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Sci-Fi Space

Celebrating the Mars Encounter with a DVD? 45

Posted by Cliff from the meeting-the-Red-planet dept.
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."
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Celebrating the Mars Encounter with a DVD? More

Celebrating the Mars Encounter with a DVD?

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  • NOT mission 2 mars (Score:4, Insightful)

    by PeteyG ( 203921 ) on Tuesday August 05, 2003 @07:42PM (#6621434) Homepage Journal
    NOT mission 2 mars

    If you haven't seen it yet, don't.

    That is all.

    • Re:NOT mission 2 mars (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Tom7 ( 102298 )
      On the contrary, you could show this to them and then ask them about all the broken science in it. It's so dumb even kids should be able to understand.

  • Man Conquers Space (Score:3, Informative)

    by Ratso Baggins ( 516757 ) on Tuesday August 05, 2003 @07:47PM (#6621469) Homepage
    This is Under 10 material, but its good for adults too...

    Mars Mission Docco [bigpond.net.au]

    btw: I'm an extra in it ;)

  • Mars Attacks [imdb.com]. Good family fun, the only objectionable stuff the little ones probably wouldnt get anyway. Otherwise the old War of the Worlds [imdb.com] movie might be good. Also in my searching of IMDB [imdb.com], it looks like they did a Martian Chronicles [imdb.com] miniseries, i havn't seen it but the book was good.

  • Not on DVD, but... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Megaslow ( 694447 ) * on Tuesday August 05, 2003 @07:53PM (#6621524) Homepage
    Here's something [pbs.org] I found at the PBS store [pbs.org]
  • Here's a fairly comprehensive listing ... Mars Movies [ucsd.edu]

    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.

  • Try this instead (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ralphclark ( 11346 ) on Tuesday August 05, 2003 @08:15PM (#6621687) Journal
    I adore watching good movies on DVD with my kids too. It's my favourite pastime.

    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.

    • Hai Ralph,

      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.
      • Obviously a person of impeccable taste ;-)

        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

        • Those books of Stephen Baxter are still on my list. I've read most of his others, and indeed this might be a good time to read these two. He's one of my favorite authors: it's nice to know that it is scientific fact that downstreamers can communicate with us using Feynman radation :-)
    • There's way too much sexual content and other adult-oriented material in Robinson's Mars trilogy for it to be appropriate (in my opinion) for kids of that age. You could of course skip those parts as you come accross them.
      • I was thinking that too.

        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
    • Usually I don't mind dragged out books but for some reason that Mars triology drove me batty and I couldn't finish it.
      • Your sig reveals why...these are not page turners or pot boilers, they are books to be lived in.
        • Whatever you say.. at least I have a .sig! I guess you also missed the part about how i've enjoyed other 'dragged' out books. The Mars trilogy dwelled too much on terrain details.. Yeah, we get it already, big cliffs, rocks, blah blah.
          • Yeah, we get it already, big cliffs, rocks, blah blah.

            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

          • As there isn't much on Mars besides rocks, I think that was an important, and interesting, part of the book. People who loved Mars for its own sake and saw the beauty of it. And didn't want to turn it into another earth. How often have humans not ravaged the landscape only to regret it later?
            • Point of interest...I saw Sir Patrick Moore's monthly TV spot "The Sky At Night" on BBC this week, and as you might have guessed, this time around they chose to focus on Mars. There were a number of University egg head Mars experts on the show, all involved with various Mars probe projects, analysis of Martian meteorites etc. One of the questions Sir Patrick asked them was "what about terraforming?". I was shocked to see that not *one* of them spoke in favour of terraforming even as a long term goal! Every
  • Well its not Mars but does that really matter if the audience is under 10? As I recall, Gumby gets taken prisoner by the moon people...

    Gumby's Trip to the Moon [barnesandnoble.com]

  • Robinson Crusoe on Mars! (Score:3, Informative)

    by Meowing ( 241289 ) on Tuesday August 05, 2003 @08:42PM (#6621902) Homepage
    http://us.imdb.com/Title?0058530 [imdb.com] Not exactly a masterpiece, and not even vaguely educational, but a lot of fun.
  • I remember reading 'The Rolling Stones' when I was a teenager. It's a Heinlein juvenile. It's in the future and it's about a family's journey to Mars to make a new life for themselves. Kind of a 'Grapes of Wrath' except not sad.

    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

  • This is a classical piece made for the original Mars Pathfiner mission. It captures the voyage to space and the red planet pretty well. I would suggest buying a BOOK for your children with some nice pictures of the red planet, and let them listen to this than just some crappy DVD.

  • It's all about documentaries (Score:3, Informative)

    by Oinos ( 140188 ) on Wednesday August 06, 2003 @12:03AM (#6623051)
    There are several Mars related documentaries available from the standard movie outlets.

    "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)

    by Zifnab32 ( 592169 )
    Why not a book instead of a movie?

    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

    • Having seen Martian Succesor Nadesico several times, and knowing that there are some major differences between what we consider kid friendly here and kid friendly in japan, i'd have to say that you're a bit off on this one. In Japan, Nadesico was targeted at a mid-teens audience, and definitly has its fair share of questionable content that most parents wouldn't want their 10 yo and younger watching. As for the other recommendations, you're pretty much spot on with those.
  • Though you are asking about Mars, I thought that you might be interested in the moon as well. You know, similar stuff...

    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

  • 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... Jimmy doesn't know what to eat for dinner. Will the Slashdot community be able to make some worth wild suggestions?
  • When I was in elementary school in the early 60's a local TV station played this movie once a year. It was a big event that we all looked forward to eagerly. Definitely under-10 friendly. Cheesy (you can see the zippers on the backs of the Martians' costumes), but good fun.

    Here's the scoop. [imdb.com]
  • While watching educational video's with the kiddo's has its place, how about you ditch the boob-toob and keep them up well past their bed-time?

    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 is pretty good, though has absolutley no educational value:
    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)

    by lawpoop ( 604919 ) on Wednesday August 06, 2003 @03:10PM (#6627667) Homepage Journal
    Since this is the closest Mars will be before the end of the world, why not bust out the mini-dv cam and make a homemade DVD for posterity?

    You can share it with your grandchildren then.

  • Since everyone else is mentioning books that you could read to them, how about The Martian Way [isbn.nu] one of the all time great Asimov stories.
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