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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: HBO Home Video
Salesrank: 809
Released: September 20, 2005 |
| Our Price: $12.88 |
| Used Price: $10.66 |
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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.
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:
Simply the finest television production ever 
2009-12-16 - I just finished watching this series last night. It is, in my opinion, the finest thing (series, mini-series, or tv movie) ever produced for television. It was stunning.
The best part involves the writing and the decisions made regarding the focus of each episode. While some of them were obvious (e.g. the episode that focuses on Apollo 11), there were others that were brilliant, such as the episode focusing on the development of the Lunar Module ("Spider"), the episode on how astronauts were trained as scientists ("Gallileo was right") and the episode on the wives of the "New Nine" astronauts ("The Original Wives Club").
Truly a tremendous accomplishment.
I purchased the "Signature Edition." Not having seen the others, I cannot comment regarding which is better, but this one certainly looked and sounded great on a large wide screen.
Fantastic Dramatization
2009-12-10 - When I purchased this not to long ago it was my impression that this was a documentary. It's not. Instead each episode has a brief introduction by Tom Hanks and is a dramatization of the events that happened pertaining to that episode played by somewhat familiar faces in the movie and tv industry. And though that could have been a car wreck, it wasn't, by far. Instead it turns out to be very entertaining, and encompasses more of the details that would arguably have been boring and difficult to convey in the standard documentary format. This is a must watch if not buy for anyone interested in the subject matter.
A must-have for space buffs, historians, pilots, and pretty much everyone else too
2009-11-23 - This is a fantastic miniseries about the history of the American space program. I don't know how or why I waited so long to buy it, but I'm glad I finally came around. It's a great series. It's got good casting, good acting, it's historically accurate, and it tells the stories of the astronauts, as well as of their families, mission control, and the general public. Some episodes I liked more than others, but overall I've got no real complaints.
My only bone to pick is that some of the special effects were a little poor, even when you consider that this was released in 1998. But that is forgivable enough when you appreciate how well this series does what it was intended to do - tell the history in a way that is entertaining, educational, and which does justice to the amazing men and women who were fortunate enough to participate in our country's early space program.
Perfect!!!!
2009-11-20 - this 12 episode HBO series is a must have for anybody that is interested in the space race of the 60's all the way to the conclusion of Apollo in '72. Excellent Price. Excellent buy!
great deal for a great mini-series
2009-11-17 - After working on the Ron Howard movie 'Apollo 13', Tom Hanks decided to help create this wonderful mini-series about the Apollo moon program. It is a 12 part series that covers many aspects of the Apollo program: from the tragedy of Apollo 1 to the evolution of journalism during Apollo 13. From the committees of Washington, DC to the craters of the moon, this mini-series takes the viewer on an amazing journey.
This movie was shot in the 'Apollo 13' fashion in the aspect that this is not a documentary...it is more of a movie.
The acting is extremely well done. The music (done by several composers) ties the movie together very well.
The rocket launches and the space scenes are a combination of real footage from the Apollo era and realistic computer-generated effects (especially in the first episode directed by Tom Hanks).
Amazon recently lowered the price of this mini-series to $14.99. I bought this series about four years ago and it cost me $59.00...and I would gladly pay that again. For $14.99 you get basically a 12 hour movie with a 30 minute documentary on the making of the film. Basically, you are getting an amazing deal.
5/5
