Mars in the Cinema     Education Directory

Movies about Mars often tell us more about ourselves than Mars. Most of these movies were made during the Cold War and as such reflect a feeling of fear and paranoia about the unknown.

This information was obtained from several sources including: Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide and The VideoHound's Movie Guide.

The data is in the following format:

Title, Country of origin, Date, Rating, Format (color/black and white), Video available, Time in minutes, Review in *'s out of ****

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars

US, (1953) NR, B & W, V, 77, * .5

Director: Charles Lamont Cast: Bud Abbott, Robert Paige, Martha Hyer, Lou Costello, Marie Blanchard, Horace McMahon

Plot: A & C end up every where except Mars, a case of poor navigation.

Lesson: Bring a good map! And make sure your navigator passed Astronomy 101.

Aelita: Queen of Mars

Soviet, (1924) B & W, Silent

Director: Jakov Protazanov

Plot: A Soviet engineer builds a spaceship to reach Mars. He kills his wife, Natacha and flees to Mars, where he falls in love with Aelita, the Queen of Mars.

Lesson: This could be a Jerry Springer episode.

The Alpha Incident

US, (1977) PG, C, V, 84, **

Director: Bill Rebane Cast: Ralph Meeker, John Goff, Stafford Morgan, Carole Irene Newell

Plot: Government tries to cover up the existence of a deadly organism that has been retrieved from Mars.

Lesson: Beware of sample return missions.

The Angry Red Planet

US, (1959) NR, C, V, 83, **

Director: Ib Melchoir Cast: Gerald Mohr, Les Tremayne, Paul Hahn, Nora Hayden, Jack Kruschen

Plot: Martians attack first Earth expedition to Mars.

Lesson: They were angry we took so long to visit.

The Astronaut

US, (1971) NR, C, 73 (Made for TV average)

Director: Robert Michael Lewis Cast: Monte Markham, Susan Clark, James B. Sikking, Jackie Cooper, Robert Lansing, Wally "astronaut" Schirra

Plot: Space officials recruit a pilot to pose as an astronaut who died on Mars.

Lesson: Honesty is the best policy.

Battle Beyond the Sun

US, (1963) NR, C, V, 75, **

Director: Thomas Colchart Cast: Edd Perry, Andy Stewart, Arla Powell, Bruce Hunter

Plot: Director and cast names are pseudonyms. A reworking of the Soviet film Nebo Zowet (1959) by Roger Corman and Francis Ford Coppola. The story deals with rival space missions to Mars.

Lesson: Co-operation works better in the long run.

Capricorn One

US, (1978) PG, C, V, 124, ***

Director: Peter Hyams Cast: Elliot Gould, Hal Holbrook, Karen Black, Telly Savalas, Denise Nicholas, Robert Walden, James Brolin, Sam Waterston, O.J. "The Juice" Simpson, Brenda Vaccaro, David Huddleston, David Doyle

Plot: A faked first mission to Mars takes a wrong turn when the capsule supposedly burns up in re-entry. What do you do with the astronauts?

Lesson: It may be cheaper to just do the mission then to try to fake it.

Conquest of Space US, (1955) NR, C, V, 80, ** .5

Director: Byron Haskins Cast: Eric Fleming, Ross Martin, Joan Shawlee, William Hopper, Walter Brooke

Plot: A George Pal production about the first expedition to Mars, based on Werner von Braun's book The Mars Project.

Lesson: Von Braun really wanted to go to Mars.

D-Day on Mars

US, (1945), NR, B & W, 100, **

Director: Spencer Bennet, Fred Bannon Cast: Dennis Moore, Roy Barcroft, Bud Geary, Linda Sterling, James Craven, Mary Moore

Plot: Re-edited from the Republic serial "The Purple Monster Strikes". Square jawed heroes battle evil purple Martian invaders.

Lesson: Purple? Sounds like Barney.

The Day Mars Invaded Earth

US, (1962) NR, B & W, 70, * .5

Director: Maury Dexter Cast: Kent Taylor, William Mims, Lowell Brown, Marie Windsor, Betty Beall, Gregg Shank

Plot: Martians who look identical to Earth scientist invade Earth.

Lesson: Aliens look just like Earthlings.

