The Dream Is Alive (IMAX)

Starring:David Leestma, George Nelson, Sally Ride, Walter Cronkite, James Van Hoften, Kathy Sullivan
Director: Graeme Ferguson
Studio: Imax
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The best of the initial series of "made in space" IMAX films, The Dream Is Alive is a wonderful introduction to space travel for young and old alike. The national shuttle program was only four years old when this 35-minute documentary was released in 1985, and the film emphasizes the differences between the shuttle and conventional rockets. The opening shot of a shuttle returning to the Earth like a plane is an unmistakable difference. We follow two flight crews through training, rehearsals, and (mostly) the flight. The crystal-clear images of Earth do not have the same impact that they do in a large-format IMAX theater, but they are still a wonder to behold, especially with the effective narration by Walter Cronkite--for many the voice of America's heyday in space. Director Graeme Ferguson keeps the film streamlined and never preachy (unlike the companion film, Blue Planet). With a big assist from Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt, The Dream Is Alive builds excitement through footage that includes three electrifying launches. The film was released a year before the Challenger disaster, and played in rotation after the accident as an emotional pull to return to the heavens. On that note, the film delivers the message that despite the risks, our future is in space. (For ages 5 and older.) --Doug Thomas
Description
Journey into space alongside the astronauts on the space shuttle as they orbit around the Earth, floating as never before over the towering Andes, the boot of Italy, Egypt and the Nile. Witness firsthand a tension-filled satellite capture and repair and the historic first spacewalk by an American woman.

DVD Features:
Interactive Menus
Other:Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1

The IMAX Space Collection (Hail Columbia/The Dream Is Alive/Blue Planet/Destiny in Space/Mission to Mir)

Average customer rating:

IMAX films are almost always 4:3 format
IMAX Space Collection in standard format
disapointing
Space Dome remembered
Poor value for money

The IMAX Space Collection (Hail Columbia/The Dream Is Alive/Blue Planet/Destiny in Space/Mission to Mir)
Starring: James Whitmore , August Schellenberg , Sally Ride , James Van Hoften , and David Leestma
Director: Graeme Ferguson , Ivan Galin , and Gail Singer
Manufacturer: Imax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Space Exploration | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

IMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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SolarMax (Large Format)
Stargaze II - Visions of the Universe

ASIN: B00005MEPI
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Description

A collection of space documentaries filmed in the expansive IMAX format: Hail Columbia, The Dream is Alive, Blue Planet, Destiny in Space, and Mission to MIR.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Interactive Menus
Other:Soundtrack re-mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1

Customer Reviews:

IMAX films are almost always 4:3 format.......2003-04-01

That's because IMAX theaters are that same 4:3 format. To get widescreen you'd have to either lose picture on the top and bottom, or stretch the screen out over two blocks.

IMAX Space Collection in standard format.......2002-06-25

I love the IMAX films but was disappointed that these DVD's were in standard 4:3, not widescreen 16:9 or 2.35:1.
Also, the audio narration is often drowned-out by the background music and is hard to hear.
Otherwise, the shots and scenes are outstanding.

disapointing.......2002-04-04

If you want to get a lot of brilliant space and launch shots, you won't find them here. The best parts of these movies could fit on one disc. "Dream" and "Destiny" are the better ones.
It's kind of creepy watching all of this taking place onboard Challenger.

Space Dome remembered.......2002-03-14

This is the perfect way to remember our Saturday nights that we spent taking the kids to eat chicken fingers and then to space dome to see destiny in space or the dream is alive. This is one level 2 counselor that wishes the management of the Space and Rocket Center hadn't driven me away. Bring the Duce back!!!

Poor value for money.......2002-01-24

Despite being a space anorak, I was disappointed. At around 35mins per DVD, it's clear they'd all fit on just one - it'd be a good deal at 1/5th the price. The packaging is basic; no further content or data on the cases. And cheap-looking DVDs...

Content is fun, but only fascinating in part. About what you'd expect from a decent TV documentary. The IMAX format is lost even on my widescreen setup, and the resulting wide-angle distortion is sometimes a distraction.

Tech note: I also noticed poor colour resolution - distinct colour graduations which I've not seen on other DVDs. Perhaps a coincidence, but I doubt it.

