Tag: NASA

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022, dir. Richard Linklater)

The imaginative son of a NASA administrator reminiscences about his late-1960s Florida suburban childhood. Gentle, charming, if slight rotoscoped semi-autobiographical movie. The space mission stuff is pretty much simply a hook to hang the nostalgia on. Not that this is a bad thing in this case. Recommended.

Here’s the trailer.

Marooned [AKA Space Travelers] (1969, dir. John Sturges)

A US space vehicle suffers a failure prior to re-entry: NASA works on solving the problem. Stolid SF drama trying to present a realistic version of an Apollo-ish space race-era disaster possibility. Slow and serious, and not especially dramatic as a consequence.

Here’s the trailer.

Countdown (1968, dir. Robert Altman)

With the Soviets poised to reach the moon first, the US scrambles to respond by sending a Gemini astronaut into space. Talky and somewhat passive Cold War-era basic training/mission flick enlivened by NASA access, and by getting earlier to material explored by later, better films. No classic, despite interesting credits.

Here’s the trailer.

First Man (2018, dir. Damien Chazelle)

Biopic of Neil Armstrong, from test pilot to Apollo 11 days. An impressionistic, oblique approach doesn’t really penetrate the subject, leaving Gosling free to offer another blank, introverted performance. Impressive rather than good, though with a sterling cast of character actors in support.

Hidden Figures (2016, dir. Theodore Melfi)

Early 60s. During segregation and the Cold War, black female mathematicians work behind the scenes at NASA. Hidden Figures is a great crowd-pleaser, deftly telling a civil rights history, a romance, and a race into space story. Highly recommended.