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Harry's Day 3 @ SXSW 2010: A spacey double bill of RICHARD GARRIOTT: MAN ON A MISSION & HUBBLE 3D IMAX!
Today didn't quite end up as expected, but then, that's to be expected at a film festival. It just seems if you're me, life takes unexpected turns - and keeps you from the overall plan. I wanted to see 4 films today.
Up first was a film made locally here in Austin, but also in Russia, Houston and on the INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. That's a modest journey considering the second film, but you'll hear about that soon enough.
RICHARD GARRIOTT: MAN ON A MISSION is an amazing tale about the 1st 2nd Generation American Spaceman, who returned to Earth with the very 1st 2nd Generation Russian Spaceman. And that's pretty awesome in itself.
Imagine that. Your dad was an Astronaut. Genuinely - that notion, all on its own... boggles the mind. Can you imagine that? Dad goes away for a bit and comes back with stories from outer space. You know he'd take you Star Wars & Star Trek flicks - but when you came home, he could REALLY answer your questions. Just feels amazing to think about your Dad, the astronaut.
And imagine, wanting to grow up to do the same. Say the math and science came easy to you. When the family bought the APPLE II - you ate it up. Around the same time, you got glasses... you were near sighted... which basically means... you can give up that dream of Space Travel or work. But you decide to dedicate yourself to the computer. An unwieldy device - completely unimaginably plain. I remember those times. Large floppy drives. Well this Richard fella - he starts creating his own games, essentially creating his own genre of games... that I'd say has moderately caught on. Heh. Also around this time you've stopped growing at 6ft - too tall to be an astronaut.
If you know the name of Richard Garriott... you know his story. An incredibly geeky man, even by my standards, rich beyond reckon - and awesomely insane & cool.
This is a story about a man that had no chance of going to space, but who lived with his dream his whole life. In order to make it happen, he created a company, made and lost a couple of fortunes over time. But then - he did something unimaginable. He has helped fund and create the private sector that allowed himself to go and continue his father's work... in space.
The story of Richard Garriott is historic. It is an inspiration and a lesson about stick-to-it-ness and plain ol all American private sector business gone right.
Now - in the interests of full disclosure... I have to tell you that Richard Garriott did take my DNA to preserve in outer space. The idea is that these 'seeds' of humanity could be used in case we all have a really awesomely fucked few weeks. Personally, I can't tell you how ridiculously awesome it feels to know my DNA is in outer space... while I'm alive. That's cool. And I really do just dance a jig thinking about it - but that has not one iota to do with my opinion about this film.
This is a film that every geek on this planet should see and share with their family. In an odd little way, it's kinda of a document of geek awesome. Not to say there haven't been geek astronauts before. Hell, I can't even tell ya how many folks I know that read this site at NASA. Hell, that angry insane talkbacker... that fucker could be a rocket scientist... But there's a spectacular story at play here.
This is a true American story about my generation. This generation. The video game generation. It's about a guy that dresses up for LARPing adventures, creates the best fucking Haunted House on the planet, made so many millions, that he spent $30 million of them on an 11 day trip to Outer Space - after spending a year of his life learning Russian. And he did it. I saw the man that did this tonight, and that's pretty goddamn spectacular.
This is a story of one of us. He's a man that describes the International Space Station as essentially being comparable to the social and structural stratas of Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS. Yes. Oh yes. Richard Garriott is one of us. And I know he knows that 'song'/'chant'/brilliance. AND he essentially created MMOs. I pray this film gets picked up, this is a story that needs to be shared - it is a story about achieving your dreams, changing the way things are, success and passion. This film must be seen. It is the most personal story of Space Travel about somebody like us - that stands in lines overnight for "you know" - and he'll continue to be that guy... only now... He knows what it is like to stare out a window and the entirety of the Planet Earth... whilst floating and shitting a perfect unbroken stretch of a week's load of shit in a glorious gravity defying act that I really and truly wish I could experience just once. I mean - photograph that shit, that'd be amazing. (BY THE WAY - the film is completely PG - I'm just fixated on a story that wasn't really about "toothpaste".
