ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE [1996] [DVD] [USA Release]
The Computer Animation Journey Continues!
From the Producer of the award-winning, critically acclaimed ‘The Mind's Eye’ series.
Includes material from the Mike Oldfield music video “LET THERE BE LIGHT,” from the Warner Music album “The Songs of Distant Earth.”
Strap yourself in for a mesmerizing, light-speed voyage to the far frontiers of human imagination with this breath-taking computer-generated flight of fancy. Powered by a soaring original score from KERRY LIVGREN, founder and former guitarist of legendary rock group Kansas, this mind-bending volume offers the ultimate in state-of-the art computer imagery from the world's leading digital visionaries including animation talent that worked on ‘Babe,’ ‘Johnny Mnemonic,’ ‘Batman Forever,’ ‘Stargate’ and ‘James And The Giant Peach.’ Take this journey and enter into a cyber-active realm of sights and sounds beyond anything you've ever imagined!
Directors: David Apkian, Edward Feuer, Jerzy Kular, Evangelina Sirgardode Sousa and Kinji Odaka,
Producers: Edward Feuer and Steven Churchill
Composer: Thomas Dolby
Image Resolution: 1080i
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: None
Running Time: 66 minutes
Region: NTSC
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Sony Music Entertainment / An Odyssey Productions
Andrew's DVD Review: With the computer animation ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE’ [1996] with these ‘The Mind’s Eye franchise series I have been a massive fan of this series, I was slightly disappointed with ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE.’ After successfully watching some of the best of the computer animation in all three wonderful volumes, they seem to slack off and go with imagery that has nothing new with this particular DVD. Some of it is quite good. Some of it is neat to look at. None of it is sort of ground-breaking the ground of offering high end imagery to the masses.
Although I must admit with ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE’ is really superb. After being spoilt with Jam Hammer in ‘Beyond The Mind’s Eye,’ but to me composer Thomas Dolby with this series certainly comes second best just slightly. But you will still get some composed music moment when watching some of the computer animation that matches up perfectly.
On top of all that, with this computer animation compilation that features a soundtrack by Kerry Livgren and two more vocal tracks, One Dark World sung by Darren Rogers and Aspen Moon sung by Livgren’s nephew Jacob. ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE’ also features versions of CGI sequences from ‘Johnny Mnemonic’ [1995] and also features versions of CGI sequences from ‘Ecco: The Tides of Time’ [1994].
Again, the computer animation at times is really great and inventive and with the 11 individual segments and each track was different in theme, which added spice to this particual DVD release.
The entire musical theme was done in a rock musical format, with several tracks especially with No.2 or No.3 actually had singing in it by Kerry Livgren who was a member of the group: Kansas and I felt most of time that the music went extremely well with the graphics and was very upbeat, not radical or harsh in any way.
Some of the computer animation had dinosaurs, spaceships, underwater scene with a dolphin being chased by a sea monster, tropical islands, robots, and some of it was just far out computer animation.
Today, advanced computer graphics is something that you come to expect in most new special effects movies, at least in the action genre. Many times, these graphics are so advanced that the human eye cannot tell them apart from what has been filmed in “reality” (whatever that means in the world of motion pictures).
In the 1990’s, this new technology was only starting to become a tool for film-makers, and films like the Mind’s Eye series, which was basically only a platform for showcasing the latest and best animations, were really cool and spectacular. Today, they seem a bit quaint, but they do have innate artistic values in addition to the nostalgia factor.
The differences between the four parts in the series are fairly subtle. They all reflect the visual and musical preferences of the early to mid-1990’s. My feeling is that ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE’ is more thematically coherent than the other parts, but it has less originality, less metaphors, and less artistic integrity.
There are lots of things we have seen before, such as underwater scenery, futuristic cities, alien plant life and psychedelic patterns. The only part that feels really timeless, perhaps even ground-breaking, is the far too short segment titled “Martell – The Art of Cognac.” But I would still recommend Odyssey, especially if you enjoyed some of the earlier parts. At its best, it is soothing, dreamlike and almost meditative. True, the music is not as coherent as in the other parts, but it is still very good if you happen to like the 1990’s.
The concept of ‘The Mind’s Eye’franchise was to stitch together a series of computer animations, the most advanced that the computer in the 1990’s could offer, and is helped with an electronic score). On top of all that, with few segments give you the feeling of “look what we can do with our cool new toys.” But even today, there is much in it beyond retro nostalgia. It is not altogether far-fetched to describe it as a sort of “Fantasia” of its time.
The DVD contains 11 segments that include the following:
01. Oceanic Celebration (Written by Kerry Livgren)
02. Unstoppable (Written by Kerry Livgren)
03. Out Of Step (Written by Kerry Livgren)
04. The Empowering (Written by Kerry Livgren)
05. One Dark World (Written by Kerry Livgren) (Lead Vocals by Darren Rogers)
06. The Traveler (Written by Kerry Livgren) (Lead Vocals by Kreg Hoover)
07. Volatile Planet (Written by Kerry Livgren)
08. Liquidity (Written by Kerry Livgren)
09. Intelligent Life (Written by Kerry Livgren)
10. Utopian Dream (Written by Darren Rogers and Kerry Livgren)
11. Aspen Moon (Written by Kerry Livgren) (Lead Vocals by Kerry Livgren)
* * * * *
DVD Image Quality – Sony Music Entertainment and An Odyssey Productions presents us the ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE’ with a very standard 1080i colour image and of course presented in the standard 1.37:1 aspect ratio. But despite being a DVD release, it still presents some good colour images despite the age and condition of the computer animation shorts of its time. Sometimes you do get some grainy image, but nothing detrimental, especially as expected for film dating back almost six decades. Black levels allow for adequate detail. I could not see digital or compression artefacts. Despite it being a DVD release, the animations still looks really good, and I am sure the younger generation will find the computer animation very inventive and imaginative.
DVD Audio Quality – Sony Music Entertainment and An Odyssey Productions brings you this DVD with a very standard 2.0 Digital Stereo Audio experience and songs very clean and very natural to listen to. To me there were some outstanding composed music by Kerry Livgren, but sadly not so adventurous and inventive like the music by the amazing Jan Hammer. But despite some of the audio experience of ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE’ it is still a very enjoyable and adventurous and again some of the composed music with some of the computer animation are a great combination and will not disappoint massive fans of composer Kerry Livgren.
* * * * *
Finally, with the ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE,’ years ago I had the NTSC LaserDisc and was really bowled over by what I viewed of the computer animation, as it was all so new, bold and inventive and that is why when the DVD was released I had to purchase it to relive those happy memories years ago. And again this DVD brought back a lot of great memories and enjoyment. Although some of the computer animation is okay in places, but is helped with the composer Kerry Livgren compositions, and there’s still good enough here to please anyone who loves Kerry Livgren’s music. This film ‘ODYSSEY INTO THE MIND’S EYE’ is best enjoyed after you have already seen some of the other computer animation in ‘The Mind’s Eye’ series and want to view more of same. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
