(non-music related, sort of) Three trippy/deep/thinker movies

[FunkyHiFi]

These are movies I own and have watched lots of times because their subject matter is, well, read the subject line again. Two of them also have interesting soundtracks that really add to their stories & are not just there to fill in the silence.

Contact This is based on a book written by Carl Sagan. I first heard of him when we watched the award winning & super-cool PBS series Cosmos (click on Cosmos Store - the dvd version is on my birthday list ), which he also wrote, in biology class when I was in 10th grade. This is bascially a story about where we come from, but features two different versions of that issue: the scientific version offered by Jodie Foster's character, and the religious version offered by Matthew McConaughey's character. They don't whine or bitch at each other over this but discuss it respectfully. Sagan writes the characters with humanity & Robert Zemeckis the director does his job with the same attitude (he also directed Forrest Gump, among many other popular movies), so the story isn't just a long dry debate.

Koyaanisqatsi A documentary? A movie? I'm not sure but this is definitely a "deep" show, full of images of modern humanity shown in unexpected ways & the photography can be riveting. There are no actors, or a script. The title comes from a Hopi indian word that basically means "life out of balance". Don't let the show's debut date deter you from watching this because while the hairstyles & clothes may look dated, the human parts are still relevant. FYI: don't be in a hurry when you watch this - many scenes are held for 1 to 2 minutes at a time, presumably to allow the viewer to think about them better. The dvd has a 30 minute interview that really helps explain the show creator's motivation for making this. Every time I watch it, I think of and see things I hadn't seen before - the Paul's Boutique of documentaries I guess.

There are several sequels to this show.

The acoustic/electronic soundtrack is by Philip Glass and to be honest, for me it got too repetitive in certain parts, but generally does help the viewer get into the show's issues better. The 5.1 soundtrack is mostly an ambient one so don't expect swirling sound effects and the like (which wouldn't fit the visuals anyway) and if you have a subwoofer it will get a workout: the very low musical notes played in many parts of the show really add to the film's impact. You can buy it on CD and dvd-audio (dvd-audio discs have either a 5.1 Dolby Digital or 5.1 DTS track for regular dvd players). While a really good show, it's pretty somber and afterwards I always watch some Simpsons or put on some happy music to wash away the gloom.

Chariots Of The Gods? Based on the book of the same name written by Erich Von Daniken. When this came out in 1970 it caused an uproar in the scientific and religious fields. Its basic premise is that ancient astronauts are responsible for all religions and/or for our existance on Earth in the first place. But after its release, careful researchers found that the author had created certain "artifacts" shown in the film and fudged some other "facts" to strengthen his theory. But most of the film is basically legit & shows things anyone can see for themselves that are really thought provoking (like the 500 year old frescos with images that look just like spaceships) and offers some pretty startling theories hard to ignore. Read more about this here.

I first saw this as a kid when it was re-released in the theaters years later, and as a major sci-fi fan, its premise always stuck in my mind even after learning of its flaws.

It's soundtrack is also pretty cool and has all kinds of styles featured, some I can't even name. Jazz, lounge, rock, 60s poppy stuff, trippy electronica, etc are there - you can hear a streaming version of the entire album here. It also came out on CD and vinyl but I think those are out of print now. This music also definitely adds to the atmosphere of the film, especially the more dreamy/speculative portions.