Search - NFL Films - Inside the Vault, Vols. 1-3 on DVD

Wait...save your cash!

Greg Taylor | Douglasville, Ga. USA | 11/21/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I really, really wanted to get this DVD...been waiting for NFL films to put together footage of the 1950's & 60's. But I was less then satisfied, anything on this DVD can be seen on TV, ESPN and now on the NFL channel. It's over produced with lots of talking which is OK if back up with video that last more then 30 seconds....each volume lasts 41 minutes, so you get only about two hours, but with lots of repetition. Bottom line- this is not for the serious fan...watch it on TV and not waste your money like I did."

'Inside the Vault' is must for NFL Films fans

DBW | Chicago, IL USA | 06/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

""NFL Films: Inside the Vault 1960-1970," featuring Vols. 1-3 in the "Lost Treasures" series of outtakes, is ideal for longtime fans of NFL Films, particularly those who are curious about how the shows are produced. The DVD is also a lot of fun for football fans who are fascinated by the game's history. NFL Films President Steve Sabol remarks early in the first disc on how great the old Kodak Ektachrome film stock looks, and wonders why it was discontinued. We wonder, too, as the footage is indeed stunning in its richness and clarity. As amazing as it looked on ESPN Classic on the "Lost Treasures" shows, the film is perfectly suited to a DVD presentation.Disc 1, "At the Creation (1962-65)," explains how NFL Films was born. It's a familiar story to those who have been watching the shows for a while, even including founder Ed Sabol's recollections of the company's first production, the 1962 NFL Championship Game. But, against the backdrop of this pristine footage, we get more detail than ever before about the crew's struggles with somewhat primitive equipment, about how it learned what shots viewers liked and how to get more of the same; what kinds of shots the teams preferred, what they wanted left out, and so on. Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of Disc 1, and of the entire set, is Steve Sabol's recollections and opinions about the kind of football prevalent in the NFL during the '60s. On the first disc, there's a chapter stop called "Roughnecks," in which Sabol talks about why the game was, in his view, more violent at the time. It wasn't just the sort of toughness NFL Films celebrates in some of its other productions like "Crunch Course;" rather, the violence of the period -- much of it blatantly dirty -- reflected a more casual attitude on the part of the still-emerging league. The NFL's later insistence on protecting quarterbacks and wide receivers was still far off, and the excitement of the footage is enough to make us wonder if such measures were best for the game. Disc 2 looks at the rival AFL ("The Renegades (1960-69)"), why it seemed unlikely to succeed at the beginning; the tactical blunder by the NFL that kept it afloat long enough to justify a big TV contract with NBC in 1965 (the money from which gave it the clout to force a merger with the NFL); its wide-open style of play; and the more open racial policy that gave it a steady stream of African-American talent. Disc 3, "The Merger (1970)," underscores some of the themes explored on the previous discs, while explaining some of the changes that came to the game in the early '70s. One memorable segment explores Sabol's disdain for the decade's new stadiums, such as Three Rivers, Riverfront, Veteran's, etc. All three discs contain several short extra features. Some of these seem a bit too short, but are certainly entertaining.The high quality of "Inside the Vault" is certainly sufficient to warrant a strong rating here. It does make one wish, however, for a comprehensive DVD issue of NFL Films' most impressive productions, which are its yearly highlight films, as well as the game-length "Greatest Games" shows. For years, in its regular catalog, compilations of several vintage highlight films for teams like the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Baltimore Colts, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys were available. Surely, in the DVD era, these should be showcased again. As it stands now, these older films are relegated to the company's Special Order service, at prices well beyond the reach of most fans. In the meantime, it's safe to say that the best NFL DVD available is "Inside the Vault.""

The Story of NFL Films, not the NFL

elton1111 | California, USA | 01/14/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Given that this is a dvd produced by NFL Films, there is a certain amount of quality to this dvd that is to be expected, and it is evident here. Steve Sabol and John Facenda, along with all those slo-mo close-ups, are always enjoyable viewing, especially on DVD. My one beef with the dvd was that it does focus a lot on NFL Films, and their struggle to film games, as opposed to what happened on the field. There are a lot of scenes of missed shots, out of focus, or too shadowy to use in the productions. You can see why many of these scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. So why bring them back here? Just to show how hard it is to focus on the ball. There are previously excluded scenes that we are grateful to see now, but basically this dvd serves as a nice supplement to an NFL dvd library, but does not serve as the Standard Work."

Classic AFL/NFL

Arthur J. Weeks | Chelmsford, MA USA | 06/11/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is part of an ongoing series from NFL films. They each seem to have been produced in successive years. 1999, 2000 and 2001. Part one goes back to the beginnings of NFL films and talks about how the company came into being. The DVD contains some really classic shots from the early to mid 60's and is exclusively NFL stuff. No AFL on this one. The whole DVD is narrated by Steve Sabol. His father was the founder of NFL films.Part two was my favorite being from an AFL city. This DVD is exclusively AFL footage of the original 10 AFL teams. Mostly mid to late 60's. All in color. Quality is amazing. Looks like most of this footage was shot last week. Not 35 years ago. Part three focuses on the first year after the merger between AFL and NFL. 1970. Again the DVD is narrated by Steve Sabol and he talks mostly about the transition and how relatively smoothly this merger went.I'm really looking forward to new additions to this series. Steve Sabol seems to indicate they have enough footage to produce these things forever."