‘Apollo 13’ Lifts Off Again in Cinemas Nationwide This April, 50 Years After the Breathtaking Crisis in Space. For Three Days Only, Ron Howard’s Box-Office Blockbuster Returns to the Big Screen for its 25th Anniversary
Almost 50 years to the day after the liftoff of the ill-fated 1970 space mission for America’s third Moon landing, director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer’s acclaimed film “Apollo 13” returns to movie theaters in a special three-day-only presentation from Fathom Events, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment.
Tickets are available at www.FathomEvents.com or participating movie theater box offices.
“Apollo 13” will play April 5, 6 and 8, blasting off in more than 600 movie theaters nationwide. A full list of theater locations is available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“Apollo 13” boasts a star-studded cast, featuring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan, but its even more remarkable achievement may be how director Howard executes a story of perseverance, unity and commitment to a higher purpose. Twenty-five years after its initial release – and a half-century after the arduous, near-fatal journey that made legends out of astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert – “Apollo 13” shines as brightly as ever, thanks to its groundbreaking technical achievements, captivating performances and a soaring score by the late James Horner.
Lovell (played by Hanks), Swigert (Bacon) and Haise (Paxton) are almost to the Moon when an on-board explosion leads to the unforgettable line: “Houston, we have a problem.” As their spacecraft is depleted of most of its oxygen supply and electrical power, they attempt to return to earth, led by NASA flight controllers working in a pre-digital age.
A commercial and critical success upon release, “Apollo 13” cemented itsstatus as one of the great space films of all time when it wasnominated for nine Academy Awards™, including Best Picture (winning for Film Editing and Sound).
“Apollo 13 may have been deemed a ‘successful failure,’ but the movie is a brilliant reminder that it was anything but, and we are honored to commemorate the 50th anniversary of such an extraordinary human accomplishment – and the 25th anniversary of the movie – by bringing Apollo 13 back to movie theaters, where its vision and scope can be best appreciated,” said Fathom Events VP of Studio Relations Tom Lucas.
On July 4, 2016, NASA’s Juno spacecraft arrived at Jupiter to begin its exploration of the planet. Although NASA’s mission to Jupiter is unmanned, we thought it appropriate to honor the accomplishment with a list of five top films about NASA and space travel. Rather than consider science fiction space films generally, this list focuses mainly on space travel closer to home.
THE MARTIAN
Director Ridley Scott and author Andy Weir worked hard to get the science mostly right, in this dramatic thriller about an astronaut accidentally left behind on Mars. Matt Damon heads a terrific cast and injects a lot of humor and makes scientist/astronauts look cool. The film has been praised by people who worked at NASA for getting the teasing patter and resourceful team work among astronaut/scientists right. Perhaps the best, most scientifically accurate movie about space and astronauts yet.
GRAVITY
Okay, it has some problems with the science, but astronauts have praised its ability to capture the sense of being in space. And it is a heck of an edge-of-your-seat thriller, starring Sandra Bullock as one tough woman astronaut who has to depend on her own brains and skills when disaster strikes the international space station. The scenes of space walking and of hurtling above Earth in orbit are breathtaking.
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
A great visionary science fiction film, filled with mystery and the surreal, along with a harrowing sequence featuring the iconic evil computer HAL. The non-CGI visual effects still impress in this ground-breaking film from Stanley Kubrick and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.
APOLLO 13
Based on a real event, Tom Hanks stars as one of a team of astronauts whose trip to the moon is short-circuited by malfunction. This inspiring, fact-based drama is a nail-biter and a testament to astronauts’ bravery, coolness under fire and NASA engineers’ resourcefulness.
THE RIGHT STUFF
A classic film about how it all began for NASA, with a spotlight on the the hotshot jet plane test pilots who became the first American astronauts.
For the sixth consecutive year, thousands of movie lovers from around the globe descended upon Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2015 festival took take place Thursday, March 26 – Sunday, March 29, 2015 and no matter your favorite genre, attendees were treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars and filmmakers, fascinating presentations and panel discussions, special events and more.
