Search - The Mighty Saturns: Saturn V (Extended Collector's Edition) on DVD

WOW! If you love the Saturn V - get this set!

05/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I always knew the Saturn V was powerful - and that it was one of the technological (though as simple in design as possible) achievements that put man on the moon. What I hadn't fully comprehended until this set was just how enormous was the task and how powerful was the vehicle.Disc one presents a nice documentary about the launch vehicle - with interviews from some Saturn veterans on the development of the vehicle. What's great too is that some of the other footage has even more of the sound from these interviews, and some of the background and stories are great. This documentary doesn't have the great montage on Von Braun that the first Saturn documentary has (on the Saturn I and IB set) but it is still great. My favorite part is when Von Braun asks one of the engineers to come outside the launch control center to watch (and feel) the first Saturn V launch. And then the whoops in the control room as it works! Awesome stuff.What's great also is that this is a labor of love for Spacecraft Films (all the sets are great), and it shows. The 500F rollout is presented as such - not as a flight vehicle. And there is cool stuff - such as engine testing - even a camera from inside the Apollo 8 liquid oxygen tank (strangely mesmerizing to see liquid oxygen drain!). Disc two contains several angles of each Saturn V launch. Disc three contains fantastic pad cameras that look spectacular. Plus on disc three are 11 reports that Marshall in Hunstville did as an update on quarterly progress in developing the vehicle.Well worth the money if you're interested in the Saturns."

Sheer visceral entertainment

Amanda Bartels | Eltham, Victoria Australia | 12/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is a Simpsons episode where an advertisement comes on Homer's television for a demolition derby at the local stadium. The ad says: "No plot! No characters! Just lots, and lots, of EXPLOSIONS!"
Homer and Bart look at each other and say together: "Cooooool!!!!"

Well, this is essentially what you get with The Mighty Saturns DVD sets I and II. To be sure, there are insightful documentaries into the history of building the giant rockets, which should be played first and dutifully absorbed, but once you get to the actual launch footage, those are the bits you're going to rewind and play again. And again, with the volume turned up loud. The foundating-shaking, glass-shattering, crackling thunder of the Saturn rockets is like the roar of the apocalypse: your neighbors will complain if you have a home theatre and a decent subwoofer. Let them. If you like special effects and the spectacular, you'll love this. And the explosions are real, albeit controlled (barely.)

The cameras recording the Apollo launches are both tracking (following the vehicle through stage separation and tower jettison), and static (pad and long distance cameras.) The footage they provide is nothing short of awesome. You've seen some of them in newsreels, but you've not seen them like this, flawlessly transferred from 35mm to digital, with accompanying 5.1 audio on many shots (not all.)

Watch for:
* the mysterious plume of flame that appears on the S-II stage just before ignition on AS-503 (Apollo 8). What is it? Why is it there? Try to find out (I couldn't.)
* the searing blindness of the flame which burns out the long distance camera recording the first `all-up' test of the Saturn V launch vehicle. This was the test where Walter Cronkite was showered with ceiling plaster in his broadcast booth three miles away, as the noise threatened to destroy the building.
* The flames from the five rocket engines being sucked back down into the flame trench a few seconds after ignition, proving that Ron Howard was correct after all.
* The liquid oxygen disappearing down INSIDE the oxidiser tank like water being drained out of a bath. These F-1 engines each consumed 3 metric tons a second, and there were five of them. Staggering.
* The stages flexing and trembling as the hold-down arms do their job of allowing thrust build-up. Some of the super slow-mo footage here is incredible, especially for its time.

Listen for:
* the chirping of crickets and the honking of geese around the pad before a launch, abruptly drowned out by ignition and lift-off, only to resume a scant few minutes afterwards.
* The unexpected sounds of fuel `surging.' I thought the noise would be like a uniform, constant rate of fuel consumption, but it's not. It comes in waves. Fascinating.
* The screeching of metal caused by flexing and twisting of the rocket frame during flight.

Note: the 5.1 audio track accompanying the launch footage appears to be from the one source and laid over all the different launches. Not a fault, just an observation in case you are curious.

This is simply a terrific assembly of historical footage which shows the monumental achievement of the Apollo program in the 1960s and 70s. But more than anything, it's just sheer visceral fun. Enjoy."

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Saturn V

Robert I. Hedges | 03/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have seen most Apollo documentaries, and I have read most Apollo books, but Spacecraft Films have really outdone themselves this time. This three disc set includes footage of every Saturn V launch (including Skylab) from multiple angles. Original (and in some cases digitally enhanced) audio is present, and in some cases the Launch Control Center and MOCR tapes are available to listen to while viewing. A word of warning though: most of the MOCR tapes are not in sync with the film, which can be a bit confusing for people new to the terminology and procedures under discussion (this seems most pronounced on some of the Apollo 8 footage); the DVDs always point out when the soundtrack will be de-synchronized.

The footage compiled is stunning to say the least, and while all launches are covered more than adequately, Apollo 8, 11, and 12 get even more detailed coverage. The camera angles presented are amazing in their completeness; there are stationary cameras, tracking cameras, and onboard cameras (there's even a camera in the Apollo 8 Liquid Oxygen [LOX] tank designed to document draining and sloshing effects.)

The DVD set also has fascinating interviews with many of the engineers from the Saturn V program, as well as other features such as stacking operations, pad operations, test firing, etc. My personal favorite extra was the inclusion of eleven "Saturn V Quarterly Updates" made in the early and mid-1960s by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. These are each around 18 minutes long, and detail progress made on the Saturn V for a given quarter. All were made before the first Saturn V flew, but the level of detail regarding construction, development, and testing is outstanding.

Spacecraft Films should be commended for producing yet another superior and important documentary on spacecraft. If you are interested in the Apollo program or rockets in general, I highly recommend this DVD set. I also highly recommend that you read "Saturn" by Alan Lawrie and Robert Godwin. If possible I would read "Saturn" before watching the DVDs to better understand important background information on the Saturn V, and thus be better able to appreciate the footage seen on the DVD set.

This set gets my highest possible rating and endorsement.
"

Wonderful historical record of Saturn V launches and operati

Anthony Tsolaki | London, UK | 03/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD set is really ideal for the space purist as it has superb footage of launches, tests and more. What the documentary lacks in entertainent, it more than makes up for in technical talk and analysis. Its a must for those interested in the history of manned spaceflight and the glory days of Apollo!"