 | | |
| Destination Moon | 
| Actors: Warner Anderson, John Archer, Franklyn Farnum, Everett Glass, Kenner G. Kemp
Studio: Image Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $2.95
You Save: $12.04 (80%)
Buy New/Used from $2.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  (55 reviews)
Sales Rank: 31159
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 91 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DVD Layers: 2
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.6 x 0.7
MPN: 014381875423
ISBN: 6305761078
UPC: 014381875423
EAN: 9786305761075
ASIN: 6305761078
Release Date: February 29, 2000
Theatrical Release Date: August 1950
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
An American man gets support to help build a rocket so the U.S. can get to the moon before the Russians.
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: NR
Release Date: 28-OCT-2003
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
When production on Destination Moon began in 1949, everything about the project was state of the art. The great science fiction author Robert Heinlein cowrote the script (based on his novel Rocketship Galileo) and served as technical advisor. The film's astronomical visions were realized by Chesley Bonestell, whose artwork virtually defined the look of space travel at the dawn of the rocket era. Destination Moon is even noted in NASA's official timeline of space-travel history, and almost inevitably won the Academy Award for Best Special Effects. It remains a milestone film, not so much as classic science fiction but--like 2001: A Space Odyssey 18years later--as an attempt to visualize the reality of space exploration. (To educate the audience on this topic, Woody Woodpecker makes an animated guest appearance, hosting an instructional film on the basics of rocketeering.) The movie now seems quaintly nostalgic, and its depiction of man's first lunar landing is inaccurate on several details. Taken in context, however, it remains impressively authentic, and conveys the same charm and wonder of the later classic Forbidden Planet. The motivation for the lunar conquest remains military: the country that controls the moon will control the Earth, and cold war paranoia fuels the mission of the rocket ship Luna, which blasts off from the Mojave desert carrying four daring astronauts. The stalwart crew consists of noted scientists and engineers, but Everyman Joe Sweeney (Dick Wesson) is aboard for broad audience appeal; he's the kind of Bronx-born guy who pronounces "Earth" as "oith" and complains that the moon has "no beer, no babes, no baseball." But when a payload crisis threatens the crew's safe return to Earth, Joe rises to the occasion. It's all a bit goofy now, but Destination Moon is still a wonderful movie, bursting with the awe and enthusiasm that would eventually lead to "one giant leap for mankind." --Jeff Shannon
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...
 Great SciFi prior to Space Race August 29, 2008
My 1st recalled sci-fi space movie and brings back old memories of the sci-fi I remember opver the last 50+ years
Destination Moon April 27, 2008
Destination MoonA wonderful look into the imagination of early science fiction writers ideas on how a trip to the moon could be done.Much of it is accurate and some is not ,but the color and special effects are fantastic for 1950.If you can think of yourself as seeing this all for the first time back then it makes it all the more fun to watch and wonder about.
SOME REVIEWS ARE MISLEADING February 22, 2008
I own this DVD and the picture looks perfecfly fine. It's clear and sharp, and rich in color. My only frame of reference is a VHS recording from TCM but this movie looks so much better on the dvd. I did observe the VHS pans to the right. The DVD pans to the left a little. So if a print that is a little more pulled back to get the entire scope is what the issue is then I would agree with the transfer complaints. But if it's only to do with the quality itself then I have to disagree. If by chance you happen to own or have seen the ALPHA VIDEO Gamera dvds you know how bad the picture quality is. Trust me this DVD looks good.
Look out, here comes the law...Blast off! February 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I promise youse guies dis much...until youse see dis rocket take off...I tink youse too will be convinced dat it just won't werk! But...just like 'ol joe sweeney...youse will be pleasantly surprised. Ha!
DESTINATION MOON-the 2001 of the 1950's! February 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There is no question that this great old movie is revered by the sci-fi fans, hard science buffs and space enthusiasts of the 1950's. George Pal did a very competent job of presenting a technical story plausibly while trying to impart some (very 50's) human interest along with the technical tale. As noted by one of the previous writers, a better quality print should have been used to make this anniversary DVD edition. However, the transfer is more than adequate and very enjoyable for real fans of the film.
The movie had excellent special effects for the 50's, a wonderful musical score by Leith Stevens, beautiful space art by Chesley Bonestell, and of course, a beautiful nuclear powered rocket design which remains a classic beauty to this day. The design of the ship LUNA was based on that of the German V-2 rocket, which was beautifully streamlined and made no aerodynamic compromises for easy producibility.
There is only one scene in which this 50's sci-fi movie special effects continues to excite the "engineer" in me. When the ship, LUNA, is turned round to aim her landing rocket at the surface of the moon this caught my attention as looking very realistic and exciting. Many sci-fi films have tried to represent that maneuver and for my money this was the only one that looked entirely credible.
Definitely not a slice of life movie, DESTINATION MOON portrayed the first flight to the Moon very factually. Stanley Kubrick asked sci-fi writer Arthur Clarke to screen some of the best science fiction films with him while preparing him for the production of 2001. Clarke made a point of showing him DESTINATION MOON, noting that it was one of his all time favorites.
Kubrick was astounded with Clarke's heart felt praise and very emotional response to the movie. As I recall, the article noted that Kubrick felt here was this absolutely brilliant award winning writer (who was also a scientist by training, had won academic honors, been recognized as the father of the communication satellite, and helped work on ground approach radar during WW2) getting very emotional over what Kubrick believed to be just an adequate 50's movie.
We all know what Clarke and Kubrick went on to do in the next decade, and science fiction films have never been the same since. Of course, there is only one Stanley Kubrick, and only one Arthur C. Clarke.
|
|
|
Powered by: Dknc, inc. and Amazon.com | | 
For your safety and security, orders are processed through amazon.com
|
|
|
|
