Project Gemini: A Bold Lead Forward (3 Discs): Amazon.ca: Spacecraft Films: DVD

Product Details

Actors: Spacecraft Films
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 3
MPAA Rating:
Studio: Fox Video
Release Date: Nov 9 2004
Run Time: 360 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

ASIN: B00009XYYC
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #76,490 in DVD (See Top 100 in DVD)
- #47 in DVD > Documentary > Space Exploration

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Mankind's greatest adventure is remembered for the digital age. The DVD format changed the way we look at movies and especially TV series, with massive complete-season sets. That concept is spectacularly taken one-step further with Spacecraft Films' definitive collections of the Gemini and Apollo space missions, stuffing in nearly every scrap of TV transmissions and on-board footage. The three- to six-disc sets use the full functions of the DVD format; see a liftoff in six different angles (some remixed with 5.1 sound) or listen to a mixture of air-to-ground communications, official NASA narration, or post-flight debriefings, most often carefully synched to the exact moment of footage seen. Like any good research paper, every bit of footage may not be interesting, but taken as a chronicle of history, it's irreplaceable.

The two-man Gemini missions are the forgotten cousin of the space program; Mercury (The Right Stuff) and Apollo (From the Earth to the Moon) have been chronicled in popular books and film for years. This 6-hour set rights the wrong, illustrating how the ambitious program (10 missions in 1965-66) developed most of the key attributes to go to the moon (including long-duration flight, space walking, rendezvous, and docking). Every single bit of onboard camera footage is here, and yes, that includes periods of fumbling cameras and poorly lit sequences. But it also allows for some of the most gorgeous space footage ever shot, starting with Ed White's Gemini 4 spacewalk (America's first), which one can now view in its entirety. Another high point is the rendezvous of flights 6 & 7, with a soundtrack that combines the air-to-ground communications and post-flight news conferences. Each mission is broken down with footage from the spacecraft preparation, launch, on-board film, and recovery. Unlike other Spacecraft sets, there's an original documentary, an hourlong survey of Gemini written by Andrew Chaikin (author of A Man on the Moon). The documentary certainly whets one's appetite for the rest of the set, but perhaps only the true space junky will want to watch footage from two unmanned missions, a lengthy look at the archaic instrumental panel, and a flight or two that seem like a repeat of a previous mission. --Doug Thomas

Video Details

Own a piece of history! This 3-disc set - over 6 hours in all - chronicles America's bold new space program with comprehensive footage from the film and videotape records of Project Gemini - much of it never seen before by the public! Features on-board footage, multi-angle coverage of every Gemini launch, and post-flight commentary by the Gemini astronauts on their experiences working in space. Disc 1 includes an original program written by Andrew Chaikin, author of "A Man On The Moon."

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

Excellent Piece Of History April 11 2004

By Laurenc SVITOK

Gemini programm was the one who attracted my interest in manned spaceflight for my life. There is a lot of books you can read with full information on the project but nothing can compare to the visual experience. This DVD is complete, excellently put together, quality is marvelous, I went through it in two sessions - you simply cannot stop! Highlights are definitely Ed White's and Buzz Aldrin's spacewalks and of course Gemini 6 and 7 rendezvous.I just hope there will be the similar coverage of the Mercury available soon.
However, there are three comments for improvement. First is silent spacecraft instrument panel footage - you really cannot enjoy it fully without accompanying sound. Second and third is missing Atlas ATDA launch coverage and Mike Collins' EVAs - I'm not aware of any camera problems during the GT-10 flight, the view of Agena 8 visit would be very interesting.
But this is really just a minor issue, this material is a must for every manned spaceflight enthusiast.

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It's Not Rocket Science... It's Continuity Feb 24 2004

By A Customer

I've found that the film content is stunning. The Gemini missions are overlooked when it comes to the manned moon missions. I did wish for a little more attention when it came to the production of the discs. For instance the onboard comentary for the Gemini XI by Pete Conrad describing the EVA is repeated during the splashdown & recovery segment. Conrad is describing the capsule's fly-over of Houston while the frogmen are extracting the astronauts and then the spacecraft from the ocean.

Also, in another mission segment, the spacecraft ingress chapter repeats on it's own unless the PLAY ALL option is selected. The latter may be a quality issue with the disc that I purchased but the former is simply a audio editing oversite.

I do look forward to the future mission releases I just hope that the DVD authoring is improved.

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Stunning footage from the all-but-forgotten Gemini Program Nov 1 2003

By "bryantay"

"Project Gemini - A Bold Leap Forward" was the second of 5 purchases I made from the wonderful Spacecraft Films series, and it remains far and away my favorite. Unlike the sets covering the Apollo missions, this edition contains a fine documentary (written by "A Man On The Moon" author Andrew Chaiken) that covers the whole of the Gemini program, in addition to each mission's individual film footage. While the presentation of raw, unadulterated images of NASA's quest for the moon is one of the series' distinguishing features, the context provided by the documentary is invaluable. Without it, for example, all the drama behind the images of Gemini VI's failed first launch attempt would be lost on most viewers.

Also interesting is the editor's decision to lay voice recordings of the post-flight astronaut press conferences over much of the mission footage. Some of it (the Gemini IV section, for instance) is synched to reflect exactly what the press would have viewed on the projection screens in the briefings while the astronauts commented on the images. It's almost like having a NASA press pass in 1965.

The most compelling thing for me about this particular set, however, remains that 100% of the footage is shot in 16mm color film (there was no TV on board Gemini). The images are simply stunning, even if the frame rates are relatively low. While the eerie black and white TV images of the early Apollo missions are haunting in their own way, they can't match the sheer beauty of film. Viewing the footage makes it quickly apparent why many Gemini images came to symbolize mankind's exploration of space.

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