A Video Review!???!!

[sandman]

I know this is for kits but...there's no place else to put this!

I just finished watching, for the third time, my Christmas presant.

The HBO collection of Tom Hanks's production "From the Earth to the Moon".

This is one of the most informative and insightfull video collections on the Apollo program available.

The behind the scene action and drama was overwhelming! The anecedotes and information on just HOW everything was accomplished is an intreging look into the most tremendous acoumplishments of man.

It's 12 one hour shows on six tapes so you can spread out your viewing in smaller incraments.

For our younger member that don't remember the Apollo Program go to your library or video store and see if you can find this series! This is HISTORY!

This is the 35th anaversery of the moon landing and let's not forget what we did!

The absolute best episodes are the Spider on the building of the LEM and the Apollo 8 mission. The look on thier faces when the Apollo 8 astronauts first saw "earthrise" on Dec. 24th 1968 still makes your heart swell.

Get it! Watch it!

sandman

 

[Pyro Pro]

I got that entire set for my birthday about 3-4 years ago. I haven't watched it in a while though. On a side note, my birthday is the same day as the Apollo 11 moon landing (not the same year though), July 20th.

 

[EMRR]

I so very much agree. It is very well done and entertaining as well!

Nick

 

[vjp]

I have the DVD box set - to paraphrase a Hanks line from another movie, "if you don't have one, GET one!"

This is a superb production, one of HBO's best ever. Fantastic, realistic effects... well acted... insightful views into the 60's space program from many different perspectives.

Rent it, borrow it, or buy it - just see it, you won't be disappointed.

 

[sandman]

OK, I forgot one thing.

The Apollo 12 mission was absolutely HILARIOUS!

I remember waiting for the color picture from the moon when Bean was hitting the camera with a hammer!

But Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall) and The guy who played Dr. Ramano (on "ER") as astronauts! I thought it was a stretch but it turned out super!

sandman

P.S. I have the DVD set "The Mighty Saturn" It's unbelievable in surround sound...Ya gotta play it really loud! Shakes the whole friggin' house!

 

[Pyro Pro]

Originally posted by sandman
OK, I forgot one thing.

The Apollo 12 mission was absolutely HILARIOUS

I agree. It's funny when they all have their matching cars (I think they were Corvettes, but I don't really remember) and they were taking pictures and stuff. And when Dick Gordon wouldn't let them into the command module without them washing themselfs off. That was definately my favorite out of the 12 movies.

EDIT: and also when the person who is played by the person who plays Dr. Ramano (I don't remember almost any of their names) goes down the ladder of the LEM he says "Whew! That may have been a small step for Neil, but its a long one for me!"

 

[illini]

I agree...that series is incredibly well done. The book that it is based on - A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin - is also excellent. Very nostalgic, but also oh so very depressing. To think of where we've been, and now to look at where we are. *sigh*

 

[vjp]

I too have the "Mighty Saturns - 1 and 1B" set, as well as "Apollo 11 - To The Moon" by the same company (Spacecraft Films) and I'm now patiently awating the "Mighty Saturns - Saturn V" set (due out on Fox in a couple of weeks). There are some copies (released directly by Spacecraft Films) floating around already, but I missed the boat on that one and have to wait for the Fox release now.

Another recommendation - "To the Moon" was a PBS NOVA production and is available on DVD (and I think VHS too), this is a great documentary on the Apollo program and the development of the Saturn vehicles in particular; it touches on the whole "mission mode" selection debate (earth-orbit rendezvous vs. lunar-orbit rendezvous) and mentions the "Nova" launch vehicle (which would have been to the Saturn V, what the Saturn V was to the 1B - HUGE!)

 

[vjp]

Last night, I was re-watching the "We Have Cleared the Tower" episode from the "From the Earth to the Moon" miniseries; this installment covers the Apollo 7 mission, the first manned launch following the Apollo 1 fire, which was obviously very suspenseful for everyone involved.

During the liftoff sequence they used actual NASA footage of the Saturn 1B SA-205 launch vehicle (Apollo 7) from the hi-speed pad cameras, the same footage which the "Mighty Saturns" includes in magnificent detail.

The effect is incredible (if a bit drawn out - the liftoff must take over a minute of the film!) and conveys the suspense of the lauch quite well.... until...... suddenly, interspersed with all the accurate SA-205 launch footage, they cut to a SATURN V rising from the pad.

PHHHHHHHHHHHPLT!

If they would have suddenly cut into some vintage black & white stock V-2 footage (a 'la the old 50's sci-fi rocketship movies), the effect could hardly have been more distracting.

Oh well, the curse of being rocket-literate, I suppose.

I seem to remember a couple more gaffs like this, although I haven't watched it in a long time. However, stuff like this is the exception - not the rule - in this exceptionally well-made production. I doubt there will be anything else made this well, about this chapter of history, for a very, very long time.

...off to watch "Spider", now.

 

[illini]

Originally posted by vjp
If they would have suddenly cut into some vintage black & white stock V-2 footage (a 'la the old 50's sci-fi rocketship movies), the effect could hardly have been more distracting.

Oh well, the curse of being rocket-literate, I suppose.

A bit of a tangent, but this reminded me of a couple of my colleagues from my research group in aero engineering in grad school. A friend and I were salivating over pictures of Saturn V's and V-2's in a new book he had bought when we noticed that two of our fellow grad students weren't joining in the fun. We suddenly realized that these two weren't looking at the pictures because they *had no idea what we were talking about*. They couldn't tell a Saturn V from a V-2 from a Little Joe...and they had no idea of their importance in history. Their interest in aero engineering was purely academic, while for me and my friend it was more like fanaticism.

Fast forward to 16 years later: Our disinterested friends are now at NASA, one of them holds a mid-level management position. My fanatical friend and I left the rocket biz to its fate over 10 years ago.