I saw the first two with live accompaniment, too - I've missed out on seeing the third one, though.

Naqoyqatsi was tough going compared with the first two - not so scenic, much more concerned with the inner workings of technology. It also suffered in that it was the only one I was introduced to on a television set. The first two I saw in theaters.

I haven't revisited Koyaanisqatsi in a very long time, and wonder how it would hold up for me by now. I'll have to give it a rent. I saw Powaqatsi in a local independent theater, and I really enjoyed it, but the house I saw it with made audible noises of disenjoyment, including sarcastic snoring sounds, so that made the experience frustrating.

Another difference between the first two films - when I showed Koyaanisqatsi in Santa Fe back in 1984, most of the audience lit up. When I saw Powaqatsi, most of the audience were sipping Perrier and eating overpriced sandwiches. That might have had something to do with it.

Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Lady Catherine (Katherine?) is not nearly as bitchy in the 1995 version as she is in the 2005 version. But I daresay that Judi did a wonderful wonderful job.
:)

We re-watched Batman Begins last night. I tell you what, Dark Knight's got a lot to live up to. Begins is a great movie. I think it does an excellent job of carrying the "fear" theme all the way through, with characters and story that serves the theme and makes a point. It wasn't an overbearing message movie while still having a salient enough point to warrant grandiose comic book dialog and story (as in "your parents were perfect, captains of industry, level headed family folk, adored by all, sacrificed everything for a city that ultimately killed them and were happy to do so, and oh by the way supported the freaking underground railroad. Live up to THAT, douchebag!").

Preliminary reviews are in on it, and word is that it's actually even better. On Metacritic (which I prefer over Rotten Tomatoes; RT gives you a % of people who deem it good or bad, Metacritic gives each review a % rating and averages them, so it's more accurate) it currently has a 97% - very few films ever get a number that good. (Surely it may go down, but it says something that Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and Time all gave reviews rated 100% - otherwise known as "flawless.")

Saw Hellboy II last night. Really enjoyed it. H didn't like it as much as the first - but still liked it a lot.

Worth the time and $.

Just BLOWN AWAY by Batman Begins last night. Everything I remember having issues with the first time seemed wonderful this time. For some reason I hated Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes the first time around but this time she seemed a pretty good fit. (Of course she's not in the next one, which is fine, I didn't love her.)

They did an incredible job of melding the seriousness with the grand scale of things. Nothing comes off as cheesy, even as over-the-top-ness is everywhere, and I'm cackling over whatever awesome gadgetry or death-defying moment seems totally believable within the realm of the film. Damn, that's some good action-filmmaking.

*crosses fingers*

I saw Hancock on Saturday and Journey to the Center of the Earth this afternoon (both at the Americana at Brand). I enjoyed them both, though JTTCOTE wins the weekend because of the great 3-D effects and a couple great jolts. Journey steals a lot from other films (Bill & Ted, Indian Jones, Jurassic Park) though it does it well, maybe even topping the originals a bit. Hancock has been criticised for its mid-point twist, though I had no problem with it whatsoever.

Tref sez, check 'em out.

Yeah, I don't understand why that seems to upset people (the Hancock twist, that is).