Lost in Light » Our Trip to Mars

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Lost in Light is a videoblog about small gauge filmmaking featuring weekly posts of home movies, work by artists, articles by preservationists and film scholars, video tutorials and other film gems.

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Our Trip to Mars

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It gets cold, real cold in Iowa. If you were a kid living before internets and video games, you were forced to use this thing called your imagination when locked inside for days at a time. You could only play the same five board games so many times with your bratty sisters. It was usually kids who commandered the home movie camera and turned it into a motion picture film camera. The level of boredom of kids making these films was directly proportional to the amount of detail in the final product. And judging by this film these kids were bored out of their minds.

The film starts with our team of astronauts, in their winter hooded-coat suits, launching their tin foil constructed spacecraft into deep space. Note the G’s being pulled, especially by the smallest of the bunch. After a few seconds in space they reach the desolate and clearly labeled planet of Mars. The first astronaut cautiously explores the surface of this mysterious formica-floored planet only to be zapped by the death ray of an upside-down, clothes-hamper-headed Martian. Little brother makes a brief cameo with his stuffed animal because Mom made them. The next astronaut is ambushed and completely disintegrates as she sleeps. The thing about Mars is it makes you really tired.

The brave Captain cuts his losses and fires the spacecraft back to Earth quicker than you can say Jiffy Pop. Ahhh but the hamper-headed Martian is inside!!! Lunch was ready so they landed on Earth. The End.

Posted: February 8th, 2007 under Home Movie, Narrative, REMIX ME, Sci-fi, Super 8.
Comments: 6

Comments

Comment from Albert
Time: February 9, 2007, -5

The movie was made in Elgin, IL about 1968. My father blew smoke through a straw to help out with the special effects. The actors in this short film are geting quite a hoot out of it after almost 40 years. Thanks to Aaron & Jen at Lost in Light. What a blast!!!

Comment from ryanne
Time: March 9, 2007, -5

i love this film!!!
so good.

Comment from ryanne
Time: April 22, 2007, -5

you have been revlogged:

http://revlog.blogspot.com/2007/04/lost-in-light-our-trip-to-mars.html

Comment from Laurent
Time: January 1, 2008, -5

Hi, what a wonderful experience !
Does anyone can tell me the name of the soundtrack ? i really love that sound and it mix so well with the picture.
Thanks again

Comment from Antonio
Time: September 25, 2008, -5

I wish Hollywood made a remake!

Comment from Joe
Time: March 14, 2009, -5

What Fun! Vintage. I sort of felt like I was there. Reminds me of cold outside Saturday afternoons being bored inside when I was a kid with my friends. Wow!

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