Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Cheryl Minns, Art Editor Marts@theotherpress.ca How to survive on Mars » ‘The Martian’ movie review Lauren Paulsen Senior Columnist OOOO ASA has created quite the hype with an announcement concerning their finding of liquid water flowing on Mars. This announcement came only four days before the release of The Martian in theatres. Mars is on everybody’s minds. Is this some sort of cosmic coincidence? The Martian is based ona novel of the same name by Andy Weir. During a terrible storm, the crew on Mars needs to abort. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is hit by some flying debris and disappears. He is presumed dead and the crew leave. Amazingly, he is stranded on Mars. Even if he somehow manages to contact : NASA and let them know that : he is alive, the mission was only : supposed to last 31 sols (Martian : days), so provisions are limited. : Unfortunately, it will take several : Earth years for any kind of rescue : to reach him. To last that long, : Watney has to work some science : magic to survive. The movie was great. : The acting was phenomenal. : Whenever something went right : for Watney, | felt like cheering : with him. Whenever a disaster : happened, I too wanted to cry : out in frustration. Moments : were intense. Somehow, Watney : maintained his sense of humour : throughout all of the terrible : situations. It probably kept me : from weeping at certain moments. The film was shot in Wadi Watney actually survives, but now ; Rum, Jordan, which has a red- : coloured desert. The combination : of location and some CGI effects : made it really look like Mars. : : Filming took 70 days, three weeks: : of which were spent filming the : NASA scenes. NASA needs to give : filmmakers permission to portray : them ina film. They require that : the filmmakers are representing : the truth. Regarding The : Martian, 50 pages of the script is : NASA material. They were also : consulted to make sure things : in the movie were scientifically : accurate, Therefore, watching The : : Martian feels like it could be real, : and scientifically, it is certainly : plausible. I certainly learned a few : : things while watching this movie. : I was a bit surprised that there : : wasn't really a lot of exploration : concerning Watney’s mental state : : over being alone for so long. He : was very lucid throughout the : movie, coming up with funny : remarks during terrible situations. : : : copy of the novel to read. This issue: (¥ Crowded Bookshelf: The colours of Mars (Y Horror-ific movies to watch this October (¥ Running the show And more! : Maybe talking to the cameras all : the time helped him stay sane, : or maybe he was just extremely : expected at least one breakdown. I know if I were in that situation, : there would probably be a few. : I would definitely recommend : : seeing this movie. It is amazing. Now, excuse me while I go finda Image via Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation : Did you know? : A “sol” a Martian day, lasts the : Earth equivalent of 24 hours, 39 : strong-willed (which you'd have to : : be to survive there anyways). I just : minutes, and 35 seconds. Mars also has a considerably longer : year at 687 days. The red planet is : alsoa lot colder than Earth, being : a freezing -50°C (Earth’s average is 15°C), and the gravity on Mars : is 62 per cent lower than here on : Earth, aust TUL New show centred on < e 1 tl family falls short » ‘The Grinder’ TV pilot review Lauren Paulsen Senior Columnist OOOSS Te Grinder is about Dean Sanderson (Rob Lowe), who has just finished his career as a lawyer on a television show called the show is over, and envies the life that his brother, Stewart (Fred Savage}, has as an actual lawyer with a family. After sitting through one of Stewart’s cases, Dean decides that he wants to be an actual lawyer, : but seems to think that all of his : time acting asa lawyer gives him : the qualification to jump right in. This show wasn’t as bad as : John Stamos’ Grandfathered— : another new family-centred : show—but I still found it really : lacking. It seemed to me that : pretty much the only person on The Grinder. He feels lost now that ! this show with common sense was : Stewart. Everyone else was so into : “The Grinder,’ a.k.a. Dean, taking : ona real case that they seemed to : forget that he wasn't a real lawyer. I also found the acting to be over-exaggerated and not : really believable. It tried to be : heartwarming at times but fell 5 Image via FOX : short because it didn’t really : give me any reason to invest my 5; feelings into the characters. It : didn’t make me care enough about : them. Dean is arrogant and too full : of himself to realise that acting as : a lawyer doesn’t mean it qualifies : him to bea lawyer (that’s why : there’s law school). Stewart has : more common sense, but he : whines all the time. Their father : always sides with Dean, no matter : what stupid idea he comes up : with. Really, the negative aspects : of their characters overshadow : anything good. Image via FOX ‘Grandfathered’ not so great » ‘Grandfathered’ TV pilot review Lauren Paulsen Senior Columnist OOOO ohn Stamos plays Jimmy, a J 50-year-old bachelor who as pretty much everything he wants, except for a family—or is that just some line he throws out to pick up chicks? One day a stranger (Josh Peck) walks into his restaurant and declares that he is Jimmy’s son. Not only that, but that Jimmy even has a granddaughter. This bachelor’s world has just turned upside down. The pilot’s plotline, in which Jimmy is implied to be a terrible guardian for his granddaughter : because she had a fever while he : was babysitting, seemed forced : and unearned. He did stick her : in his restaurant’s kitchen so he : could schmooze with someone : important, but how is the fever : his fault? He didn’t do anything : that could cause her harm. He : even ran from the restaurant to : the hospital on foot to get her : checked out, something he had : just made fun of ina movie he : watched with his son and son’s : mother. The trailer for Grandfathered : promised a heart-warming and : comedic show. It lied. I didn’t get : any of that. The acting was really : terrible, things seemed forced, : and the comedy fell flat. Really, : I don’t think Grandfathered is : worth watching. Save your time : and find something better.