Hail Columbia (IMAX)

Starring:James Whitmore
Director: Graeme Ferguson
Studio: Imax
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
Journey behind the scenes for the thrilling maiden voyage of the world's first space shuttle.

DVD Features:
Interactive Menus
Other:Soundtrack re-mastered 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
Similar Items:

Space Station (IMAX)
IMAX: The Nature Collection
L5 - First City in Space (IMAX)
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.

Description

Journey behind the scenes for the thrilling maiden voyage of the world's first space shuttle.

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

Customer Reviews:

Crank up the audio if you dare! .......2006-12-21

I first saw this one on the big screen in Huntsville when I was attending Space Camp as a camper (maybe Edward was one of my camp instructors) and it left a pretty lasting impression on me. This DVD doesn't have the flash of later IMAX titles, but that is mainly due to the fact that IMAX was still a young science back then. As such, they didn't have the IMAX camera for use on the mission itself ("The Dream Is Alive" first made use of it) and its use is a bit limited.

The story it tells is a good one and it provides a glimpse back to the time when the shuttle was a new thing and there was a lot of uncertainty about it. The questions by the press give you some idea, especially John Young's frank response to the repeated questions about the shuttle tiles. History proved him right for the most part (as it was RCC damage that doomed Columbia on STS-107, not HRSI tile damage) but back then nobody exactly knew what was going to happen. That is what test pilots fly the machines for.

Now I have often wondered just what witnessing a real launch of a shuttle might be like. Thankfully I was able to achieve that milestone this past year. As a result, I can say that Hail Columbia comes as close as it can. The camera placements are much closer then one could even get at the press site which is about four miles away from the pads (or in some cases they seem to be at least). When this movie was shown at the OMNIMAX dome in Hutchinson (OMNIMAX was a term used for the dome theaters back in the 1980s while most IMAX theaters were flat screens) the audio of the liftoff literally shook the seats! It truely did feel like you were sitting less then a mile from the pad almost. A real shuttle liftoff doesn't quite sound THAT intense from four miles away, but it is still most certainly loud as one has to shout to be heard over it.

So if you have a big screen TV and a good audio package, and if you really want to get an idea of how loud a shuttle launch can be from close up, pop this DVD in and crank it up a bit. You'll get a pretty accurate demonstration IMHO. There are other liftoff shots in later IMAX titles, but they don't hold a candle audio wise to this one, probably because they didn't want to scare the audience in the theater. At the same time, if a local IMAX theater happens to show Hail Columbia again (rare, but possible), pay them a visit and watch it on the big screen for the full affect (and literally hang on to your seats).

BTW, from a technical standpoint I am only giving this one four stars instead of five since it lacks chapter stops. So it plays more like a tape then a DVD and one can't skip forward to watch just the launch itself. Its not a big thing here though as it is a relatively short film compared to others.

Take A Trip Back To April 12, 1981 .... And Re-Live The Very First Space Shuttle Flight!.......2005-08-09

"Hail Columbia!" is a 36-minute IMAX documentary program, narrated by actor James Whitmore, which chronicles the maiden launch (and landing) of America's reusable "Space Transportation System" (aka: the Space Shuttle).

Video on this DVD is Full-Frame (1.33:1); with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound audio provided.

I would have enjoyed a little more close-up footage of the Columbia orbiter during this IMAX program; and a few additional images of Earth as seen from Columbia would also have been a plus. But, overall, I enjoyed this IMAX presentation very much, and find myself re-visiting this disc quite often. The few pictures we do get from the Shuttle while in orbit are indeed spectacular. Freeze-frame comes in handy for these few short scenes. And they're crystal-clear as well.

A unique angle of Columbia's maiden liftoff on Sunday, April 12, 1981, is shown on the DVD, with impressive picture and sound quality. The very first Shuttle landing is also covered (sonic booms and all).

