Right Stuff, The (DVD) (Rpkg)

Epic films have a tendency to collapse under their own weight. The directors have a tendency to concentrate on visual style and production value so much they neglect the screenplay and character development. Epics like Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia and Patton are rare. All too often, epic films turn into a bloated critical and financial disaster. Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff avoids all of these pitfalls and tells the stories of the very human figures involved in the birth of the U.S. space program. Covering the period from Chuck Yeager's historic, but, at the time, overlooked breaking of the sound barrier in 1947 to the end of the Mercury program in 1963, The Right Stuff inspires awe through its stunning visual effects and scope while still maintaining its characters' humanity. The recreations of the early space flights are stunning with visual effects that still hold up well today. In addition, Kaufman obtained permission to film many sequences at AMES-NASA in California, adding realism and scope that no set designer would likely be able to match. Kaufman recreates the era perfectly -- clothes, cars, etc. feel just right. And Bill Conti's musical score, one of the most memorable in film history, is exhilirating. It's a flawless production that doesn't miss a single technical step. All of this, however, would be meaningless if Kaufman had cardboard characters to work with. But he instead portrays the characters as human beings with human flaws. Chuck Yeager is racked with self-doubt and regret over his non-participation in the space program. The astronauts are not Charlton Heston types -- clean cut cardboard cutouts with impeccable moral values. These astronauts womanize, drink heavily and sometimes behave as if NASA is a big frat party. Showing these flaws, however, does not alienate the audience and instead makes us identify with and sympathize with them. The astronauts' wives are each given their own identity with their own insecurities and fears. The film, however, is not a soap opera. In fact, The Right Stuff is very funny in some sections. The film has the confidence in its vision and doesn't fall into the trap of solemn sobriety that bogs down so many other epics. The cast includes Scott Glenn as Alan Sheperd, Ed Harris as John Glenn (a dead ringer if I ever saw one), Sam Sheperd as Chuck Yeager, Barbara Hershey as Glynnis Yeager, Dennis Quaid as Gordon Cooper, Fred Ward as Gus Grissom, Veronia Cartwright as Betty Grissom, Pamela Reed as Trudy Cooper and cameos by Kim Stanley, Eric Sevareid and Chuck Yeager himself. Each part is perfectly cast. The Right Stuff is three hours and 13 minutes long, but doesn't feel like it's that long at all. It's one of the most memorable films of all time and makes you proud to be an American. It's certainly the most human epic I've ever seen. It's a shame that the film didn't win more recognition from either the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or the American Film Institute (I would certainly rank this film higher than Dr. Zhivago). Like Roger Ebert said, The Right Stuff is a great American film. The DVD is clear, with great sound. My only complaint is that halfway through the film, the viewer has to turn over the DVD to side B. This, however, is probably made necessary by the film's length. Otherwise, however, it's a fine DVD.

I've loved this movie since the first time I rented it on VHS back in the '80s. I've owned copies of it since then and was ecstatic when I learned that a blu-ray version was finally coming out. I was not disappointed. I'm not Gene Shalit so I'm not going go into detail about the background and story. I'll summarize that up by saying that this movie stands up tremendously well after 30 years. The acting, the story, the pacing, the music, the cinematography and the pre-CGI special effects are all still top shelf. If you watch the special features, you'll realize just how amazing that last point is. Because of the way the special effects were filmed and edited together, there's just no way of telling when you're looking at the real thing or something the special effects crews came up with. As for the product itself, this isn't just another DVD reworked into blu-ray format. They used a high quality, super clean source that was free of dust or dirt marks, had no film to digital jitters and no traces color fading. To me, it was like seeing the film for the first time. On the audio side, the score was lush and sounded full through my surround system while sound effects popped out of the air like they were right in the room. The book is a nice bonus, with lots of great pictures of both the actors and their real life counterparts. Really, my only strike would be the lack of full length commentary for the film (some commentary is included on the extra disc). But that's subjective. Speaking of subjective, I'd like to take a moment to recognize those who have rated this film as one star. The majority of those doing so did it because it wasn't historically accurate. To them I say you're really off the mark. First, if this movie were shot to match history word for word and event for event, it would have cost about the same as the Gross Domestic Product of Ireland, been about 12 hours long, and as entertaining to watch as a Chevy rusting. Second, if you're such a fan boy of the truth, then use this movie as your gateway to spreading it. I watched this movie for the first time when I was 16. It caused me to want to learn more about the these seven brave men and the ones that followed. This in turn lead me to reading a whole lot of books over the years. And when my daughters joined me on the couch to watch this blu-ray with me, I was prepared to answer their questions, fill in back story, and point out the messages and symbolism the filmmakers were conveying. So save your one star reviews for the atrocity that is Pearl Harbor. Instead, take the time to introduce someone to this epically filmed, entertaining springboard into history that will keep the CGI jaded youth of today engaged and might even light a spark in them.

