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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: HBO Home Video
Salesrank: 373
Released: September 20, 2005 |
| Our Price: $12.87 |
| Used Price: $8.83 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
This 12-hour HBO miniseries created by Tom Hanks garnered 17 Emmy nominations and captivated audiences. From the early stages of the space program and Kennedy's 1961 call to reach the moon within a decade to the successes and heartbreaking failures of the race for space, the dream was kept alive by dedicated, daring professionals and a nation intent on reaching for -- and landing amid -- the stars, all while the world faced the Vietnam War.
DVD Features:
3D Animated Menus
Biographies
Documentaries
Featurette
Other
Theatrical Trailer
Description of From the Earth to the Moon - The Signature Edition:
Originally broadcast in April and May of 1998, the epic miniseries From the Earth to the Moon was HBO's most expensive production to date, with a budget of $68 million. Hosted by executive producer Tom Hanks, the miniseries tackles the daunting challenge of chronicling the entire history of NASA's Apollo space program from 1961 to 1972. For the most part, it's a rousing success. Some passages are flatly chronological, awkwardly wedging an abundance of factual detail into a routine dramatic structure. But each episode is devoted to a crucial aspect of the Apollo program. The cumulative effect is a deep and thorough appreciation of NASA's monumental achievement. With the help of a superlative cast, consistent writing, and a stable of talented directors, Hanks has shared his infectious enthusiasm for space exploration and the inspiring power of conquering the final frontier.
NASA's complete participation in the production lends to its total authenticity, right down to the use of NASA equipment, launch locations, and even spacecraft. The re-creation of the lunar landscape is almost as impressive as the real thing and is further enhanced by the use of helium balloons to lighten the actors playing moon-walking astronauts. (These and other backstage details are revealed in the "making of" featurette, along with a wealth of supplemental materials, on a bonus disc in the miniseries' DVD package.) With a fictional, Walter Cronkite-like TV reporter (Lane Smith) serving as the dramatic link for all 12 episodes, this ambitious production may not be a great work of art. But as a generous and definitive example of nonfiction drama, it's full of the same kind of awe, inspiration, and humanity that led to "one giant leap" in the all-too-short history of 20th-century space exploration. --Jeff Shannon
From the Earth to the Moon - The Signature Edition Reviews:
Great series for fans of the greatest explorers 
2009-11-03 - No, it's not perfect. Yes, some episodes could perhaps have been better. But given that the Gemini and Mercury programs were covered in The Right Stuff, and Apollo 13 was covered in the movie of the same name, it does an excellent job of demonstrating the heroism and engineering marvel that was the Apollo program. It covers all aspects, from the astronauts, to their wives, to the engineers, to the administrators. Special effects are wonderful, the individual astronauts are portrayed with great faithfulness, and each mission is approached uniquely and with fresh insight. While some could look at Apollo 12 and 14-17 and think they're all pretty much the same, this series not only makes each crew and mission unique, it also brings attention to the previously unheralded missions that led up to Apollo 11, save the Apollo 8 mission. My only criticism is the relatively sparse attention paid to Apollo 10. But this one criticism aside, if you're a fan of or interested at all in the men, both astronauts and engineers, as well as their families, that made history and put men on the moon -- this is well worth the money. I sadly doubt we'll ever see any endeavor as amazing, historical, heroic or inspiring as the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs again.
'From Here to Eternity' 
2009-10-25 - Before the magnificent documentary `In the Shadow of the Moon,' HBO's `From Here to the Moon' was a multi-faceted miniseries that encapsulated the Apollo program for the near decade America prepared and went to the moon. As a reenactment, the show illuminates the challenges, logistics, relationships, dangers, and interpersonal strife found in the experiences that shaped the precious time when man actually reached and explored the lunar surface. Tom Hanks, who is a main sponsor of the project, is the consummate narrator and a good writer, but his helm as the director of the first episode is comparatively lackluster, which should not deter anyone from seeing all twelve installments, each bringing a different piece of the trajectory of the missions, and most recreating an exciting adventure with an unpretentious look at some lesser known controversies, problems, and issues behind the headlines. The combined talents of many make for excellent viewing.
