QATSI TRILOGY!

never head of the films. Educate me on them.

EDIT:
Also...I saw that Heaven's Gate doc...good god...sounds like a fucked up production for sure. Studio heads that weren't experienced and Cimino was too impowered. By the end of it, I was angry at Cimino in a way...making it harder for Directors today to have a vision. All I could think of....this is what Sony does now. They are the power behind the movie, the director is 2nd in command for the most part.

I see the original film, Koyaanisqatsi, as a sort of tone-poem set to music. Think the best bits of Planet Earth chopped up, sped up, slowed down, with liberal doses of freeway/factory/people stock footage mixed in, all driven by this crazy, kaleidoscopic Philip Glass score. No words or narration, yet a clear narrative theme of modern-day imbalance and collapse emerges (the title is Hopi for "life out of balance"). Some people seem to hate it and if Philip Glass is not your cup of tea, then you probably would not enjoy the film since the film and the music were created in tandem and complement each other perfectly. I love the film. Easily in my personal top 5, but not a blind buy if you have not yet seen it. Youtube seems to have a fair number of clips so you can get a rough idea of what the film is about, but of course nothing really compares to seeing the whole thing on a big screen in 5.1.

The second film, Powaqqatsi came out a few years later and carries on in the same style, again with a Philip Glass score, but using international locations and with a style of music that is more world beat than minimalist. It's prettier and has some stunning images, especially of the abject poverty in some Third World countries and a couple of scenes involving hundreds if not thousands of workers toiling in unison in slow motion. It is an older brother to the film, Baraka, made by Ron Fricke*, the cinematographer who worked on Koyaanisqatsi. I don't find Powaqqatsi to be nearly as compelling as Koyaanisqatsi but I'd still rate it 8/10.

Years passed until the third film, Naqoyqatsi, finally arrived about ten years ago. I was thoroughly disappointed and underwhelmed by the third film, which to me had a tired, canned anti-tech "message" and seemed to rely too much on cheap, dated graphic manipulations (hey! look at this stock footage of a sheep converted into a negative! now it's bright green! yay Photoshop!) I have tried to like it but it's hard to warm up to. It's a cold, hopeless film with the only Philip Glass score I don't love. Hopefully, the Criterion set will have some interesting supplements that will help me appreciate the film better.

* Fricke's second film, Samsara, opens wide on September 7th.

I hope they're available separately. I really enjoy Koyaanisqatsi.

Thanks for the heads up on Quadrophenia as well.

I've owned the first two Qatsi films on DVD for years but haven't gotten around to watching them.

Are these suitable for viewing with a 5 year old running in and out of the living room all evening?

It's been a while since I've watched them, but the films may have some National Geographic-type nudity of indigenous people. (I know that Baraka does, but I don't remember the older films that clearly.) It's up to you whether you'll consider that sort of thing objectionable for your children.

Pssht. I can hardly keep clothes on him.

It's my kid smartass Have you never spent any time around kids of that age? Clothing is strictly optional.

Not where Mr. Hansen is concerned.

Clothing is always optional for this guy.

[B]

The only one of the 3 I really cared for was The Decameron and I imported that bluray from the UK. The extras on this boxset look phenomenal, but unless the transfer is dramatically better than the UK version (which I doubt it will be based off of all the transfers of Pasolini films that are currently being put out). Still, I'd love to be wrong!

Thought you guys might like this...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/67UMJojCKxY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Umberto D $22.04. Make sure you sign up for the 10% at the top.
http://shop.tcm.com/detail.php?p=378402

If there are any Canadian shoppers like me, beware! The shipping charges mysteriously changed from 4.95 to 21.95 once I received the order confirmation page. Calling their customer service, I got a "I'll try cancelling but I can't promise anything" response.

That was amazing! I have a lot of catching up to do.

I just checked and it stayed at $4.95 on my confirmation page. I tested it with PayPal.

*edit* Interesting... I just applied for the 10% bonus, and now my shipping is also $21.95. I don't see any way to get rid of it. Thanks for the 'discount', TCM.

*further edit* Okay, I switched to firefox (was using Chrome) and the shipping went back to $4.95. But when I confirmed the order, it was accepted and then showed me $21.95. Just called and got basically the same response as you.

This can't be within PayPal Rules. You hit a confirm button that shows one price, and are then charged a different price? If they can't cancel it, I'm sure it would be pretty easy to win a dispute through PayPal.

Indeed!

Here's hoping the transfers are as good as Baraka, and that there are lots of extras. Anima Mundi would make a great extra!

If my order doesn't get canceled, I'm definitely taking this up with PayPal. Ain't no way I'm paying more for shipping than the actual disc itself.

Ugh. See my update above...

Yeah, I think it'll be pretty easy to win a PayPal dispute, which is why I'm not too upset about it for now. Still ridiculous, nonetheless...

Just an update: TCM just called and said that once my order ships, they will credit my Paypal account with the $17 difference in shipping costs.

Good customer service!

Nice! I've kept a copy of Koyaanisqatsi recorded on my DVR from MGM-HD for a couple of years now. I'll be happy to clear up some space, and I have no doubt that the Criterion disc will look better to boot.

Oh, good! My mom also called to tell me there was a long-ass message for me on her answering machine (I guess my phone number on PayPal hasn't been updated in years).

I might be murdered here, but I wish Criterion would release Armageddon already.