Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Though this American flick cannot compete with its Russian counterpart, Frosty, in terms of the latter film’s sweeping nature, it has the same sense of exaggeration and adoration of the Christmas myth that the staple of Czech television has for fairy tales and heroic stories. And what’s more, it’s the same kind of trash. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians offers up a unique blend of Christmas farce with third-rate 1950s sci-fi in the mould of Plan 9 from Outer Space. By comparison, however, even Wood’s classic comes across as a big-budget spectacle brimming with special effects. In staging the alien invasion, the filmmakers got by with archival footage of military equipment on the move and talking heads of TV presenters. It seems that the whole budget was spent on elaborate alien costumes and stunning studio locations representing Mars. :) (17.01.2015)