Koyaanisqatsi, a film by Godfrey Reggio and Ron Fricke

Koyaanisqatsi is a nonverbal film made during the 1970's and 1980's. Koyaanisqatsi contains images from the real world. It was devised by Godfrey Reggio for the Institute of Regional Education. Philip Glass composed and recorded the music for Koyaanisqatsi. Ron Fricke was the cinematographer and shot the film. Some shots where stock footage though.

Koyaanisqatsi started an entire new genre, which has been spearheaded by Ron Fricke, who later went on to create Chronos and Baraka, which are great films. Other films have also been created in the genre. Godfrey Reggio later went to make Powaqqatsi and Naqoyqatsi with Philip Glass, although not with Ron Fricke, who was making his own films at that point.

Koyaanisqatsi contains no dialogue or description for any of the scenes in the film. It is for the user to gain what they want from the film. Koyaanisqatsi generally appeals to open minded people, particularly those who have traveled.

Koyaanisqatsi is often studied by film students, as it offers a different approach to film making. As it contains no script, dialogue or actors it relies heavily on other factors like time-lapse (the opposite of slow motion) and spectacular scenes.

I would recommend that everyone watches Koyaanisqatsi.

Ron Fricke's movie Chronos

I watched Chronos yesterday, for the first time in months. Before watching the film I watched almost all of the extras. The extras contain some excellent information, which allowed me to watch and appreciate many scenes in a different way. Another great feature is the commentary provided by Ron Fricke, Michael Sterns and Alton Walpole. This gives a great insight into the hard work and alternative methods employed by the team to create this great movie.

Having been re-released recently the new DVD offers a great image transfer when compared to the original. The extra features also make it worthwhile.

Many of the team that made Chronos also worked on Ron Fricke’s more famous movie Baraka.

Cornish Photographer

I thought I'd let you know about my friend Abby. She is an expert in travel photography tips, and she is available for freelance work. She is especially good at wedding photographer, family albums and any promotional pictures such as those for brochures and websites.

Lewis Hamilton Wins the 2008 British Grand Prix

In the pouring rain Lewis Hamilton showed the skill that has rightfully earned him his drive at McLaren. He comfortabley won the race, seeing off all the competition. He made a great start and kept his cool right until the finish line.

There were many surprises, including Massa who could barely keep the car on the road, and Barichello who came an incredible third for Honda.

Mark Webber, who qualified second, had trouble and sadly did not repeat his qualifying success.

The race for the title is now very much on, with the top 4 driver tied for 1st place with 48 points.

Travel Blog

I have just returned from a 7 month trip through Asia. You can read about my travels in my travel blog. I've added lots of photos and travel guides.

Camper vans

Camper van life has great information about everything to do with camper vans and motorhomes. They have information about buying, maintaining and building camper vans. There is also a section on living in a camper van

Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is my favourite movie of all time. Consistently voted as one of the best movies of all time, it’s a real favourite.

Originally a story in a Stephen King book, the Different Seasons, known as Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, the story was adapted and the movie created. The movie was directed by Frank Darabont, and was his first major production. Interestingly Stephen King has written two stories about prisons, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, which happen to be the first two movies that Frank Darabont directed. Not a bad start eh?

The story is a cruel and terrible one, in which Andy Dufresne, an educated and kind man is wrongly convicted of his wife’s murder. During his time in prison he befriends several people, who are criminals, whereas Andy is not. His life is changed forever, as he deals with the troubles of incarceration.

Stephen King’s excellent character portrayal is not limited to his horror stories, and the characters in this story are some of his best. One could even believe this was based on a true story, but it is not, King has confirmed. The story is upsetting, puzzling and warming, and the movies popularity confirms people association with the story. I think it will always be a classic.

The other stories from the Different Seasons book are
The Body – which became the movie, Stand by me
The Apt Pupil – which also became a movie
The Club – which has yet to make it to the big screen

I would recommend the book to anyone who is a fan, as it is a great collection of stories.

The Shawshank Redemption is a very popular story, whether read in a book or watched as a film.