From the inception of cinema, filmmakers have dreamed of transporting audiences into space. Moviemakers use various techniques to take viewers on an unforgettable voyage beyond any possible boundaries of our universe.
This riveting film emphasizes that reaching for the stars requires skill, bravery, and the “right stuff.” Sam Shepard and Ed Harris give outstanding performances as early American astronauts.
The Story
Recreating Nasa’s raw footage from 1969’s race to the moon, this documentary creates an engaging recreation. What’s missing here, though, is triumphalism; instead this is more about quiet professionalism and fearless men in helmets.
Douglas Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey), in this classic directed by him (starring Sam Rockwell ) takes us on a three-year lunar mission with one lone astronaut, played by him, playing against type. Over time, however, their micro society becomes disintegrated as members adopt hedonism and bizarre religions on board.
An astronaut finds hope from an unexpected source when an alien appears, in this riveting, sci-fi thriller. Though far from an entertaining feel-good film, this sci-fi tale remains captivating and intelligent.
The Cast
This moving story about NASA’s early space race features an outstanding cast, including Sam Shepard and Ed Harris, in its early days is riveting and brings to light what qualities must exist to enter space exploration – skill, bravery, fearlessness of death among them.
Patrick Stewart’s soothing voice leads us through the film, serving as a historical link between past and present. He fondly remembers retired shuttle Atlantis before showing us today’s state-of-the-art International Space Station with its Orion project aimed at long distance trips into deep space.
On Orion, Jakub (Joel Sandler) becomes disenchanted with his research mission and the life it brings him. But then Hanus (Paul Dano), an intriguing character who recalls HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey as well as other movies featuring spider-like robots such as HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey appears. Hanus soon proves a worthy companion, sensing when “skinny human” Lenka is leaving; hopefully Hanus can reconnect them before it’s too late.
The Visuals
For this movie to work properly, it was essential that it portray space travel as an actual, serious enterprise. Paul Franklin and his VFX team needed to balance familiar technology (rockets) with futuristic ideas (spacecraft) like reaching distant planets; and to show astronauts in an atmosphere which was real enough – real astronauts don’t regard each other as competitors!
For this film, the BZ88 spaceship, designed by Von Braun as an affordable hobby rocket, was used. For scenes shot during freefalling scenes it had its landing struts extended, plus alien-friendly lighting effects and red glowing eyes to match HAL 9000’s design.
Pioneer 10–the human artifact that currently lies furthest away from Earth–was used by the effects team as an example of what interstellar travel might entail, while Gargantua spinning off from a black hole and into a wormhole was calculated so precisely by Kip Thorne that the film’s climax made headlines of scientific journals!
The End
Real astronauts are an elite group, comprising an intimate community. To think they would commit murder when feeling their lives are in peril would be unfathomable to most.
Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson were three Black female mathematicians who played an invaluable role in helping John Glenn reach space safely. This movie brings their often forgotten contributions to NASA’s efforts of sending white men into space and beyond.
Biosphere 2 was an Arizona-based “system science research project” which recreated Earth’s four climate zones on a miniature scale – including rainforests, deserts, plains and oceans – on a smaller scale. The film follows this Arizona complex and its inhabitants, such as an alien who was eventually exterminated by Earthlings. A moving scene finds Jakub calling Lenka to ask her if she will still kiss him; Lenka replies in the affirmative; this scene serves as an appropriate conclusion to an otherwise perplexing movie full of mysterious events.