Cheap For All Mankind - Criterion Collection (DVD) (Jim Lovell, Kenneth Mattingly) (Al Reinert) Price

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Customer Reviews of For All Mankind - Criterion Collection

Get this DVD if you want some fantastic video footage
I wouldn't recommend this DVD if you're someone who just wants to learn the basics about the Apollo space program. If you don't already know something about the Apollo missions, you'll probably just find the format of this movie to be confusing. They've taken video footage from eleven different Apollo missions, plus Apollo-Soyuz footage, plus even some Gemini footage, and pieced it all together into one grand hypothetical mission to the moon. It's a nice idea, if you like that sort of thing. But, if you don't already know Apollo, you'll just be wondering why the astronauts on-board this "one" mission are different in every scene, and wondering what's going on with all of the strange audio clips they've pieced together.

But, if you're an Apollo enthusiast, yup, you simply must buy this DVD. The fantastic footage alone makes this video worthwhile. There's some stuff here that you'll find in the standard NASA videos. But, there's also a lot of hard-to-find stuff that they dug out of the NASA archives. And, yes, it's all authentic NASA footage, no computer generated stuff (though they did use computer technology to clean up some of the scenes here and there).

The primary audio track is put together in the same spirit as the video, clips pieced together from many missions. Some audio clips are from the actual missions. Other audio clips come from interviews with the astronauts. And, of course, there's a director commentary track with guest speaker Gene Cernan. (I always find it interesting to listen to commentary by the actual astronauts who walked on the moon.)

They've even thrown in some bonus material of Alan Bean's paintings, as well as Alan Bean's comments about the inspiration to the paintings, and some of his thoughts about flying to and walking on the moon.

I give this one 5 stars because it's just plain amazing to watch actual moonshot footage, especially when they throw in so much rare and spectacular material.

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Impressive DVD
I have purchased every decent looking DVD about NASA and the space program that has come out. Hightlights: Apollo 13, From the Earth to the Moon. Lowpoints: Madacy 5 DVD Set.

Anyway, this DVD gets 1 less than the maximum 5 stars only because Apollo 13 and From the Earth to the Moon (FtEttM) are some of the best DVDs out, and this one doesn't quite match those ones. The main feature IS good, but somehow seemed a little dry. What you get is actual NASA video footage with the Astronauts talking over the top. The talking sometimes matches what you are seeing and sometimes doesn't, so it is a little wierd. Also, it is not a great way of explaining what you are seeing in the video footage. If you already have FtEttM, the best explanation is that this DVD is like FtEttM with audio commentary by the real astronauts. If you want to know about the Apollo program, and you don't already have FtEttM, you should get that instead unless you are obsessed with seeing the "real" footage.

To tell you the truth, as I watched this DVD, I was constantly trying to match up the real astronauts with the characters in FtEttM.

Here are a couple of other minor complaints: It is hard to know who is talking, as the person talking rarely matches the person shown on the screen. Maybe you can tell if you have subtitles turned on, but that would be annoying. Secondly, the footage is not in any kind of chronological order, you could be looking at footage from Apollo 11, then the next face you see is Jim Lovell (Apollo 13) and then you are looking at Ed White doing his space walk on his Gemini mission. He wasn't even alive during the Apollo missions to the moon. I would have much preferred if they would have lumped all of the pre-Apollo footage together, Apollo 11 footage together, etc.

HOWEVER, after saying all of that, there is one feature that totally redeems this DVD. The Al Bean photo gallery and commentary are excellent. You need to watch the Introduction and then look at all of the pictures to get all of the commentary. In case you don't know, Al Bean was the fourth person to walk on the moon (Apollo 12) and since then has painted many scenes from the moon landings. His paintings are fabulous and there is an interesting story behind each one. Sorry to mention this *again*, but if you saw From the Earth to the Moon - you will remember how Al Bean was portrayed in the episode about Apollo 12. It is great to find out that he is really like that and all of the crazy things that he and Pete Conrad did are true.

On a side note, I checked into buying prints of Al's paintings and they are available on the web but they are NOT CHEAP - $250 minimum. He does have a coffee table book that looks pretty good, but I haven't bought it yet so I can't say too much about it. Maybe I will review it when I get my copy.

Any way, if you are a space nut, you should get this DVD. However, if you want to learn about the Apollo space program, this would not be my first choice (see hints above). Overall, it is worth the price and I would recommend it.

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Criterion mutilation of a classic space journey experience!
...read the reviews with interest - but frankly I was gutted to discover that Criterion have 'mutilated' this superb doc by messing with the original score/arrangements.

'Deep blue Day' by Brian Eno and intermittant musical inserts lasting only a view seconds (which previously transported the viewer away from the immediate scene with the Astronauts) have all been removed - the magic has been squeezed out of this classic piece of video/doc architecture by a company who have done the equivalent of a painting a moustache on a classic oil with a black felt tip pin!

Please cure my depression with some info on how I can get my hands on the original classic version on DVD or VHS? (unmutilated)!

Bill Andrews