Friday night’s screening of APOLLO 13 was definitely one of the most exciting events of the festival. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Ron Howard’s impressive telling of the nearly doomed mission of the 3 astronauts aboard Apollo 13 looked as spectacular as the first time audiences saw it 20 years ago.
Host and long-time NASA enthusiast Alex Trebek was on hand to introduce the film, as well as introduce fans in attendance to the real Captain Jim Lovell (played in the film by Tom Hanks). Also joining them on stage for a brief discussion before the film was Bill Paxton, who plays astronaut Fred Haise in the film.
Lovell, who also served as technical advisor on the film, shared some great insights about the story itself, as well as some fun trivia about the film. Perhaps one of the most famous lines in film history – “Houston we have a problem” was not actually said by Lovell, as seen in the film, but by fellow mission astronaut Jack Swaggart (played in the film by Kevin Bacon).
Another fun fact he shared was that he originally told director Ron Howard that he would like Kevin Costner to portray him in the film because he thought they bore a striking resemblance. After the studio’s choice of John Travolta (yes, John Travolta!) turned it down, Howard suggested Tom Hanks and the rest is film history.
Paxton also shared stories about filming the zero gravity scenes, taking over 25 flights on NASA’s KC-135 aircraft, also known as the “vomit comet.”
APOLLO 13 being re-released on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment on June 2nd, and its definitely worth a look.
“Action supports the drama…” – Terry Leonard, stuntman
Hosted by TCM’s own Ben Mankiewicz, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK screened before a full house at El Capitan theater. Fans were treated to an amazing tribute video showcasing legendary stuntman Terry Leonard. The crowd went wild as Leonard came out to talk about his experiences in Hollywood.
Although famous for being Harrison Ford’s stunt double in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, Leonard has appeared as a stuntman and stunt coordinator in hundreds of Hollywood films, including Apocalypse Now, The Fugitive, and Romancing The Stone.
In one of the most famous stunts in film history, Leonard is dragged beneath a speeding truck on his back, moving the length of the truck to come out the back on a rope, in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. The idea of that stunt was Leonard’s – as a tribute to famed stuntman Yakima Canutt, who did the stunt originally using a stagecoach.
Leonard’s version was named 4th in a list of the best movie stunts of all time.
One of the less successful films of the “disaster” genre, EARTHQUAKE (1974) was still fun to see outside by the pool at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Lorne Green, George Kennedy and Richard Roundtree – among many other stars of the early 70’s – EARTHQUAKE attempted to show audiences what a real 7.0+ earthquake would do to Los Angeles.
The pre-show guest was none other than Richard Roundtree. Sharing his thoughts on the film, Roundtree told host Ileanna Douglas that after having starred in the SHAFT movies and television series in the early 70’s, he was looking to break out of the mold.
For disaster film fans, the movie mostly holds up, but the dialogue and most of the “destruction of the city” scenes are unintentionally hilarious.
Starring Doris Day (in her first starring role) and Howard Keel, CALAMITY JANE (1953) tells the story of famed wild west heroine Calamity Jane and her storied relationship with Wild Bill Hickok. The film was Warner Bros. response to the highly successful Annie Get Your Gun (1950) which also starred Howard Keel, alongside Betty Hutton as the title character.
Doris Day is perfectly cast, with her spunky dialogue, not to mention her singing and dancing chops. The song “Secret Love” became an instant chart-topper and won the Academy Award for Best Song. The film was also adapted for television in 1963, with Carol Burnett in the title role.
I had never actually seen this movie, but somehow over 60 years later, it is still so very entertaining.
Another movie I had never seen on the big screen, PSYCHO (1960) starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles and Martin Balsam, was extremely entertaining to see in the huge, “main house” of the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
Still as creepy today as it was 55 years ago, the film really holds up well, especially for many in attendance who had never seen it (suprisingly!). The infamous “shower scene” has become iconic in pop culture and still freaks us out every time!
