With access to never-before-seen 70mm footage and audio recordings, APOLLO 11 offers moviegoers a rare look into the lives of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Mission Control employees, as well as millions of spectators worldwide. Witness this momentous journey; one step for mankind and another giant leap forward!
Apollo 11: First Steps Edition
Todd Douglas Miller brings us an immersive cinematic experience of humanity’s greatest achievement – NASA’s first lunar landing in 1969 – through new and unseen footage, personal accounts from Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins themselves.
Beginning on the day of launch, July 16, 1969, this film shows crowds gathering at Kennedy Space Center. There are no actors or reenactments; only restored archival footage and recorded audio are featured here. An incredible IMAX screen experience ensures this scene stands out even more vividly!
Matt Morton created an atmospheric soundtrack that gives this movie a modern take on the 1970s Berlin School of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, but sometimes hard to hear on an IMAX screen, as are any subtitles that appear over people’s heads – this may not be a problem for other viewers, but I found it slightly annoying.
Contrary to recent Apollo 11 documentaries that feature interviews with astronauts, this one sticks closely to what was caught on film without trying to add drama that never actually took place. That is good, as it prevents it from becoming too much like a hagiography and instead provides viewers of all ages an amazing cinematic experience that is sure to excite and challenge.
One of the most striking elements of this documentary is how it showcases all those involved with making the mission happen, not just its astronauts themselves. Many get equal, or more screen time than them to remind viewers that space travel is full of intelligent and hardworking individuals.
Since watching this documentary, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for NASA scientists and engineers. Not only are they incredible experts at their jobs; but they’re also extremely humble individuals with much to teach us about doing proper science. These folks deserve our thanks and should be remembered in future generations as examples of great scientific minds at work.
Apollo 11: Eight Days to the Moon and Back
“Apollo 13: Survival,” an original documentary released by streaming giant Netflix and covering one of NASA’s iconic spaceflight missions, will premiere Sept. 5. Utilizing original footage retold through documentary, this riveting tale chronicles how astronauts battled to bring their spacecraft safely back after an emergency landing attempt was foiled due to a fuel tank explosion.
Netflix claims that this 96-minute film marks the first comprehensive telling of this tale, making history on demand accessible via streaming on their History Vault history channel. A trailer was also released four weeks ahead of on-demand release date.
Director Todd Douglas Miller uses both new and familiar footage from Apollo 11 to create a high-definition time machine for audiences. In partnership with the production team, National Archives digitizing 70mm holdings became more widely accessible.
The film chronicles the mission from start to finish. Beginning with Saturn V rocket launch from Cape Canaveral on July 16, 1969 and following Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin into an Earth orbit of 114 by 116 miles; they then proceeded with exploring lunar surface and deploying scientific equipment, as well as photographing landscape and each other throughout their mission.
Though the film does a commendable job at depicting the dramatic nature of this event, it fails to fully capture all its dangers and near misses – something which seems strange for an authoritative account of human spaceflight’s first lunar landing mission.
Furthermore, some of the film’s editing decisions are perplexing. For instance, several shots show the spacecraft continuing to accelerate after its engines had shut off, something unlikely in real life but strange for an account meant to be as accurate as possible.
Though not without some minor flaws, The Martian remains an unforgettable and captivating film that should be watched by anyone interested in space exploration or American history. Rental or purchase options can be found via Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, Apple TV or other streaming services.
Apollo 11: The Final Mission
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history when they set foot onto the moon’s surface in 1969 – an iconic moment in human achievement that marked only the start of an even greater journey toward creating a better world.
This documentary uses never-before-seen footage to take viewers back in time to the glorious and complex moments when our nation and world came together to achieve one of its most ambitious goals. A must-watch for anyone interested in learning more about our lunar landing mission and the incredible individuals responsible for its completion.
Before the launch of Apollo 11, flight controllers and stand-in astronauts conducted an intensive rehearsal of their planned descent to the lunar surface. What few knew at that time was that this exercise would prove crucial in creating history live on TV.
Edifying and inspiring at once, this documentary brings the crew back together with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and the rest. Millions lined up on the beach near Kennedy Space Center to witness their historic mission while millions more followed its progress worldwide. Utilizing both archive footage and newly recorded audio tracks from that era, this film takes audiences back to when America united behind one of its greatest accomplishments.
On July 20, 1969, after spending two and a half hours exploring the surface of the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin returned to their Eagle lunar module and started their long voyage back home using its engine to blast into lunar orbit and meet up with their command module in roughly three and a half hours. They jettisoned their lunar module before retreating back into their Command/Service Module as their lifeboat on their return trip home.
What distinguishes this documentary is its focus on giving voice to those behind-the-scenes who were integral in ensuring its success, such as engineers and other staff who spent years getting spaceships flying – something often left unsaid in most films about Apollo missions which tend to center on astronauts alone and their thrilling landings.
Apollo 11: The Return
Crafted with newly digitized 70mm footage and thousands of hours of audio recordings, this documentary takes viewers inside one of NASA’s most celebrated missions: landing astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins onto the moon; an iconic feat which made them household names worldwide.
Director Todd Douglas Miller depicts the entire Apollo 11 mission from transport of Saturn V to launch pad to astronauts’ return home, while also covering events leading up to it and political maneuvers leading up to it. Archival footage is used sparingly; too much talking heads might make the film dull; Miller keeps things lively by finding new angles on various scenes and by effectively using split screens; his use of new vantage points keeps things lively, too!
As such, this documentary captures what it was really like for humans to travel to the moon and take those iconic first steps. No matter whether it be seen on small screen or large screen TV, this will remain an iconic milestone in human history.
As conversations about space travel often focus on the power and ingenuity of rockets and lander, it’s essential to keep in mind that Apollo 11 was just as much about media as science. PBS’ Chasing the Moon provides ample evidence for this notion; Apollo was successful primarily due to its public relations campaign rather than scientific achievements alone.
On July 20, 1969, over 650 million people worldwide tuned in to TVs to witness Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin step onto the lunar surface for their historic mission – it was an astounding moment, marking decades of dreaming and months of planning – but also forever changed our perspective of our universe and ourselves within it.