Eternity's Pillar Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Eternity's Pillar Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 17, 2026

It's not impossible to find oddball Blu-ray releases, but this might be the first one I'd pull off my shelf if someone asked, "what's the weirdest thing you've ever reviewed?" Now, I've reviewed awful travelogues, drive-by Christmas light displays, poorly produced cat videos, and The Love Guru, but Eternity's Pillar just might take the cake for most bizarre. This show originally aired on KTTV in Los Angeles at 1:00 AM (late Sunday night/early Monday morning) between 1985-1988 and was created, hosted, and directed by jazz musician and "spiritual guru" Alice Coltrane. The show nearly defies traditional categorization: it's religious devotional content, music, meditation, dancing, and chanting, and it's downright weird. Mesmerizing and hypnotic, but weird. Now, the show survives on Blu-ray with its focus on content more than technical presentation, and it should satisfy the nostalgic itch for anyone who happened to stumble on its original airings back in the day and wants to revisit it or for anyone who has never seen it but is looking to bring a weird 80s vibe into their home theater.

Because Eternity's Pillar really defies typical categorization and traditional plot synopses, it's probably better to just write a few words about what to expect when popping in the discs. Eternity's Pillar is a smorgasbord of "TV spiritual experiences." Alice Coltrane "hosts" under the name "Swamini Turiyasangitananda" (I'm so glad "copy and paste" is a thing!) and guides viewers through her own mesh of religion and spirituality. Episodes include music, dancing, chanting, reading, and various bursts of natural imagery, among other things. Coltrane uses all of this to share her personal religious views and encourage audiences to think about their own worldview within the prism of hers.

Like the show or not, be a fan of Coltrane or not, there's no missing her sincerity. The audience never gets the feeling that this is an act, a performance, something from a script: it's genuine. Sure, the material is preplanned, but the there's genuineness to it that feels like whatever is happening flows organically and not part of some "master plan." She uses music to excellent effect and impact to reinforce the proceedings. Her skill is evident, but so is her imagination and ability to piece together the various musical elements into a coherent whole. This sets the stage for the show's mediative call and contemplative atmosphere, supported by the weird visuals and overall vibe that is quite unlike anything I've experienced on the screen before, especially in this quantity and with this sort of laser focus. Usually this kind of things is a part of a larger whole, but here the experience is the centerpiece.

It's certainly not for everyone. If nothing else, the imagery can be off-putting, with weird colors, crystals, nature views, religious iconography, dancing, and other things that come together to blend into a singularly off-kilter experience. The show creates an unusual mood and aims to almost pull the audience out of their own minds and into something else entirely. The show is deliberately paced -- read slow -- and is oftentimes repetitive. It seems to aim to leave viewers with some sort of experience rather than a traditional watch with recognizable entertainment value. It teeters on being hilariously bad, and one could imagine a short MST3K segment on it. I don't know what to make of it. It's just a swirl of the bizarre that, if nothing else, offers the curious a slice of TV curiosity that is definitely a conversation piece for any two or more who watch.

Eternity's Pillar Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While Eternity's Pillar might be the first thing I point too as the weirdest review in my history, it isn't going to be the first, or the hundredth, or maybe even the thousandth, or five thousandth, release I'd pull off the shelf for Blu-ray video quality reference material. It's presented at a resolution of 720p and at an aspect ratio of about 4x3, preserving the original broadcast ratio that places vertical "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 frame. It's not necessarily a great looking presentation in terms of raw visual pop and wonder, but what it is is faithful to its source, which is all anyone can reasonably ask for a release such as this. It's not been reworked to give it an artificial modern sheen; instead, it's simply a faithful presentation that enjoys enhanced stability on Blu-ray and as much accuracy as the format can offer the material. The series is home to all of the expected shortcomings associated with broadcast material of this age: it's soft, flat, lacking in ultra fine detail, with mild noise, flatter and bleeding colors, and not much eye appeal at all, especially now blown up on much bigger screens than most anyone watched on in the 80s. The show incorporates a lot of weird video elements that haven't aged particularly well, either. That said, the throwback, vintage look is part of the appeal and part of the experience, and I'm guessing that fans who are serious about reliving the show will be more than satisfied with what's on offer here.

Eternity's Pillar Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the audio presentation is a product of its era, with various technical limitations "interfering' with a more traditionally modern audio experience. Still, the show's natural characteristics are intact and really vital to the proceedings; sound is integral to the program, and the various chants, readings, and music never find the sort of fullness and richness a modern track provides, and that's perfectly fine. The resultant LPCM 2.0 uncompressed soundtrack is something that is authentic to the program and rather straightforward in technical delivery. There's not much here in the way of dynamic spacing across the front, favoring a more central and straightforward soundscape. The aged elements lack the dynamic definition of modern listens, but the essential details are present and accounted for, and listeners will certainly get the full experience within the limited confines of the source's restrictions. Again, like the video, listeners need to come into the track with expectations in check; this gives listeners exactly what the show has to offer, which is the way it should be.

Eternity's Pillar Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The sole on-disc supplement is Black Journal #26: Alice Coltrane, A Love Supreme (1080p, 15:07), an interview from 1970s with Alice Coltrane from Dix Hills, New York. It also includes footage featuring Pharoah Sanders, Reggie Workman, Bill Wood, and Rashied Ali. It was shot in 16mm and offers a distinct visual flavor from the video-based content proper it accompanies. The set also include s physical, 80 page color book that includes an episode guide, written interviews, essays, and Coltrane's own responses to various questions. Each disc ships in its own Digipack (one orange with brown text, one brown with orange text) with crisp text and artwork. The two Digipaks and the booklet are tucked into a handsome and sturdy slip box that is orange in color and will definitely stand out on the shelf.

Eternity's Pillar Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have to be perfectly honest: I'm not the audience for Eternity's Pillar. I never saw it (I didn't live in L.A.) and it wouldn't have captured my long-term attention, anyway. My late nights were usually filled with Star Wars marathons, umpteenth viewings of Aliens and Die Hard, late night west coast baseball games, Don West selling baseball cards on Shop at Home, and, oddly enough, oddball infomercials and the rare episode of The Golden Girls (really!). But, for fans of Eternity's Pillar, this is a great opportunity to get back into it, and for newcomers looking to bring unusual vibes into their lives, this will certainly fill the bill. The Blu-ray looks and sounds fine within its context, the extras (on-disc and physical) are solid, and the packaging is pretty nice. If you're still reading, you know if you want it or not.