mars attacks mars attacks american comedy science fiction film directed written based cult trading card series minus film features ensemble cast consisting dual role film parody science fiction movies elements black comedy political satire tried mars attacks film 1980s burton gems began development gems turned draft commissioned gems burton attempt lower budget million final production budget came million spent million marketing campaign filming took place february november film shot california nevada kansas arizona argentina soundtrack famous quirky speech pattern created reversing sound duck filmmakers hired create computer animation previous plan use stop motion supervised fell budget limitations mars attacks released december mixed reviews critics film grossed approximately million box office totals seen disappointment mars attacks nominated hugo award best dramatic presentation earned multiple nominations saturn awards plot kentucky family watches confusion herd cattle running past home fire spaceship explodes returns mars hundreds ships leave mars head earth president aides addresses united_states concerning historic event people country follow story president science aides set contact meeting nevada president watches development wife daughter universal translator ambassador announces intend earth prevent intention causing panic translator come peace releases dove symbol peace ambassador shoots slaughter large number people event including general news reporter capturing chat host pet heads thinking assumed dove symbol war president tells professor negotiate ambassador invited address united_states congress meeting massacre congress begs ambassador stop rendered unconscious taken aboard ship later shown body parts head remaining animated general tries convince president nuclear warfare refuses attempt assassinate fails invade earth starting washington attack white house tries rush president lady bunker makes separated chaos crushed death government unsuccessfully attempts nuclear attack mother ship exact revenge world landmarks amusement night infiltrate bunker taken leader reduces size insect killing kill bunker makes speech attempt plea peace life uses false hand kill las_vegas victims casino employee world champion boxer leads small group survivors consisting named airfield hopes flying small jet safety barely losing process discover large group stationed preparing creates diversion challenging succeeds killing ambassador outnumbered overwhelmed tom barbara escape brother discovers heads explode hear indian love grandmother florence drive town song kill military broadcast song globe killing leader causing remaining survivors flee earth surrender kiss drowning spaceship crashes ocean aftermath florence awarded medal honor surviving member government survived brawl arrives reunite wife sons saved life white_house guns stole dead devastating cleaned barbara emerge cave animals crashed ship adjacent lake cast president president united_states portrays developer las_vegas wife art land wife professor science expert works president later captured experimented press secretary sarah talk host later captured experimented news reporter killed attack army general works president younger brother james daughter las_vegas casino employee boxer posing human female grandmother girlfriend wife army private older brother gets killed trying stand general worker agent father mother sons scientist created device badly translated language president france white_house director effects translator voice uncredited production development pitched idea film based mars attacks trading card series joint production wrote drafts years replaced placed mars attacks turnaround previously written multiple director came idea mars attacks film writer pitched concepts mars attacks burton decided attack similar burton busy preparing believed mars attacks perfect opportunity pay homage films especially plan 1950s science fiction movies invaders mars came war worlds invasion body earth burton set studio purchased film rights trading card series behalf original theatrical release date planned summer gems completed original script million studio wanted film million turning numerous drafts attempt lower budget gems replaced writers gems eventually returned project writing total drafts script credited screen story screenplay mars attacks gems novelization movie burton wrote screenplay didn ask credit dubious dialogue wanted burton add closed subtitles resisted working film leading characters worldwide destruction planned film isolated major cities scenes featuring attacking china philippines japan europe africa india russia deleted screenplay bear mind way independence day written gems commented things like manhattan destroyed building building white_house went figured expensive cut reduce cost claimed film climax attack thwarted playing songs originally created worked sketch named aliens mars burton listened sketch interviewed stern dismissed mere coincidence casting decision hire list ensemble cast mars attacks parallels strategy disaster films notably adventure original choice role president dropped replaced considered playing role left production concerns film violence considered approached jokingly remarked wanted play roles burton agreed cast president specifically remembering positive working relationship actor batman originally set play cast modeled character performance choice professor eventually went considered won role addition actors reunited burton mars attacks include signed reading script continuing burton trend actors times previous works mars attacks notable times johnny turned role burton film approached play reporter cast instead filming originally scheduled start date mid august filming delayed february director hired cinematographer fan work films production designer beautiful mind intended war room pay tribute production burton insisted art direction cinematography costume design mars attacks incorporate look 1960s trading cards designing played burton girlfriend costume designer took combined inspiration playing cards work filming mars attacks ended june film score written composed burton regular burton reconciled quarrel occurred nightmare christmas operate producing enlisted help lead guitarist help arrange compositions orchestra visual effects initially intended use stop motion animation feature viewing homage work primarily jason similar burton wanted special effects look cheap purposely fake looking possible approached director nightmare christmas supervise stop motion work busy directing james giant peach produced burton despite fact skeptical escalating budget film production burton hired shepherd stop motion work created international team animators worked mars attacks months began compiling test footage burbank california department workers studied choreography movement sunset boulevard inspiration movement budget projected million wanted million producer commissioned test reel visual effects company worked burton persuaded change mind employ computer animation brought final production budget million uncredited work stop motion later collaborate burton received character design credit responsible scenes global destruction airborne flying sequences landing nevada robot chases truck practical effects building scale models landmarks destruction hotel footage real life night time demolition building burton wished reception release spent million movie marketing campaign million spent production final combined budget came million novelization written writer published january film released united_states december earning million opening weekend mars attacks eventually million totals million coming worldwide total million film considered box office bomb generally achieved greater success critically commercially europe observers found similarities independence day came coincidence told surprised close director continued pretty basic genre guess independence day different tone different like kind mad magazine version independence day mars attacks theatrical run january purchased broadcasting rights film critical reaction mars attacks drew mixed responses critics based reviews collected rotten_tomatoes reviewers enjoyed film average score comparison metacritic calculated average score reviews roger_ebert observed 1950s science fiction movies told wrong movie makers felt superior material funny believe look man invasion bee girls find movies lack stars big budgets fancy special effects funny fun way burton understands los_angeles_times wrote mars attacks 1990s disbelief mocking conventions independence day takes seriously sounds clever truth mars attacks fun numerous actors lasting impression burton heart soul humor washington_post said mars attacks evokes plenty sci classics day earth stood doesn superficial exercise exception burton sight gags recover vision head body comedy half developed pedestrian material climactic battle dull writing time magazine gave positive review admire breadth burton writer movie references range refusal offer single likable character don create deeply funny thoroughly mean spirited big budget movie rarity chicago reader praised surreal humor black comedy found vein said far clear movie satire critics describing cult sci comedy elaborate star studio awards mars attacks nomination chose independence day instead film nominated seven categories saturn awards won director writer actor costume designer visual effects department received nominations mars attacks nominated went independence day hugo award best dramatic presentation
Mars Attacks!