ALL SCI-FI

[MetroPolly]

I understand a lot of threads were lost during a major crash a while back, so I thought I could help rebuild a bit.

I just know Mars Attacks isn't on the board because nobody's gotten around to it yet. After all, you guys like the trading card set it's based on. It's a silly movie, but it;s still loads of fun.

[Bud Brewster]

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Thanks, Polly!

Actually, the "major crash" you referred to was the complete annihilation of All Sci-Fi in early 2014, during our sixth year.

We immediately switched-over to this version, which was already set up and ready to go (but with no threads! ), because we knew the former web host was probably not long for this world, due to the poor way they were doing business.

A scary-but-temporary crash occurred several months ago, but nothing was lost, thanks to the brilliant and heroic efforts of Randy Everett and his son, Sean.

I'm not a big fan of Mars Attacks, but I'm sure we have folks here who will enjoy discussing it!

Meanwhile, have fun watching the trailer!
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______ Mars Attacks! (1996) Official Trailer #1


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[orzel-w]

I saw the movie on its original release and had a mediocre reaction (I take my sci-fi seriously). But I think I may have to watch it again and apply my more mature <<ahem...>> perspective to it this time.
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...or not...

WayneO
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[bulldogtrekker]

Funny, Mars Attacks is one of the few sci-fi movies that I like that Bud dislikes. I saw it when it first came out and I own the DVD.

[Brent Gair]

I like this movie. In an odd way, the thing I like about it may also be it's main weakness.

This is a "kitchen sink" movie...they throw EVERYTHING at you. Every working actor in the business had a role or a cameo in MARS ATTACKS. Music from Slim Whitman and Tom Jones? I enjoy the epic nature of the movie with a big budget, a bunch of stars, multiple subplots and something for everybody.

The danger, of course, is that a movie with this much going on can lack focus. That probably hurt it with viewers. I'll call it a good, enjoyable movie, but I certainly understand why it has it's detractors.

[Bud Brewster]

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I think my lack of enthusiasm for it (putting it politely) was for two reasons, the first of which is because (like Wayne) I take my science fiction seriously, even though I like sci-fi movies that present funny characters in comedic situations.

The best example of a funny sci-fi film I do like would be Evolution (2001), which was originally intended to be a serious science fiction movie, but the producers decided that the intelligent premise could work just as well with funny characters and funny situations.

In my opinion, producer Ivan Reitman did an even better job with Evolution than he did with Ghostbusters I and II.

The other reason Mars Attacks was disappointing is because the cards present a great storyboard for the most action-packed and imaginative alien invasion movie ever! Admittedly a movie based on those cards (which illustrate a wealth of over-the-top concepts, just for the fun of it) wouldn't be a serious film like War of the Worlds (2005). In fact, it would lean even further in the direction of tongue-in-cheek than Independence Day did. I know a lot of people actually wanted ID4 to be a serious and totally believable sci-fi thriller, and the fact that it mixed humor and "high imagination" with it's serious elements made many viewers dislike it intensely.

But a mostly straight-faced version of Mars Attacks with genuinely scary and gruesome scenes NOT played as black comedy and cynical humor would be a hell of a lot of fun for science fiction fans who enjoyed the way Independence Day presented outlandish ideas with startling realism.

The problem with Mars Attacks is that it seems to be saying, "Science fiction movies like Earth vs the Flying Saucers and This Island Earth are ridiculous, and we all grew out of that silly phase."

Brent said he liked the film because it was "a kitchen sink movie . . . they throw EVERYTHING at you." Well, they certainly threw a lot at us, but it wasn't the clever ideas the trading cards made us all eager to see.

The grand scope of the story presented by the cards was replaced by a parade of cynical parodies, like the pipe smoking scientist who was pompous and stupid, the "Tricky Dick" president who lied his ass off, the war hawk general who screamed about nuking everything in sight, and the bubble-headed news woman whose dizzy brain belonged right where the Martians put it — on her Chihuahua.

What we did NOT get was the Topps trading cards' epic story about a ruthless race of aliens who use every means possible (advanced weapons, giant insects, etc.) to slaughter all the humans on the planet. And mankind bravely puts up one helluva fight! In the end, we take the battle back to the enemy's home planet for the most monumental "pay back" of all time — we blow up Mars!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, here's 54,000 words that describe what Mars Attacks should have been like — all 54 of the trading cards, with enhanced color and clarity, compliments of yours truly.

Enjoy!


























































































































































































































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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Custer]

That certainly makes a heck of a story - thanks for going to all that trouble! What we really should have is a hero to stand up to those aliens...

[Bud Brewster]

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That's a beauty!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Rick]

I don't object to comic s-f, but I do like it to be funny. This isn't.

Great cast, some great visuals, all just flushed away. The only thing keeping this from being, easily, Tim Burton's worst movie is...urgh urgh (sorry, I just threw up a little in my mouth) is PLANET OF THE APES.
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Man need not kneel before the angels,
Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.

[Bud Brewster]

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I agree that Burton's Mars Attacks failed both as comedy and science fiction. If he wasn't interested in doing a straight-faced version of the story told by the cards, he certainly should have gotten a better script for this alleged "comedy" version.

Today I acquired jpegs for the backsides of the all the cards, and I'm currently working to enhance the readability of the text so you guys can enjoy them. Here's the first card as it appears before I enhance it.



And here's how they'll look when I post them between the pictures above, matching each one accordingly.


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Gord Green]

The cards are great! I remember collecting the originals and others like them until the do-gooders had them banned for being too violent!

Norman Saunders and Wally Wood did the original art for this series and it was tremendous!

The "Martians" were based on Woods classic cover for EC.

[Custer]

According to this blog, this was a panel Wally Wood did for Topps... there are certain similarities to that EC cover illustration, for sure!

[Bud Brewster]

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Both drawings are amazing. I really love Wally's alien in the first piece. The alien's shape is not fully revealed, and the "suit" he wears is a robot body! Terrific!

The story segments on the backs of the cards are now posted with their corresponding pictures in the post above!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

The movie was a big disappointment for me. I have loved the Mars Attacks!, ever since I read about them in The Monster Times paper. Over the years I collected reproductions at conventions, and where I heard about the movie I was excited.

The movie opened with the burning cattle image, and I thought, WOW they're starting off running. Then for the next hour, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! I found the movie boring, and not very funny. While they did have the giant robot, used to no great effect, there were no giant insect attacks at all! Just a giant wasted opportunity.

The funny thing is that my favorite scene in the movie is not a SPFX or war scene. It is the one where the kid is driving his Grandmother back to the home, and he starts talking about all the things she has seen in her life. Electric lights, airplanes, cars, locomotives. The Grandmother has one of her few moments of clarity in the movie. She turns to her grandson with a look of disbelief, and asks "just how old do you think I am boy?".

David.

[Gord Green]

AWESOME JOB BUD !

Thank you! Reading the card backs took me back to the 50's again.

About the movie------Yes, it was a big disappointment. But realizing that it was a complete over the top Burtonesque romp made it tolerable, but hardly satisfying .

The comic book versions were no better although they had some great artwork on occasion.





The original wrapper