The youthful exuberance of Columbia's two-man crew (Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen) is visibly demonstrated in this film after their incredible spacecraft completed its two-day, one-million-mile journey around the Earth. Following their impressive landing on Runway 23 at California's Edwards Air Force Base on April 14, 1981, the astronauts did everything but kick the tires as they walked around the orbiter with an unrestrained enthusiasm which seemed similar in nature to a young boy's realization that his first roller-coaster ride was a truly fun experience after all. (Heck, maybe John and Bob DID actually kick the Shuttle tires after the landing, too.) :-)

Watching this very successful first Shuttle flight into space becomes a bittersweet viewing experience today when pondering the ultimate fate of the Columbia orbiter 22 years after this initial mission. The very same Columbia spacecraft was tragically lost on February 1, 2003 (as "STS-107"), when the vehicle broke apart in flight while travelling at 12,500 MPH (Mach 18.3) at an altitude of 207,135 feet over East Central Texas (just minutes before its scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida), resulting in the loss of the Shuttle vehicle and its seven-person crew.

Following are some interesting facts & figures & tidbits of Columbia info regarding the maiden Shuttle mission (designated "STS-1"):

LAUNCH --- April 12th, 1981. .... Liftoff from KSC (Kennedy Space Center) occurred at precisely three seconds past 7:00 AM (EST). .... Weight at Launch: 219,258 pounds.

ORBITING ALTITUDE --- 166 nautical miles.

NUMBER OF EARTH ORBITS ACHIEVED DURING FLIGHT --- 37.

DURATION OF MISSION --- 2 Days, 6 hours, 20 minutes, 53 seconds.

DISTANCE TRAVELLED --- 1,074,567 miles.

LANDING --- April 14th, 1981. .... Columbia touched down at Edwards AFB at 10:20:57 AM (PST). .... Rollout distance: 8,993 feet. .... Rollout time: 60 seconds. .... Landing Weight: 194,184 pounds.

The Columbia orbiter was returned to the Kennedy Space Center, from California, on April 28, 1981, atop its specially-modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft.

The reusability of the Space Transportation System was demonstrated successfully with the launch of the second mission of the Columbia orbiter vehicle on November 12, 1981.

The first two Shuttle flights were remarkably similar in total length (and miles travelled). In fact, very nearly identical in those two respects -- with STS-2 logging 1,074,757 miles, which was a mere 190 more miles than STS-1 travelled. And the overall duration of both flights differed by a scant 7 minutes, 41 seconds.

-----------------

Final Columbia Thought.......

If you're fascinated with the U.S. space program, then this well-produced IMAX DVD presentation of the very first Space Shuttle mission should be right up your alley. The program isn't a very long one, but still worth the price due to its historical content.

Not recommended.......2005-07-28

Just bought this for my kids and was very disappointed. The video and audio quality overall is poor. Very little footage of the the shuttle itself. During the launch a lot of camera shots of spectators watching the shuttle but not of the shuttle itself. Also very annoying much of the movie is shown in a small box which covers about 1/4 of the your tv screen. very little narration or information on what is going on. There has to be better.....

IMAX factor = 2 stars ... Goosebump factor = 5 stars!.......2003-12-08

This DVD won't make you stare in wonder at beautiful IMAX space vista's, as the later IMAX/space shuttle films do. Only a minority of the film is in actual IMAX 70 mm. That aside, the later offerings don't get my goosebumps going quite like this DVD! Don't buy this DVD for the IMAX "wow" factor, but instead buy it for the incredible story of America's first shuttle launch and landing. The ending has some very interesting film of the shuttle being transported on the back of a modified 747 as they take off from the runway. Also at the end is a very inspiring segment of shuttle lift-off's. The screen is divided into three vertical slices, while footage of different launches cycle simultaneously. Quite moving. Audio quality of the main launch are not quite up to the standards set by the later IMAX/shuttle offerings, with noticeable distortion in the recording.

GREAT UPLIFTING STORY BUT IT'S NO IMAX MOVIE.......2003-03-03

This is a great DVD and is certainly worth the money just for the story alone. However, I think calling this an IMAX movie is really stretching the truth. The first IMAX movie I saw and subsequntly purchased, was 'The Dream is Alive'. Although 'Hail Columbia' is no compairison in film and sound quality, the story it tells more than makes up for this and therefore it is a must have for anybody who loves the space shuttle program. Now if only the IMAX theaters would wake up and start showing the space series movies again!

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Knockout

Substitute 2: School's Out

Edge of Madness (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Cartoon Explosion Volume 3

Lok-Legende aus Sachsen