NFL Films - Inside the Vault, Vols. 1-3

NFL Films - Inside the Vault, Vols. 1-3

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• Officially Licensed
• Highest Quality Recording

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DVD Reviews of NFL Films - Inside the Vault, Vols. 1-3

DVD Review: 'Inside the Vault' is must for NFL Films fans
Summary: 4 Stars

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."

Description of NFL Films - Inside the Vault, Vols. 1-3