On hand for the pre-show discussion was director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Worlds End), who confessed that he too had not seen it on the big screen and being a big Alfred Hitchcock fan, was excited to see it. He commented that he admired Hitchcock’s technique of showing the audience one thing and then doing something completely different. He cited one early trailer for Psycho in 1960 that actually showed Vera Miles in the shower, so as not to give away that it was actually Janet Leigh who would succumb to said psycho.
The man knows his Hitchcock and it was great to see a contemporary director downright giddy over a movie that came out before he was even born.
With the world premiere of a new restoration, the classic 42nd STREET, starring Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers did not disappoint. The story takes place “backstage” at a musical production, complete with snappy dialogue and toe-tapping production numbers.
Nearly 50 years after its release, the film inspired a 1980 Broadway production that won the Tony for best musical and became a long running hit.
On hand to share her thoughts on the film was Tony winner Christine Ebersole, who starred in the 2001 Broadway revival, which won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for best picture in 1934 and in 1998 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
The theme for the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival was History According to Hollywood:
The Old West. Medieval England. Ancient Rome.
Hollywood has found endless inspiration in re-creating historical moments and bringing to life the heroes and villains of the past, creating a form of time travel for audiences through the ages and around the world.
The 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival explored how cinema has shaped how we view – and remember – history.
“Launch Control this is Houston. We are GO for launch.”
A harrowing moment in human history became an exhilarating cinematic event two decades ago when acclaimed director Ron Howard chronicled NASA’s tense 1970 lunar mission crisis in the Oscar-nominated film Apollo 13.
To NASA enthusiasts and Saturn V rocket experts, the launch sequence, along with James Horner’s emotional score, is the greatest in movie history.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates the unforgettable tale of courage and conviction with Apollo 13: 20th Anniversary Edition, coming to Blu-ray and Digital HD on June 2, 2015.
Newly restored and remastered using the original high-resolution 35mm film elements, the commemorative edition comes with an array of bonus features including “Apollo 13: Twenty Years Later,” an all-new retrospective featuring exclusive interviews with director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer.
The restored version of Apollo 13 premieres on March 27 at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. NASA astronaut Captain James Lovell, the real-life subject of the film, will be on hand for the 20th Anniversary world premiere restoration.
Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Apollo 13 is the inspiring and riveting story of the space flight that gripped the nation and changed the world. Although it had been less than a year since man first walked on the moon, as far as the American public was concerned, Apollo 13 was just another “routine” space flight — until these infamous words pierced the immense void of space: “Houston, we have a problem.”
Apollo 13: 20th Anniversary Edition stars Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan and Ed Harris in the story of NASA’s epic operation to save the lives of three astronauts battling to survive an ill-fated mission to the moon.
Bonus Features:
Apollo 13: Twenty Years Later: A Conversation with Director Ron Howard and Producer Brian Grazer
Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13
Conquering Space: The Moon and Beyond
Lucky 13: The Astronaut’s Story
U-Control: The Apollo Era
U-Control: Tech-Splanations
Feature Commentary with director Ron Howard
Feature Commentary with Jim and Marilyn Lovell
FILMMAKERS Cast:Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan Directed By:Ron Howard Written By:William Broyles Jr., Al Reinert From the Book By:Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger Produced By: Brian Grazer Executive Produced By:Todd Hallowell Director of Photography:Dean Cundey Production Designer:Michael Corenblith Edited By:Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill Costume Designer:Rita Ryack Music By:James Horner
TECHNICAL INFORMATION – BLU-RAY: Street Date:June 2, 2015 Copyright: 2015 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Selection Numbers: 61168453/61168448 Running Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes Layers: BD-50 Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Rating: PG for language and emotional intensity Technical Info: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby 2.0; French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Brazilian Portuguese DTS Digital Surround 5.1 Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Swedish, Danish Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian and Brazilian Portuguese Subtitles
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has landed four film restorations set to make their world premieres during the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival, taking place March 26-29, 2015, in Hollywood. The movies, each from a different era in cinema history, including Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 (1995), Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus (1960), William Dieterle’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) and Charles Reisner and Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928). The Keaton comedy will be accompanied by legendary silent film composer Carl Davis conducting the world premiere performance of his new score for the film.
