There are a lot of ways to blow a couple hours of your life. Vidz, daytime TV, hanging around college campuses posing as a recruiter for Harvard…wait, was that my inside voice? Uh…well, back to journalism, folks: I just checked out the latest offering from Sender Films, Big Up Productions, and the Reel Rock Film Tour, 2011. In a word: worthy of a couple hours of your life. That was eight words. Dammit, this writing gig is hard!
If you’ve seen past editions of Reel Rock, then you’re accustomed to the gig. They go beyond climb/gravity-porn and capture a beautiful, sometimes soulful, often kooked-out cross-section of adventurous personalities going huge all over the world. The cinematography is world-class, but what gets me is the breadth of the experiences they share.
Take this year for example. “Cold,” a film shot by American Corey Richards, chronicles his, Simone Moro’s, and Denis Urubko’s bid to climb Gasherbrum II (8035m)…in winter. Over the past 26 years, 16 expeditions have attempted to bag an 8000er in winter–and none have succeeded. “Cold” gives a highly condensed video-report of the three’s efforts, including daily temperatures. I won’t blow the film for you, but at the end they’re hit with an avalanche and Richards has the sense to turn the camera on himself moments after he realizes he’s not buried and he will live. Anybody who has ever backcountry skied knows the anxiety of playing in avalanche terrain. It’s a raw, insane moment…check it out.
Alongside “Cold” we get “Sketchy Andy,” the tale of Andy Lewis, the world’s best–and sketchiest–slackliner. He’s also a neophyte, but totally fearless, BASE jumper. The guy is totally lovable, for his enthusiasm and uncut stoke…but man, he’s…sketchy.
The point is, Reel Rock is the prism through which the fevered minds over at Sender and Big Up see their vertically inspired world. Alpine mega-gnar, red rock country insanity, Timmy O’Neill commentary, soulful introspection, and irreverent anarchism…it’s all out there and Reel Rock gives us a glimpse every year. I love it.
