The Martian

Watch Adam Savage Ecstatically Unbox A Martian Space Suit

Adam Savage, of Mythbusters and Tested, is a known space suit geek, and he’s expressed his love for the design of the suits on The Martian quite a bit on social media. Now, Fox has sent him a suit to look over. Witness the sheer joy: I suspect we’ll see him in one of these…

An Astronaut Explains How He Relaxes in Space

Director Ridley Scott’s space survival film, The Martian, snagged a couple of coveted Golden Globe awards this week — one for Matt Damon’s singular performance and one for the film itself. Sure, both were in the Musical or Comedy category — say what? — but I doubt neither man is complaining much. This week also…

The Biggest Oscar Snubs of 2016

The nominees for the 2016 Oscars have now been announced, and despite the welcome inclusion of Mad Max: Fury Road for Best Picture, there aren’t a lot of pleasant surprises in the mix. There are, however, some glaring omissions, as always. Here are the biggest. Ridley Scott as Best Director, The Martian We called The…

You’re Going to Want These Blair Witch, Lost Boys, and Alien Posters in Your Life

If you’re like us, you can’t get enough pop culture art. New movies, old classics, cult oddities—we love it all, and a new show at Los Angeles’ Hero Complex Gallery combines all of that and more. The show is called “Quattro with a Shotgun” and features the work of four ultra-talented artists you may not…

The 17 Most Unforgettable Movie Moments Of 2015

You know that moment. The moment in a movie that you geek out over as soon as you walk out of the theater. The one that gives you goosebumps, or makes you whisper “Holy crap” as it’s happening. Those are the “wow” moments, and we’ve collected the best ones from 2015. Below are our 17…

The 10 Best and 10 Worst Science Fiction And Fantasy Movies of 2015

First, the good news: 2015 was a fantastic year at the movies. There were great original stories, sequels done right, adaptations that match their source material and more. But for every great movie, there’s a ton of bad ones too. Here’s our picks for the best and worst science fiction and fantasy films of 2015.…

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the best films of the year. So says the American Film Institute who put the anticipated sequel on their top ten films of 2015 list along with Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian and others. Here’s the list. The Big Short Bridge of Spies Carol Inside Out…

Check Out This Fantastic Poster For The Martian’s IMAX Release

Starting yesterday, The Martian is being screened in IMAX theaters across the country. To accompany the release, there’s a new poster, and it’s a beauty. Seriously, this is fantastic: The Martian will only be in IMAX theaters through next Friday, so if you’re near one, you’ve only got a limited amount of time. [Flickering Myth]

We’re Living In A New Golden Age Of Space Movies 

Just a few years ago, we were wondering where all the movies about outer space had gone. And now, we don’t have to wonder any more, because we’ve been getting a crop of fantastic new movies about astronauts, spaceships, and the joy of exploration. There have been at least a couple of previous golden ages…

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Is Interviewing Bill Clinton and Susan Sarandon to Prove That “Science Is Ubiquitous”

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Star Talk returns to the National Geographic Channel next Sunday, October 25. We caught up with Dr. Tyson to discuss the premiere, the scientific ubiquity of Seth MacFarlane and NASA’s plans for Matt Damon. Star Talk began as a radio show/internet podcast and has now expanded to television for its second season.…

Open Channel: Recast One Actor In A Science Fiction Film

We’ve all heard and seen the stories: some actors don’t make the cut for a film or passed on a role that later exploded. It got me thinking: what would have been different in a film if you replaced the lead actor with someone who *probably* auditioned for it? So, your challenge today is take…

Matt Damon Does Even More Science in Deleted Scene From The Martian

If you didn’t get enough of Matt Damon’s Mark Watney sciencing the shit out of his accidental home in the feature cut of The Martian (and to be honest, we could always watch more), here’s an entry from Watney’s video diary that didn’t make it into the film. /Film notes that, with all of the…

We Asked a NASA Botanist to Help Us Design a Better Farm on Mars than The Martian’s 

In The Martian, Mark Watney claims to be “the great botanist” on Mars—but is he really? Join us as we go down the rabbit hole to try and claim the greatest fictional Martian farmer crown for ourselves. Top Image: Greenhouse on Mars / NASA What would you need for a Martian farm? Just like on…

NASA Needs Your Help Testing Its New Space Suits

As Matt Damon has proved beyond doubt, wandering around on Mars takes one hell of a cool space suit. NASA’s current suits—and suit-testing protocols—aren’t up to snuff, and it wants your help making something better. In a dryly-worded press release, NASA has said that it “is seeking proposals for test methods or procedures to assess…

The Biggest Health Risks to Humans in Space

With the The Martian rocketing to the top of box offices worldwide this week, the challenge of surviving on Mars is on everyone’s mind. But while the science in The Martian is pretty solid, there is one obstacle Mark Watney rarely had to cope with: his own body. During his two years alone on the…

The Best Effects in The Martian Are the Ones You Don’t See

When you watch The Martian, obviously you know it’s a big visual effects film. But many of the effects themselves are not as obvious. Director Ridley Scott didn’t shoot on Mars (shocker!) so, to make where he did shoot look like the red planet required the kinds of effects you never really think of. Enter…

How NASA Helped Make The Martian‘s User Interfaces Realer Than Real 

Filmmakers have invented fanciful spaceship technology for more than a hundred years. But for The Martian, director Ridley Scott went the opposite direction: He asked actual space explorers to help them imagine the technology of the near future. To make The Martian, which arrived in theaters this weekend, Scott asked NASA to advise the people…

Science of The Martian: the Good, the Bad, and the Fascinating

The Martian is a love letter to science, but what does science think of The Martian? It’s time for a report card on what’s dead-on accurate, where the facts are fudged, and what’s plausible for a future that could one day happen. Beware: Spoilers ahead. Plenty of spoilers. Constant spoilers. Endless, unrelenting spoilers. You know…

Open Channel: What’s Your Favorite Movie About Mars?

The Martian is doing pretty well at the box office this weekend: it’s poised to take the #1 spot and overtake Gravity’s record from a couple of years ago. So, with that in mind, what’s your favorite film that takes place on the Red Planet? Mine? (Aside from The Martian) Mission to Mars. It’s a…

The Screenwriter of The Martian Explains Why Being Stranded on Mars Is a “Spiritual” Experience

It’s Drew Goddard’s fault everyone is talking about The Martian. No, he didn’t know NASA would announce there’s liquid water on Mars just days before the film’s release, but he was definitely there at the beginning. Goddard, who adapted Andy Weir’s book for the screen, was among the early fans of the story, when it…