James Neihouse had one more thing to share. From inside a tote bag, he pulled out a chrome frame displaying 11 strips of tape, each of which had printed text and handwritten notes. These were labels removed from film cans, the award-winning cinematographer explained. But not just from any film — these were the 41-year-old labels from the third space shuttle mission to carry an IMAX camera into Earth orbit. The rolls were used in the making of the first movie to include scenes shot in space, as first released…
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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 154 — The View From On High
The View From On High – Live From the International Space Station – YouTube Watch On On Episode 154 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Space TV director Liam Kennedy about bringing content and video from the International Space Station down to Earth. If you’ve ever wondered what the view from the International Space Station might look like in real-time, this is your episode. Or if you just want to know more about who’s up there and what’s going on at the ISS on…
Read More‘Chappie’ is 10 years old, and Blomkamp’s flawed humanist take on robots and AI is more relevant than ever
It’s safe to say Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 (2009) became an instant modern sci-fi classic, which explains why both moviegoers and Hollywood studios had massive expectations for the filmmaker’s follow-up flicks: Elysium (2013) and Chappie (2015). Neither reached the same heights and remain divisive to this day, but we think the latter is worth a quick rewatch a decade later. Most can agree that Blomkamp has a knack for delivering grounded and tangible sci-fi worlds on reasonable production budgets. It’s been the key to his long-term success, despite recent failure…
Read MoreThis Week In Space podcast: Episode 152 — Atomic Rockets II: Nuclear Electric Boogaloo
Atomic Rockets II: Nuclear Electric Boogaloo – Pathways to the Solar System – YouTube Watch On On Episode 152 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik host Dr. Robert O’Brien, Director of the Universities Space Research Association’s Center for Space Nuclear Research, for a fascinating deep dive into nuclear propulsion technology for space exploration. They discuss the history, current developments, and future potential of nuclear electric and nuclear thermal propulsion systems, which could revolutionize our ability to explore Mars and beyond — both robotically and with human…
Read MoreThis Week In Space podcast: Episode 151 — In Search of Alien Megastructures
In Search of Alien Megastructures – With Former NASA Chief Scientist, Dr. Jim Green – YouTube Watch On On Episode 151 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with former NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green about how we can search for technosignatures that might indicate advanced civilizations in other star systems, new ideas on Mars sample return, and his fascinating experience consulting on the movie, “The Martian!” Also: this week’s robotic landings on the Moon — one successful, one partly so; what’s up with the USAF…
Read MoreThis Week In Space podcast: Episode 149 — SpaceX, Moon Missions, and Killer Asteroids?
SpaceX, Moon Missions, and Killer Asteroids? – 2024 YR4, ISS Deorbiting, and NASA Budget Cuts – YouTube Watch On On Episode 149 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the latest space news, including a potentially hazardous asteroid, SpaceX’s plans to launch and land in the Bahamas, and the ongoing debate surrounding the retirement of the International Space Station. They also touch on NASA’s budget cuts, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the development of new radiation protection technology for deep space missions. Asteroid 2024 YR4:…
Read More‘Jupiter Ascending’ came out 10 years ago, and we’re still not sure how The Matrix creators’ space opera went so wrong
Whenever someone brings up Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s body of work, The Matrix is always at the center of the conversation. Maybe Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas get some mentions thanks to their vocal followers, but their spacefaring epic Jupiter Ascending is typically swept under the rug. A critical and financial disaster, most people wouldn’t blame you for forgetting about it. And that’s a shame because we believe there are enough reasons after 10 years to give it a rewatch with new eyes. Sometimes, it’s great to step away from…
Read More‘Captain America: Brave New World’ introduces adamantium into the MCU, but did it come from space in the comics?
The fourth Captain America movie, Captain America: Brave New World, is finally out and has been met with middling critical reviews. Despite that, fans are already dissecting every new character and plot development that’s transpired as they eagerly await The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts. Most intriguing is the introduction of adamantium in this movie, which is fascinating because of how it differs from the comic book lore. Adamantium is part of the comic book-y, ‘fun first’ science found in the long-running universe. From vibranium to recurring alien threats,…
Read More‘Star Trek: Section 31’ got us thinking… Should you have to do your homework before you watch a movie?
Let’s start with a small thought experiment. It’s Saturday night and you spot a new “Star Trek” movie on your Paramount+ homepage. You’re not a hardcore fan but you enjoyed “The Next Generation“, “The Wrath of Khan” and the JJ Abrams reboot. You’re also drawn in by the fact this interstellar version of “Mission: Impossible” is headlined by Michelle Yeoh, who starred alongside James Bond in “Tomorrow Never Dies”, recently appeared in “Wicked”, and won herself an Oscar for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”. That’s got to be worth a…
Read MoreThe best sci-fi TV shows of the 1950s
Early television in the 1950s was a freewheeling frontier of both live and taped offerings mostly dominated by comedies, game shows, kids programs, and westerns like “I Love Lucy,” “The $64,000 Question,” “Leave it To Beaver,” “The Mickey Mouse Club,” “The Honeymooners,” and “Gunsmoke.” But while post-war America’s interest in outer space and science fiction blossomed as the decade ran its course seeing the Soviet Union launch Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, in 1957 and igniting the Space Race, a wealth of science fiction offerings had already sprouted up on…
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