Aurora (1998)
In the 22nd century, seven explorers set out on a mission to earth's nearest sister planet, AURORA. Their mission - to survey and explore for future colonization. When their ship suddenly malfunctions, the crew is forced to crash land on the planet's surface, where crippling heat, poisonous water, and fierce storms threaten their lives at every turn. With a handful of supplies and little hope of rescue, their only option is a grueling four hundred mile trek to their ship's lost supply bunkers. To survive, the men will have to push their endurance to the limit and entrust their lives to a leader who will risk everything to succeed, no matter what the consequences.
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the audience applauded
Memorable, crazy movie
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
I am normally supportive of Independent films, whether award winning or otherwise, but this film made me re-assess my loyalties. I appreciate low budgets can have detrimental affects to a film's production - whatever. This film is tedious! In no way does this film resemble 2001:Space Oddessy - or Red Planet for that matter. The closest experience to watching this film I could draw any similarities to, would be watching grass growing. The acting wasn't terrible (it wasn't good though!) and - yes, the special effects weren't really too good. The camera-work did at times go over the score a little. What really let this film down was the script and storyline. I'm sure it can't be easy to write a film, but whatever you could come up with could not be any worse than the 80 mins of drivel I was subjected to. What made the script-writer think anyone would want to watch this and actually be entertained by it? God only knows!
After a malfunction, a spaceship crash lands on a desert planet called Aurora. The said planet has been selected for human colonisation on the basis that it is covered in a desert, has extreme temperatures, has no drinkable water and is inhospitable for human colonisation. But apart from this it is an excellent choice. The surviving men then embark on a trek across the hostile terrain. Along the way they argue a bit. And drink some water. And that's it. That is all that happens. Additional highlights include tent scenes, dramatic posing in the desert, tent scenes, a low budget electric storm, tent scenes and scenes in a tent. Recommended for insomniacs with an interest in desert camping.
I caught Aurora at the Birmingham Sidewalk film festival. After reading the comments, I couldn't help but say a few things about the film myself. First, Aurora is not for everyone, but as far as independents go, it is a brave and remarkable endeavor. Shot on credit cards in the Southwest with a small cast and crew, one is completely taken away to this bleak and beautifully photographed world. The special effects are okay, the performances, fair to terrific and the story, captivating an moving. One critic noted that the narrative was lifted from the Robert Falcon Scott story of the Antarctic. It is clearly inspired by that tale and the book "South With Scott" by Admiral Sir Edward R.G.R. Evans. The filmmaker is paying homage to Scott and his men! Aurora is a film to see
I purchased this on DVD cheap for a laugh. There was a small amount of special effects at the begining, the rest was desert scenes, with skylines that look suspiciously like they were altered using Bryce. But that isn't the point. The special effects are almost non existant, so they don't get in the way of the film. This could easily be trekking across the Sahara as across the planet Aurora. The interactions are well thought out, the break up of authority well depicted. I give it a good rating, for an indie film it is really good.