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Horror or Science Fiction? I remember seeing Mars Attacks! growing up as a kid and it actually creeped me out with the large brained aliens, the chihuahua human hybrid, and the whole world ending vibe. Watching again today, obviously it’s just comical, but one I’m shocked at how many well known actors are in this movie (Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, etc.) are in this movie. Second, I’m just wondering why this movie doesn’t get included in any B Horror movie lists. I get that it’s “Comedy/Science Fiction”, but I’d say Toxic Avenger/Killer Klowns could also be in that Science Fiction/Comedy category. So what makes it Science Fiction or Horror and why isn’t this movie talked about more? (Also Tubi is just incredible. Had to watch it before it left in a few days, but love what they always offer)
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I'd say it is a comedy first. It satires both War of the Worlds and pacifism. Yet it is still a solid sci-fi/horror story alongside the comedy like all the best satires should be. Excellent movie.
ACK ACK! ACK!
You said it!
If you'd ask 8 year old me, I'd definitely say horror movie. I had nightmares for weeks that large brained aliens would come to Earth and vaporize my family, I was traumatized lmao
still wonder what Tim Dinosaurs attack movie would of been like
Mars Attacks has one of two fantastic uses of Slim Whitman in film. His Indian War Whoop is whatkilled the aliens and saved the day in Mars Attacks and his I'll Remember You is the best non-Capt Spaulding part of House of 1000 Corpses.
Love it
I'd say Comedy/Sci Fi rather than Horror/Sci Fi.
It's a straight comedy homage to 50s pulp Sci fi that gets by entirely on the art direction and visual style.
I don't think there are any good performances in it, unfortunately. Maybe Michael J. Fox. It was conceived and constructed as a Ham Sandwich. I think filmmakers think that that is somehow "easy" but it gets fucked up so often. You need to be subtle to hit the groove. Death Proof got it but Planet Terror didn't. Burton found it in Ed Wood but was going too broad in Mars Attacks!. Verhooven regularly nailed it, to the point that generations of young men couldn't spot the satire in Starship Troopers.
I think Mars Attacks! is fun but I don't think it's good. It's mostly a wonderful thing to look at and a towering technological achievement. It might even be successful conceptually in treating A List stars Iike 50s and 60s B movie actors but I don't think it all hangs together as a movie. I think the fact that it hasn't been fully reclaimed by the culture at this point means it's probably going to remain a bizarre cultural artifact at this point.
Mars Attacks in particular was just a series of Topps (of baseball card fame) trading cards that debuted in the very early 60s. It was all art direction because it was just a series of pictures. Here is a sample card.
Comedy and Bad sci fi. The Oregonian had a fill in movie critic that actually had the balls to give it 4 out of 4 stars. Needless to say we never heard from them again.
The martian girl creeped me the fuck out as a kid. I saw it again on tv a couple years ago and I can't believe I was having nightmares over it
It’s a hard movie to peg but I agree with comedy/ sci fi
I don’t see any intention of the movie to scare at why point
It’s just really zany and over the top with the designs and kills is all