Great shows
2009-10-19 - This is one of the best mini series HBO has ever done. Each epsiode had something special in it and the acting and production were really high quality. It was more than just play-by-play, it was the stories of the people and how the times were so different than they are today that really got to me. I enjoy this series more every time I watch itl
A Stunning Documentary
2009-10-16 - I'm a big fan of history documentaries, having seen Ken Burns' "The War" series and The History Channel's "Battle 360". Produced by Tom Hanks, "From the Earth to the Moon" does a superb job of depicting every aspect of America's space program. Starting with President Kennedy's bold declaration 1n 1961 to land a man on the moon and bring him back safely, this set covers the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
Having been born in 1965, I was too young to remember very much of this time in our history, but this collection expertly covers the early space race against the Russians to the heroic landing on the moon in July, 1969. I can remember gathering around the television with my family to watch Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.
What makes this set so special is that EVERY aspect of the space program is covered. From the heroic efforts of the original 7 Mercury astronauts to the first manned spacewalks of the Gemini program and finally to the triumphs and tragedies of Apollo, including the tragedy of Apollo 1 to the triumphant rescue of the men of Apollo 13, this disc is loaded with the highs and lows of the space program.
I especially liked the format of the series. It was designed more like a mini series than a traditional documentary. Actors portrayed the key players in the space program, and boy, did they do a fine job! I easily began identifying with each character in subsequent episodes. Despite the mini series format, the history of the program was not neglected. The outer space scenes are truly fantastic to view, and every historical aspect is correct, since NASA participated fully in the making of the series. The viewer gets a true sense of what it was like to be an astronaut in the 1960s; from the highs of successfully completing a mission, to the lows of families who lost husbands and fathers.
I give this great series my absolute highest recommendation. Its easy to see why this series garnered so much critical acclaim. The story is razor-sharp, and the portrayals of personnel is first-rate. This series is a must-view for people interested in America's early space program.
Aspect Ratio Misconception Explained
2009-09-16 - Many have written about this latest 16x9 being the incorrect aspect ratio because the material was shot for TV (4x3) and then the top and button chopped off to make a fake 16x9 widescreen version. While technically part of this is true, conceptually this is still a true 16x9 version based on how it was filmed. From the research I gathered from various reviews that actually communicated with the production of this series, the original filming was done using an open-matte concept with the intent of eventually creating a 16x9 presentation. My understanding of this approach is that a 4x3 ratio camera/film is used, but that basically the camera viewscreen has markings for a 16x9 aspect ratio. Thus, allowing the director to control what is captured and ensure all crtical content is within the 16x9 (widescreen frame).
This is a very common practice these days and used by many populat director's (e.g., James Cameron, Terminator 3). One major reason for this approach is that it eliminates the hack-job method of making pan-scan full screen versions of films where important content is lost on the sides. Using this method the widescreen version contains all the content that the director intended by what is captured within the 16x9 framed viewscreen, while including the extra material above and below for fullscreen presentations with no loss on the sides and no need to pan around the image.
So you see the production was geared to support both aspect ratio's as best as possible. While some may prefer the extra content above and below when watched in it's 4x3 format, it was considered superflous from the director's perspective. I'll bet many have actually seen widescreen movies filmed in an open-matte format and never realized or missed that there may have actually been more content in the fullscreen version.
In the end, the original 4x3 release was intended to maximize the benefits of all the 4x3 TV's still out there. But as time has moved on and more 16x9 sets are in people's home the newer 16x9 version should be the preferred version. Especially, if one considers that while some extra content is lost, what the director truely intended to be seen in the image is maximized on your widescreen set.
Hopefully, this has cleared up some of the reasoning behind the change for potential future purchasers.
