Everybody loves Santa Claus ... even the Martians! Displeased that their children have become obsessed with Earthly television shows extolling the virtues of Santa Claus, the residents of Mars devise a plot to bring St. Nick home. When they try to kidnap the jolly old fellow, however, they end up towing along Betty and Billy, two goodhearted Earth children intent on saving the day....: Whatever will happen? Will Betty and Billy save Santa? Will the Martians discover the true meaning of Christmas? Will Santa, Betty, and Billy make it back to Earth in time for Christmas Eve? There's only one way to find out! Turn the pages, and get ready for some Martian mayhem, holiday hijinks, and all-in-all out-of-this-world holiday fun featuring your favorite Martians-Dropo, Girmar, Bomar, and Kimar! This edition features the 1964 cult classic, as well as an original novelization by Lou Harry. Book jacket.
The most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—through history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists, for fans of Andy Weir and For All Mankind. Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until the 19th century when “canals” were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there’s life on Mars. Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It’s this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA’s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk’s quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.
Sure, everyone's seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. But as you'll learn in this shockingly tasteless collection of great awful movies, there's so much more to the world of truly bad film. You'll dive into the steaming swamp of such disastrously delicious movies as: Young Hannah, Queen of the Vampires Puppet Master versus Demonic Toys Creature with the Atom Brain Cannibal Holocaust Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter For each movie, film buff and reviewer Steve Miller includes a list of principal cast, director, producer, a plot overview, why the movie sucked, a rating, choice quotes, interesting trivia, and a quiz. For anyone who's ever enjoyed awful movies, this is the book to have on the couch, along with the popcorn, as the opening credits flash on the screen for Gingerdead Men 2: The Passion of the Crust.
THE CHRISTMAS MOVIE BOOK Christmas and the world of cinema: two things that go together like mincemeat pies and mulled wine. There are few categories of film which have captured the imagination of young and old for so many years, or which have brought with them such nostalgic charm and warm sentiment. But what is it about the Christmas movie that has proven to be so creatively adaptive over the years, and why has the genre remained so perennially popular amongst audiences all across the world? This new study charts the evolution of the Christmas film, starting in 1945 with The Bells of St Mary's (Leo McCarey), and continuing up to the present day with the 3D version of A Christmas Carol (Robert Zemeckis, 2009). From the silver screen magic of It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to the madcap seasonal comedy of Home Alone and Elf, by way of White Christmas and Black Christmas, this book considers a wide selection of some of the most enduring festive movies from the past seven decades. With a detailed exploration of each film's themes and cultural influences, The Christmas Movie Book also features a comprehensive timeline of key works in the genre, a filmography, notes, and illustrations, and examines why it is that these well-loved classics continue to enrapture generations of movie-goers. Thomas Christie has a life-long fascination with films and the people who make them. Currently reading for a PhD in Scottish Literature, he lives in Scotland with his family. He holds a first-class Honours degree in Literature and a Masters degree in Humanities, specialising with distinction in British Cinema History, from the Open University in Milton Keynes, England. Tom is the author of Liv Tyler, Star in Ascendance: Her First Decade in Film (2007), The Cinema of Richard Linklater (2008), John Hughes and Eighties Cinema (2009) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Pocket Movie Guide (2010), all of which are also published by Crescent Moon Publishing. For more details about Tom and his work, visit his website at: www.tomchristiebooks.co.uk. Also www.crmoon.com. 'Thomas Christie's scholarship is as always immaculate. Full marks to him for another informative, well written and erudite guide to a neglected director and episode of film history.' (Review of John Hughes and Eighties Cinema) Douglas J. Allen (Lecturer in Social Sciences, Motherwell College) 384 pages. Fully illustrated. With filmography, timeline, bibliography and notes.
Now with an Historical Afterword by Ron Miller Featured in Ron Millers _The Conquest of Space Book Series.Ó The 1880 novel by Percy Greg that introduced the word "astronaut" to the language tells of a voyage by spaceship to Mars and the discovery there of a dysfunctional scientific utopia. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Magic is real. Santas are wizards. Krampus is a jerk. The Santa Claus myth we know and love is just a cover for a secret order of wizards. They wield a system of magic that draws on the power of swear words. Daniel is a college kid who needs a job. He finds work at the mall Santa kiosk but almost loses his life on his first day when Krampus's minions attack. There's an ongoing battle against evil for the fate of the world. Can Daniel take up the fight? Can he learn to do magic too? Will the Santas survive the onslaught of the forces of Krampus? Find out in ... this book, obviously!
A love-letter to fun toys that broke real easy, Rack Toys chronicles decades of cheaply made toys found on the rack of discount stores, drug stores and anywhere in-between. What these toys lacked in quality, they made up for in charm and kitsch.