After that - I went to the Bob Bullock Texas Memorial IMAX Theater here in Austin for one of my contributions to SXSW... HUBBLE 3D. Last year, I got contacted by Warner Brothers and IMAX to show me 5 minutes or so from HUBBLE 3D. And the lovely IMAX representative told me about some shots they were attempting that was about flying through the universe propelled through an infinity focus shot of space. Oh. In IMAX 3D shot with the Hubble Telescope. Yeah. Like I didn't want to see that as soon as possible, and the film had its first public screening anywhere tonight - and the very awesome Mike Massimino, Astronaut and awesome Monkey! Not a real monkey, but a Monkey like you and me - just trained infinitely better than us.
HUBBLE 3D contains the purest most spectacular interstellar travel that I have ever had the joy to witness. There is a shot. I have no idea how long this shot was... at least about 5 minutes - that involves a shot that begins essentially like how you see the stars from here on Earth.
Go outside tonight and look up at Orion's Belt. Slightly below that - with your binoculars - right below... you'll see the Orion nebula. The data that comes from Hubble is known in 3D. The shots that have been rendered comes from the image taken with the HUBBLE - then in combination with the measurements and distances and all those other glorious things they get with that astonishing man made eye of god... well, I saw what it was like to peer with perfect 3D, perfect clarity, perfect perfect. This 'shot' is simply one of the most astonishing images that I've ever seen. In a blink of an eye it erases what I saw with Pandora. This shot is better, more mind blowing, than anything in AVATAR - and it was done through the magic of NASA and IMAX.
But there's more to this movie than that. You'll meet the big "Mass" - Mike Massimino being told - whilst in outer space repairing the Hubble Space Telescope... while being assisted by his main man that had access to literally ever tool he could possibly need. Performing a task that he's spent years training for - that he has performed correctly a whole helluvalot... And then... there's a stuck bolt. A Bolt that didn't want to go anywhere - and none of the tools were working to get it the hell out of there. But you know what. There was a tool that the super geniuses at NASA had not yet unleashed. A big ol lunky funky space monkey by the name of Big Mike Massimino - and Houston screamed up at him - in a very calm monotone... "BREAK IT OFF" - and Mike thought about something to unleash "THE MASS" THE MASS steeled himself for the task. With his enormous HULK like MASS mitts he took hold of this bastard metal that was in his way. And then he thought... if this chunk of bastard metal doesn't come off with the might of THE MASS... the Hubble's capacity to find another EARTH will not ever... ever... come to be.
This problem. This arrogant piece of metal that stood between us and a chance of finding the first habitable planet other than Earth in this Universe. Perhaps the singular most important discovery of mankind. This... Herculean task... for which the Gods of NASA sent into the Heavens sent THE MASS to fix. He fucking fixed.
SO... future generations of disenfranchised ungrateful youths... When that fucking comet comes to wipe our planet from existence... You should know that the only reason you emotionally stumped pricks don't have to worry about it... if it all goes well and some other scientist says - "EARTH 2 yonder" - and the dream kickstarts a revolution in science and interstellar travel. Well, it all came down to another Italian. Well, an Italian American named Mike Massimino who had to Hulk out in outer space and rip a bastard hunk of metal out of the HUBBLE - so we can have a prayer of finding a second residence in this cosmos that this film shows us in all it's glory.
The difference between MAN ON A MISSION and HUBBLE 3D seems gargantuan. HUBBLE 3D literally will change the way you dream of space for the rest of your life. The vision of that telescope knocked my jaw in the dirt even as I smiled and fought back tears that I did not wish to distort some of the most brilliant visions these eyes have ever seen.
