Stayin' Alive.

I didn't expect to find the time to for Ridley Scott's adaptation of The Martian before leaving on our Japanese adventure, but I received an unexpected inquiry from my lovely girlfriend Karli as to whether or not I'd be interested in seeing it this weekend, and after some negotiations off we went to a 3-D* Saturday matinee.

Overall, the film version of The Martian scores well in its presentation of Andy Weir's novel.  Inevitably, there are the changes and compressions required to move from one medium to another, but the movie keeps the feel of the original story, while enhancing it with the visual brilliance which is the trademark of Ridley Scott's handiwork.

Scott fills the movie with epic shots of the Martian landscape, shots that emphasize Watney's isolation on an alien world, and that emphasis is probably the largest change from the book to the movie.  In the book, Watney moves from solving one problem to the next, with very little time spent on the emotional impact of being the only man on an entire planet.  Matt Damon's Watney experiences excitement, fear, pain and frustration - the movie humanizes the character to a much greater degree than the book.

Damon is the ideal casting choice for Mark Watney, Martian castaway.  Long portions of the book are first-person narrative, and Damon's affable, approachable manner puts the perfect face on the smart, funny character from the book.  For that matter, everyone shows well in their roles, although one or two of the actors felt underutilized, notably Sean Bean and Kristin Wiig.  Regardless, it's a pleasure to see Sean Bean survive to the end of a film.

For me, one of the best aspects of both the book and the movie is that The Martian is very nearly not science fiction at all. I don't have the background to judge whether or not it's entirely within our current technological envelope, but my feeling is that the scientific framework around Mark Watney's trials and tribulations is as accurate - and feasible - as possible.**

However, I missed the problem solving aspect of the book.  Mark Watney's ability to surmount the various barriers to survival that are placed in his path is the best part of the story for me, and the movie either eliminates or simplifies many of those barriers. Nonetheless, the movie does an impressive job of realistically presenting the manner in which the story of a stranded astronaut could play out.

Most impressive of all is the impeccable timing of NASA's recent announcement regarding evidence of liquid water on Mars.  Logic says that it's accidental marketing, but I'm more than a little curious (and a bit apprehensive) to see what NASA announces for the sequel to Independence Day that's coming out next year...

- Sid

* If you haven't seen the film yet, there is no need to spend your money on the 3D version - I cannot think of a 3D movie that I've seen in which it was less necessary or less emphasized than in The Martian.

**  Apparently astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who does have the background, agrees. 

Tardisbuilders.com

And now, an unexpected guest posting from my friend and co-worker Joe Shewfelt:

My nephew Mark’s kid Brock bought a small farm near Anola Manitoba last year and moved there with his other half, who had a ready-made family of two boys. They have to wait in pretty nasty weather for the school bus so Mark and Brock built them this:

Pretty cool, eh? I’m proud of them.

 - Joe

As a postscript to this posting, impressed though I was by the TARDIS bus shelter, to my educated eye there was one glaring omission:  the iconic POLICE TELEPHONE sign that should appear on the door.

Realizing that Joe might not even recognize this problem, let alone know how to solve it, I took the liberty of finding a source for police box door signage, and chipped in ten bucks - I think it's very important to support the arts.

- Sid

The Who Fighters?

Hi Sid, just wanted to ask what size t-shirt do you wear now, is it a medium or a large?
Colin
p.s. This information may not automatically indicate that a t-shirt is or will be purchased with you in mind.

When it's coming up on your birthday and your best friend asks you what t-shirt size you wear, it's difficult to avoid doing a bit of deductive reasoning regarding possible gifts coming your way.

However, this morning when I opened the parcel that Colin had sent me, I was bemused to discover a handcrafted wooden box with the image of my Buck Rogers disintegrator pistol carved into the lid.  Intrigued, I opened the box to discover a matching picture on cloth inside a plastic bag.

I opened the bag, and to my extreme pleasure found that it contained a 20th Anniversary Foo Fighters t-shirt, decorated with an image of the same ray gun.*  I'm not a big Foo Fighters listener**, but I would be willing to bet that very few people who own that t-shirt own the matching sidearm.

Frustrated by my inability to get an attractive crease-free shot of my new apparel, I decided to resort to the internet in hopes of getting a good catalogue shot of the front of the t-shirt.  To my astonishment, I discovered that what I had in my possession was a limited edition item from a run of only 750.

As a result, I actually felt a bit guilty.  I can't help but think that someplace out there, a serious David Grohl fan is grinding their teeth because they place the 751st order for an anniversary t-shirt - just after Colin placed his.  Regardless, it's a great gift for people who are fans of ray guns rather than rock bands - thanks again, Colin!!

- Sid

P.S. Other blogworthy*** presents include a very cool Spider-Man T-shirt from Karli's sister Stefanie (along with old-style liquorice cigars, very much appreciated) and a Doctor Who scarf from Christi - oddly enough, also in a wooden box.  Is this a thing?

My thanks to everyone for their gifts!

* This is actually a double score from the SF fan perspective.  The phrase "foo fighter" originates during World War II, and was used to refer to Unidentified Flying Object sightings by pilots.

** Colin was kind enough to include a CD of the band's greatest hits so that I could remedy this gap in my experience.

*** In order to give full credit where it's due, my girlfriend Karli presented me with a fabulous, wonderful, deeply personal gift and an incredible day - neither of which had any application to this blog, which is actually sort of impressive all on its own.  Thank you again for everything, my love!!!!