The Martian Chronicles

Starring:Rock Hudson, Gayle Hunnicutt, Darren McGavin, Roddy McDowall, Joyce Van Patten, John Cassady, Michael Anderson Jr., Christopher Connelly, Stacey Sipes, Estelle Brody, Fritz Weaver, Terence Longdon, Barry Morse, Maggie Wright, Vadim Glowna, Jon Finch, Laurie Holden, Maria Schell, Richard Heffer, Nyree Dawn Porter
Director: Michael Anderson
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

With each passing year, this 1980 miniseries becomes more for those who have read Ray Bradbury's landmark novel. The three-part, nearly five-hour series keeps its brainy science fiction roots; this story (and the 1940s novel) is not about laser battles and exciting action pieces. Bradbury's novel is galvanized by the cold war nightmare: at the end of the 20th century, an earth teetering on world war begins to colonize Mars without much knowledge of the new world. Hard science is left for other stories, and director Michael Anderson (Logan's Run) keeps this retrofitting: for example, astronauts arrive on a breathable Mars in leisure suits. The space travel effects are clunky, but the action on Mars--with Assheton Gorton's geometric sets and simple props--are far more effective. There are Martians there, as the unprepared first Earthlings learn. Later, as the planet is quickly colonized, the remaining Martians are near specters--bringing awe and fear to those they encounter. Master sci-fi writer Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) smartly streamlines Bradbury's episodic stories, giving a central role to Col. John Wilder (played by Rock Huston, leading a plethora of solid, yet B-list actors). For those in love with cerebral science fiction, they can enjoy this dated but curious sci-fi miniseries; for those of think sci-fi began with Star Wars, beware. --Doug Thomas

Description

From the mind of science-fiction giant Ray Bradbury springs what is perhaps his most epic vision. Capturing mankind's first venture into the colonization of another planetand its tragic first contact with another species"The Martian Chronicles" is a stunning achievement that will take you from the edge of your seat'to the stars. Earth is on the verge of extinction. To survive, mankind must find another place to live. But when three expeditions to Mars, headed by Col. John Wilder (OscarÂ(r) nominee* Rock Hudson), find suitable conditions for relocation, humans pour in bythe shipload, bringing the old evils of Earth with them! As Wilder begins to heed the lessons of the dying Martian civilization, can he save humanity from repeating its doom? *1956: Actor, Giant

Customer Reviews:

surprised.......2007-05-28

this movie was recommended to me by my dad who is a huge sci-fi fan... me myself not being so much into sci-fi i was hesitant to watch and basically judged it before i had watched it.
but i must say i thoroughly enjoyed this movie through every one of its 5 hours.
even if you are not a sci-fi fan the story told in this movie is highly enticing.
this movie contains alot of moral messages for all of mankind, and in the time we are in now with war on terror and all that jazz the messages resonate louder now than ever.

Hard to find good Sci Fi.......2007-05-14

Castle Rock entertainment produced this in VHS and left out the final episode. It took the USA for me to get the complete version on DVD.

Historical Program.......2007-03-17

Not the best SCI-FI in the world and not even the best original written stories but they are worth keeping and reviewing from time to time for its historical value. Was a TV mini-series and the continuity is not the best and the special effects were a little weak even at the time of its broadcast but the tone of the programs are true to the original short stories (even to the discontinuity and conflicts between stories).

Acting is pretty good for the time and genre and the over arching morality is still relevent.

Kinda campy and fun, but takes itself way too seriously.......2007-03-08

I remember watching this on TV when I was a young teenager. I remember having a nightmare about some of the early scenes, but always remained fascinated and wanted to watch it again. Well after watching the DVD I came away laughing. It's kind of like the original Battlestar Galactica or Star Trek meets Fantasy Island, with a little Love Boat tossed in. It's worth getting just to see Rock Hudson's melodramatic performance. I enjoyed it.

Classic Sci Fi.......2007-02-14

This TV movie is firmly tongue in cheek whilst managing to capture the full scope of Ray Bradbury's tale. The main parts - and a number of well known faces obviously enjoyed getting into their roles in this production - are delightfully played and Rock Hudson's performance is impeccable.

The DVD version is full length and not the abridged version sometimes shown which is totally unsatisfactory.

This is a movie that most (if not all) Sci Fi fans with a nostalgic
point of view will cherish.

Martian Successor Nadesico - The Complete Chronicles

Average customer rating:

Underestimated by being only a parody!
GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the Greats
Not the best ever, but one of the most enjoyable
You Get To Burning - With This DVD Boxset!!!

