WHAT WE'RE WATCHING: National Geographic's ONE STRANGE ROCK

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List for Fabulous Family Friendly TV Shows

New episodes of One Strange Rock air every Monday at 9pm CT on The National Geographic Channel.  You can also catch up on demand.

Guest Post by Lori Morrison-Contreras
We were invited to Chicago's Adler Planetarium to see the first episode of National Geographic's ONE STRANGE ROCK, and get a sneak peek inside the traveling four minute immersive space helmet, for a feature for ChiIL Mama. I'm a homeschooling mom of 3 curious kids ages 6, 8 and 10 so this was a great fit for my family.

All photos by Lori Morrison-Contreras, shot at Adler Planetarium in Chicago 4/27/18 unless noted

The episode we saw was visually stunning and informative. I definitely look forward to watching the series. It was a little hard to understand for my youngest (who just turned six). She was genuinely interested though and asked a lot of questions. 



The space helmets were amazing and a great follow up to the first episode. My six year old found it a little scary having the images be so up close. I had difficulty with it as I am claustrophobic. I am glad I did it but probably wouldn't again. My eight and ten year olds greatly enjoyed it and were fascinated by being able to have such a close up look at space and the things they had just learned. 

National Geographic's ONE STRANGE ROCK

Hosted by Will Smith, One Strange Rock is a mind-bending, full-sensory journey that explores the fragility and wonder of our planet. It’s the extraordinary story of why life as we know it exists on Earth, brought into perspective by the only people to have left it behind: astronauts. This 10-part series, which was filmed across 45 countries, on six continents and from outer space, reveals the twists of fate that have allowed life to emerge, survive and thrive on Earth. 

One Strange Rock is executive produced by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel from Protozoa Pictures and Jane Root and Arif Nurmohamed from Nutopia and features astronauts Nicole Stott, Jeff Hoffman, Leland Melvin, Mike Massimino, Peggy Whitson, Jerry Linenger, Chris Hadfield and Mae Jemison.

Photo by Eduardo Munoz, shot in NYC

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CELEBRATES 

THE EPIC STORY OF OUR PLANET IN GROUNDBREAKING SERIES, ONE STRANGE ROCK, WITH ONE-OF-A-KIND, IMMERSIVE SPACE PROJECTION HELMET

Wearable Technology Simulates Astronaut Point of View Using Footage from One Strange Rock at The Adler Planetarium           

On Friday, April 27, 2018 lovers of outer space were invited to experience the One Strange Rock: Space Projection Helmet, an immersive technology that made a stop at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium for one day only. Through the One Strange Rock: Space Projection Helmets, users instantly blast off into outer space and float through the cosmos as they see the universe through the eyes of an astronaut.

Additionally, guests were treated to a screening of the first episode of One Strange Rock at the Johnson Star Theater. The One Strange Rock helmet experience was held in the The Room of Requirement located on the 2nd level of the Planetarium. 

One Strange Rock, the latest from executive producers Darren Aronofsky, Jane Root and Arif Nurmohamed, tells the extraordinary story of Earth, told from the only people who have ever left it: astronauts. Inspired by the innovative storytelling in One Strange Rock, National Geographic created the Space Projection Helmet to bring this unique astronaut vantage-point even closer to those on Earth. The limited-edition gear will go on tour to schools and planetariums in select cities this Spring- including the stop in Chicago.

One Strange Rock premiered on Monday, April 16 at 9pm CT on The National Geographic Channel.

Housed in a replica space helmet, the projection technology creates an immersive viewing experience through a unique combination of laser projection, custom fish-eye optics and in-built audio. Unlike in-market VR headsets, the helmet offers an exceptionally wide field of view and is designed so the user can freely move their head inside of the dome to look around the entire field of vision, just as an astronaut would within their helmet in space.

“One Strange Rock is an unprecedented television experience; we were inspired by the innovative storytelling, mesmerizing footage and the unique accounts of astronauts to create a specialized viewing mechanism that would elevate and emulate their first-hand experience,” says Jill Cress, chief marketing and brand officer, National Geographic Partners. “The OSR Space Projection Helmet furthers National Geographic’s commitment to make science fun, entertaining, and accessible to new audiences.”

About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. 

Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. 

For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn  and Pinterest.

Disturbia Haunted House Review

Guest post by Jane Zawadowski exclusive to ChiILMama.com

Disturbia: Screams in the Park is shriek out loud, laugh out loud, heart pounding fun. It's located at Rosemont in the basement level of the parking garage at MB Financial Park at Rosemont (5501 Park Place) and open through November 1. 

