In the Shadow of the Moon

In the Shadow of the Moon_720p(480P)

source: In the Shadow of the Moon

Despite all of controversy surrounding the possibility of the whole moon landing being staged in a sound stage in New Mexico, this documentary is a well put together account of the Astronauts that got to fulfill the impossible dream, setting foot on the moon. The film shows the nearly 10 years of preparation that went into our dream turned into reality. The film is framed within interviews with the crew that made up the Apollo mission to the moon. Despite the outright seriousness of the project, it still manages to interject some much needed humour. I guess if there is one minor quirk that I have with this film is the fact that Ron Howard's name is framed above the main title of this film....WORD TO THE RON HOWARD FAN: Ron Howard had absolutely nothing to do (artistically) with this film. Mind you, I personally have no major issues with Ron Howard's talents as a director (I just get kind of bugged when someone sticks his or her name on a film that they had nothing to do with---oh,say, Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, for example). That aside,this is a thought provoking documentary that is well worth checking out.

The documentary which focuses on the experiences and remembrances of the surviving Apollo astronauts is a good introduction and primer for those who don't know much about the situations, the historical context, or just want to know more about the individuals themselves. There's only so much you can fit into a single documentary but the film does a good job of merging everyone's separate stories into a coherent whole that flows well and is both educational and entertaining. And for those who decide to go, stay through the credits as the astronauts discuss "the hoax" of the Apollo moon landings. This is a good film for all ages, especially children who don't know much about the subject. You can read my full review on RazorFine Review.

What better day to watch this documentary than on the fiftieth anniversary of one of the most spectacular moments of history? An event watched by almost the entire planet, an event that for that time was just astunishing, certainly when you see the images of their primitive computers and so on. It's just unbelievable they managed this stunt at that time. The documentary is never boring, in fact it's really interesting as the astronauts are the ones that explain everything. There are some good messages in this documentary, like the futuristic vision of us destroying our planet instead of preserving our lovely planet. I can't give it a perfect score as at one point there is that religious part that has nothing to do in such a documentary. Religion is the exact opposite of science and should be banned once and for all, and certainly in such documentaries. But for it's historical value and for the compilation of all the well known footage, as well as all the testimonies, In The Shadow Of The Moon is certainly one of the better documentaries about this subject.

"In the Shadow of the Moon" is about the best made film I have ever seen about the American space program. It specifically focuses on the Apollo moon missions and is a quality project from start to finish. The stock footage they use is crystal clear, the music AMAZING and the interviews with the ex-astronauts really exciting to watch and entertaining. While they were not able to get all the men who went to the moon to participate (Neil Armstrong, for example, was notoriously shy about being in the limelight and only ten of the men participated...most but not all), with what they had they created a masterful film...not just for history nuts (like me) but for anyone who watches the picture. Well worth your time and a truly admirable job by the filmmakers.

A word about myself: I am a huge fan of the Apollo program, have studied it a lot, and believe it ranks as one of the truly great achievements of mankind. This documentary, though, could (and should) have been done better. First, the good: A number of the surviving moon-traveling astronauts are interviewed. They are great on camera, adding information, humor and insight to what it was like to do what they did. Mike Collins in particular has an incredible sense of underplayed humor, in a very "who, me?" fashion... while at the same time being classy and informative. All the astronaut interviews were interesting and enjoyable to listen to. While there wasn't a lot of mission footage, what there was of it was nice (would have preferred more). Now, the bad: I didn't buy this to get the usual "social lecture" about Vietnam War and Woodstock, etc... The director felt compelled to spend time on that, perhaps some people want or thrive on juxtaposing pictures of social unrest with the Apollo missions, but I'm not one of them. Way too many scenes of firebombing Vietnam. If I want a Vietnam War documentary, I'll buy one, thank you. The interviews with the astronauts were completely jumbled together, mixed with mission footage. This left me constantly trying to figure out what footage was I seeing. Seems like the only thing driving the order was "artistic license". One goof: the film states after Apollo 13 there were 5 successful landings. Let's see, 14, 15, 16, 17. Any way I count it, that comes up as four. One quibble: The director chose to zoom in very tight on the astronauts' faces for the interviews. On a big-screen TV set, you can count their skin pores. I don't personally like this "up close and personal" videography style, back off a little, at least where I can see the whole face at one time. And, a truly poor finish... having the different astronauts comment on "moon landing hoax" theories. I know there's still some ignorant people that choose to believe that, but why include such nonsense in this video? Even in a "refuting" way, it's not worthy of being addressed. Perhaps we should have had them share their views on astrology or whether the earth is flat as well.

