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MOVIES / ON DVD / IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
In the Shadow of the Moon

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In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)

94%
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94 %
Reviews Counted: 103 Fresh: 97  Rotten:6 Average Rating: 7.9/10
 
Consensus: Uplifting documentary that celebrates one of our greatest accomplishments. Director David Sington poetically interwove 20th Century's cosmonautic history with its effect on the public's view of their country, their heroes and their future. more
 
Rated: U
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Theatrical Release: 02-11-2007
Synopsis:
Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON brings together for the first, and possibly the last, time surviving crew members from every single... [More]
Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON brings together for the first, and possibly the last, time surviving crew members from every single Apollo mission that flew to the Moon, and allows them to tell their story in their own words. This riveting first-hand testimony is interwoven with visually stunning archival material which has been re-mastered from the original NASA film footage – much of it never used before. The result is an intimate epic that vividly communicates the daring, the danger, the pride, and the promise of this extraordinary era in history when the whole world literally looked up at America. The participating astronauts include Jim Lovell (Apollo 8 and 13), Dave Scott (Apollo 9 and 15), John Young (Apollo 10 and 16), Gene Cernan (Apollo 10 and 17), Mike Collins (Apollo 11), Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11), Alan Bean (Apollo 12), Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14), Charlie Duke (Apollo 16) and Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17). Beautifully shot by Clive North in High Definition video, the astronauts talk directly to camera. They emerge as surprisingly eloquent, witty, emotional and very human. The producers Duncan Copp and Chris Riley spent many weeks in the NASA film library examining cans of film some of which had not been opened for over 30 years. This search uncovered many gems, astonishing space shots which have been re-mastered from the original film rolls to reveal the Apollo program with a visual clarity and impact it has never had before. The mute 16mm rolls shot in Mission Control have been laboriously lip-synced with the 16-track audio recordings of the mission controllers’ voice loop to re-unite the pictures and sound of many historic moments for the first time, lending a striking immediacy to many dramatic scenes. Editor David Fairhead and director David Sington have woven this material together with a beautiful orchestral score from composer Philip Sheppard to create a moving, nostalgic and inspiring cinematic experience. --© THINKFilm [Less]

Genre: Education/General Interest

Starring: Jim Lovell, Buzz Aldrin

Director: David Sington
Producer: Duncan Copp
Composer: Philip Sheppard

DVD Info

Release:

Dec 2, 2008

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.78

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
  • Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional

Additional Release Materials:

  • Audio Commentary - David Singleton - Director; David Fairhead - Editor; Chris Riley - Archive Producer
  • Behind The Scenes - Making Of
  • Deleted & Extended Scenes - Over 60 Minutes of Stories from the Astronauts and Never-Before-Seen Footage from Apollo Missions
  • Featurettes - 1. "Never Before Seen NASA Footage"
  • 2. SCORING APOLLO: A Short Feature with Composer Philip Sheppard
  • Introduction - Ron Howard
  • Trailer - 1. Theatrical Trailer
  • 2. Trailer Gallery

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Ratings Image

Thoroughly engaging documentary that takes a fascinating look at the moon landings using some breathtaking never before seen footage and some remarkably candid interviews with the surviving astronauts.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 10:32 AM
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
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Inspiring.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 10:20 AM
Victoria Kettner
thelondonpaper
Ratings Image

Respectful, enthusiastic and occasionally rather touching as the men, now in their seventies, recall how it felt up there. Yet the really important question never gets asked: what was it all for?

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 10:05 AM
Anthony Quinn
Independent
Ratings Image

The shots of the Moon, even after so many effects-heavy studio films have tried to recreate the look, are uncanny.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 09:37 AM
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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Stirring stuff, packed with as many beautiful images as portentous outbursts.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 09:14 AM
Karl French
Financial Times
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There is something thrilling and moving in this documentary about the great era of the Nasa moon landings.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 08:53 AM
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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You probably won’t find a more comprehensive document of space exploration on film.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 08:12 AM
Kevin Maher
Times [UK]
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A solid, engrossing affair intercut with footage from the time, including live coverage of that famous day in July 1969 when Armstrong and Aldrin first walked on the lunar surface.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 06:45 AM
Dave Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
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A timely tribute to the 12 men who landed on the moon during the 1960s and 1970s. The remastered, rediscovered documentary footage is incredible, although the absence of Neil Armstrong is disappointing.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 05:39 AM
Jamie Russell
Channel 4 Film
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The heart of Sington's film is the dry humour and boundless humility of his interviewees.

Full Review | Comment
11/02/07 04:32 AM
Paul Arendt
BBC
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A bunch of old guys talking about the old days – but what old days. An absorbing doc from a filmmaker who knows a good story, and a handful of men who’ve lived the best story of all.

Full Review | Comment
11/01/07 11:01 AM
Jayne Nelson
Total Film
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David Sington more than makes up for the straightforward nature of his film with the quality of its interviews and plenitude of staggering archive footage.

Full Review | Comment
11/01/07 10:05 AM
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
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This wonderful documentary succeeds as a reminder of human endeavour.

Full Review | Comment
11/01/07 05:23 AM
Ross Bennett
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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It's thoroughly crowd-pleasing, although it's weakened by a relentlessly earnest tone.

Full Review | Comment
07/19/07 01:42 AM
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
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I wouldn’t have missed this chance to revisit one of earth’s most significant encounters with deep space for anything.

Full Review | Comment
03/19/08 11:25 PM
Margaret Pomeranz
At the Movies
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At the heart of the film is the beautifully remastered footage of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing (some previously unseen), interspersed with testimonials from not only two of the men who were there, who describe their innermost thoughts and feelings.

Full Review | Comment
03/01/08 10:56 PM
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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It shows how great we were, once upon a time.

Full Review | Comment
10/23/07 10:55 AM
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Ratings Image

It seems more like a television program one would see on the Discovery Channel than a movie.

Full Review | Comment
10/13/07 06:09 PM
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ratings Image

The movie fills us with wonder, and pride, and a tugging sense of loss.

Full Review | Comment
10/06/07 07:12 AM
Jonathan F. Richards
Film.com
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Uniquely, almost impressively dull.

Full Review | Comment
10/06/07 03:22 AM
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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