From the Earth to the Moon

Rating:
Summary: It was 35 Years Ago Today
Review: HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon" (E2M) is everything a good docu-drama mini-series should be. Tom Hanks has brought to life the true story of man's greatest adventure to "land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth". For those of us who were alive, E2M allows us to relive those incredible days. And for those who were born afterwards, it gives them a chance to understand exactly what it was they missed. If you have even the slightest interest in the space program, obtaining a copy of this DVD set is a must.

Coincidently, Apollo 11 landed exactly 35 years ago today. I was 13 years old at the time and living in Nova Scotia, Canada. The "Eagle" touched down at 5:17 pm, much to the consternation of my mother who was busy trying to prepare supper. Just like Tom Hanks would later relate, I had my models of the Command Service Module, Lunar Module and Saturn V rocket close at hand while I had claimed the living room armchair for the occasion. My family gathered around our old B&W television which was tuned to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), one of only two stations which were available to us back then. Much of the CBC's coverage consisted of a feed from CBS, so we got to watch Walter Cronkite's famous "Oh Boy!" commentary. My prized 3" reel-to-reel tape recorder (you could get all of 1 hour on a single reel) was busy taping a local radio station carrying NBC's coverage with Jay Barbree.

The entire family congregated again a few hours later for the moonwalk, just before midnight, and watched Neil & Buzz's first steps. I stayed up for the entire 30 hour televised stretch, from lunar landing to liftoff, stealing a moment every now and then to go outside and gaze up in wonder at the moon, filled with awe that two human beings were actually there, living and working on its surface. In this day of CNN and other all-news networks, it should be remembered that the coverage of this event was in itself history in-the-making - TV's longest continuous coverage of a planned event.

My interest in space began with the flight of Apollo 8. When I heard that this was the first manned launch of the world's biggest rocket, the Saturn V, I was sure that one of its million parts would go wrong with disastrous results. Thank God it didn't. I watched and I was forever hooked. A real space junkie, religiously watching each mission after that, coaxing my Mom to let me stay home from school (recurrent cases of "moon sickness", no doubt), clipping out every newspaper, Life, Time or Newsweek article I could find (now faded yellow with age) and trying to tape as much of the audio coverage as I could (few private individuals could afford a video recorder back then). By Apollo 14, I had earned enough money working at a grocery store to buy a 4-track 7" reel-to-reel recorder (which allowed one to put up to 12 hours on a single tape!) and had built a 15" Heathkit color TV. For Apollo 16, I had added a new-generation "cassette" recorder to my arsenal (don't forget that the venerable 8-track was still popular at the time). And, of course, I had acquired a VCR by the time the first Space Shuttle flew in 1981. It has always annoyed me that the more recording resources I could afford, the less TV & radio coverage there was available to tape.

But the effect of the Apollo program on me was profound. Because of it, I entered into a career in radio astronomy, enjoying the technical challenge of building instruments to investigate deep space from the Earth, perhaps recognizing the likelihood that I would never have to opportunity to leave its surface (although I did make the first cut for the Canadian Astronaut Program nearly 20 years ago). In tribute to Project Apollo, we named our son (now 16) after astronaut David Scott who commanded Apollo 15, my favorite of all the lunar flights.

In many ways, I feel sorry for the children of today - they will never experience the monumental awe and global celebration that we were privileged to witness back in 1969. Strange, isn't it, that although Apollo - the pinnacle of mankind's technical achievement - which occurred only 35 years ago is now looked on as though it was something out of our deep past rather than a part of our future. It's almost treated like it was a chapter out of ancient history, similar to other great accomplishments like the building of the Pyramids or the Great Wall. Although it might not seem so today, 500 years from now the moon landings will undoubtedly be remembered as the most significant event to have occurred in the 20th century.

