Apollo 11 Movie IMAX California Science Center

Movies

MBE partnered with California Science Center for this review

by Neima Pollak
MBE staff writer

Apollo 11 IMAX Movie Review

On July 20, 2019 the USA will mark the 50th anniversary the first landing of the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on the moon. There are many kid friendly activities happening nationwide to celebrate this momentous day and one event that my family and I had the opportunity to experience was a press screening of the new documentary film, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition (2019) now showing nationwide, including in my hometown of Los Angeles at the IMAX theater at the California Science Center. Yes, there already are other films about the Apollo 11 space mission; this new release sets itself apart by showing never before seen historical footage to the public.

Image courtesy of MacGillivray Films/CNN Films

A New Look at the Apollo 11 Mission

Most everyone knows the basics of what happened when man landed on the moon: How NASA astronauts planted the American flag on the moon and Neil Armstrong's now iconic quote "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." But there are many more lesser-known, yet equally important and fascinating details of the Apollo 11 story which this IMAX presentation reveals for the first time. For example, what the dialogue between Mission Control specialists and the astronauts in orbit at the time as well as images of the science experiments which our astronauts left on the moon.

The film is broken down into a timeline of each day of the mission. Before the set of scenes from a given day, a black screen is shown with the date and the day of the mission. For example, "July 18, 1969. Day 2." I think the timeline was a wise feature to include because it put the span of the mission into perspective, as opposed to having one long unbroken string of scenes without referencing dates. As a result of how the movie was structured, the audience feels the tension and excitement mounting with each passing day flashing across the big screen.

Q&A Interview

Following the media screening of this film, the audience was treated to a live Q&A interview with Director Todd Douglas Miller and Mission Control specialist, Poppy Northcutt. On explaining the process of creating the film, Miller shares that it started out as a large-scale research project, a compilation of whatever materials they could access at NASA. 

Northcutt, who was working at Mission Control and was present when the astronauts landed on the moon, sums up the impact this film made on her. "The first time I viewed the finished movie in its entirety it simply blew my socks off," she concludes.

Images courtesy of MacGillivray Films/CNN Films

At first look, the research gathering and sorting sounds relatively easy, but Miller shared with the audience that the reels from the mission were not organized at all, and for the most part were originally just a jumble of information and images. Up until now, the reels had not been sorted, meaning that the reels were one big unlabeled mess. 

Recalls Miller, "At best a reel would be labeled as 'Apollo 11.' If you were lucky it would have a date written on it with an added plus if the reel happened to have list of film shots on it.
To complicate things further, each person who worked on the mission in the front and back rooms wore a headset which recorded everything said on one long loop. This meant that the production team had to spend many hours listening in order to pull out the most valuable portions of dialogue."

Northcutt, at the time a 25-year old career woman from Texas, was the only female in the control room. This was still a strange oddity toward the end of the 1960s when the women's liberation movement was just  beginning to have an impact. 

On explaining her role in Mission Control, Northcutt relays she was hired by NASA through a contractor to work as a computress. Although she filled the same functions as her counterparts known as the male computers, her job was labeled with a gender-identifying title typical of the gender-oriented stereotypes of the times.





As a woman her promotion to the technical staff was "A giant leap for womankind," Northcutt says. "The labor laws in 1969 stated that employees were not allowed to work more than 9 hours a day, 54 hours a week. So I interpreted that to mean no more than 9 hours of paid work."

Miller confirmed the widespread rumor that astronaut Buzz Aldrin did indeed use a felt-tip pen to fix the switch circuit breaker during EVA (Extravehicular Activity). Aldrin had knocked the breaker off, but since they no longer had most of their tools onboard, the astronaut had to improvise by jamming a felt tip pen in with the broken piece of plastic.

The panel discussion concluded with a tear-jerking thank you to Northcutt from an audience member who said he was inspired to go into aerospace engineering after seeing the moon landing live on television when he was just a child. 

Run Dates and Venues

You too can experience the wonder of Apollo 11: First Steps Edition all across the USA. To find a theater near you, visit https://apollo11firststeps.com. This film is running now at the California Science Center (CSC), 700 Exposition Park Drive Los Angeles, CA 90037. Visit the CSC website for more information and showtimes. 

Disney The Lion King Kids Movie Review

Movies

MBE partnered with Disney for this post

Content by Neima Pollak
MBE Staff Writer 

Photography by Janis Brett Elspas
MBE CEO

Opening Nationwide July 19

More than 25 years ago the original animated kids blockbuster movie Disney The Lion King (1994) played in theaters around the world. 

