The film The Last Days on Mars has been released in the UK and is being released in the US today on Video on Demand and on Dec. 6 to theaters:
Category Archives: Space films and videos
Jodie Foster narrates documentary on the Very Large Array radio astronomy observatory
Here’s a documentary video (embedding not allowed) about the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The video is narrated by Jodie Foster, who was seen at the VLA in the movie Contact: Beyond The Visible: The Story of the Very Large Array – Vimeo
Created in 2013 as the new interpretive film for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) public Visitor Center, this 24-minute production explores the synergies of technology and human curiosity that power the world’s most productive radio telescope. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster (star of the film “Contact,” which was based on the novel by Carl Sagan and filmed at the VLA), the program depicts many of the people whose diverse efforts enable the VLA to be a cutting-edge resource for astronomers and humanity worldwide.
For more information about the VLA, where we welcome visitors at no charge, visit public.nrao.edu. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
“Gravity” beats October box office record
The movie Gravity (see earlier post) did very well this opening weekeng: Space thriller ‘Gravity’ earns record $55.6 million
The film, which stars Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney and wowed critics with its special effects, added $27.4 million from sales in international markets, for a combined debut of $83 million, distributor Warner Bros. said on Sunday.
“Gravity”: Mission patches and other details
The movie Gravity starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney opens this Friday. Though the vivid trailers give the basic story, I’ve tried not to read too many stories about the film so as to avoid spoilers. Generally, it looks like the reviews from film festival and preview showings indicate that it is quite an entertaining and well made film.
The filmamaker was careful about details and even had mission patches created by famed Star Trek artist Mike Okuda: ‘Gravity’ movie mission patches shaped by real space history – collectSPACE.
I’m amazed that the whole film was first created in animation to get the lighting and composition optimized for each scene before filming it with the actors : Why Gravity Director Alfonso Cuarón Will Never Make a Space Movie Again – Underwire/Wired.com.
While there appear to be a number of Hollywood tropes involved (e.g. the Shuttles have stopped flying, there are no sounds in space, etc), it looks like they kept the science and technology fairly realistic. Will be interesting to see if this space story in the solar sci-fi style will get a strong audience response.
Videos: “Gravity” – the actors and director talk about the movie
Robert Pearlman writes about gravity as a force and a metaphor in the new movie Gravity, which will be released on Oct.4th: Defining ‘Gravity’: Sandra Bullock, Alfonso Cuarón talk pull behind film’s title (video) – collectSPACE
Actress Sandra Bullock and director Alfonso Cuarón talk with Pearlman:
In researching her role as an astronaut for the new movie, Sandra Bullock talked with NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman while she was onboard the International Space Station in 2010-2011.
Here is a press conference at a film festival: