Destination Mars

DESTINATION MARS is a well-made, intentionally ridiculous parody of all those 1950's sci-fi invasion films.

An introductory "documentary" fills us in on the strange, tragic "history" behind the film, including communism, blacklisting, and the suicides of almost everyone involved.

The movie itself comes complete with Martian babes, killer robots, wobbly flying saucers, and mad science. If you enjoy the retro-hilarity of Larry Blamire or Christopher R. Mihm, then you should have a blast with this gem from Richard Lowry!...

Very confusing if you search for his movie as it was made in 2002 but released in 2006 and on some sites shows 2009.

They shot it with a new-fangled digital camera and used proprietary software to give it that old-time patina of black and white with all the lines and scratches of time. They went out of their way to use not-so-steady framing and placed obscure cuts to give the feeling that it was spliced one too many times.

The film itself was made on a very budget over a very long time. They filmed in all the correct vantage sci-fi locations and had to sneak in as they did not get permits.

"This could be the final chapter for mankind. As a fleet of Martian warships from the planet mars descend upon our planet"

The biggest story ever brought to the silver screen!

No one is safe from this alien vanguard!

See our planet at war!

A fury of monolithic proportions!

Over two years in the making!

It may have been a tad campy, but it had a better message than "The Day the Earth Stood still."

I originally picked up this movie after reading about it on Harry Knowles website, aintitcoolnews.com. He referred to this movie as a 50's movie that "had everything he wanted in a 1950's Sci-Fi movie, martian women, clunky robots, etc." To any of us who are fans of the genre, the fact that this movie is reminiscent of favorites like the original "War of the Worlds," "Plan 9 From Outer Space," and When Worlds Collide" makes it extra special. The movie is extremely well-done and actually looks like it was filmed in the 1950's! It is hilarious to watch the actors "play it straight." No matter how silly their lines, they all act their roles beautifully by being serious. Really, the casting was perfect for this film! I ended up watching it three times in the span of two weeks, and still haven't found anything about it that I would have done any better. After I watched the DVD I looked for any information I could find online. The official website for this movie is a lot of fun, just like the movie! Anybody who can create the look and feel of the old 1950's Sci Fi movies this well is awesome in my book! I love this movie!

My friends and I watched this movie on DirectTV. It was worth every penny! For anybody who loves 1950's Sci-Fi, you will love this movie. They recreated the look of the old Ed Wood Jr. type movies, especially Plan 9 from Outer Space. My friend and I researched it and learned that it was originally supposed to be a sequel to Plan 9. We found a great review on Harry Knowles' website. He opened his annual film festival in 2001 with this movie and it appears that most people loved it! This should have been shown at some theaters. Maybe it was, but somehow we must have missed it. If you watch this movie, watch for the detail in recreating the style of sets and props that were used in the 1950's. We love the fact that this film was shot in black & white, staying true to the era. The actors were really great! It must be hard to do some of these scenes without cracking up. We're going to gather up a couple of other favorites and host a Sci-Fi movie party. This movie will be our headliner!

'Destination Mars' is a direct to video movie made in 2006. It was made to look like an Ed Wood type B/W film from the 1950s. It starts with some modern day interviews with people supposedly related to those involved with the making of the fictional film. It also explains what later happened to the lead actors in the film. The premise is that the film's maker was blacklisted during the Mc Carthy era, His film was confiscated then not released by the government till recently. They then say millions of dollars were spent to restore it to original condition. I can appreciate what they were trying to do here and their attempt at a homage to bad sci-fi films of the 50s and Ed Wood specifically. I also understand that they had an estimated budget, about $10,000 according to the IMDb. To some extent they succeeded with this attempt. With a little more work it could have been much better. It really is pretty funny most of the time. For instance they copy the way the cops in 'Plan 9' would wave their guns around carelessly when they talked like it was an extension of their hand. Also, the imitation 50s special effects were very well done. Sadly at other times it just drags on. Unfortunately they included scenes that didn't belong in what they are mimicking, like two painful Nelson Eddy and Jeanette Macdonald type songs between the two young lovers. That just wasn't 50s sci-fi like. They also had scenes that seemed more 30s Flash Gordon sci-fi than 50s. They should totally remove the opening dialog with the supposed interviews about the films fictional background. That part was dragged out and took away from the overall illusion IMO. It would have been better to just show their work and pretend it was a found film.

I do appreciate the effort they put into this and what they did with their surprisingly low budget. I also share the film makers love of these old films. I'll give them a 4 out of 10 for their almost successful attempt at a tribute.