Interesteg
What makes it different from others?
Borgarkeri
A bit overrated, but still an amazing film
Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Clarissa Mora
The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
dvejr
I agree with the others who rave about this - it is one of my treasured old videocassettes.Another equally great documentary is not listed here on IMDb. Here is a library entry for it I found on-line:Format videocassette. Title The Greatest adventure the story of man's voyage to the moon Pub.info. Stamford, CT : Vestron Video, c1983.Phys.desc. 1 videocassette (54 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. Credits Photography, NASA ; editors, Steve Sabol, Phil Tuckett, Bob Angelo ;narrator, Orson Welles ; music, Sam Spence. Summary: Surveys the United States space program milestones which led to voyages to the moon. Includes NASA film footage and interviews with astronauts and technicians. Subject: Space flight to the moon.Moon -- Exploration. Alt.author Welles, Orson, 1915-Sabol, Steve.Tuckett, Phil.Angelo, Bob. Alt.title The Greatest adventure, the story of man's voyage to the moon.The Story of man's voyage to the moon. Standard# VA 2005---------------- How can we get IMDb to add an obscure old documentary it has never heard of?Doug
John Frame
It's clear that some liberties have been taken with authenticity in parts - e.g. near the end there's beautiful collage of space images which, from that time, could only have been highly informed artistic renderings. But with a 75 minute film possessing a title "The Space Movie" you get exactly what you would expect - an overview of some aspects of space. Tony Palmer gives us a romantic, informative and highly rewatchable account of the USA's 1969 Apollo 11 mission.It's full of passion and spectacle and the dramatic impact of Mike Oldfield's music is about the most complementary soundtrack work I've heard anywhere - including 2001 A Space Oddysey.I've watched my VHS of The Space Movie dozens of times in the last 20 years. And in the quarter century since it was made, this film has particular relevance in recording how we felt about the potential for space exploration - before NASA budget cuts, system failures and great tragedy made it quite clear that we're Earth-bound creatures.I also praise the excellent and uncredited narrator - whom I must assume to be Ed Bishop (of "UFO" fame as Cmmdr Straker).
psquare
Compiled mostly of NASA film footage of the Apollo missions, 'The Space Movie' is actually much more than that. It is both uplifting and inspiring in documenting the achievement of the US aerospace industry when given a seemingly impossible goal.The NASA footage combines not just the Apollo 11 flight, but other Apollo missions, Gemini missions, Mercury capsule testing, Skylab and the Apollo-Soyuz mission as well. It's frustrating that so much footage, although visually stunning, is disjointed, from different missions, and at one point even run backwards to follow the plot of the first moon landing. That being said, the launch sequence alone is incredible, both in the majesty of the Saturn V slowly leaving the pad to the many connectors, swing arms, latches and ice shards seemingly interconnected in a technological slow-motion dance. Just incredible.Accompanying the visuals is an stunning soundtrack by Mike Oldfield. Although never released as a stand-alone CD, some of the tracks are well known. The choice by Tony Palmer, the director, to use Mr. Oldfield's works is a masterstroke, and perfectly fits the action.Somewhat surprisingly, this film does suffer from some obviously cheesy special effects. Why the director ever felt the need to produce crude backdrops for still photos, with so much beautiful film footage available, is puzzling.This film could have been astronomically (pun intended) better, because all the elements were there. A great story, fantastic photography and inspired soundtrack. It just doesn't fully take advantage of what it had to offer.
roadrat
The word, "supernal," is one of those very rare and specialwords that one saves up to use only for describing somethingtruly wondrous. This film, with its spectacular scenes and itshaunting music is one of life's greatest treats. If you everget the chance to see it, don't miss it! And if you ever learnhow a VHS video of it may be obtained... PLEASE tell ME!