Product Details

• Actors: Sun Ra, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Danny Davis, Pat Patrick
• Directors: Phill Niblock
• Producers: Phill Niblock, Robert Asen
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Mvd Visual
• DVD Release Date: March 8, 2005
• Run Time: 17 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0006U3UBK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,516 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Sun Ra - The Magic Sun" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

MAGIC SUN - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Space Age calls for Space Wares...that is, Far Out in a Cool manner," - Sun Ra, February 3, 2006

By 

the astral agent (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sun Ra - The Magic Sun (DVD)

Now, wait a second -- this feature is far better than you are being led to believe by the official Amazon &/or prior reviews...there IS a 16 minute film at the start, which could be summed up as a series of "close-ups in the dark" of the movement of hands playing instruments, eyes blinking, abstract moments interacting...but that is not all by any stretch.

The real gem here is the additional Ra footage that has a dense homemade witchcrafty appeal with Ra's whispered vocals, tape clicking, and general 'space-armchair-philosophizing' that is the true forte of this eccentric original in music history. Even though many stills are used to visually move Ra's musings forward, it never feels cheap artistically. The style works for the material.

Any Sun Ra archivist who can do without the features "Ra Speaks", "Eternal Ltd", "My Children" and "Truth is Bad" on this DVD is missing an arm and leg in this most unusual artist's body of work. MORE SILENCES than Ra enthusiasts will be used to in such an 'official' production, the focus of the disc really hones in on the entity that is the Man, more than the band.

"The Ancient Egyptians were the first to speak of Solar Boats, thousands of years ago..." Ra tells us. "We sail the galaxies through the medium of sound and take our audiences with us, whether they want to go or not!"

Make no mistake, "THE MAGIC SUN" is the part B appendix to the "Space Is The Place" Sun Ra classic. Do not miss the ride.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Out there a few minutes, March 15, 2005

By 

Heavy Theta (Lorton, Va United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sun Ra - The Magic Sun (DVD)

It's hard to think of anything you could order now that would give you a more concentrated dose of Sun Ra than this disc. The music represents the height of the Arkestra's studio power. It's great to hear Shadowlands with such clarity. The film, short as it is, is only watchable with frequent distractions, but Niblock's optical effects are as intense as the best 60's light show. Ra's recitations, with accompanying photos, are no less mind bending.

Both film and photos are well wrought to burnish the cosmic image that Ra sought to project. All the awe without the tinsel. For the music alone, this is going to be a frequent flier on my powerbook.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Beware of faulty dvds in this edition, April 30, 2006

By 

luh3417 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sun Ra - The Magic Sun (DVD)

My copy of the DVD seemed to be missing 3 of the "astonishing features" :-( It had the main film The Magic Sun which is wonderful and the 5.1 surround mix is great but it only had the photo montage and one "astonsishing extra". My copy had 5 short apocryphal clips of some IMHO very bad rock music clips, these were not complete and looked like they got stuck on by mistake in the copy run I received. Make sure you get the real thing. I have told Caiman about this who said tell Amazon so Amazon is advised and Atavistic. Perhaps they will reply here and enlighten us all.