Space films to satisfy that itch to leave Earth behind
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
Let’s be honest here: There have been better times to live on planet Earth. When the terrestrial woes heap you under their big, dumb weight, consider taking a cinematic trip away from Earth. Here are a handful of films that take us far, far away.
Archival footage from the 2019 documentary Apollo 11. Courtesy photo (NASA)
The Martian
The 2015 Oscar-nominated film adaptation of Andy Weir’s iconic novel covers a lot of ground. The Martian chronicles an astronaut’s struggle to survive on Mars after accidentally being left behind and NASA’s attempts to return him to Earth. Botanist/astronaut Mark Watney is played to perfection by Matt Damon, who adds dashes of humor to the survival tale that relies heavily on actual science to propel the story. It’s a favorite for math and science nerds alongside film buffs.
Apollo 11
The more I learn about the amazing efforts of NASA to put a man on the moon, the more I’m blown away by this achievement, especially when you consider that the average smartphone has thousands of times more computing power and memory than the Apollo 11 guidance computer that helped take astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins on their historic trip to the moon. The 2019 documentary film Apollo 11 features never-before-seen footage and audio recordings of the launch and mission that captivated the world in July 1969. It’s arguably one of our finest hours in America, and this film’s stunning large format archival footage puts the viewer right in the cockpit. Stream it on Netflix.
Apollo 13
While the moon landing mission went off without a hitch, the Apollo 13 mission proved to be just the opposite. Plagued by difficulties and logistical launch problems from the start, Apollo 13 tested the new space program to its limit and relied on the combined intelligence and abilities of hundreds of people to see the astronauts return home safely to Earth. The 1995 feature film directed by Ron Howard achieved both the realism and terror the astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise went through on their doomed mission. With stars like Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris drawing the viewer into the amazing story of survival, Apollo 13 is steeped in realism, technical accuracy and drama for what turned out to be NASA’s greatest rescue mission.
Event Horizon
Mixing horror and sci-fi, 1997’s Event Horizon doesn’t receive nearly enough credit for how great of a film it is. Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne and Kathleen Quinlan play a rescue crew tasked with investigating the mysterious reappearance of a spaceship that had been lost for seven years, only to find the real truth behind its disappearance is something more terrifying than anyone imagined.
Contact
Also released in 1997, Robert Zemeckis’ Contact blew audiences away with its portrayal of how society might react after receiving radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence that sends plans to build a mysterious machine. Starring Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey and Tom Skerritt, Contact is based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan.
Honorable mentions include Interstellar, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Moon, Alien, WALL-E and, of course, various films and shows from the Star Wars universe.
Want to support independent local journalism?
The Sandpoint Reader is our town's local, independent weekly newspaper. "Independent" means that the Reader is locally owned and operated by people who were born and raised in Sandpoint. The Reader is owned by Publisher Ben Olson, Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and Senior Writer Soncirey Mitchell. Sandpoint Reader LLC is a completely independent business unit; no big newspaper group or corporate conglomerate or billionaire owner dictates our editorial policy. And we want the news, opinion and lifestyle stories we report to be freely available to all interested readers - so unlike many other newspapers and media websites, we have NO PAYWALL on our website. The Reader relies wholly on the support of our valued advertisers, as well as readers who voluntarily contribute. Want to ensure that local, independent journalism survives in our town? You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
TIMBER WARS: Six-part series, February-November 2022. GO READ IT»
WHERE ARE THE WORKERS?: Five-part series, September-October 2021. GO READ IT»
THE AMERICAN REDOUBT: Seven-part series, November-December 2017. GO READ IT»
STANDOFF AT RUBY RIDGE: 25 Years Later. Five-part series, August-September 2017. GO READ IT»
Curious about what media the locals use? Check our 2018 Local Media Survey. GO SEE »
Sandpoint in Pictures
Filmmaker Jimmy Matlosz of the Idaho Film Company has made a series of mini documentaries about influential Sandpoint locals, including the late Dann Hall and Erik Daarstad as well as icons Diane Michaels and Dan Shook. He is currently working on a series of interviews connected to the history of the Panida Theater. Jimmy is a 30-year veteran filmmaker who's work can be seen at dpmatlosz.com.
Meet the Reader
Ever wonder who makes the Reader happen? Here's a behind-the-scenes look pieced together by summer 2017 intern McCalee Cain in which Ben, Cameron and Lyndsie explain what exactly about the Reader keeps them coming back to their shabby (but well-loved) office each week.
