I am an absolute, unabashed space junkie. I can quote "From the Earth to the Moon", and mine it for examples in my books and teaching. Episode 5, "Spider", is one of my top five favorite films. I own two copies of "A Man on the Moon", which largely served as a source for the series: my original trade paperback edition, and the Time Life three volume illustrated edition. Murry and Bly Cox's Apollo, the story of the engineers behind the launches, is one of the most inspiring books I've ever read. I've visited nearly half the Apollo capsules. I've received a members' invitation to the preview of the new Michigan Space Science Center opening next weekend. I own Apollo mission summary reports, Virtual LM, and a small mountain of books by astronauts and mission controllers. I've touched a Moon rock at KSC.
So I really, really tried; but "The Right Stuff" just bored me to tears. Maybe I should try it again some day; but it just struck me as too much emphasis on the machismo, not enough on the science and engineering.
One of my favorite quotes from the Right Stuff was:
Alan Shepard: Dear Lord, please don't let me f*ck up.
Gordon Cooper: I didn't quite copy that. Say again, please.
Alan Shepard: I said everything's A-OK.
The first astronauts weren't macho or fearless, they were just afraid of other things
I didn't love the book, but the film was a work of art. Best special effect - the sound of locusts whenever reporters appeared.
In the 1950s and '60s, many scientists of all disciplines were religious.
Last year sometime, I saw part of a panel discussion on C-Span (or maybe one of the college channels) where they were quoting Stephen Hawking and were joking about declaring science "the church of atheism."
What's astounding about that to me is that there really hasn't been anything in science that's debunked religion. Certainly, creationism has little scientific credibility but that wasn't a problem for generations of scientists who didn't have a problem jibing science with faith. Certainly we've discovered now more about how the brain works, and the idea of the detectable "ghost in the machine" is less credible. But that doesn't mean a thing that I can see.
Atheism has become the default faith of people in certain types of science (but not others, I note), yet I still meet scientists who are people of faith--and it's to the point where they feel they have to conceal that from their colleagues.
You gotta wonder what happened. The bureaucratizing of science that's happened since the 1970s may explain some of it, in a weird way...
Well the question would be, did you see The Right Stuff before, or after you saw that series?
I don't know, Dean. I think it was long enough ago that I don't think the series was made yet; but honestly, I can't remember.
Once in a while, I'll see it in the store and think, "Maybe I should give it another try." But then I'll think, "Man, that three hours of tedium again?" And yet the length itself isn't the issue. I'll watch 3 hours of NASA archival footage. I'll watch "From the Earth to the Moon" all in one sitting, and that's 12 hours. Heck, I've spent more than 3 hours writing a blog post about my trips to Huntsville or KSC.
But somehow, the film really just fell flat for me.
I guess I'm closer to Martin on this one. I cried when I watched "From the Earth to the Moon". Several times. "The Right Stuff" just didn't do anything much for me. Not "bored to tears", but expected to like it a lot more than I did.
I loved the last scenes with Chuck Yeager and the F-104 Starfighter. There was an aircraft and there was a man. This is a fitting companion to the post about Theodore Roosevelt.
My favorite episodes of From the Earth to the Moon:
1: Can we do this?
4: 1968
5: Spider
10: Galileo was Right.
I have The Right Stuff, too. I only recently purchased the DVD and an illustrated version of the book, which I had never read. But I know the movie backwards and forwards. I was obsessed with space when I was child, through my teenage years.
The two have a very different focus. Right Stuff really is about manhood, and what makes a man be a test pilot or perform other feats of derring do.
But I'm watching Ep 1 right now. I have the series on DVD, and I have never gotten tired of it.
Not "bored to tears", but expected to like it a lot more than I did.
If you haven't figured out yet, Owen, nobody does hyperbole like I do hyperbole. "Bored to tears" is a bit of hyperbole.
My favorite episodes of From the Earth to the Moon:
1: Can we do this?
4: 1968
5: Spider
10: Galileo was Right.
For me, it's Spider all the way. The roof. The rubber balls. Never have I seen such a powerful metaphor for a seemingly endless engineering project.
And yes...
I cried when I watched "From the Earth to the Moon".
...when the Project Manager said goodbye to "his" LM, I about lost it. When the engineers tortured themselves over "The Fire", I was right there with them. When Alan Shepard was grounded, even knowing how it would turn out, I felt his loss.
I only have the series on VHS. I'm thinking it's time for DVD. I'll bet they'll be selling copies here. Seven more days!
5.31.2007 9:48pm
Commenting on Dean's World is a privilege, not a right. Dean is your host, you are his guest, and you should behave in that fashion. Dean is not your babysitter, nor is he your punching bag. Please remember this. In general, you are free to disagree with anyone on any subject you wish, but abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.
So I really, really tried; but "The Right Stuff" just bored me to tears. Maybe I should try it again some day; but it just struck me as too much emphasis on the machismo, not enough on the science and engineering.
Alan Shepard: Dear Lord, please don't let me f*ck up.
Gordon Cooper: I didn't quite copy that. Say again, please.
Alan Shepard: I said everything's A-OK.
The first astronauts weren't macho or fearless, they were just afraid of other things
I didn't love the book, but the film was a work of art. Best special effect - the sound of locusts whenever reporters appeared.
Last year sometime, I saw part of a panel discussion on C-Span (or maybe one of the college channels) where they were quoting Stephen Hawking and were joking about declaring science "the church of atheism."
How far we've come.
Atheism has become the default faith of people in certain types of science (but not others, I note), yet I still meet scientists who are people of faith--and it's to the point where they feel they have to conceal that from their colleagues.
You gotta wonder what happened. The bureaucratizing of science that's happened since the 1970s may explain some of it, in a weird way...
I don't know, Dean. I think it was long enough ago that I don't think the series was made yet; but honestly, I can't remember.
Once in a while, I'll see it in the store and think, "Maybe I should give it another try." But then I'll think, "Man, that three hours of tedium again?" And yet the length itself isn't the issue. I'll watch 3 hours of NASA archival footage. I'll watch "From the Earth to the Moon" all in one sitting, and that's 12 hours. Heck, I've spent more than 3 hours writing a blog post about my trips to Huntsville or KSC.
But somehow, the film really just fell flat for me.
And I should love it. But I don't. So clearly, I'm the weird one here.
1: Can we do this?
4: 1968
5: Spider
10: Galileo was Right.
I have The Right Stuff, too. I only recently purchased the DVD and an illustrated version of the book, which I had never read. But I know the movie backwards and forwards. I was obsessed with space when I was child, through my teenage years.
The two have a very different focus. Right Stuff really is about manhood, and what makes a man be a test pilot or perform other feats of derring do.
But I'm watching Ep 1 right now. I have the series on DVD, and I have never gotten tired of it.
If you haven't figured out yet, Owen, nobody does hyperbole like I do hyperbole. "Bored to tears" is a bit of hyperbole.
For me, it's Spider all the way. The roof. The rubber balls. Never have I seen such a powerful metaphor for a seemingly endless engineering project.
And yes...
...when the Project Manager said goodbye to "his" LM, I about lost it. When the engineers tortured themselves over "The Fire", I was right there with them. When Alan Shepard was grounded, even knowing how it would turn out, I felt his loss.
I only have the series on VHS. I'm thinking it's time for DVD. I'll bet they'll be selling copies here. Seven more days!
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.