Reviewer's Rating 5 out of 5 听 User Rating 4 out of 5
The Dish DVD (2001)

The gentle humour of "The Dish" will appeal to many, but for those who are fascinated by the Apollo 11 moon landing, this DVD is an absolute must-have.

There's a beautiful diffuse glow that pervades the look of this movie, and it transfers a treat to disc.

The mood of the film is further enhanced with a 5.1 sound mix that is good at handling subtle atmospherics and doesn't lack power when demanded. Any time that massive dish moves, you'd swear it was rooted in your living room, courtesy of the subwoofer effects.

The special features divide into two categories - some concentrating on the making of the film, while others cover the actual history behind the moon landing.

There are two audio commentaries for the 'making of' featurette, with the emphasis on how they aimed to retain historical accuracy within the film. The director is adamant that the actual dish provided much inspiration. There is also a look behind the scenes, storyboard comparisons, and an exclusive interview with Sam Neill.

In terms of covering the history of events that inspired the film, this DVD is a winner. There is over an hour of NASA footage complete with optional commentary, a separate space travel featurette, and an Apollo 11 diary to give shape to it all. It's fascinating stuff and easily worth the price of the disc alone.

Region: 2
Chapters: 20
Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extra Features:Scene selection, audio commentary with director Rob Sitch and producer Santo Cilauro, audio commentary with casting director Jane Kennedy and producer Tom Gleisner, NASA archive footage with optional commentary, UK Exclusive Sam Neill interview, 'Key Dates in Early Human Space Flight' timeline, 'The Dish on the Dish featurette, Apollo 11 diary, 'The Hidden dish' montage dissection, storyboards, cast and crew biographies, trailer, TV spots and radio spot, animated menus, and subtitles, and English for the hearing impaired.

End Credits

Director: Rob Sitch

Writer: Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch

Stars: Sam Neill, Patrick Warburton, Roy Billing, Kevin Harrington, Genevieve Mooy, Tayler Kane, Bille Browne, Andrew S Gilbert

Genre: Comedy

Length: 101 minutes

Cinema: 11 May 2001

DVD: 12 November 2001

Country: Australia