The Martian

[Andy44]

Interstellar kind of ruined Matt Damon as an astronaut for me.

Interstellar ruined a lot of things for me. Like robots that look like Coca Cola vending machines. Before that movie they seemed like such a great idea...

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I haven't visited a theater in almost 20 years, but hell, I am interested in this one. Gravity was too much CGI drama really, Interstellar had great, scientifically exacting effects but the story was excrutiating. The Martian seems a lot more immediate and tangible, something near future that we need to think about. Preparing our collective minds to actually be Martians doesn't seem like a bad idea. This is the spirit of exploration and adventure, sometimes misadventure, that we need to instill.

 

[Kyle]

The book was a mash of Apollo 13 and Castaway.

Man, this could have been the perfect Tom Hanks movie.

 

[Notebook]

Yes, and who could forget:

http://wn.com/the_adventures_of_robinson_crusoe_tv_series_

Beware of tv theme tunes...

 

[statickid]

No, in the book the Hermes used ion engines, or is that what you mean by "nuclear electric" propulsion?


I'm a bit confused by the layout (Kind of) of the Hermes in that trailer. Where are they in the ship? Since the floor isn't curved they aren't in the centrifuge, but they walk around normally like they're in gravity. Are they trying to do the same thing 2001 did with Velcro all over the ship and the astronauts wearing Velcro shoes? (And if they are, they still shouldn't be walking around exactly like on Earth.)


By the way, in the first opening scene where you can see the Hermes, why at the front of the ship is the presumably command section (With the windows facing forward and they module sticking out from it.) offset from the centerline? Is it to counteract something from another part of the spacecraft?


Okay, sorry for being nitpicky, but little incorrect details like those just really annoy me...


EDIT:
Trailer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4PCI0NamI
(I can't figure out how to insert videos, so just click on the link.)

If you pause, you might notice the ceiling is curved and the guy in the next room is oddly higher up, so they are in the wheel. In the command section they are sitting strapped into seats arranged in an asterisk pattern. Confusingly, there are a bunch of master control scenes tightly edited aloug with ship deck scenes, I had to replay a bunch of sections a few times to verify

 

[jedidia]

Interstellar ruined a lot of things for me. Like robots that look like Coca Cola vending machines. Before that movie they seemed like such a great idea...

I actually loved those. A robot that makes quips like "that's the manual override. You'll need it when I blow you out the airlock!" is an immediate friend of mine. :lol:

 

[Thunder Chicken]

As with any movie adaption from a book: READ THE BOOK FIRST. The movie will NEVER be as good as the book.

My wife found this book at the library and I spent the evening reading it. I can see this being made into a movie pretty easily. Some of the odds-breaking gets way over the top toward the end of the book, but that's pretty much standard operating procedure for Hollywood. I think Ripley Scott is a good choice for director for this.

There is a lot of logistical and technical stuff (chemistry, physics, etc.., all very reasonably plausible) described in the book that I worry might get waved away or dumbed down in a movie, but maybe not.

 

[Quick_Nick]

 

[statickid]

TARS is pretty much my favorite robot

 

[Andy44]

Interstellar was unquestionably one of the worst films I saw last year, certainly a huge disappointment. And part of that disappointment was Damon's depiction of the lonely astronaut (as well as the stupid robots).

To be fair, I don't blame it on him; he's a good actor when he gets a good role and a good script.

So we'll have to see how this Martian film goes. I like the premise better, at least, but Hollywood really sucks when it comes to hard SF.

 

[Pipcard]

What movies didn't disappoint your expectations, but rather met or even succeeded them?

 

[Urwumpe]

For example, I never actually read Hitchhiker's Guide, and I liked the movie.

Actually, I read the book and liked the movie as well...

But I also read the Hunger Games after the movie...

Well, bad sample size.

 

[Loru]

What movies didn't disappoint your expectations, but rather met or even succeeded them?

Most of the titles would belong to basement

On more serious note last incarnation of Mad Max was really good. And LOTR trilogy really exceeded my expectations as book adaptation.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Enemy Mine.

A somewhat obscure short story, Dennis Quaid and Lou Gossett Jr. did a fantastic job of it.


I got a digital copy of The Martian to read this weekend (I'll be "working" Friday night) , so I'll have something to do.

 

[Kyle]

I actually listened to the audiobook of The Martian, it's definitely worth a listen if you get the time for it.

 

[Andy44]

What movies didn't disappoint your expectations, but rather met or even succeeded them?

As mentioned, LOTR and the latest Mad Max were good. Moon was really good. The first Iron Man, the first Avengers, the first two Christian Bale Batman films, all of these had me worried but turned out good.

Going into the past, 2010 Odyssey 2 had me worried since it wasn't Kubrick, but it turned out to be one of the best hard SF films so far.

Apollo 13 would've been really easy to screw up, but it became pretty much the gold standard for historical space films.

Wrath of Khan, Aliens, lots of good films that could've sucked.

 

[Astro SG Wise]

LOTR is personally my favorite of all. Yes, Interstellar was quite disappointing, and it really messed up my senses.

 

[Quick_Nick]

At 46:00 Weir almost says verbatim what the xkcd says!

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Another laugh out loud moment today reading "The Martian".

"That's what she said". :rofl:

I think Watney and I would get along just fine.

 

[dman]

Saw trailer for THE MARTIAN before screening of JURASSIC WORLD

Looks pretty good - trailer said opens November 25

Date been changed to October 2

Like others said - hope dont screw it up too bad.........