Clicky

Celebrate Apollo 11’s 50th Anniversary With These Films – We Are Movie Geeks

Anniversary

Celebrate Apollo 11’s 50th Anniversary With These Films

By  | 
Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle lifts off with Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. at 9:32 a.m. EDT July 16, 1969, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A

It’s been exactly 50 years since the U.S. launched Apollo 11, the first mission to land men on the moon.

Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969.

“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

See these films as we celebrate to 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic mission to the moon.

For All Mankind, a superb 1989 documentary film by Al Reinert about the Apollo program (1969–1972).

https://www.amazon.com/All-Mankind-Neil-Armstrong/dp/B004BQTEGA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5S09S9184CAC&keywords=for+all+mankind&qid=1563568375&s=instant-video&sprefix=for+all+ma%2Cprime-instant-video%2C144&sr=1-1

Apollo 11, a 2019 documentary film by Todd Douglas Miller with restored footage of the 1969 event.

Chasing the Moon, a July, 2019, PBS three-night six-hour documentary examined the events leading up to the Apollo 11 mission. An accompanying book of the same name was also released.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/chasing-moon/

The Right Stuff shows the early days of NASA’s Mercury program is one of the best narrative films on the subject.

The Last Man on the Moon is the story of one of the very few men who went to the moon not only once, but twice. He first went to the moon on the Apollo 10 mission. It was the dress rehearsal for Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. His next flight was Apollo 17, the last time men would go to the moon. Riding aboard a Saturn V rocket, the largest and most powerful and impressive rocket that ever successfully flew, he was on man’s last mission to explore earth’s closest neighbor. The first moon landing had one moonwalk which lasted a little over two hours. He had three moonwalks, averaging around 6 hours each. He drove an electric car on the moon, saw and recovered orange soil on the lunar surface, and stood next to lunar boulders that were larger than a house.

There is a small, elite club – with only 12 members. These are the men who actually walked on the moon. They were able to stand on the “ground” and with their own eyes, look up and see the earth. He is one of them.

Review:
http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2016/02/the-last-man-on-the-moon-the-review-2/

Read our interview with astronaut Gene Cernan here:
http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2016/03/apollo-17-commander-capt-gene-cernan-discusses-being-the-last-man-on-the-moon/

HBO’s From The Earth To The Moon is one to watch again. From executive producer Tom Hanks, this 12-part miniseries explores the origins and milestones of the Apollo lunar landing program, its history-defining mission, as well as those whose lives and careers were affected by NASA’s journey into space. Now available to stream.

https://www.hbo.com/from-the-earth-to-the-moon

Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

First to the Moon is a new documentary film that tells the amazing story of the Apollo 8 mission and the three men that crewed it. Through restored archival films from NASA, The National Archives, and the Astronaut’s own personal collections, this documentary takes you through time from the upbringing of each crew member and onward to present day.

This film will show you how the Apollo 8 mission happened, from launch to landing, in a visually and musically exciting film told through animation and archival film and photo. Coupled with an orchestral score and live musicians, First to the Moon will be a truly cinematic experience.

First Man was a fantastic and riveting look at the subject matter. Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.

The Dish is a gem of a film. Based on an amazing true story the funny and moving tale of Australia’s part in the Apollo 11 moon mission. THE DISH is the story of the role played by the staff of the radio-telescope at Parkes in the middle of outback New South Wales, Australia as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.

Check out The Martian. Okay, so its not the moon, but its still pretty cool! During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.

And finally Apollo 13. Watch it alone for the launch scene! We hope our next trip to the Moon is as magnificent as it was when we traveled to our nearest celestial body on the mighty Saturn V rocket.

Also on the horizon is Ad Astra. Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos.

Another one to be on the lookout for is Apple TV’s For All Mankind – an Apple Original drama series coming this Fall to Apple TV+. For All Mankind is created by Emmy® Award winner Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica), Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi. Told through the lives of NASA astronauts, engineers and their families, For All Mankind presents an aspirational world where NASA and the space program remained a priority and a focal point of our hopes and dreams.

For All Mankind stars Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Wrenn Schmidt, Shantel VanSanten, Sarah Jones and Jodi Balfour.