Page 2 March 14, 2019
Entertainment
The Moon Landing in
Remastered Magnificence
By Ryan Rojas
for www.cinemacy.com
As we study history, both now and in the
future, we learn that some of the most transformative
and world-changing moments of
our human experience were captured through
antiquated technologies of old photographs
and bits of film. And while these images and
sequences are iconic in their simplicity and
singularity, the viewer is still left to wonder
what else went into that moment. Fortunately,
we are in a time where the dedication to historical
restoration and education can amplify
and nearly recreate these transformative moments–
which is what the new documentary
Apollo 11 so effectively does.
The feat of re-presenting history in a way
we have never seen before is what we witness
in Todd Douglas Miller’s documentary Apollo
11. This recreation includes not only the restoration
of archival footage – most of which
has never been seen before – but it is also
remastered for the big screen (unfortunately, by
the time this review has come out, Apollo 11
will have ended its IMAX run). The footage,
which originally captured the world-changing
moon landing in July 1969 and was intended
for some undetermined future project, has
been magnificently remastered in a way that
is entirely mind-blowing.
The experience of seeing this archival footage
– starting from the days spent prepping the
launch at Cape Canaveral and leading up to the
history-making shuttle take-off attended by
thousands of people, is due to Apollo 11’s
captivating editing. The reason why the film is
so gripping is that it is edited to feel as suspenseful
as a Hollywood movie, something more
than just a documentary composed solely of
historical footage. Seeing inside NASA’s command
centers of antiquated technologies and
Check It Out
Film Review
huge computers that communicated with the astronauts
Ryan Rojas
in space – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin
and Michael Collins – feels more like a time
machine than a space shuttle. We watch many of
the uniquely coordinated shuttle launches, dockings,
landings and splashdowns all come together
in a magnificent way. It’s no wonder Apollo 11
won the editing prize at Sundance this year.
Apollo 11 is an insurmountably captivating
viewing experience. While history can feel so
abstract and unreal, it goes to show the unbelievable
risk and achievement that it was to land on
the moon. We have an idea of the moon landing
pictured in our minds – and to a millennial like
me, it is the photo of Neil Armstrong standing
next to the American flag on the deserted
moon. Hopefully for others, watching Apollo 11
will inspire more moments of looking skyward
and taking in the awe of this incredible
accomplishment. And if that is the case, then
this film has likely done what it set out to do.
Apollo 11 is rated G. 93 minutes. Now playing
in theaters, including ArcLight Beach Cities. •
Apollo 11, Courtesy of Neon.
Mars InSight Lander Illuminates
Lessons About Planet Formation
By Tommy Vinh Bui, MLIS, Associate
Librarian, Inglewood Public Library
What child hasn’t had their imagination
duly captured and enraptured by the mysteries
of the cosmos above? Or buried their
heads deep into tomes of science fiction
and been held voluntarily hostage by the
gravitational pull of the mysteries of the
solar system? Well, that was me in a nutshell.
I’ve long harbored a healthy zeal for space
and this fervent enthusiasm was furthered
with other coaxing along with the succor of
Stanley Kubrick’s cinematically incomparable
2001: A Space Odyssey, the far-flung final
frontiers of Gene Roddenberry’s futuristic
flights of fancy Star Trek, and many a vivifying
visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
annual open houses over the years. It all
culminated in my becoming a JPL Solar
System Ambassador, today affording me an
opportunity to provide my community with
information and updates on some of the
latest and greatest in space exploration and
advancements to our current understanding
of the universe today.
NASA;s InSight mission to Mars is what
we’ll be marveling over today. InSight, for
those acronymically inclined, stands for
Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat
Transport. This lander is unique in that by
examining Mars’ interior composition and
structure (the crust, mantle, and core) it
will collect data and provide insight to a
rocky planet that formed 4.5 billion years
ago and ultimately help scientists come to
a better understanding of how terrestrial
planets developed.
To help paint a visual in the mind’s eye of
what the lander looks like, think of a futuristic
waffle maker. But where you would think
to pour the batter is actually a pair of solar
discs with a diameter of seven feet (roughly
the size of a ping pong table) that generate
3,000 watts of energy per day. Also most
waffle makers don’t have a camera-mounted
mechanical arm with four motors capable
of lifting and grappling things thousands of
miles away remotely. So NASA trumps your
KitchenAid bagel-warmer handily.
InSight is a part of NASA’s Discovery
Program that delves into highly focalized
science missions seeking to expand our
understanding of the solar system. This Mars
lander will study the planet’s geological
evolution, measure tectonic activity and
study the processes of terra-forming through
seismology using precision instruments and
accurate 3D modeling.
With the launching of this robotic lander
back in May of last year also was the intrepid
spirit of civilization’s capacity to explore the
outer reaches of knowledge also launched.
We all collectively wait with bated breath
as the lander continues to dig and beam
far-reaching datum to our little blue marble
of a planet to analyze -- so that we might
continue our steadfast march on one of the
last stubborn strongholds of the unknown:
The inky abyss above and all its inherent
orbiting oddities.
We may be sitting in our cubicles here
listlessly finger-pecking trivialities onto our
keyboards with a discontented sigh. But our
imaginations and fervor for the unexplored are
300 million miles away on a dusty red planet
excavating wonders and the timelessness of
tomorrow’s possibilities.
This article was just a little sampler of the
groundbreaking work being undertaken this
very moment parsecs away in some lonely
Martian canyon. I invite the community to
sprint to the Inglewood Public Library to
partake in one of our upcoming STEAM
programs that focus on science and technology
learning and encourage youth to explore
careers in engineering and other mathematicscentric
fields. Or ask any one of our helpful
librarians about other NASA missions or
make use of our myriad electronic databases
to explore on your own.
Like the solar system itself, your local
library is a limitless expanse of the soonto
be-learned. So lumber on over and be
illuminated by our shelves. •
Tommy Vinh Bui
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