2. Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964)
Made infamous by Mystery Science Theater 3000, 1964’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is fairly self-explanatory. It’s a film that combines the magic of Christmas with the magic of sci-fi, and it came at a time when both genres were experiencing something of a cinematic boom. In that sense, making a movie like this seems logical. In literally every other way, it seems ridiculous.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians involves a Martian plot to kidnap Santa in order to save Martian society from becoming boring (basically). Different factions of aliens disagree on whether Mars needs Christmas, and some Martians attempt to kill Santa. It ends with Santa appointing a Martian to act as the planet’s own Santa Claus, allowing everyone to live in peace and Santa to return to Earth.
It’s a film that commonly ranks among the worst movies ever made, though its inclusion on MST3K has seen it gain a cult following. Between the poor production values and the film’s bizarre plot, it’s certainly no cinematic masterpiece. Despite its incredibly weird premise, it occasionally veers into so-bad-it’s-good territory.