Search - Chronos [HD DVD] on HD DVD

Give us MORE BLU-RAY FRICKE !!!!

ZAHZAH | MISSION VIEJO, CA USA | 05/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this when IMAX was brand new (last century) and was blown away by the scope and beauty of the piece. I was so happy to get it on DVD (I had VHS,too). But this Blu-Ray version is definatly the best! I'll admit, while it doesn't look as "perfect" as say, "Cars" on BD, it is very much VERY WATCHABLE and only the very pickiest of video geeks would be distracted by the PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTANT grain, outline or color uneveness. A much better transfer than I expected, near perfect, especially considering the age of the film. The DRS company did a fine job.
As far as the film itself, this is a "Bolero". Not intended for ADD viewers or fast food consumers. This is art, not product. It's Fricke's first major film (that I'm aware of). It's a beautiful exploration of the passing of time with unpresidented cinematography. Films like this are why I got my big screen hi-def TV and BD player. Other movies are fun, and look great, it's true, but Fricke's work a whole different world."

Great music and soothing visuals

Elak Swindell | Georgia USA | 04/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I remember seeing "Chronos" way back in 1987 at the IMAX theater in Los Angeles. I thought it was really great, especially the fantastic soundtrack by Michael Stearns and Constance Demby. This DVD is beautifully done, a better quality version of the IMAX experience. I do agree that the layout of scenes should have been more progressive from location to location instead of jumping from one location of the world to another. Even with this error in editing pace, the film stands as a wonderful tribute to the beauty of nature and chaotic life on Earth. I've always loved seeing time-lapse photography in action. It's amazing how a city at night, like Los Angeles in the film, appears as if it is a big circuit board with constant energy currents flowing through it where the freeways are located. This film has awakened my keen desire to get the soundtrack. It is wonderfully atmospheric with celestial tones that bring the listener into a realm of aural pleasure. The DVD also has an audio commentary track well worth listening too. Michael Stearns, Alton Walpole and Ron Fricke give a lot of interesting facts on a scene-by-scene perspective of the production. There are also some in-depth behind-the-scenes featurettes that give more info. on how the film was created as well, plus plenty of textual info on the locations, people and other movie-related things. For me, I loved the short featurette by Michael Steans on "The Beam" instrument used for soundtrack. Another excellent IMAX movie created by Ron Fricke and Michael Stearns at the same time as "Chronos" was "Sacred Site", which played as a double bill with "Chronos" in 1987. I really like this movie, more so the soundtrack. As mentioned before, the only thing that stands out as a slight negative point is the weird editing style of jumping around to different worldly locations so quickly instead of progressively moving from one place to another. One minute you are in Monument Valley, Arizona and the next you are viewing the Giza Pyramids in Eygpt, then you're on Lake Powell in Utah. I don't mind, but it is an odd way of editing."