[touser]

Hello everyone, i have been assigned a 5-7 page paper on the accuracies and inaccuracies of film making for my english class. More specifically here is the actual assignment:

"Select a "historical" film that attempts to retell or recapture a historical period, event, or personage, and write a thesis-driven essay in which you support an argument regarding whether the film truly captures "the past": does it accurately portray the event or time period it attempts to recreate?"

I have chosen the movie Apollo 13 as the focus of my report. I have been scouring google looking for any type of credible information other than someones review on imdb for information on what was accurately reproduced in the film, what was thrown in for dramatic affect, and what was true to the actual event. If anyone could point me to come creditable sources that compare the movie to the actual event it would be of great help to me. I am required to have at least 4 sources, 2 of which must have appeared in print of some kind. Thank you all in advance!

[DaWiper]

creditable sources are hard to find on the internet. Why not compare the movie yourself to NASA's own information?
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary...llo13info.html

[Malpine Walis]

Then why not go to the people who were there for source info?



Moon Shot : The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon By Deke Slaton and Alan Shepard (introduction by Neil Armstrong). Used from $0.36



Failure is not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond By Gene Kranz (the flight director in command of the mission). Used from $1.19

[Albigger]

Originally Posted by Malpine Walis

Failure is not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond By Gene Kranz (the flight director in command of the mission). Used from $1.19

I would highly recommend this one. I haven't read the book, but I bet its just as good/better than the corresponding show that history channel aired and it was very interesting and contained some good facts.

[DeepScience]

and if you can't find anything do October Sky / The Rocket Boys and the book has a section at the end on how the movie differs from reality. The that submarine one which was actually the British not the USA hehe

[TalRW]

wikipedia is also always a great source of information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13

[DeepScience]

The film is notable for its technical accuracy: principals reported that the film is reasonably faithful to the facts of the mission but adds some tension between the astronauts for dramatic effect. All dialog between ground control and the astronauts was taken verbatim from actual transcripts and recordings. Scenes involving weightlessness were filmed aboard NASA's Vomit Comet which is used to create weightless conditions for short periods by performing a series of parabolic dives, making these scenes the first in a fiction film to feature actual, rather than simulated, weightlessness.

However, the film contains a few anachronisms, including the use of the NASA's "worm" logo (first used in 1975) and the appearance of The Beatles' Let It Be album a month before it was actually released.

(from wiki - nice find)

[diehrd]

The History Channel has taken hollywood and the facts and placed them side by side with an actual person from Mission controll commenting on fact or fiction.I know this because i watched it

[Malpine Walis]

Originally Posted by diehrd

The History Channel has taken hollywood and the facts and placed them side by side with an actual person from Mission controll commenting on fact or fiction.I know this because i watched it

Would that be "History vs. Hollywood"?

[diehrd]

Yes

[threeme2189]

cool.

[Mr. Chambers]

Just a word of caution, be careful on the wikipedia sources. A guy in my Communications Skills II class gave a speech and cited it a couple times as a source (topic was that we didn't really land on the moon), and the instructor just ate him alive saying the source wasn't credible, etc etc.

Just a heads up, your mileage may vary :P

[Malpine Walis]

Originally Posted by Mr. Chambers

(topic was that we didn't really land on the moon), and the instructor just ate him alive saying the source wasn't credible, etc etc.

OK, I am game for this one. What would the teacher accept as a credible source for a BS claim?

[skotti]

Tom Hanks made a HBO mini called "from earth to the moon" and the 'experts' said it was more credible.
Read 'lost moon' by Jim lovell (Commander Apollo 13) and also 'failure is not a option' 'a man on the moon' and 'moon shot'

What is the research time for your paper?
Easiler paper is anything with Mel Gibson. Braveheart or patriot.

[Mr. Chambers]

Originally Posted by Malpine Walis

OK, I am game for this one. What would the teacher accept as a credible source for a BS claim?

Well this instructor has got to be close to 75 years old, he's one of those old-timers. You can tell he likes to be right, and if you don't agree with something he thinks is right, you're in trouble. He was saying that we did land on the moon (obviously), and that the kid was more or less a tool for trying to prove otherwise in his speech. The kid had only two sources, some nut-job conspiracy moon site, and wikipedia.