For All Mankind Criterion Collection Blu-Ray with Jim Lovell, Kenneth Mattingly, Russell Schweickart (NR) +Movie Reviews

This Re-Issue Soars!

Cubist | United States | 06/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a re-issue of a previous release by the Criterion Collection but features a brand new transfer of the film, which looks fantastic. All of the previous extra material has been carried over.

There is an audio commentary by filmmaker Al Reinert and astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to set foot on the Moon. Reinert provides some insight into how the film came together. He went through thousands of hours of footage and managed to put together an 80-minute film. Cernan shares some of his experiences about what it was like to be an astronaut at that time.

New to this edition is "An Accidental Gift: The Making of For All Mankind," a 30-minute retrospective documentary. Reinert always wanted to see this outer space/Moon footage on the big screen and this was the impetus for the film. He got his start as a journalist covering NASA in the early 1980s. Through his contacts he got access to their film archives and found footage that had never been shown. This is an excellent look at how For All Mankind came together.

Also new is "On Camera," a compilation of on-camera interviews Reinert conducted with 15 of the Apollo astronauts. In the film itself only the audio is used and it is nice to put a face to the voice.

"Painting from the Moon" is an updating of an extra on the original edition. After retiring from NASA, astronaut Alan Bean became a painter and this is a gallery of his work with commentary.

"NASA Audio Highlights" is a collection of 21 soundbites from the first ten years of the American space program. Some of the most famous words have spoken during this time, including Neil Armstrong's immortal words.

Finally, there is "3, 2, 1 . . . Blast Off!" a collection of launch footage of various rockets taking off for outer space."

Giants Among The Stars

K. A. Walsh | Eatontown, NJ, USA | 07/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Without a doubt, this is one of the finest Blu Ray discs I own, not just for the fascinating and well done documentary, but for the total immersion in the Apollo Experience that new transfer (both video and audio) provides. It is STUNNING; there is no other way to describe 80 minutes of pure perfection.

The film that was brought back from the moon, original film elements, were used in the creation of this documentary to begin with when it was first compiled into an intriguing film some 20 years ago. With the advent of the new digital remaster, the film looks COMPLETELY different; so much so that my 12 year old daughter thought that the scenes shot on the Rover were special effects! Imagine her surprise when I told her that was actual moon mission footage, and it was as real and as untouched as if she herself were to take it using a camera. I don't think she ever grasped that fully. In any case, the video is INCREDIBLE.

The audio of this wonderful film is provided by the voices of the astronauts and their machinery as well as an ambient soundtrack by Brian Eno. The music fully immerses you in its wondrous and enveloping score. The new transfer of the Eno audio soundtrack really cannot be adequately described...it is truly a masterpiece, because it becomes part of the film; it IS the film...it literally feels like part of the missions represented in this documentary. You are surrounded by these voices and machines and this incredible, incredible score by Eno...and it is truly an experience.

I've had the film on DVD for a number of years and it has always been one of my favorites (these guys were all my heroes growing up in the 60s and 70s and I'm a NASA buff). With the new Blu Ray presentation, Criterion has pulled out all the stops. As I watched, I was just shaking my head at just how phenomenal a disc this is; that it could be SO much better than my original DVD copy (which was no slouch either, and I have an upscaling DVD player too that made it look great...but NOTHING like THIS!)

With the 40th Anniversary of our first steps in the playground of the Universe upon us, this Blu Ray makes you realize just how much more there is so see out there and why we need to return to the stars...and how much we need to take care of this fragile world (and each other) as well. Highly recommended...and highly inspirational."

Looking back at Apollo across a lifetime

C. James Cook | Westborough, MA USA | 04/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The presentation is impeccible, but the soundtrack by Brian Eno nails it.

During the Apollo flights (1968 - 1972), we all felt part of the space age. When this documentary was released in 1989, Apollo still felt like it was just yesterday. Now in 2009, with Eno's ethereal music in the background, a feeling of the surreal overtakes me as I look back half a lifetime ago.

Buy this documentary for the interviews as well as the expected accompanying NASA pictures and movies - you won't be disappointed. It complements other more recent offerings, such as "In the Shadow of the Moon" and "The Wonder of It All". But only this film captures the feeling of what it is like to have lived through it and now look back.

It was an age, and now we shake our heads in wonder."

Amazing footage

D. J. Nardi | Washington, DC | 07/26/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This documentary is pretty unique among documentaries about the Apollo program. It features solely original footage and voices from the Apollo flights. I would never even have guessed there was so much high-quality footage from the Apollo fights. For the most part, it looks modern, as if filmed much more recently that 40 years ago - and it looks wonderful on blu-ray. The later flights are stunning and in vivid color.

The documentary does become a bit confusing because it mixes footage from all of the Apollo flights to talk about the sense of being on the moon more generally. Thus, there is black & white footage from Apollo 11 mixed with color film from Apoll 17. Unfortunately, the beginning of the documentary doesn't make this clear and it can become confusing if you don't realize that you're not just watching one mission. I would warn viewers to make sure that the subtitles are on - the subtitles will indicate the Apollo mission number and speaker when they change, so you can keep track that way.

This is a must for space fans. This footage is of great historical value and you'll probably want to show your kids and grandkids."

Experience being an astronaut

Jamison | Indiana | 08/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The title of the MOVIE quotes a plaque left on the moon by the Apollo astronauts, but it also describes what this film does for anyone who watches it. FOR ALL MANKIND gives us the experience of being an astronaut; what they felt, thought, and saw. Not with computer graphics, but entirely with real film and video shot by NASA, pulled out of liquid nitrogen deep freeze just for this film.

This film was restored to the highest VIDEO quality ever achieved for these motion pictures and the result is breathtaking! Footage I've seen before now has awesome life-like quality and is only a small part of this extraordinary collection of footage. Perhaps the most amazing film ever shot, it is simultaneously real and unreal. The footage of Kennedy's stirring 1962 speech, that started it all, is an example of how the video quality occasionally varies since it is low quality at the beginning and high quality for his closing remarks. Each rare instance of grain or blur is probably due to the original media and is overshadowed by the miraculous beauty of the video throughout the film.

The AUDIO consists of interviews with the Apollo astronauts, accompanied by an evocative and skillful ambient soundtrack by Brian Eno (with Daniel Lanois). The sound effects and sound stage are good, not Ben Burtt quality, but good enough.

EXTRAS. An audio commentary track featuring the director, Al Reinert, and astronaut Eugene Cernan, consists mostly of Cernan's philosophical thoughts about space travel, so don't expect a typical movie commentary. Cernan was the last man to walk on the moon and an experienced astronaut so it's worth listening to even if it doesn't relate scene by scene to the film. I would have enjoyed a little more behind the scenes commentary from Reinert, but that is made up for in the "Making of" documentary and the collection of astronaut interviews (including some of the rarely seen Neil Armstrong). The gallery of astronaut Alan Bean's paintings provides unique artistic insight into the experience of living on the moon. The Criterion delivery and interactivity is excellent, with a beautiful menu, a timeline that allows the viewer to bookmark scenes, and a well executed booklet with stunning photographs, essays, and information on Apollo, the film, and the transfer.

I am grateful that Reinert was able to work with NASA to assemble their uniquely beautiful achievements in one "best of Apollo" film. NASA seems to err on the side of science and engineering, almost forgetting the inspiring sights they could share. This film is a rewarding experience for anyone that doesn't know about, doesn't understand, or has forgotten the wonder of space-flight and of exploration in general, and what that shows us about the potential of the human race, what we can achieve FOR ALL MANKIND."

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