Named for the God of War by the Romans, "Mars" has become the source of our most feared enemies. Spawned by the canali of Schiaparelli, the Martians are mysterious, covetous of earth, blood thirsty, or wizened, depending on the screen-writer's whim. In spite of the long list of Sci-Fi offerings given us by movie makers, television has added others. The Outer Limits, original series, offered a sand lizard of gigantic proportions and addicted to human flesh. Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone showed us a race of people who collected species of humanoids, Roddy McDowell being the latest acquisition. Nor should we forget Uncle Martin of My Favorite Martian.
Perhaps the planet's ill-fated reputation has been maintained because of H. G. Wells. With the discovery of a fossil from Mars, the Pyramids, and the Face of Cydonia, Martian lore will not soon die--even when we get to Mars and discover no evidence of life at all.
Nevertheless, the following is a selected list of Mars movies that stretch almost from the beginning of movie-making. The listing is alphabetical, by no means exhaustive, and offered with the caveat: Let the viewer beware.
Aelita: Queen of Mars (Russian)
Alpha Incident
Angry Red Planet
Invaders from Mars (original in 1953; remade, 1986)
Independence Day
Mars Attacks the World (1938)
Martian Chronicles I, II, III (the first and third are rather faithful to Bradbury; the second is a poor transition)
Martians Go Home
A Message From Mars (1913)
Mission Mars
The Night That Panicked America (movie about Welles's famous Halloween radio program)
The Deadly Ray From Mars (original Flash Gordon)
Planet of Blood
Red Planet Mars
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Rocketship X-M
War of the Worlds (The classic)
Mars | Books | Exploration