Overview

"Films about the red planet Mars have been a science-fiction-movie staple for more than a century. Ridley Scott's 2015 smash hit The Martian, based on Andy Weir's bestselling science-techno-thriller of the same name, proves conclusively that Mars is still a potent symbol that touches the film-going public worldwide. Nevertheless, there hasn't before been an entire book devoted to the sub-genre of Mars movies. Beginning with Thomas A. Edison's 1910 clever 5-minute short A Trip to Mars, this all-encompassing volume describes the 90 subsequent significant and not-so-significant theatrical films, TV movies, TV miniseries, and straight-to-video productions that focus on the red planet. The book is arranged into descriptive categories, including """"Silent Films,"""" """"Serials,"""" """"Voyages to Mars,"""" and """"Invasions from Mars,"""" among others, then lists the films chronologically within these categories to shed some light on the evolution of special effects and cinematic approaches from film to film. For most of the films, the author provides basic cast, crew, and production information, short dramatically opposing quotations from critics who hate the film and those who love it, and a plot summary. He then often provides some historical perspective, while sharing his personal connections with some of the films. In the course of describing these movies specifically as Mars movies and not as science-fiction movies, per se, he sometimes voices views different from most other commentators, while shedding light on some of the more important personalities who contributed to these films, among them producer/director George Pal, writer/director Ib Melchior, and composer Nathan Van Cleave."

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9780786499144

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Reviews

one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre...what really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary on these films.... Highly recommended --ARBA; wonderful...from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --Flick Attack; one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre in some time.... What really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary. Fans of the genre should absolutely purchase it...highly recommended --American Reference Books Annual; carefully researched accounting of a century's worth of films invoking Mars as the location of the narrative...a typically handsome McFarland book, printed on quality paper stock, and with sterling photo reproduction. Generous use is made of stills, frame grabs, and promotional art. I read Mars in the Movies with considerable pleasure. A cover to cover read is illuminating --Filmfax; Miller is authoritative on this topic and it is refreshing to read his insightful comments and, in some cases, his second opinions after re-watching certain works...excellent addition to the science fiction and/or film section of any reference collection --Reference Reviews. wonderful...from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --Flick Attack; one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre in some time.... What really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary. Fans of the genre should absolutely purchase it...highly recommended --American Reference Books Annual; a chatty, carefully researched accounting of a century's worth of films invoking Mars.... I read [it] with considerable pleasure --Filmfax. from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --Flick Attack; one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre in some time.... What really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary. Fans of the genre should absolutely purchase it...highly recommended --American Reference Books Annual; a chatty, carefully researched accounting of a century's worth of films invoking Mars.... I read [it] with considerable pleasure --Filmfax.

from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --Flick Attack.

"""one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre...what really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary on these films.... Highly recommended""--ARBA; ""recommended""--M.G. Paregian, Publisher; ""wonderful...from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that""--Flick Attack; ""one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre in some time.... What really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary. Fans of the genre should absolutely purchase it...highly recommended""--American Reference Books Annual; ""carefully researched accounting of a century's worth of films invoking Mars as the location of the narrative...a typically handsome McFarland book, printed on quality paper stock, and with sterling photo reproduction. Generous use is made of stills, frame grabs, and promotional art. I read Mars in the Movies with considerable pleasure. A cover to cover read is illuminating""--Filmfax; ""Miller is authoritative on this topic and it is refreshing to read his insightful comments and, in some cases, his second opinions after re-watching certain works...excellent addition to the science fiction and/or film section of any reference collection""--Reference Reviews."

wonderful...from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --Flick Attack; one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre in some time.... What really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary. Fans of the genre should absolutely purchase it...highly recommended --American Reference Books Annual; a chatty, carefully researched accounting of a century's worth of films invoking Mars.... I read [it] with considerable pleasure --Filmfax. from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --Flick Attack; one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre in some time.... What really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary. Fans of the genre should absolutely purchase it...highly recommended --American Reference Books Annual; a chatty, carefully researched accounting of a century's worth of films invoking Mars.... I read [it] with considerable pleasure --Filmfax.

from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --<i>Flick Attack</i>.

one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre...what really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary on these films.... Highly recommended --ARBA; recommended --M.G. Paregian, Publisher; wonderful...from the beloved to the obscure, Miller holds great love for the genre and many of the films featured. If there was not already a book on this subject, there needed to be one. Miller has written it...and the definitive one at that --Flick Attack; one of the more entertaining and informative guides to the genre in some time.... What really makes this work stand out is Miller's occasionally hilarious commentary. Fans of the genre should absolutely purchase it...highly recommended --American Reference Books Annual; carefully researched accounting of a century's worth of films invoking Mars as the location of the narrative...a typically handsome McFarland book, printed on quality paper stock, and with sterling photo reproduction. Generous use is made of stills, frame grabs, and promotional art. I read Mars in the Movies with considerable pleasure. A cover to cover read is illuminating --Filmfax; Miller is authoritative on this topic and it is refreshing to read his insightful comments and, in some cases, his second opinions after re-watching certain works...excellent addition to the science fiction and/or film section of any reference collection --Reference Reviews.

Author Information

Thomas Kent Miller is a former employee of NASA and a retired magazine editor. He has written for The Weird Tales Collector, Faunus: The Journal of the Friends of Arthur Machen, Wormwood, HarperCollins, Borgo Press, and Wildside Press. His interests include science-fiction cinema, Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories, 19th-century Hudson River School landscape paintings, and home theater. He lives in Southern California, USA.

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