Product Details

• Actors: Sy Liebergot; Marilyn Lovell (II); Barbara Lovell; Gene Kranz; Jim Lovell; Fred Haise; John Aaron; Mary Haise; Alexei Leonov; Jack Swigert; Susan Lovell
• Directors: Noel Buckner; Rob Whittlesey
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: WGBH BOSTON
• DVD Release Date: August 29, 2006
• Run Time: 270 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000GIXLTI
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,065 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Documentary > Series & Studios > PBS > NOVA

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Produced a year before Ron Howard's film of the doomed space mission hit Hollywood, To the Edge and Back brings the real faces of the Apollo 13 saga to the forefront. Astronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise talk about the flight (Jack Swigert died in 1982) while the technicians, including mission operations director Chris Kraft and flight director Gene Kranz, recall the moon shot and the near-fatal explosion. It's still hard to make the story fill an hour, so there's time to examine the space race in general and show previous missions. The "showing" part is the program's weakness. Ron Howard used no real footage in his film, which was smart since there really isn't a lot of interesting footage, just the usual launch and TV transmissions. Simple computer animations fill in the gaps, yet even the money shot--a still picture of the damaged spacecraft--is not shown. Still, this is a key document for those digging to see the "real" behind the story. It works as a wonderful "extra" to the Oscar-winning Hollywood film. --Doug Thomas

Product Description
Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back tells the gripping, true story of the catastrophic flight of the Apollo 13 and the heroic struggle to bring the astronauts back alive. With first-hand accounts from the pilots, their families, and the people of mission control, it documents a thrilling struggle against time and all odds and serves as a reminder that, in the words of James Lovell, "We do not realize what we have on Earth until we leave it." To the Moon: The mission was impossible. The odds were astronomical. The results were spectacular. NOVA shares the fascinating inside story behind "one giant leap for mankind." This expanded two-hour special shares vivid recollections of Apollo astronauts Gene Cernan and Frank Borman, and introduces you to legendary Flight Director Gene Kranz and other unsung heroes. Rare interviews and amazing footage capture America's full-thrust effort to be the first to the moon. MARS Dead or Alive: Go inside NASA’s risky field trip to the red planet in this tense and dramatic behind-the-scenes chronicle of the $820 million Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project. Beginning a year before launch, NOVA's cameras follow MER scientists and engineers through a gauntlet of potentially fatal problems. Then, seven months later, experience the final nail-biting minutes of the journey, as Spirit successfully lands on Mars and begins sending back its first spectacular images of the Martian landscape.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, September 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back [VHS] (VHS Tape)

If your have never experienced the space program growing up, then this is a must-see. Heck, it should be mandatory viewing in high school History classes. Emotional, awe-inspiring, and fantastic! Gives me goose-bumps everytime I watch it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As gripping as the mission itself..., August 9, 2005

By	M. Loyd (Anderson, SC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back (DVD)

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. If you're a space buff, and haven't seen this, get it. Told by the people who actually lived the experience, "Apollo 13: To The Edge And Back" is very well written and presented. Originally produced during the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, this documentary was an influence on Ron Howard during the production of his movie "Apollo 13". "To The Edge And Back" also covers a little of the history of the U.S. space program and the causes and motivations for going to the moon. The technical aspects are clearly explained in terms the layman can easily understand. If you could only have one Apollo 13 documentary, let it be this one.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the Hollywood Movie - The Truth is Better, February 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I grew up during the space program. When I first saw this documentary on PBS I was on the edge of my chair for the duration - it was really that exciting. The next day everyone at my office was talking about it (much like we used to as grade school children back when the actual events transpired). I later saw the Hollywood movie and wondered why they had bothered - not a bad movie, but cannot compare to the real deal.