Amazon.com

The best of the initial series of "made in space" IMAX films, The Dream Is Alive is a wonderful introduction to space travel for young and old alike. The national shuttle program was only four years old when this 35-minute documentary was released in 1985, and the film emphasizes the differences between the shuttle and conventional rockets. The opening shot of a shuttle returning to the Earth like a plane is an unmistakable difference. We follow two flight crews through training, rehearsals, and (mostly) the flight. The crystal-clear images of Earth do not have the same impact that they do in a large-format IMAX theater, but they are still a wonder to behold, especially with the effective narration by Walter Cronkite--for many the voice of America's heyday in space. Director Graeme Ferguson keeps the film streamlined and never preachy (unlike the companion film, Blue Planet). With a big assist from Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt, The Dream Is Alive builds excitement through footage that includes three electrifying launches. The film was released a year before the Challenger disaster, and played in rotation after the accident as an emotional pull to return to the heavens. On that note, the film delivers the message that despite the risks, our future is in space. (For ages 5 and older.) --Doug Thomas

Description

Journey into space alongside the astronauts on the space shuttle as they orbit around the Earth, floating as never before over the towering Andes, the boot of Italy, Egypt and the Nile. Witness firsthand a tension-filled satellite capture and repair and the historic first spacewalk by an American woman.

DVD Features:
Interactive Menus
Other:Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1

Customer Reviews:

Picture quality could have been better.......2006-03-31

I was a bit disappointed with the picture quality of this DVD. It could be that I still have the impression from seeing the movie in a real IMAX theatre at the Kennedy Space Center.

A Tale of Two Movies.......2006-01-20

Let me tell you about two movies. The first one opens with stunning footage of the shuttle landing at the Cape, with you in the cockpit. It also displays three launches, one more landing, a 150-mph zoom at fifty feet over the Florida beach that banks towards the launch pad, and some footage of familiar geography from space, all with gorgeous cinematography and wonderful music.

The second film consists of long cuts of astronauts floating around inside their tiny ten by six foot cabin, playing with honeybees and eating dinner, their menu described dreamily by Walter Cronkite.

Of course this is the same movie. "The Dream Is Alive" is both exhilarating and disappointing, for the above-mentioned reasons. IMAX is perfect for grand sights like shuttle launches, landings, and heavenly views of the Earth from space. It's not nearly as spellbinding when so much time is spent on a couple of astronauts floating around their closet-sized cabin.

There's little narrative thread or information, so one naturally expects to get more of the magnificent cinematography than one does. The final disappointment is when the movie that began with a heart-pounding shuttle landing, decides to end by just trailing off into space, pun intended. We've seen the shuttle launch, and for all we know the crew never comes down because the credits are already rolling.

While "Hail Columbia" was frustratingly short on actual IMAX footage, the linear storyline and triumphant emotional punch are quite superior to "The Dream is Alive".

Pretty, but not much substance.......2006-01-08

"The Dream is Alive" does not do well in the transition to the small screen. Its pretty footage of the shuttle in flight is inevitably less impressive, and it does not have enough substance to make up for the loss of spectacle.

The film is largely a puff-piece for the shuttle program sponsored by Lockheed and NASA. Its simple boosterism (so to speak) is a bit embarassing after the Challenger, the Columbia, and the growing consensus that the Shuttle program was a blind alley at best, a white elephant at worst.

Some other IMAX films on DVD make up for the loss of spectacle by adding substance, but "The Dream is Alive" has no added features or commentary. It's also quite short. Even for fans of the Space Shuttle itself, other IMAX films such as "Space Station" will provide better value for money.

Great Companion to Dr. Strangelove.......2005-09-21

Is the movie propaganda for NASA and the shuttle program? Sure.

That leaves only one question, then: is it GOOD propaganda??

I'd say so. The film's objective is, visually, to take the viewer into space. People would pay good American money to go into special theatres with surround screens and be transported.

Yes, it was expensive to make IMAX movies. Add to that the enormous cost in payload to take that huge camera apparatus into space...

What we have left is this and your family room. Our home theatre sound systems are typically up to the task, but the visual experience is a toughie. Even if you have the most expensive HDTV setup, it cannot be the same as experiencing these visuals in a dedicated IMAX theatre.

It's a huge, taxpayer-supported roller coaster ride boiled down to your family room. Can it be the same as what was intended? Nope.

But it did help me remember, clearly, the amazing experience that this was in the IMAX theater when I saw it twenty years ago.

