On March 23, 2011, Elizabeth Taylor died. Shortly afterwards, critic colleague Jeffrey Lyons and I were discussing Elizabeth’s life/loves. An obviously naïve, twentysomething film publicist overheard us and inquired: “Who’s Elizabeth Taylor?”

If you remember the screen icon, you may be fascinated by the new documentary “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.” If not, you might learn something about one of Hollywood’s fabled stars during the Golden Era of filmmaking.

Combining recently discovered audio interviews, along with rare access to film clips in Elizabeth’s personal archives, director Nanette Burstein’s biopic offers candid insights into the challenges she faced and her decision-making process.

Elizabeth Taylor was born in 1932 and made her film debut in “Lassie Come Home” when she was 10.  Framed by a double set of eyelashes, her dark blue eyes had an unusual amount of melanin, making them appear violet. Two years later, she starred in “National Velvet,” establishing her place on the M.G.M. roster. 

Elizabeth was married eight times to seven men: Richard Burton twice. But the great love-of-her-life was flamboyant “Around the World in 80 Days” producer Mike Todd, who died in a plane crash.

Along with stardom came scandal when she ‘stole’ Debbie Reynolds’ husband Eddie Fisher, who ‘consoled’ her after Mike Todd’s death. She quickly dumped Eddie for Richard Burton, her co-star in “Cleopatra,” for which she became the first star to be paid $1 million.

Apparently, their romance gave birth to ‘paparazzi,’ freelance photographers who relentlessly pursued movie stars to sell their images around the world.

Elizabeth was deeply devoted to Montgomery Clift. Openly homosexual, he became her close confidante, along with other gay men like Roddy McDowall and Rock Hudson, prompting Elizabeth to use her celebrity status to advocate for AIDS research.

“People have a set image they want to believe – either the good or the bad,” she concludes. “If you try to explain, then you lose yourself along the way.”

Additional trivia: in 1987, Elizabeth was the first celebrity to market a fragrance ‘Passion,’ followed by ‘White Diamonds,’ still a popular perfume. 

On the Granger Gauge, “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” is an enlightening 6, streaming on HBO/Max.

Although it was released earlier this year, “I.S.S.” seems remarkably timely now that two American astronauts – Sunita Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, who took off for the International Space Station for an eight-day trip – may be stuck there until 2025 as the war between U.S.-backed Ukraine and Russia rages on.

Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s taut thriller envisions a halcyon time marked by American and Russia collaboration – when three astronauts and three cosmonauts are routinely performing various scientific tasks in their orbiting laboratory.

The mood is jovial as the newest NASA arrival, Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose), learns from Christian (John Gallagher Jr.), her veteran colleague, that – in these close-quarters – everything is shared – yet no one talks politics – ever! 

She’s the relatable newcomer trying to decipher the dynamics of her weightless workplace – 250 miles above Earth.

Then U.S. Commander Gordon Barrett (Chris Messina) gets an urgent message from Houston cryptically instructing him to abort all experiments and take control of the space station “by any means necessary.” 

At the same time, his Russian counterpart, Commander Nicolai Pulov (Costa Ronin), receives the same instructions from the Kremlin which he quickly imparts to his conflicted cohorts: Alexey (Pilou Asback) and Weronika (Masha Mashkova). 

Evidenced by the increasingly worrisome red/orange flashes they view from the cupola, “down below” the United States and Russia are engaged in a nuclear war!

After her Oscar-win as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” Ariana DeBose anchors the plot as communication gets garbled and emotional engagement goes from bad to worse in their cramped quarters.

Credit Gabriela Cowperthwaite and production designer Geoff Wallace for injecting tension into this miniature microcosm, a feat comparable to the way various directors depicted confined W.W.II submarine insurrections. 

FYI: Nick Shafir’s low-budget sci-fi script landed on the 2020 Black List of excellent yet-to-be-produced films several years before the war in Ukraine began.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “I.S.S.” is a remarkably relevant, suspenseful 6, streaming on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime.