By Grabthar’s hammer, Galaxy Quest is at long last getting the book tribute it deserves. Paramount Pictures’ Galaxy Quest: The Inside Story looks back at the cult classic, fan-favorite sci-fi comedy that’s been making audiences laugh, cry, and cheer for more than two decades. Matt McAllister’s authorized guide shines a spotlight on a movie like few others, as it opened modestly at the box office in 1999 and then played for months, building momentum and ultimately grossing $90 million-plus worldwide. Galaxy Quest: The Inside Story explores it all, from the initial spec script through to development, filming, and postproduction, as well as everything in between: casting, computer-generated imagery, costumes, miniatures, puppets, set and designs, and more.
McAllister conducted more than 60 new interviews with Galaxy Quest’s cast and crew, including Tim Allen (Jason Nesmith), Sigourney Weaver (Gwen DeMarco), Sam Rockwell (Guy Fleegman), writers Robert Gordon and David Howard, and director Dean Parisot. Galaxy Quest: The Inside Story also revisits the film’s stellar visual effects, with artists from Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Stan Winston Studio revealing how they used a mixture of lovingly designed miniatures, puppets, prosthetics, and CGI to bring to life the Protector, the pig lizard, and the film’s other incredible monsters and starships.
Galaxy Quest, of course, is a parody of, and homage to, science-fiction films and series, especially Star Trek and its fandom. The film stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, a very young Rainn Wilson, and the late, great Alan Rickman. It depicts the cast of a fictional defunct cult television series, Galaxy Quest, who are visited by actual aliens who believe the series is an accurate documentary, and become involved in a very real intergalactic conflict.
And we’re giving away two copies!
To enter, send an email with the subject header “GALAXY QUEST” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:
The film’s bad guy is named after this film critic?
Please include your name, and address (U.S. only. You must be 18 years old).
Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.
Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on October 10, 2021.
