6 ms·

Koyaanisqatsi is my favorite movie by a mile, so obviously I love this. Koy is interesting because it's not simply a movie painting a certain picture (which an

Koyaanisqatsi is my favorite movie by a mile, so obviously I love this. Koy is interesting because it's not simply a movie painting a certain picture (which an experiment like this can't do), but because it's a format too (which this experiment focuses on). The third in the trilogy of Qatsi movies, Naqoyqatsi, while the least well known is probably the closest fit for this experiment since it's almost entirely stock footage laid over the (orchestral – in contrast to Koy) soundtrack. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgM46I-ZryM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgM46I-ZryM

FeistySkink 4y ago
I haven't watched the first one since forever. Any specific version you would recommend? I imagine the modern versions are going to be cropped one way or the other. Is that the case?
- carewell 4y ago
  Criterion's 2012 Blu-ray release is probably the best available. It's a restored and remastered version that was made with the involvement of the original crew.
  - classichasclass 4y ago
    Seconded. Bought the Criterion box set, never regretted it. Looks fabulous in the home theatre.
- hypertele-Xii 4y ago
  IRE
  - carewell 4y ago
    For some reason Reggio opted against releasing this version commercially years later with Criterion, so not sure it's what he would recommend himself.
carewell 4y ago
That was also my first thought - Naqoyqatsi would have been a better fit.
dtgriscom 4y ago
Oy, veh. Philip Glass gives me the hives. DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie ... for an hour.
- tjr225 4y ago
- andrei_says_ 4y ago
  The minimalism is precisely why I like him.
  - indigodaddy 4y ago
    Perhaps he’s an acquired taste. Although I fell for Glass immediately as an adult. As soon as I heard a few notes I was drawn to the music.
    - bb88 4y ago
      I think the Tales From the Loop soundtrack is easy to get into. Yes there is repetition, but there's also motion as the phrases change to convey different ideas.
      - indigodaddy 4y ago
        Yes, I enjoyed the music in that series. VERY reminiscent of Truman soundtrack, but of course, he borrows and does variations upon his own earlier works all the time. Truman is very reminiscent of Mishima imo also.
    - 4y ago
indigodaddy 4y ago
For anyone interested, Koyaanisqatsi is on sale on iTunes for $5, and the bundle with Powaqqatsi is $10. Highly recommend for anyone who’s never seen it— it’s definitely an experience. Also if it ever goes to 4K, iTunes will upgrade it. https://www.reddit.com/r/iTunesMovieDeals/comments/z4f5qt/koyaanisqatsi_powaqqatsi_2pack_999/ https://www.reddit.com/r/iTunesMovieDeals/comments/z4f5qt/ko...
- alpaca128 4y ago
  > Also if it ever goes to 4K, iTunes will upgrade it. And if, as Sony elegantly put it, license term "evolving" happens[0], iTunes will remove it and you won't ever have access to movies you bought. At this point I don't trust anyone to keep digital purchases. It's either on my harddrive and backup DRM free or I don't actually own it. [0] https://www.howtogeek.com/817070/your-digital-movies-will-not-last-forever-and-sony-just-proved-it/ https://www.howtogeek.com/817070/your-digital-movies-will-no...
  - 411111111111111 4y ago
    > It's either on my harddrive and backup DRM free or I don't actually own it. It's quiet confusing that some people don't understand that, considering that's literally the name of it: digital rights management. You only ever get a temporary permission to play a media with DRM. It's literally the reason for it's inception.
    - alpaca128 4y ago
      I don't care about the legalese, if the button says "purchase" and not "rent" then I'm going to treat it that way. If you buy a car the manufacturer can't just randomly come and take your keys because their license for the car's paint ran out. And they'd also not get away with it by giving it a fancy "rights management" name and hiding it in some agreement. Additionally lobbies pushed our government to create what's basically a tax on all digital storage media that's included in the price, based on the assumption that companies lose out on money when I copy music from my PC to my music player etc. Which by the way is my right by law, but they decided I have to pay for that right. No, the most I'm going to do with that DRM license agreement is to wipe my ass with it.
StillLrning123 4y ago
Koyaanisqatsi and Sunless by Chris Marker are movies I come back to and rediscover over and over. Sunless can be watched on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdusEgrbhgA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdusEgrbhgA
- gala8y 4y ago
  Thank you for mentioning Sunless. Absolutely interesting and very personal, I would say.
- iamdbtoo 4y ago
  Ron Fricke's other works, namely Baraka, are also worth a watch. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/
- poulpy123 4y ago
  Chris Marker made my favourite movie: la Jetée (on youtube with english subtitles here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU99W-ZrIHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU99W-ZrIHQ). It was the inspiration of the movie 12 Monkeys
JoeDaDude 4y ago
To those who complain about Koyaanisqatsi being dated, remember this film was made before such a thing as music videos existed. You might even say it was one of the first, the other being Disney's Fantasia.
- tohnjitor 4y ago
  Music videos existed before Koyaanisqatsi.
jfengel 4y ago
For many years, Koyaanisqatsi was the marker in my Netflix DVD queue between "movies I actually want to see" and "movies that I probably ought to see one of these days but don't really want to". Whenever Koyaanisqatsi got near the top of the list, I'd find something else to bump above it. Then some new films would come out, and it would get pushed down more. Eventually, though, enough new stuff came out on streaming that I needed the Netflix DVD service less and less. I'd watch it occasionally... and then one day Koyaanisqatsi arrived at my door. As expected, I didn't really care for it. Not that it isn't brilliant; it's just not my thing. I'm glad that it brings so much pleasure to some people. But I won't be adding the other two to the queue. (And in fact it's rapidly reaching time to jettison the Netflix DVD service. There used to be many things available only that way, but it's just not the case any more. Not only have they substantially pared down their once-vast catalog, but I have realized that I'm just not a movie buff who wants a vast back catalog.)

