The Insane Cast of Mars Attacks!
40sThe revelation that Jack Nicholson had a presidential march played for him on set is a fun, little-known fact that fans will love.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
This behind-the-scenes clip from the 2026 4K Blu-ray release of 'Mars Attacks!' features director Tim Burton and cast members reminiscing about the film's production, including Tim's playful habit of playing the President's March on set, the star-studded cast, and the creative process behind a memorable scene involving Sarah Jessica Parker and her dog Poppy.
Chapters
[0:00]
Tim's Humor on Set
Tim had a great sense of humor and would queue the sound department to play the President's March every time Jack walked onto the set.
[0:13]
Star-Studded Cast
The cast was so full of top-grade movie stars that an editor, after a month of editing, asked if there were any movie stars not in the movie.
[0:29]
Forgotten Stars
Upon rewatching the film, the speaker realized they had forgotten Michael J. Fox, Jim Brown, Nettie Benay, and Danny were in it.
[0:45]
Tom Jones in the Film
Having Tom Jones in the film was enjoyable, especially seeing his signature move again.
[0:57]
Martin Short's Performance
Martin Short nailed the lecherous subtext of his character as the press secretary.
[1:09]
Lisa Marie and Poppy
The speaker introduced Lisa Marie to Tim and wrote a part for her as the Martian girl. Her dog Poppy was also written into the film, and the Sarah Jessica character was based on Lisa Marie.
[1:34]
Tim's Experiments
Tim was going to town with experiments, including the idea to swap Sarah Jessica's head with Poppy's body, which the speaker initially doubted but Tim insisted would work.
[1:59]
Fun on Set
The speaker was on set when the head-swap scene was shot, and Sarah Jessica was a good sport, making it a favorite moment in the movie.
The clip highlights the collaborative and creative atmosphere on the set of 'Mars Attacks!', with Tim Burton's innovative ideas and the cast's willingness to participate in fun, memorable scenes.
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Study Flashcards (5)
What did Tim do every time Jack walked onto the set?
easy
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What did Tim do every time Jack walked onto the set?
easy
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He queued the sound department to play the President's March.
Which actor played the lecherous press secretary?
easy
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Which actor played the lecherous press secretary?
easy
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Martin Short.
0:57
Who was the Martian girl character based on?
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Who was the Martian girl character based on?
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Lisa Marie.
1:09
What was the name of Lisa Marie's dog?
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What was the name of Lisa Marie's dog?
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Poppy.
1:18
What did Tim want to do with Sarah Jessica's head and Poppy's body?
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What did Tim want to do with Sarah Jessica's head and Poppy's body?
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He wanted to put Sarah Jessica's head on Poppy's body and Poppy's head on Sarah Jessica's body.
1:43
💡 Key Takeaways
💡
Tim's Humor on Set
Reveals the playful atmosphere Tim Burton created on set, enhancing the film's production.
📊
Star-Studded Cast
Highlights the extensive list of famous actors in the film, underscoring its appeal.
0:13
💡
Lisa Marie and Poppy
Shows how personal relationships influenced character creation and scriptwriting.
1:09
🔧
Tim's Experiments
Demonstrates Tim Burton's creative and experimental approach to filmmaking.
1:34Full Transcript
[00:00] Tim had a great sense of humor, and I
[00:02] remember Jack, every time he walked onto
[00:04] the set, Tim had queued the sound
[00:07] department to play the President's
[00:08] March. So, that set the atmosphere.
[00:11] >> Did you see that?
[00:13] The cast was so full of top-grade movie
[00:16] stars that I remember there was an
[00:19] editor next door to me, and he could
[00:21] hear voices, and after a month or so of
[00:24] editing the movie, he said, "Are there
[00:25] any movie stars that aren't in your
[00:27] movie?"
[00:29] >> When I watched the film again, I looked
[00:31] at it and went, "Oh, that's right. I
[00:32] forgot. Michael J. Fox was in this
[00:35] movie. Jim Brown was in this. Nettie
[00:37] Benay.
[00:38] Danny. They were all there.
[00:40] >> Yeah, Tom Jones, right?
[00:42] Got to get an autograph. ANYBODY GOT A
[00:44] PEN?
[00:45] >> Having Tom Jones in the film,
[00:47] uh I really enjoyed that. I was
[00:49] chuckling when Tom does his little, you
[00:52] know, move that he does. Seeing that
[00:54] again reminded me of those days.
[00:57] >> One of my favorite parts is Martin
[01:00] Short. He really nailed that lecherous
[01:02] subtext to his character [music] as the
[01:04] press secretary.
[01:08] >> Hi there.
[01:09] >> I introduced Lisa Marie to Tim. I was
[01:11] good friends with her, so I wanted to
[01:14] write a part for her in the film. That
[01:16] was the Martian girl.
[01:18] And Poppy was her her dog, and she loved
[01:20] Poppy, and she'd take Poppy everywhere
[01:22] she went.
[01:22] >> Right, Poppy?
[01:24] >> [screaming]
[01:25] >> So, I wrote Poppy in. I made it that
[01:27] Sarah Jessica had this dog, and in many
[01:30] ways I based the Sarah Jessica character
[01:32] on Lisa Marie.
[01:34] Tim was really going to town with all
[01:36] the experiments. Those were all his
[01:37] ideas. And I remember him saying to me
[01:40] that he wanted to have Sarah Jessica's
[01:43] head put on Poppy's body, and Poppy's
[01:45] head put on Sarah Jessica's body.
[01:50] >> [screaming]
[01:50] >> I didn't think it could be done, and I
[01:52] remember saying, "That's not going to
[01:54] work." And Tim said, "Yes, it will." So,
[01:56] I wrote it in and then he did it.
[01:58] [laughter]
[01:59] >> What was fun was I was on set when they
[02:02] shot that with her and it just was such
[02:05] a fun moment and she was such a good
[02:07] sport. So, for me, that's one of my
[02:09] favorites in the movie. I just love
[02:11] that.