Located in the basement of a parking garage, “Disturbia” gets instant points for its site. Haunted prisons and insane asylums abound, but the lower level of a parking ramp scares me any day of the year. As soon as we parked the car, we were wondering whether the experience had started yet.

Of course, it doesn’t start until you pass the ticket booth, and once at the entrance we were thoughtfully startled, then menaced by dutiful clowns and blood spattered, intimidating thugs while we waited our turn in line to descend into the unknown.

The experience itself will not leave you sleepless or traumatized. You probably won’t have nightmares unless you are indulging a standard phobia. On this score, “Disturbia” does not disappoint. I am claustrophobic, saw it coming, and still struggled to get through the “smothered in a small space” encounter without losing it and flipping out, but for $25, I expect to get my heart rate up. 

It is possible to be separated from your friends if you aren’t paying attention, which clearly caused stress to the women in front of us who kept yelling for their lost comrade. It is possible to be startled, startled, and startled again, the bread and butter of any haunted house. 

Interiors are often visually interesting and attention has been paid to creating texture in the environment. Sand on the floor, doors you must push past, sets you must walk around, and lighting tricks keep things interesting enough that everything feels unexpected.

In the end, “Disturbia” is a typical walk through haunted house, with a familiar format and some novel touches mixed in with old, tried and true standbys. “Prisoners” behind cages will bang and yell, clowns will stomp up to you and scream, there will be at least one dismembered “body” on a bloody table, but there will be enough surprises here that it won’t feel like the same old thing unless you are a Halloween Scrooge that refuses to be scared by anything.

“Disturbia” is a decently executed take on the quintessential haunted house experience that we have all come to know, love, and ask ourselves why we thought this was a good idea in the first place once we get to the front of the line.

DISTURBIA: SCREAMS IN THE PARK IN ROSEMONT COMBINES THE THRILLS OF TWO HAUNTED HOUSES INTO ONE TERRIFYING AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE THIS OCTOBER

Haunt Features 20,000 Square Feet of Terror With More Than 35 Rooms Where Guests’ Determine Their Fate

Only the bravest should dare to enter Disturbia: Screams in the Park at Rosemont in the basement level of the parking garage at MB Financial Park at Rosemont (5501 Park Place). There are terrors every step of the way in this immersive haunted house experience, where guests become part of an interactive world of horror, complete with an industry-unique entry that sucks guests into the haunt—whether they are ready or not.  Disturbia: Screams in the Park will remain open through Saturday, Nov. 1. 

Disturbia: Screams in the Park is a product of Joseph and Mike Pantano, who previously ran Disturbia Torment of Fears in Addison, Ill., which was voted number one in Haunted House Chicago’s 2009 and 2010 Patron’s Choice Awards. The brothers brought the highly interactive nature and high quality sets of Disturbia to Rosemont’s Screams in the Park to create the ultimate horror experience—Disturbia: Screams in the Park. The haunts at Disturbia: Screams in the Park progressively grow to be deeper and darker, leaving its guests in the Pits of Hell by the time they exit the haunt.   

Even past visitors of Screams in the Park will find their fortitude tested as they traverse the possessed and unpredictable halls of pure evil at Disturbia: Screams in the Park. The 2014 haunted house features new sets and a remodeled floor plan, in addition to brand new characters and scares that are sure to place guests in an unescapable real life nightmare.

Tickets and More Information

Disturbia: Screams in the Park is an indoor environment that operates rain or shine. General admission tickets are $25.  VIP tickets, which allow ticket holders to skip the line and gain immediate entrance to the haunted house, are also available for $35. A minimum age of 13 is recommended and parental discretion is advised.  Visitors are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance at www.disturbiascreams.com. Walk-up tickets will be available on site.  The haunted house is open from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. on the following upcoming days:

• October 16 – 19
• October 22 – 26
• October 28 – 31
• November 1

Parking is free with validation from the haunted house ticket booth.  From inside the parking garage, follow the signs to The MB Financial Park main elevators located in the middle of the parking garage and push “LL” to descend down into the underground world of Disturbia: Screams in the Park.

About The Village of Rosemont, Illinois: Rosemont, Illinois, Chicagoland’s business and entertainment suburb, is conveniently located five minutes from O’Hare Airport and twenty minutes from Chicago’s downtown. Rosemont is home to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, a wide variety of hotel and dining options, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre and a host of entertainment and retail venues. Rosemont continues to grow and evolve based on the new vision of Mayor Bradley A. Stephens. MB Financial Park at Rosemont features an array of great dining and entertainment options. For more information, visit www.Rosemont.com.