It's hard to choose my favorite E2M episode since they were all so good. As an engineer, "Spider" resonated well with me, portraying the passion and dedication which many of us put into our work, albeit for projects with a much lower profile. "That's All There Is" brought back fond memories of the Apollo 12 mission. I distinctly remember there was talk at the time that astronauts Conrad and Bean may have been on an accidental oxygen high. It's good to know that there effervescent behavior on the surface was just a manifestation of their normal high spirits and comradery. I was delighted at how "Galileo Was Right" was able to present the training of the astronauts to be field-geologists in such an entertaining and informative manner. And finally, the bittersweet "Le Voyage Dans La Lune" brought a tear to my eye, just as happened back in 1972 when I watched Apollo 17 and the last lunar module lift-off from the moon. It's even sadder still, that we have not returned, nor will we for perhaps another 20 years.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good, But Far from Perfect
Review: On the whole a very strong series, but not without some bothersome issues. For example, the episode on the near disaster of Apollo 13 split time recounting the actual story with the tale of a fictional news anchor's career crisis in the face of a young reporter's unscrupulous journalism. If the story detailed a crisis Walter Cronkite had at the time of the mission, I would not take issue with it. But for the incredible story of Apollo 13 to take a back seat to a fictional melodrama is as wasteful as it is useless to anyone who bought the series to learn about Apollo. The message it sends to me is, "If you really want to learn about Apollo 13, forget our mini-series and go watch the movie Apollo 13 instead."

I am also annoyed with the third episode, which uses the cliché device of storytelling through the eyes of a documentary team (which I presume to be fictional, as well). Yet another example: the final episode, "Le Voyage Dans La Lune," robs an otherwise tasteful series conclusion by accounting an early 20th century French filmmaker who made the first sci-fi picture about moon travel. Fortunately the picture he made, sharing the episode's title, is a real movie that was really shot during the early 1900s. However, in the context of 11 other episodes solely about the 1960s-1970s U.S. space effort, I find that the French filmmaker story does not fit well with the overall theme of the series.

I might also add that for the most part, the actors don't really resemble the original astronauts.

But the story still has some extraordinary moments. I (and it seems many other reviewers here) absolutely loved "Spider," the episode of Grumman Aerospace's seven-year ordeal overcoming the challenges in making the LEM moonworthy. Matt Craven's performance as dedicated Grumman project manager Tom Kelly was fantastic. "Galileo Was Right" is another home run, showing that sometimes a good teacher can make all the difference in the world...or on the moon. The stories of the tragic Apollo 1 and triumphant Apollo 11 are very strong in their own right, as well, accurately fleshing out their respective stories in great detail. Part 11 deserves attention, too: "The Original Wives Club" tells of the important but often overlooked lives of the women who kept their astronaut husbands' lives together. They were companions and mothers, but also spokespeople for their husbands and the space program, and they were publicly-scrutinized American icons. Very well-done. Part 7, "That's All There Is," is most people's favorite episode; it's the story of three friends who went to the moon on Apollo 12, perhaps the closest of all the Apollo crews.

What makes the whole series remarkable is not the stories of Apollo 1, Apollo 11, and Apollo 13, but rather the untold tales of the Grumman and North American folk who designed the LEM and Command Module, the flight controllers, the pad leader Guenter Wendt, and the astronauts of the later, forgotten Apollo missions.

At its worst, "From the Earth to the Moon" has plenty of annoying fiction and melodrama that takes time out from the "good stuff" in the series. Fortunately, DVD players come with fast-forward buttons. At its best, it's a top-notch tale that brings not just the stories of those on the front line, but also those of the many thousands who made Apollo come true. Despite its flaws, it's a very good series, and I strongly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A well made tribute...
Review: Made by NASA fans Tom Hanks and Ron Howard, this tribute to the space program was obviously made with love and still managed to show the warts. In particular, the episode showing the strain the program put on the wives of the astronauts (directed by Sally Field) was a good bit of information about the program not widely known.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding -- wish I'd purchased it earlier.
Review: Very terse and spare, almost telegraphically brief in storytelling style (though it varies a little from episode to episode, since several directors were involved). But gripping nonetheless -- even dry material such as the Apollo 1 fire investigation in episode 2. It is not particularly linear and uses many fragmented pieces of detail to illustrate the overarching theme, and I find myself sitting in front of the set in open-mouthed admiration at how well a very familiar story is told. It leaves a lot out, but is extremely well worth the time to watch. No buyer's remorse on this purchase!

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!!!
Review: For anyone who wasn't there ( born yet and old enough to remember) to witness this momentous event like I was (I was 18 at the time),
this series brings back those days when I was so "into" the American space program like Mr Hanks himself was.
I also had an inside track to the space program, as my Uncle built an offshore racing boat for Gus Grissom and Gordon Cooper, as boat racing was a pasttime they shared.

