Rating: 
Summary: Superlative Space Shuttle DVD, With Stunning Launch Footage!
Review: "The Dream Is Alive" is a beautifully-done, albeit fairly short (36 minutes), IMAX film.Narrated expertly (as usual) by veteran newscaster Walter Cronkite, this program takes the viewer into space via NASA's remarkable Space Shuttle Orbiters. We see the astronauts working, eating, and sleeping in the vacuum of space, as they orbit hundreds of miles above our Earth at a speed of 17,500 MPH. We also see three breathtaking Shuttle launches (including one beautiful nighttime lift-off) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, all of which are photographed from different viewpoints and with crystal-clear clarity. These launches look magnificent on this DVD release! This program was originally filmed in 1984. In addition to the copyright date on the packaging (which is actually 1985), we can tell the timeframe of this footage by the missions being photographed for the program -- including STS-41-C (launched on April 6, 1984), which was a mission of historical significance, marking the first time a satellite had ever been repaired in space. Another Shuttle mission we get a first-hand, in-space glimpse of is STS-41-D, which took to the skies on August 30, 1984. Sadly, two of the astronauts we see performing their duties in this IMAX presentation (Francis Scobee and Judy Resnik) were lost in the Challenger disaster less than two years after the filming of this program. The DVD gives us a good 5.1 Dolby Surround soundtrack; while the video is presented in Full Frame (1.33:1), which is the original aspect ratio of the film. In addition to the splendid-looking (and sounding) launches, we also see some rather unique camera angles while the Shuttle is landing (one sequence filmed from -- I think -- one of the "chase" planes that always fly alongside the spacecraft as it's landing). Great footage here! There's also time given to provide some gorgeous pictures of our blue and green planet as photographed by the Shuttle astronauts on their various missions. The "Pause" function on the ol' DVD Player comes in handy when viewing these pretty Earthly images. You can "pause" them with perfect clarity too. Not a sign of blurriness to be found. Ah, the beauty of DVD. :) The "pause" button is also great for freeze-framing the spectacular launch footage shown here as well. Just like a picture postcard it is. :) Even with its brief running time, there's still plenty here for space fanatics to sink their teeth into. This is one space-related DVD to watch over and over again. A class act all the way.
Rating:
Summary: The VHS version is good......
Review: ...So the DVD version will be even better! I bought this title on VHS from the store in the Kennedy Space Centre about 7 years ago. After seeing it in the IMAX theatre in the KSC visitors centre, I just had to buy it! Although the IMAX version played in the theatre at KSC could never be appreciated on home equipment, the DVD version should go a long way to recreating the exciting sound track that goes with it. Definitely worth a look, along with Blue Planet and Destiny in Space
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular sound!
Review: A lot of people say their childhoods were shaped by Star Wars. Pah. Mine was shaped by this movie. No, I didn't become an astronaut, but "The Dream is Alive" brought the beauty of our planet to me in a way nothing had before. Something is lost not watching the movie on the enormous IMAX screen, but the spectacular 5.1 presentation of the sound makes this DVD well worth buying. Cue up the beginning, crank the sound, and just wait for that opening sonic boom. Magic.