But MAN ON A MISSION would at a surface level be about some rich guy that went to outerspace to attempt zero G Jackson Pollock's. But the trailblazing that Richard Garriott is a huge part of... that has spurred private industry forward to make their mark in space. Well, if we're ever to see the rest of us out there. To see our children not know a world of limitations that are prescribed by the government regarding space travel. Well... Garriott's story is a true story of a great SPACE ENTREPRENEUR. The man is growing Crystals in space in a little canister that will pay for his next $30 million dollar trip. And if you can only make Crystals in space that are worth that kinda of change... you can bet somebody will hire illegal aliens and ship them into outer space to cut corners on this Crystal Growing fad. Right? And just tell me which border to cross to get to go.
Heh. Sorry. I'm a little loopy tonight. After having a beer while talking to an Astronaut tonight - I decided... I really didn't want to lose the dream that these two movies gave me today.
I felt like that Farmer from BABE.... That'll do. That'll do.
And indeed it did. Partying later with Mike Massimino, Ph.D - Astronaut at the HIGH BALL... well, that's pretty damn cool. Right?
God I love space. I'm sitting here tonight watching old STAR TREKs and thinking about the images I saw tonight, the dreams accomplished, the steps they've taken to help mankind evolve not in a petty way, not in a selfish way, but in a way that takes us. ALL OF US. Forward. That's what these films did. And that is truly worth checking out.
Now, I'm off to bed. I've been getting a good 4 hours a night for several nights in a row - and I feel so great about it. I really love this festival and this life.
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That's just weird to think about.
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I find it sad that you wouldn't know the joy of tears of amazement and wonder. What an incredibly dull world you must live in.
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Saw the 3D IMAX trailer for the hubble movie in front of Avatar, looked awe inspiring. My best friend is a rocket scientist, pumped to watch both of these movies with him!
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OooOooooOOOoooo
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I must wear a hat more often.
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"You maniacs"
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Harry, I know you guys are busy at SXSW, but someone needs to take the time out to post something nice about Peter Graves for all of us who've seen a grown man naked. They announced his death at about 9 last night and 12 hours later there are several new article posts and nothing on the real Jim Phelps. Get on it!
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Thanks Richard for the Ultima serie especially for ULTIMA VII Part Two: Serpent's Isle which put all the others RPG made at the time and after to shame!
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Is that a few years back his character in his own online game, "Ultima Online," was killed by another player while delivering a speech to the game's entire community. Fucking hilarious.
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the 3D sounds insane. Space junkie here.
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for the ULTIMA series, especially IV which sucked up a lot of my pre-teen time on my Commodore 64. Thanks for the games and memories.
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For me I didnt understand this until i had children. The birth of my son, I sobbed like a baby. Now I do truely watch movies and esee events that bring a tear to my eye. It makes me feel as though I do have a heart. On a side note harry, toooooooottttally agree with you about the ungrateful kids thing. I see this (not so much in mine) but in so many of the other kids. WIth thier $300 cell phones, xboxes, laptops, starbucks. Why the hell would children now a days want to dream and push the limits of our society when all they and their parents do is complain about it, yet offer little to no solutions. Ug dont get me started, I could go on and on.
Can't wait to see the imax Hubble movie, how friggin cool does that sound! -
Where? This website is a bastion of civility good sir!
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Jizz in space... a long, unbroken turd of space feces... something about a busted bolt that was keeping mankind from its destiny.... Has anyone translated this article into English yet?
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because this one has gone to shit.
(and its not the talkbackers) -
best RPG ever! FFXIII? are you kiddin'?
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...still remember it like it was yesterday!
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In the air,
In a flying saucer,
You can take me there,
Space invaders
In the air,
In a flying saucer,
You can take me there.
U-F-O. Come. Let's go
You are an alien,
With super high intelligence,
Flying in a spaceship round and round.
I am an alien,
With super high intelligence,
Flying in my spaceship up and down.
Space invaders
In the air,
In a flying saucer,
You can take me there,
Space invaders
In the air,
In a flying saucer,
You can take me there.
Space invaders
In the air,
In a flying saucer,
You can take me there,
Space invaders
In the air,
In a flying saucer,
You can take me there.
U-F-O. Come. Let's go,
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isn't much different from what I already shared with you all. Because I like you so much!
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I take it floating a turd in the training pool isn't the same thing?
