In the Shadow of the Moon (B or 3/4 stars)
Haunting is 'In the Shadow of the Moon', a documentary presented by Ron Howard (Apollo 13) & directed by David Sington. The 12 surviving crew members from NASA's Apollo missions sit down & tell their stories in their own words ... to us. They share their joys, their fears, & their potential doom (if stranded on the fine-grained slopes of the Moon). Interspersed with archival footage (some never seen before), this film gets better & better as it goes. Documentaries are not my favorite genre. The layout of the movie may be standard, but I got a lot out of watching/hearing these fascinating men.
Between 1968-1972, 9 American shuttles flew into space. Only they know what it's like to land/walk/depart from the mysteriously beautiful Moon. The late 60s was not a good time for America. You had the Cuban Missile Crisis, Watergate, the Civil Rights Movm't, the Feminist Movm't, & 3 major assassinations (including JFK, the man who urged America to reach the Moon by the end of the decade ... and they did). To tame the turmoil, these brave, daring men were able to take their one large steps for mankind. They defied danger, executed something extraordinary, & allowed the world to be in awe of them. I know how I feel about these men. But what did THEY think before/during/After their voyages? You'll watch the familiar events as told from the point of view of these insightful heroes.
This film is a basic, chronological account of what went on with the NASA program, but it's told with energy, wit, & dignity. The film highlights a horrific accident when Apollo 1's crew died in a cockpit fire. But the focus concentrates on Apollo 8, 11 & 13. We see their preparation(s) weeks, days, hours, minutes before take-off. We hear their frightened accounts of lift-off. We hear their inspired thoughts in the darkness. And we even hear how they struggled to deal with the enormity of the public response once they returned to Earth. Some did not expect to become icons; they were just doing what they loved. Apollo '8' orbited the Moon. But '11' (consisting of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin & Mike Collins) are the ones who make history. Armstrong's not present here, as he is a Howard Hughes-like recluse. But a charismatic Aldrin & the intriguing Collins offer scintillating information.
Also present are the respectful gentlemen from Apollo's 14, 15, 16 & 17. They offer their own eloquent stories which frequently brought a smile to my face. It's also amazing to realize how they did this all, 40 yrs. ago, well before their time, & with such inferior technology! This film offers nostalgia, & is a worthy tribute that will resonate through many unknowing generations of children (such as the one's in my theater today). It's great for them to see this movie. But it's also great for me. I came out of the theater feeling lighter about life's miniscule troubles. The Moon is so distant, so precious, so gorgeous ... it all just backs up my spiritual belief (and those of the 12 men), that whether or not there's a God(s)/religion, there's a higher reason why someone or something has created all of this celestial beauty.
Between 1968-1972, 9 American shuttles flew into space. Only they know what it's like to land/walk/depart from the mysteriously beautiful Moon. The late 60s was not a good time for America. You had the Cuban Missile Crisis, Watergate, the Civil Rights Movm't, the Feminist Movm't, & 3 major assassinations (including JFK, the man who urged America to reach the Moon by the end of the decade ... and they did). To tame the turmoil, these brave, daring men were able to take their one large steps for mankind. They defied danger, executed something extraordinary, & allowed the world to be in awe of them. I know how I feel about these men. But what did THEY think before/during/After their voyages? You'll watch the familiar events as told from the point of view of these insightful heroes.
This film is a basic, chronological account of what went on with the NASA program, but it's told with energy, wit, & dignity. The film highlights a horrific accident when Apollo 1's crew died in a cockpit fire. But the focus concentrates on Apollo 8, 11 & 13. We see their preparation(s) weeks, days, hours, minutes before take-off. We hear their frightened accounts of lift-off. We hear their inspired thoughts in the darkness. And we even hear how they struggled to deal with the enormity of the public response once they returned to Earth. Some did not expect to become icons; they were just doing what they loved. Apollo '8' orbited the Moon. But '11' (consisting of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin & Mike Collins) are the ones who make history. Armstrong's not present here, as he is a Howard Hughes-like recluse. But a charismatic Aldrin & the intriguing Collins offer scintillating information.
Also present are the respectful gentlemen from Apollo's 14, 15, 16 & 17. They offer their own eloquent stories which frequently brought a smile to my face. It's also amazing to realize how they did this all, 40 yrs. ago, well before their time, & with such inferior technology! This film offers nostalgia, & is a worthy tribute that will resonate through many unknowing generations of children (such as the one's in my theater today). It's great for them to see this movie. But it's also great for me. I came out of the theater feeling lighter about life's miniscule troubles. The Moon is so distant, so precious, so gorgeous ... it all just backs up my spiritual belief (and those of the 12 men), that whether or not there's a God(s)/religion, there's a higher reason why someone or something has created all of this celestial beauty.