Rating:
Summary: Great Sound, Views - Warning: Features Challenger Victims
Review: As I was growing up, we would occasionally view my parents black & white (no sound) wedding video. While my mother would point out certain events, my father would always remind us of who was no longer alive - sort of a dark humor thing. I found myself doing the same thing with this movie, which was made before the Challenger Disaster. There is extensive footage of the Challenger spacecraft, as well as astronauts Francis R. (Dick) Scobee and Judith A. Resnik - all of whom perished in the fatefull Challenger Disaster in 1986. Assuming your not bothered by images of now deceased astronauts, this is a terrific IMAX transfer. I first viewed this film at the Air & Space museum in Washington, DC. The shuttle launches and opening sonic booms, alone, make this worth the price. Excellent background music and stunning views of Earth from orbit make this very enjoyable. The only technical drawback is a lack of an index, but this is not a long movie to fast-forward through. Overall, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Sound, Views - Warning: Features Challenger Victims
Review: As I was growing up, we would occasionally view my parents black & white (no sound) wedding video. While my mother would point out certain events, my father would always remind us of who was no longer alive - sort of a dark humor thing. I found myself doing the same thing with this movie, which was made before the Challenger Disaster. There is extensive footage of the Challenger spacecraft, as well as astronauts Francis R. (Dick) Scobee and Judith A. Resnik - all of whom perished in the fatefull Challenger Disaster in 1986. Assuming your not bothered by images of now deceased astronauts, this is a terrific IMAX transfer. I first viewed this film at the Air & Space museum in Washington, DC. The shuttle launches and opening sonic booms, alone, make this worth the price. Excellent background music and stunning views of Earth from orbit make this very enjoyable. The only technical drawback is a lack of an index, but this is not a long movie to fast-forward through. Overall, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: As someone who is aspiring to be an astronaut this movie is awesome. And to think that the movie was filmed in 85, you would never guess, for the DVD quality is far beyond superb, and the images crystal clear. The music that accompanies the amazing images only adds to the splendor of this DVD, a must have
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: As someone who is aspiring to be an astronaut this movie is awesome. And to think that the movie was filmed in 85, you would never guess, for the DVD quality is far beyond superb, and the images crystal clear. The music that accompanies the amazing images only adds to the splendor of this DVD, a must have
Rating: 
Summary: IMAX film translates well to DVD
Review: Back in the early 1980s when this film was shot, it was hideously expensive to make films for IMAX theatres, hence the short duration of this film. (It's less than 40 minutes long.) The film does translate well to a flat screen, and the picture and sound quality on the DVD are impressive, though you do get a fish-eye effect in some shots. The film itself is basically a propaganda piece for NASA funded by the Lockheed Corporation. It was probably pitched around the beginning of the shuttle program, evidenced by Walter Kronkite's half-wonderous, half-harassed narration. It's a very simplistic overview of shuttle flights and does not give any history of space flight. It pre-dates the Challenger accident, and the Challenger shuttle is featured in it, along with two of the astronauts who were killed on 28 Jan 1986 (Judith Resnik and Dick Scobee). Despite the film's short length and simplicity (I think the target audience is actually the 8-12 crowd), it does feature incredible shots of the earth from orbit, fascinating shots from inside the shuttle of weightless astronauts playing, working, and sleeping, and of course, the requisite triumphant launch shots. All in all, a good way to waste 35 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: IMAX film translates well to DVD
Review: Back in the early 1980s when this film was shot, it was hideously expensive to make films for IMAX theatres, hence the short duration of this film. (It's less than 40 minutes long.) The film does translate well to a flat screen, and the picture and sound quality on the DVD are impressive, though you do get a fish-eye effect in some shots. The film itself is basically a propaganda piece for NASA funded by the Lockheed Corporation. It was probably pitched around the beginning of the shuttle program, evidenced by Walter Kronkite's half-wonderous, half-harassed narration. It's a very simplistic overview of shuttle flights and does not give any history of space flight. It pre-dates the Challenger accident, and the Challenger shuttle is featured in it, along with two of the astronauts who were killed on 28 Jan 1986 (Judith Resnik and Dick Scobee). Despite the film's short length and simplicity (I think the target audience is actually the 8-12 crowd), it does feature incredible shots of the earth from orbit, fascinating shots from inside the shuttle of weightless astronauts playing, working, and sleeping, and of course, the requisite triumphant launch shots. All in all, a good way to waste 35 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: If you love aircraft or space you should own this!
Review: I first saw the movie in 1988 at the IMAX theater in the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA. Till this day I love this movie. You will not find another movie about the space shuttle like this. It's beautiful scenes of the earth, it's nothing you will ever experience without leaving our planet. A must have!
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