The Deadly Ray From Mars

US, (1938) NR, B & W, V, 99, ** .5

Director: Ford Beebe, Robert Hill Cast: Buster Crabbe, Charles Middleton, Donald Kerr, Jean Rogers, Frank Shannon, Beatrice Roberts

Plot: Edited version of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars Serial. Ming tries to siphon nitrogen from the Earth's atmosphere, now that's evil.

Lesson: Every body needs buffer gas.

Devil Girl From Mars

UK (1954) NR, B & W, V, 77, * .5

Director: David MacDonald Cast: Patricia Laffan, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, John Laurie, Hugh McDermott, Adrienne Corri, Joseph Tomelty

Plot: A Martian woman dressed in black leather lands in Scotland, to find a human husband.

Lesson: Scotland is a good Martian analog.

Flight to Mars

US, (1951) NR, C, V, 72, **

Director: Lesley Selander Cast: Marguerite Chapman, Virginia Huston, Cameron Mitchell, Arthur Franz

Plot: Scientists and newspapermen land on Mars and find a lost civilization.

Lesson: They must have had fuel to spare.

Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster

US, (1965) NR, B & W, V, 78, *

Director: Robert Gaffney Cast: James Karen, Nancy Marshall, David Kerman, Marilyn Hanold

Plot: Interplanetary robot runs amuck, hey it could happen. Released on video with the more appropriate title Mars Invades Puerto Rico.

Lesson: I wonder if they went to Arecibo?

The Girl From Mars

New Zealand-Canada, (1991) NR, C, 100 (made for TV average)

Director: Neill Feranley Cast: Edward Albert, Sarah Sawatsky, Christianne Hirt, Eddie Albert, Gary Day, Gwynyth Walsh

Plot: A politician's daughter, helping with ecological problems, is really a Martian.

Lesson: Martian ecologists must have learned the hard way with Mars.

Invaders from Mars

US, (1953) NR, C, V, 78, ***

Director: William Cameron Menzies Cast: Helena Carter, Jimmy Hunt, Hillary Brooke, Arthur Franz, Lief Erickson, Bert Freed

Plot: Martians invade Earth and brainwash residents of a small town.

Lesson: Small towns are dangerous.

Invaders from Mars

US, (1986) PG, C, V, 100, * .5

Director: Tobe Hooper Cast: Karen Black, Timothy Bottoms, James Karen, Bud Cort, Hunter Carson, Laraine Newman, Louise Fletcher, Jimmy Hunt

Plot: Martians invade Earth and brainwash residents of a small town.

Lesson: Hollywood lacks originality.

It! The Terror from Beyond Space

US, (1958) NR, B & W, V, 69, ** .5

Director: Edward L. Cahn Cast: Marshall Thompson, Kim Spalding, Shawn Smith, Ann Doran

Plot: A second expedition to Mars returns to Earth with the sole survivor of the first mission. A Martian monster has stowed away, causing trouble.

Lesson: Count the crew and passengers before you leave.

Just Imagine

US, (1930) NR, B & W, 102, * .5

Director: David Butler Cast: El Brendel, John Garrick, Frank Albertson, Maureen O'Sullivan, Majorie White, Hobart Bosworth

Plot: A musical science fiction comedy made in the thirties but set in the eighties. A dead man is revived after being dead for fifty years, whereupon he goes to Mars.

Lesson: Sounds a lot like Futurama to me.

Lobster Man from Mars

US, (1989) PG, C, V,84, **.5

Director: Stanley Shiff Cast: Tony Curtis, Deborah Foreman, Patrick MacNee, Roddy McDowell, Tommy Sledge, Billy Barty, Phil Proctor

Plot: A young film student tries to sell his weird movie about a Lobster Man from Mars.

Lesson: Big stars will make stupid movies.

Mars Attacks!

US, (1996) C, V

Director: - Cast: Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Natalie Portman, Pierce Brosnan, Annette Bening, Danny Devito, Rod Steiger, Tom Jones

Plot: Martians attack Earth.

Lesson: A bad movie can be saved by calling it a spoof.

Mars Needs Women

US, (1968) NR, C, V, 80, * .5

Director: Larry Buchanan Cast: Tommy Kirk, Byron Lord, Warren Hammack, Yvonne "Batgirl" Craig, Roger Ready, Anthony Houston

Plot: Martians invade Earth to capture live women. OK, so a slow night on Utopia Planitia?

