RED: I don't ski, but after the opening scene of Andrew McLean and friends ski mountaineering on Antarctica, I want to. Seriously, they skied on an iceberg...AWESOME.
The premise of the movie is ski addicts call Johnny Moseley on a self-help radio talk show. Honestly, it was a little lame. It could have been a good concept with better lines or acting, but what can I expect these are skiers not actors. Snowboarders don't zone out, there is some snowboarding too, but it is mostly a ski video. Actually, the snowboarders were the best part. They were stupid and therefore funny.
By far my favorite part was the Antarctica section. The filmmakers did an amazing job showing off the extreme angles of the mountain. I attempted a little alpine mountaineering earlier this year and have to admit it is the scariest thing I have done. You hate yourself the entire time, determined to sell all your gear when you get safely back to the base of the mountain and some reasonable grades, but as soon as you get to the bottom you're magically ready to do it all over again. The idea of skiing down the mountain after cramponing your way up huge slopes...strap two sticks to my feet (if only it was that easy).
Overall, the footage is great, but it just wasn't as entertaining as movies I've seen at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. My reflex to cry out in "holy cow" or "oh s**t" were much less frequent. Not saying that there wasn't awesome skiing on display, but the vibe was just a little slower. I also think the cost was too high for the experience (tickets for Banff are half the price). Next year they should get some younger skiers in the film to spice it up (still great skiers, but crazy funny to watch).
BRUNETTE: What the... so your 17 bones to watch a sweet "A" ski movie AND let's not forget a day pass to the Canyon's Resort was too expensive? Geez RED, you are hard to please. I on the other hand thought Wintervention was AWESOME. But, I am also the skier of the group (I also board but who's to say which is better. Really.)
The self-help radio talk show bit was pretty hard to muscle down but that was what Junior Mints were for--just when the lack of acting skills and mediocre plot lines kick in, so does my hand reaching deep into the depths of my ginormous purse and rifling out a few of those delectable mints. A satisfying method I would say, to go into a sugar induced coma until the coolness that is backcountry skiing flashes back on. I think my neighbors enjoyed it as well. Duh, Red. Not Warren's fault if you didn't come prepared with your own sugary goodness.
My favorite part of the show was definitely the Southern Utah shots of Reggie and Zach Crist cruising off snow covered redrock. Combining two of my all time favorite activities (southern utah redrock and downhill skiing goodness) is a recipe for euphoria. Well done, well done. Also, the all night skiing shots in Norway where the sun never sets were phenomenal. It had me dreaming of days and nights rolling together of only hiking, skiing, sleeping and eating. Can you imagine a better life? I submit, that I cannot.
BLONDE: I can imagine a better life. It would be to cozy up by the fire, sipping hot cocoa, and snuggling down with a little Harry Potter literature. But, I suppose I am the lame one of the group. Seriously, Wintervention was a good concept, but poorly executed. Especially for this crowd. I'm pretty sure that the ski enthusiast would much rather watch some totally wicked ski films than the trying-too-hard script from the not-so-helpful radio talk show (sorry, I went a little hyphen happy there).
As more proof of my lameness, I watched most of the films through the gaps in my fingers as my hands covered my eyes. I have a hard time seeing people putting their lives in peril just for the fun of it. Or watching the man snowboarding in a full body cast because his doctor told him to avoid skiing for awhile. Really? Is stupidity that entertaining? Apparently so, because I think I'm the only person who thinks this way. Alright, alright, I will admit that much of the footage was spectacular and I wish I could ski, but I'll content myself with just making it down the mountain in one piece so that I can get back to Harry Potter.
To each her own (a cliché for us). Now if you'll excuse me, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are about to play a life-sized version of Wizards' Chess and I must be present or the story will not continue.
Did any of you see Warren Miller? What did you think?
2 comments:
No. No one else saw it.
Funny Tyler, that you even took the time to read this whole article.
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