

For the record, no, Cruise and Holmes have not set a wedding date.

"I don't know," Cruise replied.

"We haven't decided."

The question seemed to open the floodgates.

Cruise was then asked about a link between the War of the Worlds storyline, which involves aliens lying dormant on earth before rising out of the ground and attacking the planet.

"I was wondering what resonance that had with you as a Scientologist?" a journalist asked.

A confused Cruise responded: "In what way?"

"Well," the journalist continued.

"In that some of Scientology deals with aliens on this planet."

Cruise, used to defending Scientology, was not happy.

"That's not true. What?" Cruise said.

"What paper are you from?"

When the embarrassed journalist responded he was from a paper in Boston, Cruise asked: "Is that a good paper?"

"It has no resonance whatsoever," Cruise continued.

"There's absolutely no relation to that whatsoever."

A short time later Cruise singled out the journalist again.

"If you are interested in Scientology you should read Evolution of a Science," Cruise said.

"I don't know if you've ever read that. That will give you a greater understanding of what Scientology is."

Talk soon turned to whether Cruise and Spielberg believed in aliens and both actor and director agreed there were other life forms out there.

"I can't imagine anyone believes we are the only intelligent or biological life form in the entire universe," said Spielberg, the director of some of the greatest science fiction films made.

"I think it's supreme arrogance to think we are only the only life form in the entire universe," said Cruise.