Martian Successor Nadesico - The Complete Chronicles
Starring: Spike Spencer , Jennifer K. Earhart , Sue Ulu , Mark Laskowski (II) , and Jenny Strader
Director: Tatsuo Sato , and Nobuyoshi Habara
Manufacturer: A.D. Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Anime | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Martian Successor Nadesico - The Motion Picture: Prince of Darkness
Excel Saga - The Imperfect Collection
Rune Soldier - Complete Collection
Please Teacher! - Anime Legends Complete Collection
Rahxephon - Complete Collection

ASIN: B00006CY45
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

Martian Successor Nadesico (1996) was initially criticized in Japan for making fun of both anime and fan culture, but its unbridled and ultimately good-natured silliness won over critics--and large audiences on both sides of the Pacific. It's 2195 A.D. and the "Jovian Lizards" are attacking Earth. Tired of the inept campaigns of the United Space Force, Nergal Heavy Industries builds a super battleship, the Nadesico, which they staff with top people who have "slight personality problems." Ditsy Captain Yurika nurses a crush on the traumatized Akito--despite his skill as a robot pilot, he signs on as a cook. He's won over by the irrepressible Gai Daigoji, a fanatic admirer of Gekigangar 3, a hilarious spoof of '70s mecha series. The story reaches new heights of absurdity in "Let's Go with Hot-Blooded Anime": the casts of Nadesico and Gekigangar watch each other's programs, borrowing ideas and complaining about the plots.

In another episode, the crew holds a "Geki Fest" that satirizes anime conventions, including booths selling special, "limited edition" merchandise. The war becomes a struggle that pits the crew of the Nadesico against both the Jovians and Nergal Industries. Although the conflict hinges on Akito's mysterious ability to move through space and time in a "boson jump," the path to peace lies in Gekigangar 3 ("the thread that ties humanity together!"). In America, only Rocky and Bullwinkle and The Simpsons have dared such outrageous self-parody. (Rated for ages 12 and older: Brief nudity, mildly risqué humor, cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

Underestimated by being only a parody!.......2006-06-01

(SPOILERS INCLUDED!)

You know people, when I first started watching this show I thought that it would be just a very good parody, as most reviewers stated it.

True is that it mixes all sorts of stories and plots inside it: Comedy, drama, action, Mechas, science fiction, romance, an anime inside an anime (it is actually hard to explain but easy to understand once you watch the shows) etc.

At the beginning it is mostly a light-hearted show, making successfully fun out of everything and the main story resolves in three main axes: a) Humans and their forces fighting against aliens, b) Aliens fighting against humans and c) a private company that has the strongest space battleship and hired the craziest crew for this purpose, fights for humanity but has its own agenda. This is how the story mainly evolves till somewhere it reaches the middle of the episodes.

However, it starts to get very emotional and presents itself to have many plot twists such as: one side betrays the other, propaganda and manipulating the truth, political and military power games going on and romance evolving all around it. Not to mention the fact that the aliens proof to be humans as well. People will die by sacrificing themselves for the ones they love and in times it gets very emotional if not dramatic at all.
Yes, the story - according to most reviewers - in my humble opinion, is much underestimated. You will see that it has a solid storyline, great character development and the message it brings across is LOVE (SPOILER!) and the love between the female captain and the Nr. 1 pilot of Nadesico is the one that will eventually safe everyone; and the series have a (bittersweet in a way) happy ending. Additionally, all the twists and questions will be answered in the end.

The animation is not bad at all: In order to get a good picture, imagine an animation that is a little bit better than the one that Evangelion or Cowboy Bebop had.

As for the opening - finish songs they are very good and you will love its music.

In my humble opinion, no matter what kind of anime fan you are, this show will definitely have something for you and you will love the series.

Is it worth buying it? I definitely will answer with a YES!

Either way, if you cannot afford the money for it than at least rent it because it is worth watching it.

Just keep in mind to watch the series till the end and then make your final judgment.

I hope that I could help in a way clarifying some things about Martian Successor Nadesico.

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-02-13

This anime is so funny, and just overall the best of the best! you should really buy the complete chronicles it will save you money.

One of the Greats.......2005-08-23

It seems as though anime these days is taking a turn for the worst with boring and unoriginal shows like Ghost in the Shell and Full Metal Panic. In my opinion, the golden year of anime was 1999. Why? Just look at a list of anime released during that year and you'll see why. A large amount of the most memorable anime came into existence and captured the hearts of otaku (anime fans) everywhere. And Martian Successor Nadesico was one of them. This show is just absolutely brilliant. Not only does it makes fun of old mecha anime with its series-within-a-series Gekigangar 3 (there's actually a separate movie you can buy devoted to the series), it also makes fun of itself by showing the characters from Gekigangar 3 watching Nadesico and discussing ways it could be better. It may sound corny to some, but to me, it's genius. If only every anime could be this good.

Another subtle joke in the episodes is a lot of yelling. If you know anime, then you know that a lot of them contain lots of yelling. While it may seem like a normal part of the anime (and it pretty much is), it's also sort of an inside joke to those who have watched other mecha anime like Gundam Wing. Although sometimes, even to a longtime fan like me, the yelling can get kind of annoying sometimes.

