Here’s a quick Christmas test: Have you been force-fed “Sleigh Ride” at least 5,000 times this season while you’re shopping for stuff you can’t afford?
If the answer is yes, you’re a candidate for some alternative Christmas programming as Santa’s big day nears.
“Alternative” is a good word to describe “Christmas on Mars,” a journey into roughhewn sci-fi psychedelia.
Long in the works by iconoclastic art-rock group the Flaming Lips, the 86-minute feature is an eye-popping, unabashedly obscure tale set on a Mars space station. It was written and directed by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, who plays a Martian who arrives at the Earthling-occupied station on Christmas Eve.
The supporting cast includes Fred Armisen (“Saturday Night Live”) and Steve Burns (“Blue’s Clues”) with a Flaming Lips-provided instrumental soundtrack.
Premiering on Sundance Channel at midnight Christmas Eve (check local listings), it’s a fitting antidote to the predictable excess overloading the holidays.
(Hint: To make the film a little more accessible, you may want to break out the New Year’s eggnog. Or something.)
In any case, “Christmas on Mars” will clear the palate for the sweetness of Christmas morning just a few hours hence.
Other shows to look out for:
“Snooze-A-Thon”: Here’s a useful helper for parents of youngsters likely to have trouble settling down on Christmas Eve for Santa’s delivery. Sprout, the channel for preschoolers, aims to mellow out its audience with an 11-hour “Snooze-A-Thon.”
Starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday and continuing to 5 a.m. Christmas, this uninterrupted program block will showcase host Nina and her puppet sidekick Star from Sprout’s “The Good Night Show,” snoozing contentedly. Interspersed with that soporific scene will be clips of characters from the channel’s preschool shows including “Sesame Street,” “Dragon Tales,” “The Hoobs,” “Pingu” and “Berenstain Bears” all getting happy shuteye.
Accompanying this restful panorama is a tender musical soundtrack. Parents can let their wound-up kids take a look as these TV friends set a positive example with their slumbers. Then, after the kids are down, parents might enjoy sticking with the “Snooze-A-Thon.” It’s more soothing than a video yule log!
“A Kiss at Midnight”: A more traditional holiday movie on Hallmark Channel points the way to New Year’s Eve, with romance befitting Valentine’s Day. Faith Ford stars as the owner of a personalized matchmaking service who sets out to discredit a rival operation: an automated, computer-dating Web site whose owner (Cameron Daddo) turns out to be her perfect match, to their mutual astonishment.
Will these two wary competitors resolve their business quibbles by midnight New Year’s Eve?
“A Kiss at Midnight” airs 9 p.m. Saturday.
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