Lion at Sabi Sands Private Reserve, South Africa

Following in the footsteps of other animated Disney classics recently remade into live action pictures such as Cinderella, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Dumbo, Disney is back with the The Lion King (2019). The new feature film roars onto big screens nationwide this Friday, July 19. This  motion picture actually falls into the new photoreal category, rather than live action, because it is so realistic yet completely animated.

Mommy Blog Expert attended an all-press screening of The Lion King this past week at Disney’s El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. You can, of course, see this in theaters nationwide starting this weekend, but if you are lucky enough to be in the Los Angeles area, consider seeing this at the El Capitan where you'll be treated to an augmented experience similar to what we had. 

The El Capitan Viewer Experience

Before the movie began, the audience was treated to a live performance by the El Capitan House Organist, Rob Richards, who played a series of Disney show tunes from movies ranging from The Lion King and The Little Mermaid to many others. After he finished playing, both musician and the massive antique Wurlitzer gilted 2500 pipe organ (built in 1928) were lowered below the stage. 

Me and Janis at El Capitan Theater, Hollywood

Then the curtains rose, augmented by a light show and lots of glitz to reveal a majestic backdrop echoing the vibe of the movie's Pride Lands setting. Other audience perks unique to El Capitan showings of The Lion King include an immersive mural wall, a gigantic Pride Rock photo op on stage and other photo opps with Pumbaa and Timon. 

Images Courtesy of Disney

Memorable, Engaging Characters 

No matter where you see this new Disney action adventure drama, whether in 3D like we did or in standard format, you will be enchanted by all the beloved characters. 

Returning from the 1994 original movie are all the talking African savanna animals, from regal dad King Mufasa (James Earl Jones), plucky Simba (Donald Glover), lion love interest Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter), adult male hyena Kamari (Keegan-Michael Key), and the eccentric, Zazu (John Oliver), to my own personal favorite: the hilarious duo of Timon and Pumbaa who are introduced to the audience through a particularly comical scene. 

No spoilers in this review, you’ll have to see the movie for yourself to see what happens. As is typical in many Disney family movies, this one has different sets of elements  -- visuals, dialogue, music, and some of the most magnificent and beautiful CGI effects -- meant to appeal toward grownups and children. Adults will laugh like hyenas at the sophisticated humor while kids will love all the fun songs and giggle at the human-like animal interactions. 

Image Courtesy of Disney

The Storyline

Even if you're familiar with the original animated movie storyline, which the new film follows fairly closely, you will be in suspense and on the edge of your seat the whole time. Filled with dramatic scenes one after the other, from to evil hyenas chasing down the young Simba and Nala, to the infamous stampede in the gorge, the action, drama and excitement keeps the story moving forward at a brisk pace.

Parental Discretion for Very Young Children

Keep in mind that unlike the G-rated 1994 The Lion King which you may remember from your childhood, the 2019 Lion King remake is rated PG and is directed by Jon Favreau who also directed Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2010). Though there is no profanity in the new version, there are some quite frightening, intense and violent scenes. So parents may want to consult the IMDB Parents Guide to evaluate how appropriate this is for the young cubs in your own pride.

Savanna and Lion Cub, Simbavati Private Reserve, South Africa

CGI and Production

Part of what makes this such an outstanding work of art to watch on the big screen is largely thanks to the incredible attention to CGI animation details throughout the project. One of the most astonishing scenes that stands out in my mind is when Mufasa and Scar are talking and you can see them visibly breathing just as real lions do. 

It's also worth noting that whenever any of the characters spoke, without fail, the animals’ lip movements were perfectly aligned with the dialogue. At times I found myself questioning if the herd of zebras was footage of actual zebras or whether it was computer generated. The visual effects in this movie are so realistic, making the animals and the various savanna environments absolutely breathtaking. 

Zebra at Simbavati Private Reserve, South Africa

The sound recording setup for this film was unlike the traditional approach often taken in earlier animated films. Rather than have the actors just stand behind music stands and read their lines into microphones, filmmakers constructed what they refer to as a “black box theater.” 

The idea behind the black box theater was to allow the actors more creative license to act, rather than just read from the script on specially-built stage for recording the film while also being photographed with multiple cameras as they spoke. The photos taken were then shared with the creative team to help guide characters’ minute movements during the animation process.

Go Behind the Scenes: Watch Disney's The Wild Cat Featurette now

About The Lion King

You can catch Simba and the rest of the gang on the big screen nationwide at theaters near you, starting July 19, 2019. Special showings with photo opps and more fun at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood run from July 18 through September 2. Learn more about The Lion King on the official movie site or by following the movie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Kidspace Childrens Museum Pasadena Review

Family Fun

by Esther Pearl Kreiman
MBE Guest Mom Writer


The most amazing thing about Kidspace, located near Los Angeles, in Pasadena, California, is that every time we take our kids (two boys, ages two and four) here it gets better and better. 

