this is a horrible, horrible effort. but somehow it is also quite entertaining. there are two kinds of sci-fi: good and bad. this goes under the bad category - and how! - but it is, in a way, good/bad. the awful special effects are someone fun to see... or, should I say, witness. the acting is actually pretty decent, especially from Bernie Casey and Chris Connely and Nick Hammond. Darren McGavin is a bit over the top but does a decent job, and Rock Hudson isn't too bad. but the most boring, and unenjoyable parts are dealing with two monks who are searching for God on Mars. as for the overall picture, the script is tedius, and the scenes are very, very long. it is a mini-series and oh how it feels like one. even without commercials (on the DVD of course) you'll feel as if half your life is over when it's through. but you should have some fun watching it because as corny and horrible as THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES is, there is a feeling you will have, like when you're home sick: that at least you get to miss work or school. work and school, in this case, is reality. this movie takes you away from reality and that's not a bad thing.