Invaders from Mars (1986)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1986
Running Times: 100 mins
Format: colour     35mm     J-D-C Scope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Cannon Pictures
Executive in Charge of Production: Mati Raz
Producers: Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus
Associate Producers: Wade H. Williams III, Edward L. Alperson Jr
Unit Production Manager: Chris Yaniveh
Production Coordinator: Iya Labunka

SCRIPT
Script: Don Jakoby, Dan O'Bannon
Story: Richard Blake

DIRECTION
Director: Tobe Hooper
2nd Unit Director: John Dykstra
1st Assistant Director: David Womark
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Director: Larry Litton
2nd Assistant Director: David Layman
2nd 2nd Assistant Director: Tommy Burns

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl
Camera Operator: Bruce Pasternack
Additional Camera Operator: Vince Baldino
2nd Assistant Camera: Jerold Chan, Luc G. Nicknair
Key Grip: Michael Popovich
Stills: Eric Lasher, Rory Flynn
Unit Photographer: J. Michael McClary
Lab: TVC

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Alain Jakubowicz
1st Assistant Editor: Anne Couk
Assistant Editor: Richard Alderete
Post Production Supervisor: Michael R. Sloan
Post Production Coordinator: Omneya 'Nini' Mazen

MUSIC
Music: Sylvester Levay, David Storrs, Christopher Young
Conductor: Paul Francis Witt
Synthesizer Programmer: Tom Calderaro

SOUND
Sound: Oscar Mitt, Trevor Keates
Sound Mixer: Russell Williams II
Boom Operator: Mary Jo Devenney
Sound Editors: Barbara McBane, Ron Bartlett
Assistant Sound Editor: Justine Vacco
Supervising ADR / Dialogue Editor: Robert Ulrich

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Supervisor: Moni Mansano
Hair Supervisor: Moni Mansano
Costume Designer: Carin Hooper
Costume Supervisors: Dana Lyman, Louis Valadez

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Everett Burrell, John Rosengrant, Matt Rose, Allan A. Apone

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Hans Metz
Producer of Special Effects: Robert Shepherd
Invaders Designer / Creator: Stan Winston
Special Effects: Richard Rownak
Special Effects Technicians: Ken Speed, Larry Odien
Mechanical Effects Supervisors: Hans Metz, Ray Svedin
Creature Art Coordinator: Alec Gillis

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Producer: Paul Boyington
Special Visual Effects: John Dykstra, Roger Dorney
Animation Supervisor: Clint Colver
Model Maker: Christopher S. Ross
Visual Effects Stills: Michael Douglas Middleton

Apogee Inc
Assistant Editor: Joseph Yanuzzi

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designers: Leslie Dilley, Craig Stearns
Art Director: Craig Stearns
Set Designer: Randy Moore
Set Decorator: Cricket Rowland
Set Dresser: Portia Iversen
Assistant Set Dresser: Kara Lindstrom
Property Master: Douglas Fox
Carpenters: Martin Simon, Stephen Reece
Concept Artist: William Stout
Storyboard Artist: Keith Crossley
Draftsmen: Dave Snyder, Russell Christian, Will Combs
Lead Sculptor: Amanda J. Flick
Art Department Assistant: Lisa Dean
Lead Man: Scott W. Ambrose

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Auditor: Marc Fischer
Production Instigator: Wade Williams
Technical Advisor: Dale Dye

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Eddy Donno, Steven Lambert
Stunts: Laura Dash, Tim Davison, Dana Dru Evenson, R.H. Farnsworth, Donna Garrett, Diane Hetfield, Terry Jackson, Ken Lesco, Karen Warner, Beth Nufer, Lee Poppie, Spiro Razatos, Peter Stader, Richard Washington
Stunt Marines: Ken Bates, Tony Brubaker, Mike Cassidy, Carl Ciarfalio, Roydon Clark, Mike Johnson, Matt Johnston, Joel Kramer, Julius Leflorie, Allen Michael Lerner, Bernhard Pock, Peter Strader
Stunt Safety: Lincoln Simonds

