Koyaanisqatsi / Powaqqatsi (2 Pack)

Rating:
Summary: Mind
Review: Both movies are a perfect symbiosis between sound and image, music and movie. When I first saw Koyaanisqatsi on television I was amazed, surprised. I had never seen anything like this before. The beautiful pictures and the intriguing music absorbed me. The contrasts are many and make the film interesting till the last scene. This movie I can watch over and over again and the music is a master piece on its own. However as said before the movie goes together with the music and makes it a true work of art.

Rating:
Summary: mental tour
Review: an amazing audio/visual adventure that takes the "experiencer" on a kaleidoscopic, panoramic tour de force. In addition to taking a dip into the majesty of life itself, you will find yourself mysteriously exploring areas of your own mind and soul.

Oh yeah, it's good sober - too.

Rating:
Summary: Yes, get the 2- pack!
Review: The first film, "Koyaanisqatsi," is superior, but the second film, "Powaqqatsi," has many visually stimulating moments as well. "Koyaanisqatsi" was a landmark film when it was first released, using time-lapse photography and other trick-cinematography to show the world in a new way. There are many provocative moments, my personal favorites being shots of landscapes and night-time city-scapes accelerated. The final shot of a rocket exploding is simply visceral to the point of being haunting. I can still see the swirling, fiery image days afterward. Now, for the second film. "Powaqqatsi" has some amazing shots, as well, but it lacks the first film's unique originality, using many of the same techniques from the first film but with fewer jarring sequences. However, the score to the second film is what really carries it to the end. The music, in my humble opinion, is more memorable and gives a sense of worldly ambience. Indeed, I loved the score so much that directly after watching "Powaqqatsi" I went on-line and purchased the CD. As a combination, these two films are engrossing, dated here and there, annoying at times, but overall, emotionally moving. What sold me on the 2-pack is the fact it's only a couple of bucks more for both. To me, it was worth it. It's like I got the second film as a rental that I never have to return. Adios.

Rating:
Summary: Astounding
Review: This film is one of few that has used this form of media to it's full potential. The combination of images and music presented in a fashion that allows the view to extrapolate meaning (rather than have meaning thrust upon them) is both refreshing and thought-provoking. This trilogy is a true artistic masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Life distilled into a shot of on-screen espresso
Review: After viewing Naqoyqatsi at SA's NPR CinemaTuesday event, I had to watch the first of the Qatsi trilogy to help me understand why I never forgot the haunting vision. Perhaps, I thought, being an idealistic second year Philosophy major made me believe something that wasn't really there: Life distilled into a shot of on-screen espresso.
No. Twenty years later and the film is still relevant. The wonderful cinematography and soundtrack combine in a synergistic dance that forces the viewer to contemplate their existence among the mighty forces of man and nature.
Powaqqatsi is no different. The cinematography and soundtrack offer a stunning experience for the viewer to contemplate man's struggle with himself.
This DVD set should be a welcome addition for people who experienced Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi on the big screen. YMMV when you consider the experience in a movie theater vs. home theater. For my experience, I had a 16 x 9 TV, and a very high-end sound system, a perfect pairing for recreating those feelings from 20 years ago.