Fortunately, the scientific research vessel JOIDES Resolution is not camera shy. Most (if not all?) that have sailed on her have taken a photo/selfie standing next to the ship in port before joining a two-month expedition at sea. In addition to the photos individual scientists have taken for their personal collection, there is a vast archive of images captured during expeditions and transits available in the MerlinOne photo archive that are searchable and available for use with a Creative Commons license. One can also search expedition pages and scroll through the “Friends & Family Photo Gallery” for snapshots of living and working at sea.

Numerous videos have been produced over the years of JOIDES Resolution, thanks to the efforts of Onboard Outreach Officers for each expedition and other individual and group projects. There is an entire YouTube Channel for JOIDES Resolution filled with videos that explain drilling techniques, profile scientists and technicians, share sightings of squid and sharks, and so much more. I recommend the 1.5-hour video documentary North Pond: The Search for Intraterrestrials, chronicling drilling activities and the installation of seafloor observatories (CORKs) at North Pond on IODP Expedition 336.

But JOIDES Resolution has appeared on the “big screen” as well! Maybe you have seen the ship in one of these two Hollywood films…

The Ring Two (2005)

The movie The Ring Two is a horror/mystery film where bad things happen to those who watch a cursed video tape (yes, a VHS tape that went into a VCR). The movie is the second installment in the Ring series. The film was shot in the coastal community of Astoria, Oregon, and Los Angeles, California. The JR was docked in Astoria much longer than it was in the film! Below is a screenshot when the JR can be seen through a car window, as the main character, played by Naomi Watts, drives along the coast. Knowing the schedule of the JR [mobilization in Astoria June 20–27, 2004; depart/return to Astoria for IODP EXP 301, June 27-August 21, 2004; departed Astoria for transit to Costa Rica (IODP EXP 301T) on August 22, 2004], we can estimate when the filming of this scene took place.

But for two, at most three seconds, you can see the JR in port at timestamp 57:35.

24 Hours to Live (2017)

The movie 24 Hours to Live is a science fiction/action thriller that details the journey of an assassin that is seeking redemption after being brought back to life for 24 hours through an experimental procedure. The main character is played by actor Ethan Hawke.

The majority of this movie was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa. The “Red Mountain Base” referred to in the film is actually the famous Table Mountain, a national park and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (and another spot where scientists like to go post-expedition to try to snap an image of the JR in the background! We didn’t do the best job with this after IODP EXP 390).

Cape Town has been a port frequented by the JR throughout its sailing history. In fact, IODP Expedition 361 concluded in Cape Town in March 2016, and then the JR entered a maintenance period in Cape Town until July 2016, when it began its transit to Sri Lanka. (EXP 362T). It turns out the JR was docked in the right place, at the right time, for its next Hollywood appearance!

With the JR in port, its towering presence can’t help but make an appearance in films, especially if the Cape Town dock is one of the film locations. Keep a look out for the JR here in the 24 Hours to Live trailer, and for additional sightings if you decide to rent and view the entire movie!

How did news get out that the JR makes an appearance in this film? In 2018, the Expedition Project Manager for IODP Expedition 375, Katerina Petronotis, was on the treadmill in the JR gym and had picked this movie to watch because Ethan Hawke was in it. As she was watching the film, she shares that she almost fell off of the treadmill when she saw the JR on the screen. She went online later that day, found the movie trailer, and saw the JR in the trailer as well. So Katerina found out that JOIDES Resolution was in this movie, while watching the movie on the JR!

A “star” in the spotlight

The performance of JOIDES Resolution in these two films will not earn her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – although, the criteria that qualifies one to receive a star includes:

• professional achievement (the JR certainly has met this requirement!)
• longevity in the category of five years or more (let’s see, the JR started its scientific ocean drilling activities in 1985, so we can check this one off)
• contributions to the community (the advancement to our knowledge of and from the deep sea is significant and continues today, which means the JR has contributed so much to our science community)
• guarantee that the celebrity will attend the dedication ceremony (OK, maybe we have an issue meeting this requirement….)

JOIDES Resolution is certainly a “star” in the eyes of those that have sailed on her, and those that have benefitted from the core material she has collected. She has made advancements in technology and discipline knowledge, fostered collaborations across international scientists, and is a notable scientific research vessel in the history of oceanographic exploration and discovery. She may not be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but JOIDES Resolution certainly belongs in any oceanography hall of fame.

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Thanks to Kevin Grigar (Supervisor of Operations Support, scientific ocean drilling/TAMU) for the StoryCorps conversation and additional information that provided the foundation for this blog post.