SydneySi_43 Reviews

Sacred Site (1986)

This masterpiece needs to be preserved.

[10/10 · 6 August 2019]

Ron Fricke's IMAX short is nothing but incredible. If you had the chance to see this short in the 80s you would know why I rate this film so highly. It is a stunning portrait of Hayley's Comet passing over the skies of the Northern Territory of Australia. Uluru is the backdrop for this masterpiece of cinematography. You will never see time lapse astrophotography like this anywhere else to date. Shot with IMAX cameras on 70mm film stock, the narrative is remarkable. From dusk to dawn in 7 minutes with a gorgeous interweaved soundtrack by Michael Stearns, Sacred Site leaves you breathless. This movie has since been lost to the vaults and by all accounts will never resurface again unless someone saves it. I5 should be restored and remastered in UHD before it is too late and the film stock becomes irreversibly damaged. If anyone in the industry knows the whereabouts of the masters and has the finances to remaster this short, please, please put up the finances before it's too late. Do this and preserve this masterpiece and allow it to see the light of day once more alongside a 4K release of Samsara or Baraka. If I had the money to finance the mastering I would gladly do so, but unfortunately I am only a fan of cinema and not wealthy enough to do so. Don't let this piece of cinematic history be lost forever. A huge Ron Fricke fan in Australia.

The Marchioness Disaster (2007 TV Movie)

Tasteless

[1/10 · 26 November 2009]

I can understand why this film never saw the light of day in the UK. I lost a friend on the Marchioness and this TV film was terribly made and therefore I think in very poor taste. If anybody wants to see a film that is sensationalist in its approach and also inaccurate in its account of the nights events that does not pay any particular attention to the people who lost their lives on board the boat or who survived the accident, then this IS the film for them. However if you wish to see a film that is tasteful, touching and informative then I suggest you try and see the UK Documentary "The Marchioness: A Survivor's Story". Here you will see just how tragic and painful this event was for all involved.