Cast and Crew: Harry Winer (Director); John Williams (Music); Kate Capshaw, Lea Thompson, Kelly Preston, Larry B. Scott, Joaquin “Leaf” Phoenix, Tate Donovan, Tom Skerritt, and Terry O’Quinn
What It’s About: Teenagers go to space camp and mimic astronaut training, a sentient robot launches the teens into space aboard an ill-equipped Space Shuttle Atlantis, and unintended hilarity ensues.
Why Watch it Today?: 40 years ago today in 1972, President Richard Nixon ordered the development of the space shuttle program.
Where to Get It: Rent it at Netflix or borrow it from your local library.
The League of Dead Films 
Man, I loved this movie when I was a kid. Made me want to go to space camp so much I built my own model Space Shuttle. And this was in the same year as the Challenger disaster…was that good or bad for the movie?
Per Wikipedia, the disaster wasn’t good for box office.
Anecdotally, I think the thing that saved the movie from complete oblivion was the burgeoning home video rental market. I remember this being a big sleepover movie when it hit the local “Movie Club”.
Believe it or not, I’ve never seen this movie. I remember it being on cable and friends loving it, but somehow I was too busy watching things like Dr. Who, Godzilla movies, and probably sneaking peaks at Near Dark and Fright Night to catch this one.
Thankfully, Mister Invisible is here to fill in those gaps. I need to check but I have a feeling this is going to be one of the films that the Baroness is scandalized that I haven’t seen yet.