Lesson: I suppose this proves the theory of panspermia.

Martians Go Home

US, (1990) PG-13, C,V,89, * .5

Director: David Odell Cast: Randt Quaid, Anita Morris, Vic Dunlop, Gerrit Graham, Harry Basil, Margaret Colin, Barry Sobel, John Philbin, Ronny Cox

Plot: A TV personality summons billions of Martians to Earth.

Lesson: Be careful of visitors.

Missile Monsters

US, (1958) NR, B & W, 75, * .5

Director: Fred C. Brannon Cast: Walter Reed, Gregory Gay, Lois Collier, James Craven

Plot: Re-edited version of the serial "Flying Disc Man from Mars". Martians try to take over Earth using guided missiles.

Lesson: They went with robotic probes rather than manned (?) missions.

Mission Mars

US, (1968) NR, C, V, 95, *.5

Director: Nick Webster Cast: Darren McGavin, George DeVries, Michael DeBeausset, Nick Adams, Heather Hewitt, Shirley Parker

Plot: US, astronauts battle unseen forces during a Mars mission.

Lesson: This was understandable with all the space probes which malfunctioned in that era.

Murder in Space

US, (1985) NR, C, V, 89, (made for TV below average)

Director: Steven Hillard Stern Cast: Wilford Brimley, Martin Balsam, Damir Andrei, Peter Dvorsky, Alberta Watson, Arthur Hill, Michael Ironside, Tom Butler, Cathie Shirriff

Plot: Murders occur on an expedition returning from Mars.

Lesson: You really must do good psychological profiles on the crew.

Planet of Blood

Director: Curtis Harrington Cast: Basil Rathbone John Saxon, Dennis Hopper, Florence Marly

Plot: An expedition to Mars finds a crashed alien space ship. They bring back the only survivor; a bloodsucking, female alien. Then the trouble begins.

Lesson: Don't pick up hitchhikers.

Red Planet Mars

US, (1952) NR, B & W, V, 87, ** .5

Director: Harry Homer Cast: Peter Graves, Marvin Miller, House Peters, Andrea King, Herbert Berghof, Vince Barnett

Plot: Messages from Mars turn out to be coming from god!

Lesson: What type of antenna were they using anyway?

Robinson Crusoe on Mars

US, (1964) NR, C, V, 109, ** .5

Director: Byron Haskin Cast: Paul Mantee, Adam "Batman" West, Vic Lundin

Plot: Astronaut is stranded on Mars in a reworking of the Defoe classic.

Lesson: Don't send just one astronaut.

Rocket Ship X-M

US, (1950) NR, B & W, V, 77, ** .5

Director: Kurt Neumann Cast: Lloyd Bridges, Hugh O'Brian, Osa Massen, John Emery

Plot: An expedition to the Moon goes astray and ends up on Mars. As If! NASA gets really steamed when this happens.

Lesson: Another example of bad navigation.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

US, (1964), NR, C, V, 80, *

Director: Nicholas Webster Cast: John Call, Vincent Beck, Pia Zadora, Leonard Hicks, Donna Conforti

Plot: Martians abduct Santa Claus.

Lesson: Is the atmosphere on Mars thick enough to support reindeer flight? Now this is just silly.

Total Recall

US, (1990) C, V, 113, ***

Director: Paul Verhoeven Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Mel Johnson Jr., Rachel Ticotin, Ronny Cox, Marshall Bell

Plot: Arnold travels to Mars and becomes involved with a revolution.

Lesson: Real travel may be safer than virtual reality.

War of the Worlds

US, (1953) NR, C, V, 85, *** .5

Director: Byron Haskins Cast: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Henery Brandon, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite

Plot: Martians invade Earth, but succumb to the common cold. An adaptaion of the H.G. Wells story.

Lesson: Get immunized before going on a trip.

World without End

US, (1956) NR, C, 80, 88 .5

Director: Edward Bernds Cast: Hugh Marlowe, Nelson Leigh, Nancy Gates, Rod Taylor

Plot: A space flight to Mars breaks the time barrier and ends up in the future, bummer.

Lesson: Don't speed!