There are movies and then there are Motion Pictures this is the latter. "The Right Stuff" is the kind of movie that no movie enthusiast should forgo. To me it is an all-time top 20 movie. And it is - by far - the best Motion Picture about the american space program ever made and that includes "Apollo 13". "The Right Stuff" is magnificently cool and so is its starpacked cast: Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quade, Sam Shepard, Barbara Hershey, Fred Ward, Lance Henriksen, Pamela Reed and... and... and... This is about the very beginnings of american space exploration, starting with those early super sonic flights by Chuck Yeager, making him the fastest man on earth. But when Project Mercury Space Program started he wasn't among the pilots chosen for the program, officially because he wasn't college trained but the real reason was probably more like those in charge fearing they would be unable to control him, since he could think for himself. As it turned out so could the pilots actually chosen for the program and once they got past that initial chock of being thrust straight into rockstar-fame without having done anything to deserve this, they actually began asserting them selves, forcing a shift in power towards the astronauts, of which they were the first. These were true pioneers, taking enormous and incalculable risks to reach speeds and altitudes never before reached by man (with the exception of Gagarin and Titov). They probably didn't do it to better the lives of mankind, but look at the impact: P.C's, sat-phones, sat-tv, sat-navigation, velcro, more precise weather-forecasts and a much greater understanding of what makes our home planet tick, yes even the polarized glasses in your Ray-Bans are byproducts of space exploration or have been developed much faster as a consequence of those early programmes. The movie however deserves your consideration not just as lesson in history but as an extremely entertaining, hilarious, well acted, well directed, beautifully shot piece of Motion Picture history, telling that early tale in a gripping and heart-warming manor. Pauline Kael of "The New Yorker" called it Astonishingly entertaining and great fun to watch. The Academy agreed and awarded it 4 Oscars. Now, who am I to argue...

The Space Program - from it's creation, infancy and eventually the Apollo Program which got us to the moon. Long movie and very worth it.

Picture and Audio quality is excellent. Definitely the best version of this film, while no 4K restoration is available yet. But this particular BD comes with no special features, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

There are already a great many reviews here providing a summary of the plot, opinions on historical accuracy and acting. Therefore, this review will only focus upon the actual quality of the transfer of the 30th Anniversary Edition to Blue Ray. Keep in mind that the quality of what you see and hear also depends upon the quality of TV monitor you are using and its accompanying home theater processor and speakers. I have a pretty high end, esoteric system and am judging the Blu Ray off of that. VIDEO.... This film has been properly remastered for both the video and audio, of that I have no doubt. Despite a Mbps rate that is lower than many current films on Blu Ray, averaging in the mid to high 20's, the flesh tones are spot on and color resolution throughout the film on BR is excellent. While blacks do not go as deep toward pluge as other movies on Blu Ray, for a film this old, they appear just fine. Details are easily scene, even in the desert and field shots. Since this was shot on film, there is a softer focus to the film's imaging but, all in all, this remastering is quite excellent. At no point did I see any artifacting or aliasing and there are a number of shots where stair stepping could have been created but, thankfully, weren't. AUDIO... Audio is Dolby True HD 5.1 lossless and they did an excellent job with the audio editing with extensive use of panning between the front and rear stages as well as discreet directionality for foley fx in the surrounds. Having a 7.1 audio system, I found that the two extra surrounds really added a great deal to the audio mix and immersed oneself into the roar of the jets. There are not that many older films, or even new ones, with such an excellent use of the home theater surround stages. EXTRAS... Really quality extras on the second disc with documentaries that go past a simple 'Making Of'. There was a goodly use of real and historic footage from the era, as well as focus on the story development, footage of the creation of the effects before there was CGI and some honest and interesting interviews all done recently and not back 30 years ago. How the actors see things now in retrospect after all this time was illuminating. There were also interactive time lines of the Americas space race and a great deal more that I haven't yet seen. This movie is over 3 hours long and you get about that just in the extras as well. I did not have this film on a Standard Def DVD but am completely happy I have it on Blu Ray. I do hope that this review has been of some HELP to you in deciding your purchase. All my reviews focus solely upon the quality of the actual disc and not redundant summaries and acting opinions. Thanks for reading.

The perfect movie to celebrate America's 250th birthday. It reminds us all of what an exceptional country this is and how much can be accomplished when you live in a free society. A classic.

I purchased this DVD to replace one that I had lost. This is one of my most favorite movies and I am glad to have it back.

Un classique, génial à regarder

楽しく利用しています。

Gostei muito

This is a must-see for history buffs and fans of the US space program. It's a lavish, sprawling history of early American aerospace development and the original "Mercury 7" astronauts. It starts during the postwar years and the efforts by test pilots of the time to break the sound barrier (in which failure meant certain, fiery death), and ends with the first orbits around the earth by Gordon Cooper and the late, great John Glenn. Indeed, it is Ed Harris, in the role of Glenn, who carries this film more than any other cast member. Along the way, you'll be treated to breathtaking cinematography, a stirring and varied musical score, ample doses of both humour and pathos, and, above all, flashes of deeply touching human drama. In terms of other films in this genre, "Apollo 13" (1995), starring Tom Hanks, Apollo 13 (Collector's Edition) (Widescreen) (Bilingual) is generally regarded more highly by critics; but I'd still rank "The Right Stuff" as a film not to be missed. It stretches just under three hours and 15 minutes, so get ready for a long ride. It's worth every minute, though. The bilingual version I had is a basic, 2-sided DVD with a rather inelegant transition between the first and second halves; and special features are sparse. But those issues are minor: The budget price offers outstanding value; and the sound and picture quality are excellent. Watch for a cliffhanger near the end of the film, when an unscheduled test flight by Chuck Yeager goes heart-stoppingly awry. For any fan of films about aircraft and space, this is a more than worthy addition to the canon. "The Right Stuff," indeed.

