Thrill to the human achievement and drama of the first lunar landing, as it happened 50 years ago, in the new IMAX movie “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition,” opening Sat., May 18 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.
“Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” lets audiences experience the wonder and drama of the first mission to land men on the moon, presented larger than life on The Maritime Aquarium’s six-story screen – the largest IMAX Theater in Connecticut.
Show times from May 18 to June 30 are 1 & 3 p.m. on Saturdays & Sundays, and 2 & 4 p.m. on weekdays. From July 1 to Labor Day (Sept. 2), show times will be 1 & 4 p.m. daily.
Here is the film’s trailer: https://youtu.be/hmzKBk2pQQo
With never-before-seen 70mm footage and a trove of newly discovered audio recordings, director-editor Todd Douglas Miller reconstructs the Apollo 11 mission in astonishing seat-gripping detail: the final preparations, countdown, liftoff, moon landing and return of one of mankind’s greatest achievements. The movie has no narration; for its 47 minutes, audiences follow the mission just as the entire world watched it unfold during those incredible eight days in July 1969.
“If you’re old enough to remember 1969, see ‘Apollo 11’ to re-live the thrill,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. “For anyone younger than 50, ‘Apollo 11’ should be mandatory viewing to understand what a daring collaborative accomplishment the moon landing was … with the entire world watching.”
Made specifically for museums and science centers, “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” is a shorter IMAX version of a feature-length film released in general theaters earlier this year. That release holds a 98 percent score on the reviewer website RottenTomatoes.com.
The New York Times also called the movie “entirely awe-inspiring.” And the Associated Press said Miller “has condensed the eight-day expedition into an immersive thrill ride, from launch to return, that puts you in in the shuttle with the astronauts and in Mission Control’s ear. It’s the grandeur of Apollo 11 distilled down to its still jaw-dropping essence.”
The Maritime Aquarium will offer several special ways to celebrate the new movie and this summer’s 50th anniversary of the first moon landing:
• A collection of historic Apollo 11 memorabilia will be displayed daily in July and August, including a tiny piece of the moon! Among the items expected to be displayed are newspapers, documents, photographs, buttons, View-Master® slides, spacecraft models, souvenirs and more items relating to the historic 1969 mission to the moon. Most interestingly, also among the display will be part of a lunar meteorite found on Earth. The display will be free with Aquarium admission.
• On Tues., July 16 (the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s launch), the Aquarium is presenting a special evening screening of “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” at 8 p.m., followed by a telescope viewing of the night’s full moon presented, weather permitting, by the astronomy team of Redding’s New Pond Farm.
• On Sat., July 20 (the 50th anniversary of the moon landing), “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” will be the only film to play in the IMAX Theater.
“Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” was produced by Statement Pictures in partnership with CNN Films, and distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films.