FeistySkink 4y ago

I haven't watched the first one since forever. Any specific version you would recommend? I imagine the modern versions are going to be cropped one way or the other. Is that the case?

carewell 4y ago
Criterion's 2012 Blu-ray release is probably the best available. It's a restored and remastered version that was made with the involvement of the original crew.
- classichasclass 4y ago
  Seconded. Bought the Criterion box set, never regretted it. Looks fabulous in the home theatre.
hypertele-Xii 4y ago
IRE
- carewell 4y ago
  For some reason Reggio opted against releasing this version commercially years later with Criterion, so not sure it's what he would recommend himself.

carewell 4y ago

That was also my first thought - Naqoyqatsi would have been a better fit.

dtgriscom 4y ago

Oy, veh. Philip Glass gives me the hives. DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdleDWEEdledie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie DWEEdelie doodelie ... for an hour.

tjr225 4y ago
andrei_says_ 4y ago
The minimalism is precisely why I like him.
- indigodaddy 4y ago
  Perhaps he’s an acquired taste. Although I fell for Glass immediately as an adult. As soon as I heard a few notes I was drawn to the music.
  - bb88 4y ago
    I think the Tales From the Loop soundtrack is easy to get into. Yes there is repetition, but there's also motion as the phrases change to convey different ideas.
    - indigodaddy 4y ago
      Yes, I enjoyed the music in that series. VERY reminiscent of Truman soundtrack, but of course, he borrows and does variations upon his own earlier works all the time. Truman is very reminiscent of Mishima imo also.
  - 4y ago

indigodaddy 4y ago

For anyone interested, Koyaanisqatsi is on sale on iTunes for $5, and the bundle with Powaqqatsi is $10. Highly recommend for anyone who’s never seen it— it’s definitely an experience. Also if it ever goes to 4K, iTunes will upgrade it. https://www.reddit.com/r/iTunesMovieDeals/comments/z4f5qt/koyaanisqatsi_powaqqatsi_2pack_999/ https://www.reddit.com/r/iTunesMovieDeals/comments/z4f5qt/ko...

alpaca128 4y ago
> Also if it ever goes to 4K, iTunes will upgrade it. And if, as Sony elegantly put it, license term "evolving" happens[0], iTunes will remove it and you won't ever have access to movies you bought. At this point I don't trust anyone to keep digital purchases. It's either on my harddrive and backup DRM free or I don't actually own it. [0] https://www.howtogeek.com/817070/your-digital-movies-will-not-last-forever-and-sony-just-proved-it/ https://www.howtogeek.com/817070/your-digital-movies-will-no...
- 411111111111111 4y ago
  > It's either on my harddrive and backup DRM free or I don't actually own it. It's quiet confusing that some people don't understand that, considering that's literally the name of it: digital rights management. You only ever get a temporary permission to play a media with DRM. It's literally the reason for it's inception.
  - alpaca128 4y ago
    I don't care about the legalese, if the button says "purchase" and not "rent" then I'm going to treat it that way. If you buy a car the manufacturer can't just randomly come and take your keys because their license for the car's paint ran out. And they'd also not get away with it by giving it a fancy "rights management" name and hiding it in some agreement. Additionally lobbies pushed our government to create what's basically a tax on all digital storage media that's included in the price, based on the assumption that companies lose out on money when I copy music from my PC to my music player etc. Which by the way is my right by law, but they decided I have to pay for that right. No, the most I'm going to do with that DRM license agreement is to wipe my ass with it.

StillLrning123 4y ago

Koyaanisqatsi and Sunless by Chris Marker are movies I come back to and rediscover over and over. Sunless can be watched on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdusEgrbhgA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdusEgrbhgA

gala8y 4y ago
Thank you for mentioning Sunless. Absolutely interesting and very personal, I would say.
iamdbtoo 4y ago
Ron Fricke's other works, namely Baraka, are also worth a watch. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103767/
poulpy123 4y ago
Chris Marker made my favourite movie: la Jetée (on youtube with english subtitles here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU99W-ZrIHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU99W-ZrIHQ). It was the inspiration of the movie 12 Monkeys

JoeDaDude 4y ago

To those who complain about Koyaanisqatsi being dated, remember this film was made before such a thing as music videos existed. You might even say it was one of the first, the other being Disney's Fantasia.

tohnjitor 4y ago
Music videos existed before Koyaanisqatsi.

jfengel 4y ago

For many years, Koyaanisqatsi was the marker in my Netflix DVD queue between "movies I actually want to see" and "movies that I probably ought to see one of these days but don't really want to". Whenever Koyaanisqatsi got near the top of the list, I'd find something else to bump above it. Then some new films would come out, and it would get pushed down more. Eventually, though, enough new stuff came out on streaming that I needed the Netflix DVD service less and less. I'd watch it occasionally... and then one day Koyaanisqatsi arrived at my door. As expected, I didn't really care for it. Not that it isn't brilliant; it's just not my thing. I'm glad that it brings so much pleasure to some people. But I won't be adding the other two to the queue. (And in fact it's rapidly reaching time to jettison the Netflix DVD service. There used to be many things available only that way, but it's just not the case any more. Not only have they substantially pared down their once-vast catalog, but I have realized that I'm just not a movie buff who wants a vast back catalog.)