CASTING
Casting: Perry Bullington, Robert MacDonald

CAST
Karen Black (Linda Magnusson)
Hunter Carson (David Gardner)
Timothy Bottoms (George Gardner)
Laraine Newman (Ellen Gardner)
James Karen (General Climet Wilson)
Bud Cort (Mark Weinstein)
Louise Fletcher (Mrs McKeltch)
Eric Pierpoint (Sergeant Major Rinaldi)
Christopher Allport (Captain Curtis)
Donald Hotton (old NASA scientist)
Kenneth Kimmins (Officer Kenney)
Charlie Dell (Mr Cross)
Jimmy Hunt (Police Chief)
William Bassett (NASA scientist)
Virginya Keehne (Heather)
Chris Hebert (Kevin)
Mason Nupuf (Doug)
William Frankfather (Ed)
Joseph Brutsman (MP #1)
Eric Norris (MP #2)
Debra Berger (Corporal Walker)
Eddy Donno (Hollis)
Mark Giardino (Johnson)
Daryl Bartley, Roy Mansano, Shonda Whipple, Amy Fitzpatrick, Shawn Campbell, Brett Johnson (classmates)
Dale Dye (squad leader)
Douglas Simpson (Lieutentant / drone)
Lonny Low (Communications Officer / drone)
Scott Leva (Marine officer)
Scott Wulff (young Marine / drone)
Frederick Menslage (Marine #1)
Michael McGrady (Marine #2)
Lawrence Poindexter (Marine #3)
J. Acheson (Marine #4)
Matt Bennett (Marine #5 / drone)
Aaron Scott Bernard (Marine #6)
Steve Lambert (demolition man)
Debbie Carrington, Margarite Fernández, Joe Anthony Cox, Salvatore Fondacaro (drones)

PLOT SUMMARY

A young boy is the only one who knows that Martians are trying to invade the Earth by taking over the minds of people in his home town. But will anyone believe him - and can the invasion be stopped?

AVAILABILITY

Brazil
Video Distributors: América Vídeo

Canada
Theatrical Distributors: Pan-Canadian Film Distributors

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Cannon Film Distributors
Video Distributors: Cannon Video; MGM / UA Home Entertainment Inc
Laserdisc Distributors: Elite Entertainment Inc (EE 8623); Image Entertainment Inc
DVD Distributors: Anchor Bay Entertainment (DV 10328); MGM / UA Home Entertainment Inc

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: 13

Canada
Rating: PG

Finland
Rating: K-14

Norway
Rating: 12 (with cuts)

UK
Rating: PG (with cuts)

USA
Rating: PG

AWARDS

1987
Razzie Awards, USA
Worst Supporting Actress (Louise Fletcher) - nominated
Worst Visual Effects (John Dykstra, Stan Winston) - nominated

TIMELINE

1986
June
6: USA - theatrical release

August
7: West Germany - theatrical release

September
3: France - theatrical release
12: UK - theatrical release

1988
February
19: Finland - theatrical release

1998
February
10: DVD release (Anchor Bay Entertainment (DV 10328))

POSTER TAGS

There's no place on Earth to hide!

It's open season... on earthlings!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Invasores de Marte - Argentinean / Spanish title
Invaders - Italian title
Invasion från Mars - Swedish title
Invasion fra rummet - Danish title
L'invasion vient de Mars - French title
Invasion vom Mars - West German title
Invasores de Marte - Brazilian title
Najzdzcy z Marsa - Polish title
Vaara vieraalta planeetalta - Finnish title

LINKS

REMAKE OF
Invaders from Mars (1953)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors (1986)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Fangoria no.49 p.62 (USA)
note

Fangoria no.54 p.30-33 (USA)
illustrated interview with James Karen

Fangoria no.55 p.34-37 (USA)
illustrated interview with Tobe Hooper

Fangoria no.56 p.26-29 (USA)
illustrated interview with Stan Winston

Fangoria no.57 pp.33-35, 62
illustrated interview with William Stout

Fangoria no.153 p.10 (USA)
note

Halls of Horror no.27 p.9 (UK)
note

Première September 1986 p.18 (France)
review (by Jean-Philippe Guerand)

Shivers no.50 p.57 (UK)
review

Starburst no.107 pp.44-45 (UK)
illustrated review

NEWSPAPERS

Daily Mail 12 September 1986 p.30 (UK)
review

The News 18 September 1986 p.5 (UK)
review

Southampton Evening Echo 13 September 1986 p.VIII (UK)
review

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.190
credits, review

KEYWORDS

aliens, children, military, remakes, spaceships, teachers, twist endings, underground

Last Updated: 26 August, 2009