Apollo13

I couldn't bring myself to call most of these classics, and, in fact, one is a docudrama, not science fiction, but it's about the space program, so it's an honorable mention. Now, all of these titles are out on DVD, but if you are converting as much of your collection to Blu, or want to keep abreast of titles you might not have in your film library, many are already available for pre-order.

February 23, 2010
The Crazies (1973) -- Just three days before the theatrical release of Breck Eisner's adaptation of George Romero's creeper about an attempt to quarantine a town.

March 09, 2010
Tremors (1990) -- Kevin Bacon versus mutant worms It's a cult classic.

April 06, 2010
Cocoon (1985) -- Wild and crazy senior citizens break into a pool, and end up feeling like they discovered the fountain of youth. Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy and more star in the Ron Howard hit.

Dreamscape (1984) -- Government project, psychics, and conspiracies; sounds like a Stephen King plot, but it isn't. Starring Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow and Christopher Plummer.

April 13, 2010
Apollo 13 (1995) -- You think the release date is a coincidence?

April 20, 2010
Minority Report (2002) Steven Spielberg at the helm of an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story, with Tom Cruise headlining.

April 27, 2010
Armageddon (1998) -- It's fun enough that I enthusiastically suspended my disbelief while a bunch of crusty drillers go into space to save the world. And J.J. Abrams worked on the screenplay

Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986) -- Troma's nuclear waste infested high school is quite ridiculous, I know, but it is a sci-fi premise.

Dune (1984) -- David Lynch and 80's style sensibilities take on the first book in Frank Herbert's Dune Series.

Charles T. "Chuck" Baker makes the least dignified astronaut entrance in cinematic history. He lands on Planet 51, plants an American flag, encounters life in the form of a "dog" that looks suspiciously like a mini-me version of the creature from Alien -- and promptly runs away, screaming like a little girl.

Baker, voiced by Dwayne Johnson in the amusing animated film that opens tomorrow, has a lot to learn about being an astronaut. Planet 51, aimed squarely and pleasantly at children, is ready to impart lessons about the true meaning of "the right stuff," not only for Baker, but also for mournful astronomer Lem (Justin Long), his unrequited love Neera (Jessica Biel), and the evil 1-2 punch of a a military leader (Gary Oldman) and a scientist (John Cleese). The film pays homage to a variety of sci-fi flicks, and the stylish, rounded curves of its character and production designs are reminiscent of the early 1950s, the grand era when astronauts first started popping up on the big screen.

In compiling this list, I was tempted to draw from the huge pool of space jockeys, ranging from Luke Skywalker to Captain Kirk, but decided instead to stick to a more traditional view of astronauts. Some, obviously, are more realistic than others.

In the Shadow of the Moon

You can't get much better than the real thing. David Singleton's documentary allows the Apollo astronauts to give voice to their hopes, fears, and memories of their dazzling missions to the moon, accompanied by rarely-seen archival footage. It's dazzling, mesmerizing, and ultimately humbling.

How is it that someone as fascinated with space exploration as Tom Hanks has managed to go his entire career without appearing in a single science fiction film? Hanks has been an outspoken advocate for the space program since starring in Apollo 13 way back in 1995. He produced the award-winning HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon, wrote Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D, and sits on the Board of Governors for the National Space Society. Hanks was recognized for this passion by the Space Foundation who awarded him the Douglas S. Murrow Outreach Award in 2006. Is he more interested in the science than the science fiction?

I don't think the two can be totally separated, at least not when it comes to space exploration. Someone needs to imagine the unknown first, they need to theorize and speculate about it before they can creating a solution that will answer their questions. The very nature of space exploration requires a mind willing to consider the fantastic, open to the possibilities that might exist in an unknown galaxy.