SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS (1964) ** Never comes anywhere close to delivering on the promise of the title, but that's a nearly impossible standard to fulfil. The climactic toy battle is very good, and the closing sing-along most have been a golden moment for someone at some drive-in somewhere back in the day. Other than that, including all that, it's more a study for aficionados of juvenilia than sensible people. Some giggles, no belly laughs, and most all at the expense of adults who would be willing to engage in this sort of behaviour. Green-faced Martians and such. Why would they? Did they do it for money? Surely not glory. Surely no one could have been dense enough to believe that this could possibly lead to bigger and better things! That last one worked for Pia Zadora, but there are always exceptions to the rule. It's easy to forget that the point of drive-in movies was to offer a plot that's easily accessible after extended periods of...diversion...and to serve up some silly scenes to talk about at the sock hop next Saturday or something. Well, it does that.
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