Watch the Trailer for “Apollo 11” Sequel “Quarantine”

It's hard to believe it's already been two years since the premiere of Apollo 11, one of the first movies I saw at my first Sundance. The film was an incredible in-theater experience and one of the best of 2019. But a sequel was the last thing I expected. But Neon and CNN have teamed up for one of the first pleasant surprises of the new year.

Given that we've all been stuck in our homes for quite a while, this is a timely follow-up. The short film uses the same treasure trove of archival footage Todd Douglas Miller used to assemble the feature. But while the doc only covered the launch, landing and successful return of the mission crew, this short covers the three-week quarantine the astronauts underwent before they could go back to their families. Neon will push the short for Academy Awards consideration, and hopefully it can succeed where the feature came up short. Frankly, it's a travesty the doc wasn't also nominated for Best Original Score and Best Film Editing.

Apollo 11: Quarantine will be released exclusively in IMAX theaters on January 29, and what I wouldn't give to be able to safely see this on the biggest screen possible. It will be available on VOD on February 5.

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About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.