Ho-ho-hold onto your helmets! This week, Art and Erik blast off into one of the most delightfully bizarre holiday oddities ever projected onto a screen: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians—the children's matinee fever dream that boldly asked, "What if Mars just really needed Santa?"
This 1964 movie answers crucial questions like:
We break down:
Santa & Mrs. Claus — Where do they rank in the cinematic Christmas Pantheon?
Martian culture: Sleep Spray for the children, cattle prods for the adults and food pills for everybody!
ChoChem: The ancient sage who is performing like his life depended on it!
Torg: Villain? Pet? Misunderstood gentle giant? Cardboard?
Voldar The only guy taking this plot seriously, and his mustache is with him every step of the way!
1960s sci-fi ambition Shot with the confidence of a blockbuster and the budget of a PTA bake sale.
Plus: Set Designs from community theater, Pia Zadora before she was known as Pia Zadora, how to stage a climactic action scene with 25 cents left in the budget, and actors doing their best to save film by saving mistakes in the moment!
It's a wild ride, so join us on Spaceship One! Kimar and Droppo are waiting!
If you make it back from Mars without being bonked by Torg, zapped by a malfunctioning Martian headpiece, or force-fed space vitamins by Momar, come hang with us for more late-night deep dives into cult classics, holiday oddities, and all the wonderfully wobbly cinema we adore at
Be sure to follow and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! No interplanetary travel required.
And come hang with us on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for clips, chaos and for clips, chaos, behind-the-scenes shenanigans, and the occasional message beamed directly from Santa's workshop on Mars.
