Rating: 
Summary: A dream come true
Review: When I was 7 or 8 years old, my uncle showed me couple of photos of man walking on the Moon, which he recived from NASA (in the 80's NASA was occasionally sending free photo sets to people in Poland). The pictures where great, I watch them over and over. I regreded that first manned landing on the Moon took place ten years before I was born. I regreded that I hadn't chance to to see it live. Since the time I saw those pictures I was constantly searching for any kind of materials concerning Apollo missions (and of course any of early manned spacecraft missions). But specially I was dreaming of seeing Apollo 11 mission as other people where able to see it in 1969. This DVD set is as my dreams came true. And ever more. It contains so much materials that I didn't ever expect to see.
Most of the people on Earth saw at least the small piece of lunar EVA, with "one small step for man" but here you will see complete EVA (two and a half hour long, three angles - TV camera, 16mm camera and composite of both + still photographs, all with air to ground audio transmission and post-flight debrief commentary). And there is more. You can re-live exciting waiting during launch countdown, you can relive perfect splashdown. You can see preparations of Saturn, Columbia and Eagle, preparation and training of crew. You can see live aboard Columbia, great pictures of lunar surface during lunar orbit flight as well as during lunar landing and ascent. You can re-live one of the greatest advetures of mankind. Every second of materials on those DVD is great. Just GREAT!! If you have any interest in space exploration you simply must have this DVD set (and most of other sets in Spacecraft Films collection). It is worth it's price (and even extra import tax price, like in my case ;-) ).
Rating:
Summary: Comments from the producer
Review: When we set out to create this series of DVDs, we wanted to achieve something that all of the previous accounts of a documentary nature had not - to present this material without a filter, in a way to allow the viewer to see the maximum amount of material - both video and audio - in the best quality possible. In short, as lifelong students of the U.S. space program, we wanted to put together a collection the way we wished to see it - the way it happened. Most importantly, we set out to present the complete television transmissions and onboard motion picture film for individual missions - material that just hasn't been available before. This material is purposely left in its original form, albiet with new digital transfers, color correction where necessary and possible, and digital noise reduction. To do this we realized we would have to use certain unconventional methods. For example, we wished to present multiple angles of footage from rollout, suitup, etc. To do this required us to use different angles out of context, so that from time to time certain events were shown a couple of times so that the varied angles could be presented. Unless one realizes this was done to present multiple angles one might mistake it for material out of order. Nearly all of the 16mm film from EVA training, suitup, astronauts visiting the launch pad (all of which was re-transferred from the original using modern, digital telecines) was shot silent, and since we also wished to present as much audio as possible from mission events such as countdowns, we have married this audio to that footage. The result is the maximum amount of primary source material available on the subject and results in important audio from other events used on previously silent film. Lastly, especially for launch vehicles, we wanted to present the material we had only previously seen in short clips on documentaries, such as pad cameras, in its entirety. For those interested in the creation and flight of these vehicles, this material is fascinating, and filled with insightful information. Much of the material on these sets is presented, purposefully, the way it was shot. Some of the Hollywood storytelling created on this subject is wonderful, we love that, too, but as a chronicle of the greatest explorations of mankind the material deserved to be presented without such a filter. This is the way it happened, and it is amazing. Very soon in 2004, a six-disc chronicle of Apollo 15 and a three-disc edition on the Saturn V will be released.
Rating:
Summary: Space junkie says: Awesome!!
Review: Wow! This is awesome. My favorite movies ever are of course From the Earth to the Moon and Apollo 13. I have also seen many, many lame "space" videos. This one does not disappoint! From the footage to the music, packaging, menus, etc., the whole thing is very professional. At times you get to see as many as 5-way picture-in-picture (launch) and up to 5 or 6 audio channel choices (During the landing). It obviously took a ton of work to get this together, and they included every bit of footage that was usable. As someone who was too young to view the Apollo missions, what struck me is that watching this makes it feel like you're watching it live! You can sit there and watch the Saturn 5 vent off Oxygen for the last 20 minutes of the countdown, if you want to! It also struck me that the launch video (number of cameras and angles, if not quality) is probably as good or better than what they have now for Shuttle launches. I'm drooling in anticipation of the 6-DVD Apollo 17 mission to be released (should be available by now).
Rating:
Summary: Space junkie says: Awesome!!
Review: Wow! This is awesome. My favorite movies ever are of course From the Earth to the Moon and Apollo 13. I have also seen many, many lame "space" videos. This one does not disappoint! From the footage to the music, packaging, menus, etc., the whole thing is very professional. At times you get to see as many as 5-way picture-in-picture (launch) and up to 5 or 6 audio channel choices (During the landing). It obviously took a ton of work to get this together, and they included every bit of footage that was usable. As someone who was too young to view the Apollo missions, what struck me is that watching this makes it feel like you're watching it live! You can sit there and watch the Saturn 5 vent off Oxygen for the last 20 minutes of the countdown, if you want to! It also struck me that the launch video (number of cameras and angles, if not quality) is probably as good or better than what they have now for Shuttle launches. I'm drooling in anticipation of the 6-DVD Apollo 17 mission to be released (should be available by now).
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