Easily the best Space IMAX movie.......2005-07-29

I have seen this movie dozens of times, both in Imax theaters and on VHS and now DVD. It never gets old. I envy those that are seeing this for the first time: a couple of tips: watch on the biggest screen available with a good surround system hooked up and volume turned up to 11. Press "Play" and prepare to be blown away!

Blue Planet/The Dream is Alive/Destiny in Space

Average customer rating:

The dream rekindled
Very Good Documentaries!
Blue Planet

Blue Planet/The Dream is Alive/Destiny in Space
Starring: Imax Best of Space Collection
Manufacturer: Imax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

IMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Special Interests | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Space Station (IMAX)
SolarMax (Large Format)
Cosmic Voyage (IMAX)
Galapagos (IMAX)
The Magic of Flight (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

ASIN: B00008V2WW
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Description

The ultimate giftpack of the most popular IMAX space titles, including: Blue Planet, Destiny in Space and the Dream is Alive.

Customer Reviews:

The dream rekindled.......2006-08-09

After viewing the VHS version of these films for years we were delighted to view the DVDs in their unfaded glory. Wow!

Very Good Documentaries!.......2006-08-02

My husband and I loved watching these documentaries. However, my son, 5, faded in and out with its more mature teaching style. Great for older space enthusiasts. For my son, I wound up finding a musical adventure, "My Fantastic Field Trip To The Planets," where the planets have faces (very effective for holding young kids' interests). Overall, I recommend this Imax Best of Space Collection, but for the little ones don't expect too much interest.

Blue Planet.......2004-12-15

I recently purchased the DVD titled Blue Planet, not the 3 DVD collection, and I loved it! It is an impressively superb documentary that shows our planet from outer space. There is an astronaut that talks about the ozone layer, the atmosphere, etc.. It is worth watching it. I also took it to my classroom and showed it to the eighth grade class. They were hypnotized and enjoyed the documentary. Most importantly, they learned about our planet.

If you are an earth science lover or has a friend who happens to be a science teacher, this would be a treat. I am planning to purchase the other 2 DVD titles about Earth.

Maria from Boston, Massachusetts

Average customer rating:

Picture quality could have been better
A Tale of Two Movies
Pretty, but not much substance
Great Companion to Dr. Strangelove
Easily the best Space IMAX movie

The Dream Is Alive [Region 2]
Starring: Sally Ride , James Van Hoften , David Leestma , George Nelson , and Walter Cronkite
Director: Graeme Ferguson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Destiny In Space (IMAX)
Space Station (IMAX)
Hail Columbia (IMAX)
Blue Planet (IMAX)
SolarMax (Large Format)

ASIN: B00005O45J

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Picture quality could have been better.......2006-03-31

I was a bit disappointed with the picture quality of this DVD. It could be that I still have the impression from seeing the movie in a real IMAX theatre at the Kennedy Space Center.

A Tale of Two Movies.......2006-01-20

Pretty, but not much substance.......2006-01-08

Great Companion to Dr. Strangelove.......2005-09-21

Easily the best Space IMAX movie.......2005-07-29

Average customer rating:

The Dream Is Alive [Region 2]
Starring: Sally Ride , James Van Hoften , David Leestma , George Nelson , and Walter Cronkite
Director: Graeme Ferguson , Ben Burtt , and Brett Leonard
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005NMWG

Average customer rating:

Picture quality could have been better
A Tale of Two Movies
Pretty, but not much substance
Great Companion to Dr. Strangelove
Easily the best Space IMAX movie

The Dream Is Alive [Region 2]
Starring: Sally Ride , James Van Hoften , David Leestma , George Nelson , and Walter Cronkite
Director: Graeme Ferguson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Destiny In Space (IMAX)
Space Station (IMAX)
Hail Columbia (IMAX)
Blue Planet (IMAX)
SolarMax (Large Format)

ASIN: B00005NMWE

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Picture quality could have been better.......2006-03-31

I was a bit disappointed with the picture quality of this DVD. It could be that I still have the impression from seeing the movie in a real IMAX theatre at the Kennedy Space Center.

A Tale of Two Movies.......2006-01-20

Pretty, but not much substance.......2006-01-08

Great Companion to Dr. Strangelove.......2005-09-21

Easily the best Space IMAX movie.......2005-07-29

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