Conference noted::sf

    	I think they picked a poor year to have a movie about the 
    Space Shuttle (ie, Challenger).
    
    	Larry

    Re .1:
    
    They were probably already well into production at the time of the
    accident.
    
    
    				-- edp

    From what I've seen/heard/read, the central premise of the movie
    is patently absurd, namely that a bunch of kids would be allowed
    on board a static test of the shuttle's engines, during which they
    (the engines, not the kids) overheat and require the launching of
    the shuttle.
    
    len.
    

    Re .3:
    
    It's not that far from reality, when you think about it.
    
    
    				-- edp

    Well, it seems I can't resist anything with even a slight SF connection
    unless I know for sure it is bad, so I saw the movie.  It is a strange
    mix of good and bad, in the directing, staging, technical accuracy, and
    special effects.  I've seen movies that are just plain bad or so-so,
    but I haven't seen a movie swing back and forth like this before.  For
    example, it would show a nice shot of the shuttle coming toward you and
    firing its engines toward you to slow down, but then it goes and shows
    the shuttle ignoring inertia.  I think the producers divided the
    movie into chunks of several minutes each and hired one set of people
    to do the even chunks and another group to do the odd ones.  It's
    a shame, because the good pieces could have made a good movie if
    they had been connected better.
    
    
    Re .3:
    
    The premise isn't that absurd.  The "accident" was actually engineered,
    so we could just say the action takes place several years in the future
    when the shuttle is considered safe (an artificial intelligence has
    progressed somewhat) so that there is no problem accepting kids on the
    shuttle.
    
    
    				-- edp 

    	Let's face it, Space Camp is just another bad mass-market SF
    movie trying to appeal to teenagers, and coming out at very bad
    time, whatever the reason; obviously big bucks holds out over respect
    for the Challenger astronauts' families and friends.
    
    	Larry
    

    Re .6:
    
    I wish people would stop comparing Space Camp to the shuttle accident.
    There really isn't much similarity.  I think many people are only
    comparing the two because they WANT to compare the two.  I saw Siskel
    and Ebert review the film.  Understandably, they said the launch
    sequence reminded them of the accident, and it did bear a slight
    connection, but they also said a scene where the shuttle is in orbit
    near a partially-built space station reminded them of the accident.
    Huh?  There was almost no connection.  There was no talk or danger of
    an explosion and things were proceeding at a normal pace.  If Siskel
    and Ebert saw a connection to the accident in that scene, it is
    something they added, not something that was in the movie.
    
    Showing the movie is in no way disrespectful of the astronaut's
    families.  The people I have heard complaining about this or about the
    "sick jokes" that have been going around should have heard Christa
    McAuliffe's mother telling jokes about things she had heard from
    children after the accident.  I guess she didn't think it was
    disrespectful. 
    
    Are people never supposed to talk about the space shuttle again,
    because it might remind somebody of the accident?  Along those lines,
    nobody should ever talk about space exploration at all.  And certainly
    many people have lost friends or relatives in car accidents or know
    people who have, so we should never ever talk about cars or make movies
    about them, and especially not movies which involve car accidents.
    
    The producers of this movie didn't really have a decision about
    whether or not to go for the "big bucks".  I am sure they had already
    put several million dollars into the movie, and stopping it would
    not represent merely an absence of profit, but a loss of the money
    and property they own and deserve.  I can't help but think that
    people complaining about non-existent disrespect are thinking
    of themselves and not the astronauts.
    
    
    				-- edp

    	WHERE did you hear/read about Christa McAuliffe's MOTHER telling
    jokes about the Shuttle accident?
    	And NO, I am not thinking about myself in regards to not discussing
    the accident - I have no personal connections with anyone or anything
    regarding the incident; one doesn't have to be to have been moved
    by the disaster.
    
    	Larry
    

    Re .8:
    
    > WHERE did you hear/read about Christa McAuliffe's MOTHER telling
    > jokes about the Shuttle accident? 
    
    I saw her on television speaking at a local college graduation.
    
    
    				-- edp

Pretty bad movie.  Too much of it was technically out of whack when it didn't 
have to be.  Reminded me of a bad TV movie that only shows at 2 PM on Sunday.
There were too many other movies it ripped off to even list them.  My kids
(7 and 9) liked it.

          Any movie with Lea Thompson and Kate Capshaw will always get
    me to the box office. Actuly I waited to rent it.
                                 R
                                  R

    re:.11
    
    Kate Capshaw I can live without, but I'll ditto you on Thomspon.
    
    I caught about the last half of it on cable many moons ago, and
    was surpised to find it rather enjoyable. No, it wasn't by any
    stretch of the imagination a great film, but it entertained. I
    keep meaning to rent it sometime to watch the whole thing.
    
    --- jerry

    It's a real blast to see the movie after going to Space Camp, but
    it's much better to rent it, so you can back up....
    
    Willie

    
    Yes hokey, but one GREAT aftereffect was that they (the movie people)
    donated the ATLANTIS sim to SpaceCamp.  It was quite nice.  Of course
    if only they would let some decent programmers write their simulation
    code....oh well.
    
    brad