Earlier this month, TCM announced that the theme for the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival will be History According to Hollywood:
The Old West. Medieval England. Ancient Rome. Hollywood has found endless inspiration in re-creating historical moments and bringing to life the heroes and villains of the past, creating a form of time travel for audiences through the ages and around the world. These films, however, are not always true to the historical record. Filmmakers have often created works about the past that are a reflection of the period in which they were made, or change facts to suit a particular storyline. The 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival will explore how cinema has shaped how we view – and remember – history.
Additional screenings and events for the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival will be announced over the coming months.
2015 TCM Classic Film Festival – Initial Slate
Apollo 13 (1995) – 20th Anniversary – World premiere restoration presented in collaboration with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Ron Howard’s extraordinary film chronicles the mechanical mishaps aboard the Apollo 13lunar spacecraft and the diligent efforts to bring the astronauts home safely. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton star as the astronauts, with Gary Sinise and Ed Harris as their counterparts in Mission Control and Kathleen Quinlan as Hanks’ wife. The screenplay is based on the book Lost Moon by astronaut Jim Lovell, played by Hanks in the film, and Jeffrey Kluger. Apollo 13 earned Oscars for its taut film editing and exceptional sound design.
Spartacus (1960) – 55th Anniversary – World premiere restoration presented in collaboration with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Widely regarded as one of the best “sand and sandal” epics that became a staple of Hollywood during the 1950s and ’60s, Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus tells the engrossing tale of a slave who became a gladiator and went on to challenge the might of the Roman Empire. Kirk Douglas plays the title role and served as producer on the film, which also stars Tony Curtis, Jean Simmons, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, John Gavin and Peter Ustinov, in an Oscar®-winning performance. This film helped bring about the end of the Hollywood blacklist when Douglas publicly announced that Dalton Trumbo, one of the “Hollywood Ten,” would be adapting Howard Fast’s bestselling historical novel. In addition to Ustinov’s win, Spartacus took home Oscars for its art direction, costume design and cinematography.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) – World premiere restoration presented in association with Warner Bros. Classics
Charles Laughton plays Quasimodo, Victor Hugo’s tragic hero in this lavish RKO production of the oft-told tale with Maureen O’Hara as Esmeralda under the direction of William Dieterle. The cast also includes Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell and Edmond O’Brien. The Paris set, which included a remarkable replica of the famed Notre Dame cathedral, was one of the largest built during the era.
Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) – World premiere restoration presented in collaboration with Cohen Film Collection
Buster Keaton stars as the son of a paddle-steamer captain in love with the daughter of his father’s business rival in this dazzling silent comedy. Despite its box office failure,Steamboat Bill Jr. has since become one of the most cherished Buster Keaton vehicles. Its hurricane sequence required numerous breakaway sets and buildings, including the building façade that just missed crushing Keaton in the movie’s most famous sight gag. The TCM Classic Film Festival’s screening of Steamboat Bill Jr. will feature a live orchestra conducted by legendary silent film composer Carl Davis in a world premiere performance of his new score.
TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne will once again serve as official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival, with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz introducing various events. The festival’s official hotel and central gathering point for the sixth consecutive year will be The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards ceremony. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will also offer special rates for festival attendees. Screenings and events during the festival will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Egyptian Theatre, as well as other Hollywood venues.
Passes for the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival are set to go on sale to the public Thursday, Nov. 13, at noon (ET). Passes can be purchased exclusively through the official festival website: www.tcm.com/festival. A limited number of festival passes will also be available to Citicardmembers via an exclusive online only presale at www.citiprivatepass.com. This exclusive presale begins at 10 a.m. (ET), Tuesday, Nov. 11, and ends at 10 a.m. (ET), Thursday, Nov. 13.