Also, the characters are very memorable. There's the traumatized young pilot Akito Tenkawa, who is reunited with his old friend Yurika Misamaru, an overstimulated nutcase of a girl who can't keep her mind off Akito. Her father is just as crazy as she is, often making comments on the fact that she is "well-endowed". Creepy, but disgustingly funny. There's also little Ruri Hoshino, a child prodigy who views everyone around her as idiots when their antics get out of hand. She's the favorite of many Nadesico fans, and I must say that I am one of them.

Overall, I give this anime a 10/10. This is definitely, as the review title says, one of the greats. One thing I forgot to mention, though: the music is excellent. It keeps the mood going in each scene and the anime would suffer greatly without it. If you're looking for a great, lovable anime to enjoy for years to come while the anime world loses its credibility, then you've found it.

Not the best ever, but one of the most enjoyable.......2005-02-16

As far as mecha anime goes, Nadesico is one of the most overlooked series out on the domestic market. Probably because it's one of the more difficult anime on the market to classify. The initial impression is one of a typical mecha show. Reluctant pilot with mysterious powers? Check. Alien invaders? Check. Pretty, but ditzy, main love interest? Check. Several other love interests? Check. Special super powerful new ship? Check. Wacky and strange ship crew? Check. But Nadesico takes all these elements and does more interesting things with them in parody than many shows do with them in deadly seriousness.

The characters mostly seem to be fairly flat and two-dimensional, but as you watch the series you really see that there's more to most of them than is readily apparent. There's generally not much growth, per se, but it's more of a realisation of things that had been there the whole time. The plot also seems straight forward, but there's a unique aspect to it that gets revealed as the series goes on.

Overall, it's hard to beat Nadesico for entertainment value. It's got action, it's really funny, it's got interesting characters, it's got a solid plot, and it's just a fun show to watch.

You Get To Burning - With This DVD Boxset!!!.......2004-06-11

There aren't many good sci-fi animes these days. But one I would recommend is Martian Successor Nadesico: The Complete Chronicles Collection Set. This anime series maybe in the 90s. But once you watch it, you can never get tired of watching it again & again.

With 26 episodes altogether, there are a dozen chracters you can remember. The epic tale of humans versus the jovians will surprise you with a twist. Then there is a craze anime within an anime that will bring forth the reason why the Jovians fight for. There is romance. There is comedy. And there is mecha fight scenes you will enjoy. Not to mention great music soundtrack that will keep you humming the tunes.

Cute, adorable, enjoyable by its own... this is a DVD Boxset you mustn't miss. Trust me, in my years on Robotech during the 80s... I never thought discovering Nadesico could be this addictive!

Description

Ray Bradbury, Dancing Among The Muses, is the film bio of American literary icon and master storyteller Ray Bradbury. Bradbury, author of such classic novels as The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man and Fahrenheit 451 and numerous screenplays such as Herman Melville's metaphoric saga, "Moby Dick". Through intimate interviews with Mr. Bradbury and some of his closest friends and colleagues, the viewer becomes a first hand observer to Bradbury's childhood in Waukegan Illinois, where a mysterious carnival performer changes his life forever. Next as a teenage as Bradbury journeys west with his family to a depression-era Hollywood - a move that puts him in the fantasy world of movies. And finally into the present where Bradbury resides today as the world's premiere storyteller with a list of classic movies, television shows and plays to his credit and more than 50 million books in print throughout the world.

Customer Reviews:

Not So Bad - I Liked It.......2007-06-28

If you disregard the film editing techniques and just listen to the words, I think you will find this program useful and inspiring. As the professor said there are a few things wrong such as missing name/date/location captions and a few stills that don't really make since, but the content is great. Who cares if Bradbury isn't perfectly clean shaven, it makes no since at all to use that as a degradation. We're lucky to see Ray speak at all these days. Those who have heard him talk before will recognize many of the same themes and stories that he has spoken of in the past, but at least for me there were a few things I had never heard before. It makes me want to pick up my copies of Dahl, Kneale and Collier, and all the other short story writers Ray has recommended, read them, and get back at the typewriter writing stories every day. And if that's not the most important thing, I don't know what is. As Ray would say to future writers, "Mad Love!" and "Onward!"

Disappointing Bradbury Documentary.......2007-01-04

As a literature professor I view lots of documentaries about authors, from well-produced works to bargain basement photo montages. This is frankly one of the worst I have seen. The disk itself even appears to be a cheap DVD recordable with a label, not a standard commercial DVD. The documentary is a collection of bland recent interview clips and lecture footage of a disheveled and often unshaven Bradbury interspersed with oft-repeated photos and fawning interview comments by others. No one is identified with a screen caption, so while Forrest Ackerman and James Whitmore are easily recognizable, the identities of several other interview subjects are a mystery (although suggested by the context). The camerawork is amateurish and the image jitters from time to time, sometimes inexplicably zooming or panning slightly. The music, such as it is, is comprised of someone strumming on a single guitar. I have seen first year film students put together better work than this. Very disappointing and not at all recommended.

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