My cousin still has a largre blown up picture of Gus and Gordo standing in the cockpit of of "Miss Firebird" as the boat was known.
A couple of my other cousins still have the small plastic key chain "Mercury Capsules" that Gus Grissom gave them when he visited here to look over he and Gordo's boat while under construction.

But I will have to say this fine piece of work Tom Hanks produced is nothing less than AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: "..THE EAGLE HAS LANDED."
Review: For centuries, man had dreamed of going to the moon. It was only through the stories of Jules Verne and George Melie's "A Trip to the Moon" that we were able to venture to that celestial body that is the Moon. But between 1968 and 1972, nine missions from NASA's Apollo Space Program traveled the 200,000+ mile distance to the moon, bringing alive the dreams of Verne, Melie, Robert Goddard, and many others.
Tom Hanks' "From the Earth to the Moon" is a riveting and exceptional miniseries that covers, for the most part, the missions that took us on that thrilling adventure to another celestial body. The program takes you back to that time when mankind's dream became a reality. It features superb performances (too many great actors to name) and excellent production values in all areas involved.
While the whole miniseries is a classic, the standout episode is '1968,' which deals with Apollo 8. After eleven months of hell (The Tet Offensive in Vietnam, the Riot at the Democratic National Convention, the assassinatons of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, and so much more), the world stopped to watch the first three men make the historic first orbits of the moon. This episode makes it clear: Apollo 8 saved 1968 from being a terrible year overall.
"From the Earth to the Moon" is an exceptional miniseries. Those who view it will not be disappointed. It truly was "the most hazardous, dangerous, and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked." Grade: A+

Rating:
Summary: Meraviglioso
Review: Splendido set di dvd dello HBO che non poteva meglio interpretare la corsa alla spazio da parte degli Stati Uniti.
Il cast è eccezionale, la documentazione e i contenuti extra sono ricchissimi.
Degno di essere riacquistato.


Rating:
Summary: Great Miniseries on the Apollo Program
Review: This was a miniseries made for HBO, covering the history of the Apollo Program. The stories show the development of the Apollo, the problems that had to be resolved, the disasters and triumphs along the way and the people who made it happen.

Each story has a different focus, so as you go through the history of the program you get to see it from a lot of different perspectives. One story shows what the astronaut's wives went through, another shows the training the astronauts had to go through in geology so that they would be able to pick the best rocks to bring back for study.

One episode shows a veteran space reporter and his battles to cover the Apollo 13 story without bothering the families of the astronauts who were in danger, while his young competitor did whatever it took to get the story.

If you have any interest in the space program and moon landings you'll love this series. If you don't know anything about NASA, watch this series and you'll probably want to learn more about it.

Rating:
Summary: Great set of discs, a bit flawed however
Review: I am a space fan. I have waited years to purchase this, and I'm finally glad I did.
The series start with Kennedy telling the American people how we're to conquer the mooon before the Russians do, and it sort of becomes a race for space walking.
The special effects used were great, very detailed and realistic. All "moon" missions were in my opinion, very close to the original events, I really wouldn't know I wasn't even born then.
The pace of the series was very good, and fluent within the same disc. BUT, when switching discs, the previous theme or story that you were watching won't be there anymore! Kind of misleading and incomplete. I remember at the end of disc 2 they were at the moon...and the chapter ended.
So I pop in disc 3 hoping to see them take off the moon...but it didn't happen. The next story took place at a different time, different place and with different people.
The events from disc to disc were not very consistent, however, the idea was about the same...going to the moon.
I was also dissapointed that the characters changed so much from disc to disc, the people at the launch center and so on.
Overall, for any space junkie, is a great set to spend some time and learn a bit...however, be a bit warned on those little details I point out.


Rating:
Summary: "The Golden Age Of Space Travel, Revisited"
Review: This HBO production, executive produced by Tom Hanks is not without it's flaws. At times when it seems like the episodes should be searing, and dramatic, they instead wax sentimental. The music is also rather unremarkable, with the exception of Brad Fiedel's fine contribution to the installment "We Interrupt This Program."

For all of that, Hanks, and company manage to pull off the gargantuan feat of illustrating for us, the trials, and the victories that were Project Apollo. Considering the amount of material that had to be covered, they do so with finesse, and unwavering aplomb. No space historian would want to miss having this docudrama in their library.