Martians are set to invade earth. It is obvious from what one of them knows that there will be heavy casualties. He tries to avoid going but when his family is used against him, he acquiesces. Instead of a force awaiting them, they are greeted with marching bands and glad hands. They are given the key to the city and an opportunity to earn big bucks. They are immediately embraced and shortly nothing is left of their commitments. The earth people are sickening and boorish, loud and abrasive. They have no moral sense and it's all about filthy lucre. So, in reality, the Martians are defeated by a force that has nothing to do with their original conception. It's just that the episode is terrible.
4 Reviews
"I will rise up in glory, to die later."
classicsoncall15 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Quite by chance if not exactly intent, since I picked up Bradbury's 'The Illustrated Man' last week, I just read the story this episode was based on. To be honest, I found reading it a bit of a chore because it seemed colorless and slightly boring. The show on the other hand, especially when the Martians arrived on Earth, burst into full color and celebration, as the welcoming committee of what looks like a small mid-Western town turns out full force to greet the landing party. The Martian mission was to conquer the planet, though Ettil Vyre (Ben Cross) was a holdout, fearing that an invasion would result in his death and those of many more Martians. Blackmailed and guilted into making the long voyage, Ettil's fears are realized, but in a completely different way. The massive street celebration that greets the Martians devolves into heavy partying and drinking, while a runaway automobile strikes and kills the leader of the Martian delegation. The irony of the episode is striking, with Ettil sending his thoughts millions of miles away back to his wife on Mars, accompanied by the music of an Earth victory march, at which she confirms that the Martian force never had a chance. There would be no rhyme or reason for the story to be titled 'The Concrete Mixer', except for Bradbury's penning Ettil Vyre's thoughts suggesting that the Martians on Earth were like crushed seeds in a concrete mixer.
What was Been Cross Thinking?
computersprockets31 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Granted, there are some really bad episodes in this series. But this one is really awfully horribly bad. Ben Cross who is a fine actor usually (was he somehow forced to do this role?) goes through the motions portraying this Martian soldier who with around seven or eight other of his fellow aliens (This comprises the entire invasion force to conquer Earth!) who are no more alien looking than anyone on this planet already. Anyway, once landed in their very cheesy spacecraft they are at the total mercy of the earthlings who greet them in what appears to be a generic American Midwestern picket fence community with a marching band and general television family hour toned down celebrations in the streets to welcome the Martians who are dressed in unimaginative and no budget costuming which looks more homeless than alien. This episode is bad on so many levels. How did the great Ray Bradbury come up with this? He must have been ill when he penned this stinker.
Socialist Fascist Martian Military
evony-jwm25 December 2020
Fascists pulverized by small town Midwestern American Capitalism is something socialists will never understand, LOL. Meeting the evangelical.. priceless. Head fascist run over jay walking. The movie mogul named "Rick" destroyer of Mars.
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