MBE partnered with Kidspace Children's Museum for this post

On our most recent visit just a few weeks ago, thanks to Kidspace, my mom, kids and I got to experience even more of this wonderful children's interactive museum offering indoor and outdoor activities with climbing structures, clay activities, water play, a tricycle track and much more.  

Not only is this a kid-friendly place for children, it's also an engaging and manageable Southern California day trip which grandparents will enjoy.

The more we visit we're discovering that the opportunities for fun and education become multifaceted, more interactive and fun as the children grow and progress through various developmental stages. 

Age-appropriate Activities 

Kidspace is geared toward children ages 6 months through 10 years-old. For the youngest ones, there is a baby room for crawlers and non-crawlers, complete with age appropriate toys, exploring areas and even scheduled story time and classes. 

Beyond that room there is a "Physics Forest" for older kids and parents. Here families can try out different science-based activities including a bottle rocket, giant foam blocks, and even my kids' favorite pulley chairs where you pull yourself up about 8 or 9 feet and enjoy the ride down.

Outdoor Fun, Water Play & Photo Opps

Our next step is always the outdoor tricycle tracks. There is one track for toddlers, and another track for 5 to 9 year olds. For additional fun and interaction, the toddler track area is equipped with water tables and some small slides. My kids played happily in this area for about 40 minutes, then we all headed up a little hill to the outdoor pond with filtered water where little ones can splash around. There is also a separate area with fish and turtles that kids can look at but not touch. 

Since there's lots of water play activities, I highly recommend bringing water shoes, a change of clothes, and a towel. That way your kids will be dry and comfy after the water activities because there is still so much to do and explore. Water shoes for mom or other adults are helpful too, but you'll probably only get wet up to your shins. So as long as you're not wearing long pants or a long skirt you should be fine. 

After water play, before changing into dry clothes, is a good time for kids to play in the outdoor clay area, have fun with the outdoor musical instruments, or even "dig for fossils" like a real paleontologist. Next, stroll through the Kidspace vegetable garden before stopping at the restrooms to change into dry clothes.

Then, step into the indoor air conditioned climbing areas ready for more activities. There boys and girls can climb up a pretend anthill, read in a little reading nook, color a picture, create arts and crafts, or even dress-up in the make-believe theater. 

Interactive Nature Center

My kids' favorite part of the indoor play area on this trip was the nature center. We had so much fun looking at real snakes and toads through glass -- which this mom is super thankful for -- though they do have petting times scheduled for some creatures.  

There is also a real beehive which kids can view through glass to learn about bees and the importance of pollination. When they were younger, my kids didn't really notice this section on earlier Kidspace visits,  so we stayed at the slides and water tables. But, now that my oldest is 4 years old, this space seems fascinating to him. 

Image courtesy of Kidspace

New Exhibit Opening

This Friday, July 19 Kidspace unveils their newest exhibit, the Theater of Birds in partnership with an artist project from the Cloud Formation Lab. This outdoor installation is is designed to look like an upside down bird nest for young explorers to discover and learn about nature. Construction on this project began in January of 2019 and has the installation has since been used by resident artists for a variety of kids activities and workshops. 

The new discoveries every time we go is what makes Kidspace so engaging and why our family keeps coming back. As they grow kids of every age will find something new to explore with all the indoor and outdoor fun to keep your adventurers busy for several hours. The only thing I wish could have been better about the entire experience is that because seating in the lunch area cannot accommodate everyone at lunchtime at the same time. So parents who want to use the tables to feed the kids food you've brought from home might want to not wait until the kids are overly hungry and instead strategize, plan ahead, and be flexible on when you sit down to eat. 

We were on this trip from 10am to 1pm, for a total of 3 hours. We could have easily stayed and enjoyed for more time, but my two year old was ready for a nap after all the tricycling, splashing, climbing and running around. We will definitely be returning to Kidspace very soon.

About Kidspace Children's Museum

Kidspace Childrens Museum, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary of service to Southern California families, is located at 480 North Arroyo Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91103; phone 626-449-9144 . The children's 3.5 acre indoor and outdoor museum features 40 interactive exhibits with daily events and special monthly programs. For hours, activity schedule, admission details, and more information and tickets visit the official Kidspace website. You can also stay in the loop on everything Kidspace is up by following their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.