None other than Santa himself was kind enough to sit in for me for last night’s discussion of “Santa Claus Conquered the Martians,” and I don’t think Roy has ever laughed so hard. During the course of what might kindly be termed an autopsy, it gradually emerged that George Lucas stole everything from this cult camp masterpiece (including the spiderweb viewports, a Yoda-like mentor, the Wampa snow beast, and the Jedi mind-trick) to create “Star Wars.” Okay, maybe he also borrowed a little from “Metropolis” and Akira Kurosawa, but what are they next to “Santa Claus Conquered the Martians?” Am I joking? Share the pain – watch the movie – and then soothe the burn with this revelatory analysis.

We’re off next Friday for Christmas, but we’ll be back on Sunday, full of merriment, to end the year on a low note – 20,000 leagues, to be exact – and a 2020 discussion of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1954).

Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner is live-streamed on Facebook most Friday and Sunday evenings at 7:00 EST.

https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner/

Happy holidays, and remember to keep Mars in Christmars!