Seriously, I hope it gets picked up too, I'd like to see this. -
...they are building a replacement for Hubble anyway right...so that replacement will be better at finding a new planet to fuck up! So relax, don't panic and continue to fuck up this one!
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The ISS requires adjustments and refueling to maintain a stable orbit, otherwise it starts going lower and lower until it re-enters the atmosphere and burns up.The DNA on a chip idea is amusing, but putting it on the ISS is pretty dumb
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Would be a powerful statement if Harry didn't fight back tears during every single movie he sees. It kind of lessens the power of the NASA images when it invokes the same feelings in Harry that Albert Pyun's Bulletface did.
And what is it with fat people and their never ending desire to go into space? Every morbidly obese person I know likes to go on and on about how they idolize astronauts and stuff like that... maybe it's the "first time in my life i'd ever be weightless" bit? -
Would be a powerful statement if Harry didn't fight back tears during every single movie he sees. It kind of lessens the power of the NASA images when it invokes the same feelings in Harry that Albert Pyun's Bulletface did.
And what is it with fat people and their never ending desire to go into space? Every morbidly obese person I know likes to go on and on about how they idolize astronauts and stuff like that... maybe it's the "first time in my life i'd ever be weightless" bit? -
Is a chronic case hypervaginal faggotosis.
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How many "morbidly obese" people do you you know? It must be a lot if you get sick about hearing how they all want to go to space. You'd think at some point you'd either get used to it or question why you hang out with so many morbidly obese people.
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Why can't it just be really fat?
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OK, maybe you wanna luagh, but then again maybe not. You're rolling along, really getting into the concept of this movie and then Harry talks about how he wants to take a giant shit in space.
Fuck it. Not all of your psynapses are firing properly, Master Knowles. -
Years ago I worked for a health research company conducting a study on diabetes and heart failure, met a few hundred morbidly obsese people through there, I'd say out of them, 85% said their biggest wish was to go into space.
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I'd like to see a proper remake of Ultima IV: Quest Of The Avatar. Ahhh those Apple II days.
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UO was great! Far more people will remember him for his innovative games than for when he went crazy and thought he was an astronaut.
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Astro Mike or the Big Mass is a living legend. So jealous you got to meet him. The only thing I got was John Glenn flew over my city and mentioned he could see the lights.
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And he is the first filmmaker in space.
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No shit? That sounds like a blast!
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... Harry manages to declare himself so important that his DNA is now in space, and that his biggest fantasy is to take a huge crap in zero-g. I might just not click on a Harry article again.
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Aliens find that Harry DNA, clone it to learn more about mankind and then just shake their heads in disappointment as they head to their attack fleet ships.
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until you've seen either of these films. It's sad indeed if you've not experienced tears of joy and amazement - I shed a few in MOAMmovie as the Soyuz rocket left Yuri Gagarin's launch pad. I highly recommend you get to the Paramount on Thursday to see for yourselves what the hoopla is about, and how the real story behind Man on the Mission is how it is possible to make dreams come true with perserverance and the right investments.
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Yes, stay for the credits to hear Richard Garriott eloquently and inoffensively describe the effects of zero gravity on your body's GI tract, and the effects of microgravity on waste disposal. It truly is quite amusing and fascinating, don't say you've never wondered!
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game ever and it was thanks to Lord British.
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his taste is...questionable..
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...didn't even know there was gonna be a film about Richard's space adventures. Christ, I'll have to check it out now.
The guy's responsible for some of the best gaming memories of my adolescence, and I'm still interested in hearing what he's up to today.
And yes -- ULTIMA VII: PART II is one of the greatest games ever made. -
"from that day you cut his hair, Merrick."
Odd Jello-Robot Guy: "We will grant this wish, but im afraid it will only last for one day, and one day only."
YOUNG MERRICK WAKES UP AND RUSHES TO HIS MOTHER'S BEDROOM
Merrick's Mother: "GREETINGS!!! HARRY HERE!!!..."
END SCENE -
it was a light.
thats magic. -
that space between the back of the toilet and the wall. My aim is questionable.
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