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Thursday, April 21, 2016

Thursday Movie Picks #93: Astronauts


Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details visit the series main page here.


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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Astronauts

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Turns out I haven't seen a lot of astronaut movies including last year's The Martian and the other big ones from recent years that I have seen: Gravity and Interstellar I couldn't really stand them. Still I managed I to find 3 that I actually enjoy.

Moon (2009)
The premise of this one is just so interesting. Without spoiling anything it follows an astronaut doing a lone stint on the moon. After getting into an accident, he realizes he isn't alone. If you haven't seen this, I recommend it.
 
Sunshine (2007) 
A bunch of astronauts are on a mission to reignite the dying sun. Several things go wrong but when they encounter a space ship from a previously failed mission you just know things will get worst and it's just scarry. The score for this one stood out too.

Armageddon (1998)
I haven't seen this one for soo long. I wonder how I'd find it now. Even then I found it cheesy; remember how all the newly recruited misfit astronauts were introduced in a spectacular fashion. Cheesy but fun. 


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16 comments:

  1. I have not seen the first two but I am intrigued by the first film...unless it's like Alien which freaks me out. The last film is cheesy as all hell but a fun flick to watch.

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    1. Moon - it's not. It's more of a science/psychological drama/thriller. It's more sad than scary.

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  2. Sunshine is an excellent pick and also on my list.

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  3. Moon is awesome. The first half of Sunshine was great and repeatedly referenced the film the second half ripped off rather poorly, Alien. And I also picked Armageddon, just not for the same reason.

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    1. I don't remember much of Alien, so I did get the referencing part.

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  4. I also choose Moon, Sunshine I really enjoyed until about the last 20-30 minutes, then it got jarringly weird. It's been a long time since I've seen Armageddon as well. That Aerosmith song is still pretty memorable though. lol

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    1. Yay for Moon!
      Sunshine - yeah it seems that a lot of people don't like the later half. It definitely got scary weird.

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  5. I guess I'll have to watch Moon now. Everyone's saying it's great.

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  6. Moon was a nice surprise when I stumbled across it, I didn't have any real notion of what it was but I like Sam Rockwell which was my initial reason for watching but it pulled me in, he was excellent and the movie well made.

    Sunshine didn't really hold my interest but it's a terrific fit for the week.

    Armageddon is big, dumb and fun if you don't think about the absurdity of it too much. I saw it at the Uptown theatre in Washington D.C., a single theatre with a massive screen, which made it far more memorable than anything that was actually in the movie.

    I came up with three that are more obscure:

    Capricorn One (1977)-While awaiting the launch of the first manned flight to Mars the command center realizes too late to abort that a malfunction in the support system will kill the astronauts during the journey. Needing a success to continue the program the astronauts are whisked away to a false lunar surface in the desert and the entire mission faked. When the spaceship burns up on reentry and the hoax is at risk of being exposed it becomes a cat and mouse game as the astronauts fight for survival.

    Silent Running (1971)-All botanical life on Earth has ceased to exist, ecologist/astronaut Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) oversees a greenhouse on an orbiting space station to preserve various flora and fauna for future generations. Assisted by three robots and a small human crew who see no value in maintaining the forest, Lowell rebels when orders arrive to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with everyone but his mechanical companions. Lowell and his robots are forced to do anything necessary to keep their invaluable greenery alive. A quiet and meditative take for the most part on the shortsightedness of the human race.

    The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)-Agoraphobic Roy (Don Knotts) runs the kid spaceship ride at the fairground but his father hopes for better and applies to NASA for him. Surprisingly he’s accepted…as a janitor. After many crazy complications Roy ends up in space as the title pilot! If it sounds preposterous, it is but then it’s a Don Knotts comedy after all.

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    1. There was a bit of hype about Moon and how good it was on the movie blogs I read at the time it was released, so I had some expectations plus the trailer I saw was pretty great and am glad to say its as good as everyone says it is.

      Haven't seen any of your picks.

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  7. oh Armageddon I can't believe I saw you at the cinema! I love love Sunshine and Moon was a slow burner for me but very good. It's not one I could watch again...

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    1. Aww...I would actually like to see Moon again. I think I forgotten a lot of what happens in it.

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  8. I have yet to finish Moon, I heard it was a great film.

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    1. You started but haven't finishes? Have you been spoiled yet? Oh I hope not.

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