Festive film flops

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians tops a new list of Christmas movie clangers.

10:57 22 December 2004

Christmas is notoriously a time to churn out movies that would never normally see the light of day, but even seasonal goodwill is no excuse to watch Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

The 1964 film, which sees Saint Nick get kidnapped by Martians upset that their children have no-one to give them presents, has been voted the biggest Christmas turkey of all time in a new poll.

Pia Zadora stars in the Nicholas Webster-directed film, which only ever made it to video.

It tops a list, drawn up by DVD rental firm LOVEFiLM.com, which also includes such classics as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2 and the much-maligned fourth instalment of the Home Alone series.

A Christmas Romance (1994), which sees Gregory Harrison and Olivia Newton-John get it together in true Yuletide style, was voted second worst, while the 1984 film Don't Open 'Till Christmas was third.

"For every White Christmas several Christmas stinkers are released," said LOVEFiLM's marketing director Fliss White.

The full list of Christmas clangers:

1. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
2. A Christmas Romance (1994)
3. Don't Open 'Till Christmas (1984)
4. A Christmas Without Snow (1980)
5. Black Christmas (1974)
6. A Christmas Carol (1999)
7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2 (2003)
8. Jingle All the Way (1996)
9. Home Alone 4 (2002)
10. Eight Crazy Nights (2002)