ALL SCI-FI

Custer · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 9:33 am Post subject:

I see those particular cards were "Printed in England", so maybe not as individually valuable as the US ones. IDW did a series of comics, including having various heroes fighting the invaders... maybe this one was pushing things a bit, though...

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:25 am Post subject:

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What I like best about the story the cards present are the dramatic elements that drive it.

The Martians are hideously ugly, but they have an advanced technology and a thriving civilization. Their planet is a powder keg, doomed to explode like Krypton, so they ruthlessly set out to exterminate mankind and take over our planet.

Despite the brutal methods they use, mankind puts up a brave defense, and the story text describes humanities valiant acts, both by the soldiers and the civilians. (Just the opposite of all the disappointing silliness of the movie.)

The climax is astounding! Not only does mankind beat back the Martian forces on Earth (giant bugs and all), we actually go to Mars, destroy the enemy's civilization, and cause the "powder keg" planetary core to explode!

What great imagination went into the creation of those 55 trading cards!

So, what does Burton do with this remarkable story?

He throws out everything that made it great, reverses the ideals that made it noble, and delivers an insult to all the Baby Boomer fans of science fiction who wanted the thrilling story the cards told to become a big budget movie!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

MetroPolly · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:41 pm Post subject:

Okay, okay, I get it. This movie just grates on scifi purists. I won't suggest it for a chat, then. Geez, I like it. So sue me. Confused

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:38 pm Post subject:

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You asked for it, lady! I've been in touch with my lawyer, and she says I have a strong case! (A strong case of the hots for my lovely lawyer, but never mind that now. . . Embarassed

)

She's drawn up this legal document and had it dispatched to you by courier. If the court rules in my favor, you'll be making my famous Crispy Potato Salad for my family this year on Thanksgiving!

Here's what it looks like if you do it right. Click on the picture for the full recipe. See you in court!

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

MetroPolly · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 3:24 pm Post subject:

DREAM ON!!!!!! I don't cook, and besides, if I was the vengeful type, I might slip something "extra" into it. Twisted Evil

Bud Brewster · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 4:11 pm Post subject:

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Oh, good grief! If I can do it every year, anybody can! And I invented the recipe myself. (Besides, if you loose the law suit, you could be fined. It says so right in the summons you were presented with!)

And we all know that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach (unless you're a thoracic surgeon. Then you have cut higher up . . . Shocked

)

So, iron your prettiest apron and clear off your counter top, because this is a major operation and requires lots of elbow room!

Come on, be honest! Tell me this doesn't look like the makin's of a heavenly holiday feast!

And you'll get to keep half the left-overs, I promise. Very Happy

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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 · Galactic Ambassador Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1865

Bud Brewster · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:25 pm Post subject:

Gord Green · Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2016 12:49 am Post subject:

A few more Images

Bogmeister · Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 3:37 pm Post subject:

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A lot of stars — this movie is filled to the brink with 'em. It's very much like all those disaster films or like Independence Day that same year (ID4 was the summer film that year, Mars Attacks was the X-Mas holiday film).

Most of the roles, however, aren't well written and most of the big actors aren't able to do anything with their parts. Right off the bat, I'll say that Nicholson is a disappointment in both his roles; he underplays his President part and hams it up unfunnily as the Vegas opportunist. This may have been a chance for him to have two death scenes in one film, but that's it.

_ Mars Attacks "Why Can't We All Just Get Along?"

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Glenn Close isn't able to be anything more than bitchy in her part. Brosnan, just starting as the new James Bond a year earlier, plays the stiff heroic scientist who isn't able to be heroic; he smokes a pipe well. Bening is wasted in the role of a new age beatnik. DeVito has a throwaway 5-minute cameo. I dunno why he's credited so high. Jim Brown & Pam Grier play it straight, as if in another kind of film.

There are some amusing bits. Like Martin Short, as usual, as the White House press secretary, and Steiger manages to be a hoot as the warmongering general. As a counterpoint, there's the peacetime general played by Winfield (also amusing). Tom Jones plays himself in the last act and also manages to be funny. Jack Black's role is brief but this was the earliest sign of his comedic talent.

Overall, though, I get the impression that director Burton wasn't sure of what he was doing.

This shows in the different styles of acting from all of the above. The Topp's card set from '62 on which this film is based was fairly horrific and graphic for its time. Burton chose to temper the horrific aspects (grisly death) with moments of hammy humor, but there's no consistency.

The film begins, for example, with the eerie scene of the cattle on fire, an ominous beginning, but in the next moment, the tone becomes goofy. I was never really sure whether to laugh or be shocked during most of the film.

BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10.

BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus