Saw it again other night after however many decades

First saw it as a kid on TV in what must've been early 80s and can still clearly remember some disturbing scenes from then (the bathroom cabinet drug scene, guy climbing mountain joking then get to top with helicopters, the snake den scene, the deserted petrol station, and the end funeral run), then got it on vhs in 90s and probably watched it just once..then not seen again until now other night (Legend channel)

Still a solid movie from Peter 'Outland/2010' Hyams despite the outlandish notion of a 1977/78 trip to Mars!

Some random observations from the now (with all my geeky film knowledge gained since):

-The later part of the movie (3 astronauts stranded in the rocky desert) mirrors the opening to the first Planet of the Apes film (and a couple of Twilight Zones). and its ironic the astronauts are in a Martian like desert (obviously intentional). There's just something about 3 astronauts in white suits on an earth rocky desert thats so very eerie..

-It obviously belongs to the 70s 'conspiracy thriller' genre (All The Presidents Men, 3 Days of the Condor, Parallax View, Marathon Man etc)

-Hal Holbrook (from ATPM) and playing similar role to his sinister role in Magnum Force (even similar pleading patriotic speech to the lead)

-'Americana' imagery showing the state of 'twisted' America at the time (in regard to Watergate, Nixon, Vietnam etc): Hal Holbrook discussing the perverted plan in front of the America flag on 'Mars', the rundown broken petrol station/coca cola machine,

-There's some really great eerie scenes/shots/imagery (the president voice over playing as they are on 'Mars', the prankster astronaut capture fade out, the choppers approach in the gas station.)

-Captain Styles from Star Trek III plays one of the control room men

-Elliot Gould playing a Philip Marlowe-esque role (The Long Goodbye)

-Telly Savalas is genuine lol funny (I could picture audiences loling at his lines in the theatre in 77/78), I wonder if Gould gave him half his earnings from his big 'scoop!'

-the chopper vs dust plane ending has some great FX/stunts for the time (combo of miniatures with little figures, back projection, real life stunts. all seamless)

-Hal Holbrook's character is in sooo much trouble at the end its unreal, in fact he'd probably be facing the chair for everything he did! (3 murders, at least 2 attempted murders, not to mention the Mars conspiracy, Which would obviously bring down the president and America itself for a time)