Product Details

• Actors: Tangerine Dream
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Miramar
• VHS Release Date: February 25, 1992
• Run Time: 40 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302327768
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,900 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Canyon Dreams aspires to reach the heights of the groundbreaking documentary Koyaanisqatsi. But for one, this 40-minute physical examination of the glory of the Grand Canyon features the music of New Age staple Tangerine Dream on the soundtrack instead of composer Philip Glass. And it hasn't the power or the political comment to match its mentor's visual bite. This awe-filled travelogue rarely sways from the formula set by that more original and astute cautionary documentary, yet it also fails to snatch its chance at taking a stand. Broken into six segments--Shadow Flyer, Canyon Carvers, A Matter of Time, Water's Gift, Canyon Voices, and Sudden Revelation--this reverent and staid view of the natural wonder that is Colorado's Grand Canyon results in a postcard-pretty film that quickly loses its impact. It sifts through a bland water, desert, and air approach to the natural monument and though in its first segment Canyon Dreams offers a glimpse into the architectural power of the place from the alien eye of a glider--which could be likened to a first glimpse at Mars--the prevailing shorts have little to offer that exalt the sandstone striations. Canyon Dreams opts to trivialize its subject, turning it into a Hallmark card rather than acting as a message-bearing warning: this spiritual sight could easily become an endangered species. What should be a strong reminder of our tenuous hold on the planet becomes a soothing pat on the head that complacently placates and massages the senses rather than incites viewers to feel or act. --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Photography, March 10, 2006

By 

Meco (Shreveport,La) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canyon Dreams (DVD)

I have owned this production on VHS for several years and
primarily bought it because it features music by
Tangerine Dream. The video itself has nothing to do with
Tangerine Dream but has views of the Grand Canyon like I
have never seen before. The aerial fly over shots are
something to see.
If the Grand Canyon is what you're wanting to see, then this
DVD is worth a look and hopefully you will become a fan of
Tangerine Dream music as well.
There is another DVD about the Grand Canyon that also features
music by Tangerine Dream called "Oasis". It has some of the
great photography in it as well, but also has Thunderstorms &
flashfloods.
If you do become a fan of Tangerine Dream after watching both
of these videos, there is a CD of both titles.
The Canyon Dreams CD has 2 addtional tracks on it that are not
on the video.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Majectic presentation of the spectacles of the Grand Canyon, May 30, 2000

By 

Wayne Bouchard (Chandler, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canyon Dreams (DVD)

I had the opportunity to see this shortly after it was originaly produced. I have personally been to the canyon several times and even went down it once. This video does a good job of bringing to light the experiences I had perviously. It is an excellent presentation demonstrating much artistry in the capturing and editing of the scenes filmed.

Even more so than the video, I particularly enjoy the music. The composition and performance is top notch. It easily ranks among my favorite pieces of music. What more needs to be said?

The only real drawback for this video is the poor quaility of the transfer. The video is slightly grainy (it can easily be ignored by the average viewer) but what I find as inexcusable is the audio being overmodulated in several sections. Particularly noticable at the start of the first and third segments of this picture. Its as if no one bothered to listen to the master after the transfer was complete. In looking at the above reviews, the concensus (and as you see, I agree for the most part) is that a spectular presentation was rendered less so by poor attention to detail in transfering the picture to DVD.

It would almost be worth it to me to buy a VHS copy, if it were availible.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing image quality; good music; nothing else!, February 17, 2000

By 

Steve Benner "Stonegnome" (Lancaster, UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canyon Dreams (DVD)

This DVD contains just less than 40 minutes of dazzling imagery, filmed in and around the Grand Canyon by Camera One Productions. The material is divided into 6 chapters, each following a particular (graphical) theme and accompanied by the haunting melodies by premier synthesiser group Tangerine Dream. Originally made in 1987, the picture quality is rather poor by DVD standards and particularly so in low light situations, where the grain often becomes quite intrusive. More care has been taken with the soundtrack, presented here in PCM 48kHz 16-bit stereo and in many ways, this is more of a music video than it is a travel or nature film. Fans of Tangerine Dream's music may, therefore, get more out of this disc than will lovers of the spectacular scenery of the American Southwest. Attentive TD fans may flinch a little, though, at the clumsy overdubs to which the music for the opening chapter, `Shadow Flyer', has been subjected in order to make it cue better to the flow of images. (For a full review of the soundtrack music, check out the CD section of Amazon.)

Overall, I found this is a rather disappointing release. Both music and images are weaker than those in the later (and very similar) disc, "Oasis", from the same forces-although it has to be said that the two combine better here than they do on the subsequent release.

(Incidentally, this disc has no region encoding on it and will play on any DVD player.)