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From the Earth to the Moon - The Signature Edition by Michael Grossman
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DVD detailsActor: Daniel Hugh Kelly, David Andrews, Lane Smith, Nick Searcy, Tom Hanks Director: Michael Grossman Brand: HBO HOME VIDEO Writer: Erik Bork Writer: Jonathan Marc Feldman Writer: Laura Hubber Writer: Lawrence Gonzales Writer: Lisa Mohan Writer: Vincent J. Francillon DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Original Language); French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Format: AC-3, Box set, Collector's Edition, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen Picture Format: 1.78:1 Running Time: 720 minutes DVD Release Date: 2005-09-20 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Model: 98853 Studio: HBO Home Video Product features: - 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
DVD Reviews of From the Earth to the Moon - The Signature EditionDVD Review: The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled... Summary: 5 Stars
MAN MUST EXPLORE! And, yes indeed, Galileo was right.
This tiny piece of docudrama, as someone else said in these pages, should not just belong on shelves of any American Family, but rather be part of anyone's Movie Collection in the world.
Although I agree with somebody else's opinion that this could have been more space-oriented and less politics-oriented, we have to remind ourselves that in those years we were in the midst of the Cold War, as well as been entangled in a tragic war in Vietnam.
This is why this story retelling of the conquest of the Moon, and yes, also of space, sends us a message that even in such bleak times, there was a light. A light that shone very bright in the darkness of our world, and brought us a sparkle of hope for the entire human race.
Despite its political and even military implications, as it was in the beginning, this project, to land a man, or men, on the Moon, developed into something totally different, Something noble, something useful and something creative.
In fact, my favorite episode of the 12 in this collection, is most poignantly "Galileo Was Right", dealing with the first of the three "J"-step Missions of the Apollo, or as commonly known, the Apollo 15 Mission.
This, in my view, is the very best episode of them all, because it truly expresses and resumes why we went to the Moon in the first place.
Also, it is a great, and very short lesson, on how to learn to open our own eyes, look around us and truly "explore", not just the Moon, but rather Nature and Space as such.
It teaches us to "read" the great book that Nature has opened for us and never to shut our minds. In fact, best of all, there is even an original quote by Plutarch in it, with which I opened this review and closes the circle.
How many teachers are out there doing exactly this? Lighting a fire in their student's souls and minds?
It takes just a sparkle, a tiny bit of curiosity and a decent dose of passion to turn a simple student into an explorer, a scholar, a motivated and driven scientist.
What is more important, is that the subtext to this episode seems to be that there are simply not "lousy students", but rather "very bad teachers" out there. And if this applied to Astronauts, which were already very bright and open-minded, just imagine what this would entice, if you had your own child being taught by a "blank-minded" teacher.
The entire series deals with very human emotions and concerns. It is a journey through the minds of those who traveled and landed on the Moon, and it is also the exploration of those that stood next to these men, supporting them in every step to reach their goals.
In my view, this is a mini-series that should be screened in every school on this Planet, at least once a year.
This journey takes the viewer far beyond Space and the Moon, it takes him through the thoughts, the worries, the grief and the emotions of true men, not heroes, not action figures, but true living and breathing people, who decided to sacrifice their lives in an adventure to benefit, and yes, for a brief moment even unite All Mankind in a noble endeavor.
At first, to be very honest, when I watched this series the first time, I started nagging with the fact that the actors did not resemble one bit to their historic counterparts (to me, a greater effort could have been made to cast actors who even just slightly, could "pinpoint" who they played).
But after repeated viewings, this nag slowly disappeared, being replaced with an admiration for its contents and the messages these episodes tried to convey, proving me totally out of place in criticizing such a work of art.
Yes indeed, I learned to bridle my prejudices and in fact started to use and open my mind to the experience that is "From the Earth to the Moon".
Because it is far more than your usual Mini-Series. It is a school of thought and beyond that, it is a class on human ethics.
If you, like me, were "captured" by the so-called "conquest of space" and beyond, the "conquest of the Moon", you will certainly don't want to miss out on this addition to your space collection in your video file.
I also want to thank all those involved in the production of this, in my humble view, tiny masterpiece of story-telling, with a particular reference to Tom Hanks, who also appeared in it and was executive producer of the series, who in my view has refreshed a tiny bit the stuffy air that one usually breaths from Hollywood.
Tom Hanks, joins the ranks of visionaries like Selznick, Zanuck, Mankiewicz, Welles and Spielberg in acting upon his ideas and passions and sharing them with us in such a vivid way.
Also a great many thanks to the excellent cast who makes it all so believable on screen. There is no moment in which someone overacted or tried his Hollywood bit. They all come through (including Tom Hanks himself, and also Sally Field) as very natural and truly "feeling" characters.
This should also be considered as a school for good acting.
The transfer on DVD is simply excellent, at least for my LCD HD-Ready Widescreen TV and my Sony DVD-Player. The sound is outstanding in 5.1 Surround Sound, never too invasive or too bombastic, just well calibrated.
I repeat myself, but I wished I had been there with those guys, in those years filled with new hopes and new adventures. I think I would have had a ball with them, even if in the end, I would never have actually participated on a Lunar Mission, just being there would have been an experience and a half.
This is intended for a screening with the entire family present. I think that mamas and papas would enjoy it as much as their kids, and even more so when they all group together to have some evenings of true quality entertainment...
Take this first leap for Mankind, it's just a small step away... and remember it is not "what you pour in", but rather "what gets ignited" that is important in life...From the Earth to the Moon - The Signature Edition
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Description of From the Earth to the Moon - The Signature EditionA dramatization of the events surrounding the first manned space flights to the moon. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Rating: NR Release Date: 20-SEP-2005 Media Type: DVD
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