After attending this past weekend's IMAX movie for the PNR Summer Tour (see review from Monday), I started thinking about other films that would lend themselves to the IMAX format.
One movie in particular stands out to me as the perfect candidate for the IMAX treatment. It has long been one of my all-time favorite films, and its visual style was way ahead of its time.
And now, as the 25th anniversary of the film's release is looming in 2008, I think it's time to take the next logical step into IMAX. I've been saying so for YEARS and now is the perfect time for it.
The film is Godfrey Reggio's incredible 1983 visual masterpiece, Koyaanisqatsi (see Popcorn's Pix here). Backed with it's mesmering Philip Glass score, this movie is just SCREAMING to be brought to the IMAX or IMAX 3-D format.
For those of you unfamiliar with Reggio's work, Koyaanisqatsi (the title is Hopi indian for "life out of balance") is a visual and aural masterpiece about our world and how man's search for progress has affected it. In many ways, it was "An Inconvienient Truth" 24 years BEFORE that movie came out and without the presence of former Vice President Al Gore.
I have watched the movie dozens of times since it came out on DVD, and remain a strong proponent of it. I have talked it up on Subject:CINEMA several times, and there is little doubt it will be among my Top 20 Films of ALL TIME when that list is announced in June on the first anniversary edition of Subject:CINEMA.
The first part of the "Qatsi" trilogy of movies, it is the strongest and best of the three, and just the opening 15 minutes alone would make an IMAX experience unlike any other. Think of what it would be like to see those images of the desert and sky on the humongous IMAX screen. Kim often describes this part of the movie as "What it must feel like to be flying on Superman's shoulders", and she's absolutely right.
Think of being immersed in IMAX 3-D during the time lapse flights through skyscrapers, or during the mind-blowing time-lapse traffic sequence - it would feel like the most incredible motion odyssey movie ride in history.
For those of you who have never seen the movie, it might be hard to understand, but in many ways, Koyaanisqatsi is almost a religious experience. And to me, the chance to see it larger than ever before postively makes me drool.
So I have decided to take matters into my own hands, so to speak.
I have launched the Bring "Koyaanisqatsi" to IMAX petititon over at petitiononline.com. I will be bringing this petition up to as many people as I possibly can, and hopefully the esteemed Mr Reggio will take us to heart and allow his masterpiece to be prepped for an IMAX run during it's 25th anniversary year.
It will only take you a moment or so to sign the petition and add your voice to the hopefully millions of voices that will join us in asking for one of the greatest movie experiences of all time to be brought to the most visually rich and incredible movie screens of all time in celebration of its' 25th anniversary.
You can visit the petition by clicking here - and please spread the word to your friends as well.
It is my hope that within the next 18 months or so, I can sit down in our local IMAX theater (possibly donning 3-D glasses) and enjoy the breathtaking splendor that is Koyaanisqatsi like i've never seen it before. So please - sign the petition!
YOu will NEVER regret doing so.