About The MB Financial Park at Rosemont: MB Financial Park at Rosemont is a 200,000 square-foot entertainment and dining complex whose 13 venues offer upscale international cuisine, live music and comedy, state-of-the-art film, indoor skydiving, bowling and more. Conveniently located near O’Hare International Airport, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is easily accessible from Chicago as well as the suburbs. The address is 5501 Park Place, a looping street situated west of River Road between Bryn Mawr and Balmoral Avenues.  A 20-minute drive from Chicago’s Loop, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is walking distance from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, the CTA Blue Line Rosemont station, Fashion Outlets of Chicago and Rosemont Theatre. Convenient parking is available. For more information, visit www.mbparkatrosemont.com.

A Kid's Eye View: Mako Mermaids Season 2 Makes a Splash on Netflix #StreamTeam #GuestPost #NetflixKids #Sage

Here at ChiIL Mama our whole family has enjoyed watching the Mako Mermaids since the original H2O episodes so we were pretty happy to hear that another full season was going to be added to Netflix this month! When Netflix Stream Team asked my daughter to check out the series and guest post, we were even more excited! (*We’d like to give Stream Team kids a chance to test the waters of what it’s like to be a blogger. So we’re asking your daughter to post a guest review of Mako Mermaids on your blog.) 

Check out 11 year old Sage's guest post/review on Mako Mermaids below.

Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is a proud member of the Netflix Stream Team. We've been compensated for sharing monthly posts with our readers.  As always, all opinions are our own.

The mermaids are back: season 2 of Mako Mermaids, a Netflix original series for kids, started streaming as of Feb. 13, only on Netflix. 

Sage Words: Hi I’m Sage, and I’m 11. I’m reviewing Mako Mermaids season 2. Lots of kids are excited Mako Mermaids is on Netflix now. I just watched 7 episodes over a few days. They’re only 24 minutes with no commercials so it’s easy to watch a few, especially when they start the next one automatically. There are 39 episodes so I won’t run out any time soon.  I love the underwater reef photography. The shots are so cool. It’s shot in Australia so it’s beautiful and everyone’s accents are cool, but not hard to understand. They’re good episodes. My mom used to pretend she was a mermaid when she was little and had hair down to her waist. I always pretended I was an otter. I think anyone from about 2nd grade and up would like this show.  I think season 2 isn’t as good as the original H2O episodes, but it’s better than Mako Mermaids season one. I like this one because it’s more of a mystery. And they have more magic powers. It’s a little weird when they switch actresses for season 2 without an explanation, but keep one the same.  In the first original season of H20 there was more physical comedy around humans becoming mermaids by accident and trying to protect themselves from getting splashed and turning. Now there are still human mermaids but also girls who are born mermaids getting used to having legs, and pretending to be land people. It’s a little weird there are mermen now, but it can lead to more story ideas. And the boys’ tails are cooler because they’re blue instead of orangie.  I’m not a big fan of Serena singing in a lot of the new episodes, but I don’t really mind either. I just don’t think it adds much. If you liked the original H20: Just Add Water episodes you can still go back and watch those on Netflix too. I highly recommend those more than Mako Mermaids even. They’re my favorites. Stream Team sent Sage a super cool Mako Mermaids Island Escape “BeachBox” kit as a thank you for guest posting. She was thrilled with her tropical scented lotions, lip balms and polish.  My Mako Mermaid goodie box was very nice and now I smell good. Thanks Netflix! It’s 35 below zero wind chill right now in Chicago where I live, and it’s summer in Australia. I like winter but it’s fun to watch adventures on a tropical island while I’m snuggled under an electric fleece blanket by the fire. I want to be an actress and if I had a chance to audition to be a Mako Mermaid I would totally do it as long as I could move back after we shot the season. But I don’t know if I have strong enough swimming skills. I can hold my breath for a pretty long time and I can do the mermaid swim with my feet together like a tail.  When a young merman finds he has a powerful connection with Mako Island, a pod of mermaids have their lives turned upside down. As they struggle to take back control, the mermaids discover that his link with Mako might not be an accident. Dive into an all-new season of Mako Mermaids. The other great thing about watching stuff on Netflix besides no commercials is it’s easy to find stuff. I have my own name and kid settings and it shows me recently watched stuff plus suggestions like stuff I watched, From Books, Comedies, Animated, Girl Power, Popular, Watch With Family and more. Thanks for reading. Bye.

Disclosure: Once again, ChiIL Mama is a proud member of the Netflix Stream Team. We've been compensated for sharing monthly posts with our readers.  As always, all opinions are our own.