Product Details

• Actors: Wernher Von Braun, Robert Goddard
• Directors: Mark Gray
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Original recording remastered, Restored, Surround Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Spacecraft Films
• DVD Release Date: March 1, 2005
• Run Time: 340 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007DBB58
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #89,552 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Actor
From the director - Spacecraft Films was created to provide access to the material documenting America's proud legacy in space. The sets (including Liftoff) contain the most comprehensive material available, and include rare footage and audio from many sources. In addition, we belive in adding value back to the archive, and make new digital transfers of film material, always leaving a digital copy with the holding agency for preservation. This unique commitment to the subject brings you the definitive editions of mankind's greatest explorations, and does our part in preserving the story for future generations.

Product Description
Designed as an overview to the history of launch vehicles in the United States, this 2-DVD set presents over 6 hours of material on everything from Goddard to the V-2 to Vanguard and Explorer I, to Atlas and Titan, even the Saturns and Space Shuttle. The set also contains rare Air Force documentaries, newly restored, on Vandenberg, the X-17, SAC, and the Thor. The set features multi-angle footage of many launches and explosions, with expert commentary by propulsion engineer Dave Mohr. Future DVDs in this line will present individual vehicles in more detail (such as Atlas, Titan, Delta). An incredible collection of rare footage and material.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great footage with one major flaw, April 4, 2005

By	Mark Janovec "mjanovec" (Hudson, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're a rocket buff, this set is definitely for you. Visually, at least...

The two disc sets starts with four formerly classified Air Force documentaries about ballistic missile programs (one of which assumes the viewer is likely a high ranking officer!). Over an hour of historic footage of Robery Goddard's experiments from the 1920s-1930s are then shown...this turned out to be more fascinating than I expected. You witness the birth of liquid fueled rocketry and can't help but smile along with the infectious grin of Goddard and his team. V-1 and V-2 footage is then shown from Germany...a darker period of time, but it's humorous to see Himmler's personal plane destroyed by a failed V-2 launch. Disc one ends with the first failed US satellite launch attempt on a Vangaurd rocket. Commentary is provided in places where the footage is silent...which is a nice addition when there would otherwise be no sound at all.

Disc two is where the trouble begins. The disc covers launches of Juno, Atlas, Titan, Delta, Saturn, the Space Shuttle, and others. Successful (and many unsuccessful) launches are shown. This is what all rocket fans like to see. Also, by the time period of these launches, audio recordings are starting to appear with the launch films. The problem is that the original soundtracks to these launches, with the deep roar of the rocket engines, are ruined by a commentary track that cannot be turned off. It is especially maddening when the commentary on some of the early launches basically repeats itself as multiple angles of the same launch are shown. You just want the commentator to shut up for a launch so you can listen to the rocket in all it's glory. Instead, he just says "Well, here again you can see it ignite and here is where the trouble starts." I can't fault the commentator, since some of his insight is indeed interesting...especially in the later launches (like the Shuttle) in which he has greater knowledge. But like most DVDs with commentary, this narration should be included as an option that can be turned on and off. In this set, you are stuck listening to a monotone-voiced engineer (sorry Dave Mohr) talk over EVERY launch. This is NOT what rocket enthusiasts want to hear. It also is an unexpected trend from the otherwise unobtusive Spacecraft Films...who have earned a reputation for presenting material with as little editing as possible...so you can enjoy the footage without someone cutting it up or talking over it. Instead they virtually ruin this set by not letting the rockets speak for themselves.

Also, the methods for recording the commentary seem flawed, with a very hissy, wispy sound behind the voice. The microphone sounds as if it was placed very near the speaker's mouth, as you can hear every breath he draws. This is doubly maddending when you can hear his breathing better than you can hear the damn rocket!

I would have given this set five stars had the commentary been a seperate audio track. The imagery is great and is desearving of a high rating. The launch footage is spectacular is every regard and rocket fans will enjoy seeing it no matter what. But the overall enjoyment of the set is seriously marred by a major audio mistake...so the best I can give it is 3 stars overall. That might be a little harsh, but it was a mistake that didn't have to be made. It's akin to buying your favorite Hollywood movie on DVD and finding out you can't watch it without hearing the director's commentary over the actors dialogue.

In other words, Stage 1 of this set was successful, but Stage 2 failed to get it into orbit, ultimately making it just an interesting dud. Hopefully, Spacecraft Films will learn from this failed launch.

Note: The two Saturn DVD sets from Spacecraft Films are both 5-star keepers. Both sets avoid the audio mistake made in this set and instead present the hi-fidelity roar of each Saturn launch without audio molestation. I HIGHLY recommend those two sets...especially the Saturn V set.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Really Enjoyed It, May 16, 2006

By	R. Hogue (Gulf Breeze, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading the other reviews I was pleasently surprised with this video. I was expecting the worse but it was very well done. The afore mentioned review on the commentary being substandard made me pay close attention to it. I agree it is not "History Channel Documentary" quality but I found it to be just fine, no distracting breathing or other noise.

All in all it's well worth the time and money to watch it. Lots of video I've never seen, mostly about the earliest rockets.

Rick

5.0 out of 5 stars Liftoff! Success and Failure on the Launch Pad (2005)-Amazing and historic footage!, April 5, 2009

By	Keith Mirenberg (www.spaceanimations.org) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Liftoff! Success and Failure on the Launch Pad (2005) by Spacecraft Films-I am a one of the hard core people who make up NASA's aerospace fans and rocket enthustiasts and this film scored a five full stars stars with me.

This DVD starts from when reliable liquid fuel rockets were just an elusive dream of Dr. Robert Goddard taking the viewer step by step through all the major (American and German) developments to the first flights of the American Space Shuttle Columbia.

It includes detailed footage of Robert Goddard's rocket experiments (which I never knew existed), through the V-1 and V-2 Rocket experiments in Germany, continuing US Army work on the V-2 at White Sands New Mexico, going through the details of each significant milestone along the way including: sounding rockets, IRBM's, ICBM's, major upper stage developments, the first orbiting satellites, Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's), Saturn 1, 1B and V, and the Shuttle, plus much, much more (see summary at bottom).

Without a doubt Spacecraft Films makes some of the best DVD products ever created dedicated to preserving the finest moments of the American space program. They provide rare restored footage recovered from the arcihives of NASA, the US Air Force and US Army and return these enhanced materials to the original source as a patriotic public service. It is for this reason these materials are a bit pricier, but the results are usually worth the investment to a space enthustiast. Approximately six hours of absolutely amazing materials are contained in LIFTOFF!

Please be aware that Spacecraft Film productions usually are not highly staged affairs in the sense of an IMAX or Discovery Channel production. Although they do incorporate significant editing and some occasionally inspiring music, they are intended to provide visual information and often include very informed narration by David Mohr, propulsion engineer for the STS.