# Great Astronaut Films?



## J-Sun (Apr 30, 2014)

I saw _Apollo 13_ recently and it got me to thinking - what great astronaut flicks are out there? It doesn't have to be a "historical re-enactment" but it helps - I am thinking more of a head-on space program/real astronaut type movie and not just a science fiction movie with someone in a spacesuit. I've found some lists online and they all seem to mention _Apollo 13_ and _The Right Stuff_ but either seem to vary a lot or go too far afield otherwise. What Chronners think?


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## paranoid marvin (Apr 30, 2014)

Depends what you're looking for. If it doesn't have to be astronauts in space then Capricorn One is very good.

For astronauts in space try 2001 then the sequel 2010; you'll either love them or be bored to tears, but either way they should be watched.

Both completely fictional (though Capricorn One is of interested if you think the moon landings were faked!).


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## Vince W (Apr 30, 2014)

There's the miniseries from HBO From *The Earth To The Moon*. A lot of great stuff there.

*Moon* was a good film. Would *Silent Running* be considered and astronaut film?

*Space Cowboys* was sort of fun.

Here is a list to 66 films about astronauts:

66 movies about 'Astronaut' (page 1/7)


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## alchemist (Apr 30, 2014)

You have to try *Gravity*.


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## Lady of Winterfell (May 1, 2014)

I was going to recommend Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff.  I can't think of any others right now, but if you enjoyed Apollo 13, you might try picking up the book. I remember it being a great read.


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## Ice fyre (May 1, 2014)

How about, Deep impact or Armageddon, I'm not sure how accurate they are but I seem to remmber they were both pasable. Space cowboys was another, think that was quite good!


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## J-Sun (May 1, 2014)

I guess I should have said I just picked up *Space Cowboys* the other day.  I didn't want to itemize everything, but I've also seen *2001, 2010, Moon*, and *Gravity*. Good suggestions, though, even if the Space Odysseys are less focused on astronauts-for-astronauts sake and even _Moon_ is more like "base personnel who must also be astronauts".

Vince W: thanks for that - I dunno how I hadn't really heard of the *From The Earth To The Moon* miniseries but that looked great. That list of movies was all over the place and mostly not what I was looking for but some of it was and I was especially intrigued by *Europa Report*, which I'd also never heard of - ordered both and we'll see how they go. 

Thanks to all for the suggestions and please keep them coming.


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## Foxbat (May 2, 2014)

I think *Dark Star* merits a mention because of the good job it does looking at the sheer boredom astronauts are likely to suffer from on long-haul trips (an example being the scene where one of the crew uses an airlock door for target practice).


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## TheDustyZebra (May 2, 2014)

Another vote here for *Apollo 13* and *The Right Stuff*, of course.

And I know there are many, many people who think I'm insane for it (other reasons notwithstanding), but *Armageddon* is one of my favorite movies.


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## J-Sun (May 3, 2014)

Foxbat said:


> I think *Dark Star* merits a mention because of the good job it does looking at the sheer boredom astronauts are likely to suffer from on long-haul trips (an example being the scene where one of the crew uses an airlock door for target practice).



It never would have occurred to me, but you make a good point. I still don't think it quite fits the sub-category I'm thinking of, but it's a great flick so any excuse to mention it works for me. 



TheDustyZebra said:


> Another vote here for *Apollo 13* and *The Right Stuff*, of course.



Those do seem to be the Big Two.

On another note, I saw _Space Cowboys_ last night. I like Eastwood and Jones (and Garner to an extent) and it was watchable but, while I know it's not to be viewed as serious hard SF, I just had too many plausibility issues with it and, despite that, it was too predictable and emotionally "standard" to be any more than "okay". But it absolutely fits the sub-category.


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## J-Sun (May 7, 2014)

Followup: I watched *Europa Report*. More detail in the movie thread but short version: great movie! Not flawless, but really, really good. Definitely a "great astronaut film".


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## kythe (May 7, 2014)

Does anyone remember an 80's film or tv show about a group of amateur astronauts who secretly built a rocket and flew to the moon?  I swear I remember seeing this on tv as a kid, but I haven't been able to find it since.

Since I was young when I saw it, it was probably stupid (not a "great" astronaut movie).  But it influenced my interest in space flight.


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## biodroid (May 7, 2014)

Wasnt 2001 a space oddysey about astronauts


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## Ice fyre (May 7, 2014)

kythe said:


> Does anyone remember an 80's film or tv show about a group of amateur astronauts who secretly built a rocket and flew to the moon? I swear I remember seeing this on tv as a kid, but I haven't been able to find it since.


 

Yes I remmber that, cant remmber what it was called either, but they were kinda a group of ex astronauts who solved problems, arrrgh thats gonna bug me now....I remmber they used cloud seeding for a region with a drout....arrrgh tip of my tounge!