...ist leider eine recht "billige" Veröffentlichung. Einfach nur der Film in einem blauen HD-KeepCase ohne Wendecover und ohne Extras. "Der Stoff aus dem die Helden sind" ist wie auch "Apollo 13" einer von den Filmen, welche bei mir ca. alle 5 Jahre mal im Player landen...einfach weil sie interessant, spannend und gut inszeniert sind. Natürlich sollte man auch ein kleiner Fan solcher Raumfahrtabenteuer sein. In "The Right Stuff", so der Originaltitel, wird sehr detaliert und ausführlich die Geschichte der amerikanischen Raumfahrt (vor allem die Frühphase) beschrieben. Mit einem Wahnsinns-Staraufgebot (Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Lance Henriksen), einer guten Dosis Humor und jeder Menge Flugaction wird man hier über 3 Stunden top unterhalten. Die Bluray bietet den Film (anders als uns das Backcover mit 130 min sagen will) in der ungeschnittenen Kinoversion mit einer Lauflänge von ca. 193 Minuten. Das Bildformat ist 16:9/1,85:1 (1080p). Mit heutigen Hochglanzproduktionen kann sich das Bild von der Quali her auf keinen Fall messen. Trotzdem bin ich sehr zufrieden: schöne warme Farbgebung, alles klar und detailreich (Weiterentwicklung zur DVD klar ersichtlich), sehr guter Schwarzwert, immer wieder auftretendes leichtes Filmkorn (stört mich persönlich nicht) und einige Szenen sind mit Absicht auf alt getrimmt und in schwarz/weiß um als Nachrichtensendung besser durchzugehen...also nicht erschrecken. Allein die Szenen, welche am Tag oder draußen spielen sind wunderbar geworden und das Umrüsten von DVD auf Bluray wert. Der deutsche Ton liegt in DD 5.1 vor und hat sich bis auf ein wenig mehr Bass kaum verändert zur DVD. Gute Räumlichkeit, die Dialoge sind immer verständlich und die Musik ist nicht zu laut. Es fehlt allerdings irgendwie das Feeling im Vergleich mit der Originaltonspur in Englisch True HD 5.1. Dort ist alles nochmal eine Spur besser...vor allem die Umgebungsgeräusche und auch der Bass zündet noch eine Spur besser. Deutsche Untertitel (und auch englische) sind vorhanden....allerdings für Hörgeschädigte, d.h. es werden auch Geräusche ect. beschrieben. Wie gesagt gibt es leider keinerlei Extras. In den USA gibts es ein Media-DigiBook mit der Bluray (identisch mit der deutschen Bluray) und einer Bonus-DVD mit den Specials der 2003er DVD-Veröffentlichung. Allerdings ist diese Bonus-DVD wohl nur mit RegionFree Playern abspielbar (die Bluray ist RegionFree). Also habe ich mir (besaß bisher nur eine Einzel-DVD mit dem Film) die deutsche DVD-Special Edition für nicht mal 5 Euro besorgt. Diese hat ein recht schön gestaltetes DigiPack im Schuber ohne nerviges FSK-Logo. Habe dann einfach die DVD dieser Special Edition weiterverschenkt und gegen die Bluray ausgetauscht. Somit habe ich insgesamt nicht mal 15 Euro für meine "Bluray Special Edition" bezahlt ;-) nur so als Tipp...wem die Bluray in der Billig-Verpackung nicht reicht. Als Bonus sind auf der DVD enthalten: - John Glenn - American Hero (ca. 87 min) - Umsetzung von "Der Stoff aus dem die Helden sind" (ca. 21 min) - T-20 Jahre und der Countdown läuft weiter (ca. 12 min) - Die wahren Helden (ca. 16 min) - ausgewählte Szenen mit 2 Kommentarspuren (ca. 25 min) - Deleted Scenes - Kinotrailer - Interaktiver Zeitplan ins Weltall ...da ich gerne Extras schaue, hat sich der geringe Mehraufwand nur für die Specials-DVD für mich persönlich gelohnt. Die 5 Sterne gibts hier nur für den Film an sich. Die deutsche Bluray-Veröffentlichung wird dem Gesamtkunstwerk (immerhin 4 Oscars) nicht gerecht. Schade, aber wie gesagt gibts ja Möglichkeiten für Sammler seine eigene "Edition" zu erstellen oder eben zur US-Version zu greifen.