Celebrating the Mars Encounter with a DVD? 45
Berend de Boer asks: "To celebrate the upcoming encounter of The Mars Kind, I like to watch a DVD about Mars with my kids. Is there something worthwhile people can recommend? It should be suitable for younger kids (max 10), so Total Recall 2070 is out the question. It does not necessarily have to be an action film...something educational will be fine as well."
NOT mission 2 mars (Score:4, Insightful)
If you haven't seen it yet, don't.
That is all.
Re:NOT mission 2 mars (Score:2, Insightful)
Man Conquers Space (Score:3, Informative)
Mars Mission Docco [bigpond.net.au]
btw: I'm an extra in it ;)
Mars Attacks. (Score:2)
I almost forgot... (Score:2)
Re:Mars Attacks. (Score:2)
Re:Mars Attacks. (Score:2)
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds [amazon.com] is a wonderful album. I don't know if the under-10s would appreciate it, though. Maybe play it around the house as background music and let it subliminally seap into their little brains...
I also highly recommend getting the 1938 Mercury Theatre Of The Air Radio Broadcast [amazon.com]. Give 'em a little history behind the show, about how some people believed it was an actual news report. Then, afterwards, expose how it was all just a big coverup of the real invasio [amazon.com]
Re:Mars Attacks. (Score:1)
Not on DVD, but... (Score:3, Informative)
Googled in under eight seconds ... (Score:1)
and another .... Mars Movies 2 [umich.edu]
and, try listen to ... Jeff Wayne's War Of The World's" [chrisspedding.com]. It's a classic.
Re:Googled in under eight seconds ... (Score:2)
Try this instead (Score:3, Interesting)
Unfortunately, there simply aren't any good movies about Mars. I've seen them all, and Hollywood apparently just isn't interested in what the planet is really like.
Having said that, there is one very, very good novel though. Why don't you try reading Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars [amazon.com] to them instead. The whole book is very much to the point as far as Mars itself goes. It also depicts well what real science and real scientists are like. I guarantee you will all be spellbound by the characters, their stories, and most of all by the planet itself. And by the end, all of you will know just about everything that is known as about Mars today.
Yes, it's not a children's book - but then neither is the latest Harry Potter book really, which my two kids (8 and 9) are desparate for me to finish reading to them - so they can read it again by themselves :o) Heck, this is a good idea - I think I'm gonna read Red Mars to them next.
Re:Try this instead (Score:1)
I agree, Kim Stanley's trilogy (Green and Blue Mars as well) is very well done. I'm currently reading it for a second time.
Re:Try this instead (Score:2)
But it's probably occurred to you, as it occurred to me only after posting my comment, that the pacing is probably much too slow for the vast majority of under tens. I still might try it with my kids, I'll soon find out if they're dissatisfied :-\
BTW, have you tried Stephen Baxter's Voyage [amazon.com] and Titan [amazon.com]? For yourself I mean. They're similarly grounded in hard scientific fact (and old/currently available technology). Oh yes, I forgot: Voyage is about Mars (and b
Re:Try this instead (Score:1)
Re:Try this instead (Score:1)
Re:Try this instead (Score:2)
OTOH you'd perhaps be surprised what kids take in their stride these days. There is sex, profanity and plentiful references to drugs highly visible in all forms of media now - even billboard hoardings frequently have content that makes me gasp with embarrassment. If you're thinking you can prevent your kids from seeing any of this - well, good luck is all I can say.
Anyway my personal strategy, if I get to a bit in the story that's too explicit, is to say "dot...dot...dot" (they kno
Re:Try this instead (Score:1)
Re:Try this instead (Score:2)
Re:Try this instead (Score:1)
Re:Try this instead (Score:2)
I is a bit slow in places. Not to everybody's taste I suppose. But there were even some book critics who were impressed with it so it can't be all bad.
You might get on better with "The Years of Rice and Salt". It's quite literary and has a relaxed pace in KSR's usual way, though it doesn't drag like parts of the Mars trilogy. No rambling descriptions of terrain.
I find the best time to read his books are when you're on holiday, lying by the pool, and
Re: Mars terrain details (Score:1)
Re: Mars terrain details (Score:2)
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (Score:2)
Gumby's Trip to the Moon (Score:2)
Gumby's Trip to the Moon [barnesandnoble.com]
Robinson Crusoe on Mars! (Score:3, Informative)
How about something different? (Score:2)
You could read a chapter every night. I know my son enjoys it when I read to him. Bradbury's 'Martian Chronicles' might work too, but it's a little more adult. You could try 'Podkayne of Mars' or, better yet, Edgar Rice Burrough's 'John Carter of Mars' series. There's about 11 of th
Vangelis Mythodea (Score:1)
It's all about documentaries (Score:3, Informative)
"Mars - The Red Planet Collection [amazon.com]" is one that I personally recommend. It has two programs, on one each side of the DVD, and is seemingly suitable for young children. My 12 year old daughter sat through both programs then immediately asked where my old telescope was. Speaking of which, a telescope is a great idea to enhance the Mars experience.
There's also the long forgotten Mars Pathfinder [sgi.com]" site with fantastic photos of the surface. CD-ROM's may still be available of the site. The Planetary Society [planetarysociety.org] is another good online reference site.
Sure movies are entertaining, but this is an opportunity to educate your youngsters on a facinating subject.
This wouldn't be a proper comment about Mars reference materials without plugging The Case for Mars [barnesandnoble.com] by Robert Zubrin. It's probably a bit too technical for a 10 year old, but still a facinating argument for settling Mars.
Martian Chronicals (Score:2, Informative)
I would definitely recommend the Martian Chronicals [amazon.com] by Ray Bradbury (author of Fahrenheit 451). It is a collection of short stories that take place on mars, I remember reading this for the first time in 5th or 6th grade, it is most definitely appropriate for children. It is a great book I think everyone should read, and this is the perfect opportunity.
Amazon.com From "Rocket Summer" to "The Million-Year Picnic," Ray Bradbury's stories of the colonization of Mars form
Re:Martian Chronicals (Score:1)
"To the Moon" DVD (Score:1)
There is a DVD available which is titled "To the Moon" which is nice DVD to watch with your kids. Its about the Moon Space program and its cool.
Its Amazon link [amazon.com] gives the description as:
This engaging two-hour documentary from NOVA detailing America's space program was produced for the 30th anniversary of the first moon shots. While no 120-minute film can tell all the stories of the space
Billions and Billions... (Score:2)
Remember Carl Sagan and his "Cosmos" series? There's an episode called "The Blues for the Red Planet" that's pretty good. If you get the box set, some of the effects and science has been updated. If you can get over his frumpy clothes, they're always a good watch.
Here's a link [carlsagan.com] to the box set on the carlsagan.com website.
On the next Ask Slashdot.... (Score:1)
Invaders From Mars (1953) (Score:2)
Here's the scoop. [imdb.com]
I've got a better idea.... (Score:1)
Pick up a decent telescope [telescope.com] and a few eyepieces [telescope.com], head out to the country (away from all the damn city lights) and, I don't know, look at Mars!
Here [skyandtelescope.com] and here [marsdaily.com] are sites with a little more info...
Rocket Man (Score:1)
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0120029
I believe it's a Disney movie, but the kids won't know the evil behind it.
What about a homemade DVD? (Score:3, Insightful)
You can share it with your grandchildren then.
books (Score:2)
very last post (Score:1)