Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for the ride of your life! Super Speedway puts you in the driver’s seat of an Indy-type race car tearing up asphalt at speeds of over 230 miles per hour. Follow the excitement and drama of championship auto racing with narrator and celebrated actor Paul Newman, and join racing star Michael Andretti and his legendary father, Mario, as they craft a state-of-the-art race car. Then, follow the pulse-pounding action of Michael’s high-speed quest for victory as he pushes the limits of the new car at the PPG CART World Series. So start your engines– Super Speedway is about to begin!
PLUS: Ever wonder “how did they do that?” “The Making of ‘Super Speedway’” (47 min.), shot on High-Definition Video, takes you behind the scenes.One of the best directors of IMAX films, Stephen Low (Titanica) has always been a race fan. After obtaining permission from CART, a governing body of Indy car racing and Newman/Haas racing (a Championship team co-owned by Paul Newman), Low found his stars for Super Speedway: the racing Andrettis, father Mario and son Michael. Mounting cameras fore and aft on the Andrettis’ cars, IMAX offers a better vantage point than an ESPN camera, at a superior grade of clarity. Add to that the excellent sound and you can “feel” the bumps on the asphalt as the cars zoom in and out of corners. The large format can turn a pit stop into a dramatic 12 seconds as we see the driver’s eyes dart away from his cockpit for a few brief seconds. We watch Michael Andretti on oval tracks and exciting road courses going over hills and sharp turns. There’s even a spin–probably staged–from an angle we’ve never seen before.
Although true race conditions were impossible (the camera is just too bulky), Low sneakily edits his film to stretch the imagination. On race day, several Indy cars drove alongside the camera car hours before the main event, passing and drafting each other with crowds whizzing past them. When edited with footage of the race, it feels like the real thing. Low takes a few off-beat choices in setting up his story. The first image is the biggest chicken you’ve ever seen. The last shot is a ’50s car (lovingly restored during the film) racing through perfect golden foliage on an autumn day. It gives his movie of modern technology a wonderful sense of nostalgia. –Doug Thomas
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August 3, 2010
#1
Review by Paul D. Ferguson
Rating:
I was initially put off by the title and the artwork on this DVD, believing it was aimed at hard-core racing fans. After reading numerous reviews praising the quality of the sound and images, I decided to buy it as a “show me why DVD is so great” disk. And in that regard, I certainly wasn’t disappointed; it is a spectacular showcase DVD.What I didn’t expect is how much I enjoyed the human interest story of the Andretti family. The movie takes you into their world, and places racing in perspective: technological, historical, and social. The story arc gently draws you to the racing track, immerses you in the raw excitement of driving at over 200 MPH, and then eases you back out to the real world, your heart still pounding. While the cars are unquestionably exciting, this isn’t just about sitting in the cockpit. It’s really about the people who do this, from the driver all the way back to the car’s designers.In the “Behind the Scenes” video (an outstanding piece in its own right), the director points out that you couldn’t invent a story like this, that no one would believe it. Without giving away anything, the finale of Super Speedway is more touching, more emotional than any Hollywood fiction. Highly recommended.
August 3, 2010
#2
Review by Snovgras
Rating:
When you first look at the case two words stare at you Imax and THX, This film was originaly made for the Imax theatre, the dvd version is just as good, the image is awe-inspiring, every single detail jumps from the screen, and the THX sound is remarkable, this is an audio experience which will send your pulse racing, Both these elements put together in one film does not happen very often, but when it does it’s an experience you will never forget. If you want to enjoy the thrills of driving an indy-car, or want to find out how an indy-car is made from start to finish, then do not hesitate go and buy one of the best documentarys ever made. You also get the making of super speedway which puts you behind the camera and shows just how much work and money has gone into making this film.
August 3, 2010
#3
Review by Eduardo Middleton K.
Rating:
When I read the reviews from this dvd I had to give it a try. They were right, I’m impressed. This dvd has all the features I expected from dvd from the start. The sound is impressive and envolving, the picture quality based in IMAX film is terrific. Moreover, the story has adrenaline and nostalgia in equal shares. This movie was not only made for racing car fans, DVD and movie lovers will be also moved by it. Also, the making of documentary is top notch. You can see the professionalism and tender loving care that was put in this film. One of the best things is that Mario & Michael Andretti do not try to steal the show. They add experience and a sense of reality that makes you think you’re watching an actual race. If you ever wondered why dvd exists, this is the answer. This might be the best DVD I own.
August 3, 2010
#4
Review by C. Hawks
Rating:
I don’t own this DVD – yet…but I will!
I just saw this at a friend’s house who has an HDTV rear projection TV, and a decent audio system … Audio and video were of the utmost quality – no grainy translation of color or image to the HDTV’s screen in widescreen format, even though the DVD is too old to be HD.This has got to be the best quality DVD I’ve ever seen from a presentation standpoint. Even if you don’t like racing, I would be willing to bet money that you’d still like this for its excellent documentary quality. Though this film is older (’97 originally – in IMAX) it is still a very true to life behind the scenes story (I work in motorsports). It is captivating and interesting to see just how an Indy car team lives and breathes year-round. The sound is incredible! One scene shows Mario and Michael Andretti working on something in the paddock area while there are cars out on track testing. You actually hear the cars on the track in the background going AROUND your viewing room as if you were standing in the paddock with the Andrettis.The in-car/on-car footage is the same – a racing competitor comes up to pass on the left; you hear him in the left-rear before you see him, then the nose of his car appears and the sound is beside you (in both front and rear speakers) and finally as he passes the sound of his car moves to the front, all with appropriate volume levels. You can almost feel the steering wheel in your hands! And the visual experience of going 180-200 MPH around Homestead is astounding! None of this watered down, graphic crowded, short focal length/narrow-angle view junk you see on TV…You get a VERY GOOD idea of what it’s like to travel at such speed in an open cockpit car!! Wind noise and all! Unbelievable!!Truely the most immersive home theater experience I have seen to date. If you want to test or show off your system, if you like racing, or if you like documentaries, you should NOT deprive yourself of this absolutely awesome experience. It is truely amazing – even the (non-racing fan) wives of the world will enjoy it
August 3, 2010
#5
Review by
Rating:
This is probably the best DVD I own (I have about 120 right now). The sound is incredible in 5.1 Dolby Digital. The video is excellent, but even better is the story line – this is extremely well done and interesting. And get ready – you get a driver’s view (and sounds) of what it is like to drive an Indy race car. I have a front projection TV and an 84″ diagonal screen – this is awesome with the volume cranked up! I don’t anyone who hasn’t enjoyed this experience. They all have been extremely impressed. If you want to show off your system, look no further – buy this today!