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## Mirannan (May 7, 2014)

The movie *Marooned* (1970s I think) was quite a good one. Subject in the title...

Also _*Space Camp*_. Group of teenagers shown around the Shuttle, goes spectacularly wrong.

BTW, of the two asteroid impact movies that came out around the same time, I think _*Deep Impact*_ was the better of the two.


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## Foxbat (May 7, 2014)

What about *Robinson Crusoe On Mars*?


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## Victoria Silverwolf (May 7, 2014)

An interesting one is *Countdown* (1968), Robert Altman's first theatrical film, which presents a realistic, but very different, first Moon landing.

Among the various more-or-less realistic films in the tradition of *Destination Moon* (1950), one which was of interest was *Riders to the Stars* (1954).


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## JunkMonkey (May 7, 2014)

kythe said:


> Does anyone remember an 80's film or tv show about a group of amateur astronauts who secretly built a rocket and flew to the moon?  I swear I remember seeing this on tv as a kid, but I haven't been able to find it since.
> 
> Since I was young when I saw it, it was probably stupid (not a "great" astronaut movie).  But it influenced my interest in space flight.



It was called *Salvage* (1979) - 





			
				Junkmonkey's movie diary said:
			
		

> They don't make 'em like this any more - more's the pity.  _Salvage_  is a TV movie, it's cheap, it's silly, and it's fun.  The story: a rich  bored scrap dealer builds a spaceship in his junk yard and salvages all  the stuff left behind by one of the Apollo missions. After a couple of  almost crises, the gallant crew of two return to a heroes' welcome.   That's about all that happens but watching it I was reminded that  America used to have (or at least used to sell itself as having) this  whole attitude of 'get up and go', 'let's put on the show right here in  the barn!', 'we can do it - all we need is a bit of gumption and some  Good Old American know how'.  What happened to that?  I liked it (though  I knew it was all bollocks).  It was aspirational, it held out the  promise of better things.  These days everything American seems so  self-centred and whiny.  _Salvage_ is total nonsense of course -  navigating in space using a sextant!? - but jolly nonsense.  I enjoyed  it.  It reminded me more than anything of the sort of short story Robert  Heinlein used to write back in the 1940s even before one of the  characters name-checked 'Destination Moon!' in the dialogue.



To add to the list I can really recommend an anime series called _Planetes_.  It gets a little soap opera at times but it's one of the best SF TV shows I know.

Here's episode one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZJfX03Akz4


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## kythe (May 8, 2014)

JunkMonkey said:


> It was called *Salvage* (1979) -



Yes, that's it!  Thanks.  I know it's a silly premise, but I remember the show from childhood and I've been looking for it for years.


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## JunkMonkey (May 8, 2014)

kythe said:


> Yes, that's it!  Thanks.  I know it's a silly premise, but I remember the show from childhood and I've been looking for it for years.



You're welcome.  Apparently there was a short lived series too:
Salvage 1 (TV Series 1979


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## Alex The G and T (May 8, 2014)

Hyeh, Hyeh, Hyeh.

_Barbarella_, and the equally most campy and silly; but fun:  _Space Truckers_ with Dennis Hopper.


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## Dark Energy (May 10, 2014)

"Capricorn One" is a great underrated movie!


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## J-Sun (Jun 7, 2014)

Followup: I paid extra to get the original aspect version of _*From the Earth to the Moon*_ and, of course, the altered widescreen that chops off peoples heads was sent to me, but I didn't realize it before I opened it. And then I wasn't able to watch the fifth episode because some sort of oxidation or milky film in the disk makes that part unplayable. Going to have to talk to the seller about all this.

But, that aside, I really enjoyed this. The credits and starts to all the shows are too slow and Mr. Hanks' intros sometimes seem a little dadaist but I liked it. My favorite was #10 which could have been called "Rocky" for a couple of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, it's good for a pun  but it also gives geologist astronauts the "training montage" and the "prize fight" and the "yo, Adrian, I found a really cool rock!" moment. (I suspect #5 would have been in competition for "favorite ep" as it was the engineering story as "Galileo Was Right" was the science story.

I also liked the repeated emphasis on the virtues of manned exploration. While it could be seen as a more general problem of preaching to the choir and pushing simple emotional buttons, it is such a great story that I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to revel in it and it does address the costs in human lives and even marriage stability and so on, so it's not all sweetness and light. I feel it could have been even better but the mini-series makers sure did give it a great effort and ended up with something definitely worth watching.


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## George Ian (Jun 11, 2014)

Don't be put off by all the hype surrounding Gravity - it's rather good - although I half expected the ending to feature a partially destroyed Statue of Liberty.


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