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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightAbigail Allwood’s Hunt for Alien Fossils on Mars Has Begun
When the NASA Mars rover Perseverance was dramatically airlifted through the Red Planet’s atmosphere and touched down on the iron-rich soil, geologist and astrobiologist Abigail Allwood was at home on Earth, watching the events unfold via livestream like the rest of us. Speaking over the phone the next day, her thought process was probably similar … Continued
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io9The 8 Most Inaccurate Depictions of Mars Ever Put on Film
These days, we know more about Mars than ever before, thanks to the work of NASA and other space agencies. But science fiction movies have been fascinated with Mars for decades—giving rise to big-screen portrayals of the Red Planet that are often fantastic, insane, and sometimes ridiculously fun. And so, so wrong. (A note before … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy -
io9The Martian Author’s Next Book Is a Crime Story Set on the Moon
During an extensive interview with Smithsonian magazine, The Martian author Andy Weir talked NASA, gravitational waves, science as pop culture, and oh yeah, his next book. It’ll be another story with realistic science, but this time, the protagonist isn’t trying to survive. He’s trying to commit crimes… moon crimes. Also, the hero will be a … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy -
io9Movies
Kristen Wiig and Jeff Daniels Refuse to Save Chris Rock in This Martian Parody
During the Academy Awards, we were treated to parodies of Joy, The Revenant, The Danish Girl, and The Martian; some were short and sweet (The Revenant) while some were a little surreal (The Danish Girl). For our money, the best one by far was the spoof of The Martian. It turns out, that film would … Continued
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io9Watch Mars Come to Life in This Gorgeous VFX Reel for The Martian
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that there was a lot of CG trickery involved in creating the red planet for Ridley Scott’s space thriller The Martian. But even though it’s obviously a very VFX-intense movie, it’s fascinating to see where the sets started, and how they ultimately ended up on screen. MPC, … Continued
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io9Movies
The 2016 Oscar Nominations Are Exactly What You Expected
Maybe not what you’d hoped, but pretty much in line with what the Academy Awards looks like every year. At least in 2016, Mad Max: Fury Road made the cut. Best Picture The Big Short Bridge of Spies Brooklyn Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Revanant Room Spotlight Best director Adam McKay, The Big … Continued
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io9
In a new interview, The Martian’s Drew Goddard discusses how to script a blockbuster with mass appeal—without dumbing down its science elements: trust that your audience is actually willing to learn, and put special emphasis on the story’s universally relatable emotional aspects. [Deadline] Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
By Cheryl Eddy -
io9Movies
11 Times Science Fiction and Fantasy Gave Us Hope for the Future in 2015
This has been a tough year. Pop culture let us down in many ways, even as our political system and our social institutions revealed a deeper seam of ugliness. But speculative fiction still offers us hope: not just optimism about human ingenuity, but actual reasons to look forward and keep our heads up. Here are … Continued
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io9MoviesMatt 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 … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9Movies
Alexander Payne Will Finally Get To Shrink Matt Damon to Doll Size
We’ve been obsessed with Alexander Payne’s movie Downsizing for years. And now that star Matt Damon has just broken the box office with The Martian, it looks like Damon and Payne finally got the go-ahead to make their weird-as-fuck satire. In Downsizing, it’s the near future, and Matt Damon plays a guy who is down … Continued
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io9
The Martian Is Hands Down The Best Thriller Of The Year
When it comes to edge-of-your-seat suspense, The Martian is in a class of its own. Ridley Scott’s new movie, in theaters today, is a top-notch survival thriller, full of twists and turns that’ll make you catch your breath. It’s the most exciting movie in ages. Plus it’ll make you want to be an astronaut when … Continued
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io9TelevisionHow The Blade Runner Sequels Will Hand Off From Harrison Ford to Ryan Gosling
Two new Flash videos reveal a major new villain, and a major new ally. Drew Goddard further talks up where Sinister Six could go. Chloe Bennett discusses transforming from Skye into Daisy on Agents of SHIELD. Plus what’s to come on Arrow, more on Alien: Paradise Lost, and clips from The Martian. Spoilers Get! Blade … Continued