Oh Lord, this film (and The Right Stuff and From the Earth to The Moon) put a lump in my throat from the very beginning. It is an unashamed, reverential tribute to the Men who put personal safety aside to push the boundaries of scientific progress to their very limits, and of a World that looked on in awe and wonder. Whatever else you may say about the USA, it must be admitted that its people are patriotic, proud and positive. If something is to be done they get to it, rather than looking for reasons not to. President JF Kennedy made the promise to 'land a man on the Moon within this decade..' and it was done at breakneck speed, despite much of the required technology not even being invented yet. I was a sixteen year old lad at the time of Apollo 11, and I stayed up through the night to watch live coverage on the TV. I even made a tape recording of the landing. Gosh, what a time it was! Looking at the worldwide 'vox pop' comments in the film, it is amazing how supportive the other nations were - this in contrast to the divided, spiteful negativity against the USA we see today. When 'we' place a permanent base on the Moon or finally land on Mars, it will be the Americans that do it. This film proudly (and rightly) brings home to the world the importance of their achievements so far. An excellent 100 minutes.

This documentary covers the conquest of space, focusing on the U.S.A.'s Apollo missions. Squeaky clean, and straightforward by-the-numbers, chronological retelling of the lunar missions featuring interviews with some of the astronauts (Neil Armstrong is notably absent), and some great NASA film footage. Unfortunately, for anyone familiar with the space program, this is all pretty much familiar information, well-worn and well documented in the past. It would make a nice presentation at aerospace museums. However, the special features on the DVD are what's really worth seeing! The interviews that didn't make the final cut. These are fascinating, and sometimes dark moments that include the astronauts' ruminations on the Cold War, Korea, the Russian space program, and other topics such as the death of astronauts in the line of duty, all the broken marriages and strained relationships, alcoholism, equipment failures, a more in depth look at the events of Apollo 13, pilot errors, profanity over com radios, the disappointments, practical jokes, difficulty adjusting to civilian life, and the general hopes, fears, and dreams of these first space pioneers.

The Apollo moon landings of the late 1960's and early 1970's have been the subject of countless documentaries over the nearly forty years since they occurred. Of all of them, only two films have captured the spirit of Apollo and of the men who took the journey. One of them is Al Reinert's 1989 masterpiece For All Mankind. The other is this film: In The Shadow Of The Moon. And this film easily rivals For All Mankind for the position of best Apollo documentary. This film takes the idea behind For All Mankind and takes it to the next level. For All Mankind showed us the astronauts as they were then with narration from interviews. In The Shadow Of The Moon, as I wrote, goes the next step further. It shows the astronauts not only as they were, but as they are now. The difference is often times amazing. To go from young fighter pilot to being one of the few men to have left our planet must have been an amazing journey as the film shows and these men prove it. Like For All Mankind, their narration and appearances are the heart and soul of the story being told. The body of the story is the footage. Where as For All Mankind brilliantly combined all the footage into one large mission, this film doesn't to a degree. It shows us highlights from the program including Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 and then makes a conscience effort not to confuse missions together. This allows for clarity that many have complained about being missing from For All Mankind. But this clarity also allows for something else as well. It allows for depth in story. That depth can be felt. The truly great thing about this film is that these images, which so many of us are use to seeing on a small television screen, are shown on a big screen. Only on a big screen can one see and feel the depth of the journey that was Apollo. The film has the ability to take images seen many times and bring context and emotion to them. In particular, the footage and still images of the Earth as taken by the astronauts is awe-inspiring. In fact, seeing the famous Earth-rise image from Apollo 8 brought me to tears. And for once, I am not ashamed to admit it. To be frank, In The Shadow Of The Moon is an amazing piece of work. Not since For All Mankind as a film of any size, shape, or form captured the spirit of Apollo. This is a film about a dream, the men who lived it, and its legacy not only for them but for us as well. I beg you to see this film. Only after that and viewing For All Mankind can one understand not only the legacy of Apollo but our need to explore Space.