How do the zero gravity scenes look so real? Why did that oxygen tank explode, anyway? And how does the movie keep the tension high when the outcome is already known? Listen now to find out! Scott Croco and George Fiedziuszko unhack Apollo 13 (1995) in this podcast episode.
When things go wrong during a manned space mission, NASA must find a way to get the men home safely. Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise star in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 (1995)!
Episode Log:
- June 1995 trivia (2:55)
- Summary of the film’s story (4:05)
- Movie review (4:45)
- First problem of mission – engine goes out (10:20)
- Zero gravity scenes shot in reduced gravity environment (16:05)
- Crew stirs oxygen tanks – explosion (21:30)
- What REALLY happened to Apollo 13’s oxygen tank (26:25)
- Mission control devises a new plan (29:15)
- How to power up the command module? (42:10)
- Will the heat shield hold up? (46:00)
- T-Shirts (57:10)
- Budget, Box Office, Critics’ reactions, and Awards (1:01:30)
- “Fiction or Fake?” game (1:04:40)
Subscribe to Movies Unhacked in Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play, and write us a 5-star review!
Episode 041 – Apollo 13 (1995) unhacked!
Download this episode
Research and information:
Jim Lovell on Science Friday
Apollo 13 (Wikipedia)
Realism of Apollo 13
Vomit Comet
Zero-gravity plane retires
Invention of T-Shirt
T-Shirt history
Hollywood T-Shirts
History of Jockey
Movies Unhacked compares technology in movies to technology in real life. A podcast for fans of cinema and technology!