tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post3113095916836802974..comments2024-02-18T08:45:16.295-08:00Comments on The Film Connoisseur: Mars Attacks! (1996)Franco Macabrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-80950859562558619472013-06-20T14:52:47.824-07:002013-06-20T14:52:47.824-07:00Good observation J.D., it's the least imposing...Good observation J.D., it's the least imposing of the characters that ends up saving the day...hell, the grandma is the one who saves the day when we get down to it! <br /><br />I hear ya about Ed Wood, a fantastic film I will be reviewing for this 90's blog-a-thon, which I hope you guys are enjoying. Ed Wood is such a great film in so many ways! And yeah, I think Burton making this one had a lot to do with him having just come off Ed Wood, for sure, the influence is pretty obvious in some scenes, especially with those scenes of flying saucers destroying the city. <br /><br />Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-39471998495145074342013-06-20T08:38:45.216-07:002013-06-20T08:38:45.216-07:00Francisco, I think you nailed it when you said tha...Francisco, I think you nailed it when you said that MARS ATTACKS! is the film Ed Wood might've made had he been given $70 mil to play with. I think that Burton was probably frustrated with the lack of commercial success of ED WOOD, still fresh from making that movie and keen to make something that Wood might have made had he the chance.<br /><br />I love this film and how it satirizes alien invasion movies by making all the A-list movie stars goofballs who are mostly killed off by the aliens, leaving the supporting cast to save the day.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-34024613718902165132013-06-20T05:22:40.209-07:002013-06-20T05:22:40.209-07:00Jack: What I like about the film is how over the t...Jack: What I like about the film is how over the top it is, precisely, I mean, a movie with this tone couldn't have been played any other way, it's too crazy to play it straight. <br /><br />I personally liked Jack Nicholson in both roles, he was great in both, that speech that he gives about "getting along" ha, even the martian cries, but my favorite of the two is Art Land, he's virtually unrecognizable in that one. <br /><br />Agree, it isn't at the top of my favorite Burton films he has quite a few masterpieces under his belt, specially his earlier stuff, but this one is still good. Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-72237987132720432402013-06-20T03:22:44.371-07:002013-06-20T03:22:44.371-07:00I'm a bit on the fence about this film. On the...I'm a bit on the fence about this film. On the one hand I like how weird and offbeat it is but on the other I find the story is a bit all over the place and the acting too OTT. <br /><br />I also found it really distracting that Nicholson played two roles. He should have picked one or the other.<br /><br />I like most of Burton's stuff (except Alice) but this isn't near the top.Jack Thursbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03101157160144955486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-79409842088357551692013-06-19T06:44:34.799-07:002013-06-19T06:44:34.799-07:00Teddy: I don't know man i was busting a gut, I...Teddy: I don't know man i was busting a gut, I like that Burton style of comedy. That scene with Jessica Parker trying to kiss with Pierce Brosnans detached head, the idea is just funny, the situation.<br /><br />And how's about the aliens getting killed with that hillbilly music! <br /><br />Eddie: Yeah, Jerry maguire...I haven't seen that one in ages, I don't know if I could take it. Ha. Americans went for that movie because it teaches something and it's got Cruise in it and it's a motivational film, in contrast, Mars Attacks! had little green aliens, flying saucers, Las Vegas, and chiwawas, I guess it was just too weird for audiences, whatever, this movies highly entertaining!<br /><br />Jennifer Croissant: I read somewhere that the reason why the aliens ray guns shoot green and red laser beams is because the film was going to be released at christmas time. <br /><br />Jimmie: Audiences normally shun weird films, this is why most of the time, studios shy away from making this type of films. But sometimes they embrace them, I mean, look at Beetlejuice a weird film that was a smash hit. <br /><br />Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-7555896801486007742013-06-18T23:35:15.814-07:002013-06-18T23:35:15.814-07:00The studio would`ve got back $50 million of the $1...The studio would`ve got back $50 million of the $100 million that it made at the worldwide box-office, so it would`ve still had to rely on its video rentals and sales to television to finally recoup its $70 million dollar budget, films of this quality simply should not be struggling like that at the box-office and its very odd and difficult to explain when they do.jimmie t. murakaminoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-71037399689455247142013-06-18T23:23:25.885-07:002013-06-18T23:23:25.885-07:00What i liked about the original release date for &...What i liked about the original release date for "Mars Attacks" (December 12th 1996) was that the movie did indeed seem to be really Christmassy, certain scenes in the film (and the posters and pictures that were used to advertise it) were so incredibly colourful almost like a moving, living, breathing 'Christmas tree come to life' (as it were), that was another reason why i was surprised by its relative failure at the box-office, because it was such a perfect movie for that time of the year.Jennifer Croissantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-61434391585628204892013-06-18T23:13:10.286-07:002013-06-18T23:13:10.286-07:00Another strange thing from around the time this mo...Another strange thing from around the time this movie was released was the fact that "Mars Attacks" lost out big time at the box office to a completely unwatchable and eminently forgettable piece of garbage called "Jerry Maguire", i could never understand why the American public went for that film over Burtons movie.eddie lydeckernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-38563999180614059982013-06-18T23:03:59.152-07:002013-06-18T23:03:59.152-07:00Francisco, the last line of your reveiw was intere...Francisco, the last line of your reveiw was interesting because i thought it was specifically the comedy in this movie that spoilt it, it would have been much better as a straight-laced (no laughs) alien invasion movie like "Independence Day" (that you mentioned) from earlier in that same year of 1996, I still think "Mars Attacks" is a 'good' movie but without Tim Burtons irritating quirkyness (and Ed Wood obsession) it could have been a 'great' movie. teddy crescendonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-76697510395655603382013-06-18T19:16:10.209-07:002013-06-18T19:16:10.209-07:00Yeah, you could tell he was committed to both role...Yeah, you could tell he was committed to both roles, it's something you sometimes dont see in a b-movie, a-list actors committed to the thing. I guess since Nicholson had worked previously with Burton in Batman and that had been such a smash, well, Nicholson probably had lots of trust in Burtons vision. <br /><br />Though the movie wasnt as big a success as Hollywood expected, it did make it's money back. I guess it was just too damn weird for people. <br /><br />I saw it as Burtons answer to Independence Day. Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-81197398270799071762013-06-18T18:07:04.781-07:002013-06-18T18:07:04.781-07:00Francisco, this movie is bonkers. I was disappoi...Francisco, this movie is bonkers. I was disappointed in the theater but, after thinking about it, it stands up to his other works. Nicholson had a blast with this movie. Maurice Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15338165486757095191noreply@blogger.com