It's been too long since I posted, so it's time for a rant...
Friday the skies in Washington opened up and the first snowflakes I've seen all season started to fall. It was glorious and made me want to get on my snowboard as soon as humanly possible. And then, to add to the delight, I realized that it was release day for First Descent, a snowboarding documentary. Now, I'm not thrilled that Hannah Teeter is the only chick in the movie (where's Shannon Dunn, Tricia Byrnes, Kelly Clark or Victoria Jealouse?), but it's a major release about snowboarding that isn't bullshit, so I won't complain about that too much. What I WILL complain about is reviewers who just don't get it trying to review the movie. In particular, the Washington Post's Ann Hornaday. I have not seen the movie yet, but there are a few fundamental flaws in her review which really don't have anything to do with the movie, as far as I can tell...
1) Snowboarders don't "schuss," we shred, homey! It's surfing on the snow, that's how it should be properly explained. Accept no substitutes.
2) She writes that snowboarding "aficionados" (I hate that word) will appreciate the chance to see their sport on the big screen, which is true, but then she says "until now, snowboarding has mainly been the purview of DIY videos whose gonzo party stunts gained them a huge cult following and are credited with helping the sport catch on." Which belies the fact that snowboard videos have become a HUGE part of the sport. A pro not in a movie is virtually unheard of, and it's gotten to the point where their movie credits are as vital a part of their stats as their binding angles and board length. Their release each year comes with much fanfare and all kinds of coverage from the sports' magazines and prominent displays in its boardshops. They're big business and build the sports' stars, hardly what I'd call DIY. In fact, this year, there's an all girls snowboarding DVD, As if..., from the first ever all girls snowboard film company, Misschief Films. Go get it! Or even better, get it for me for Christmas. :)
3) And finally, she says:
"But by and large, the half-pipe swoops, wipeouts and 360 turns that characterize snowboarding begin to all look the same, as Curley and Harrison return again and again to the same events and competitions. Unlike the streets and swimming pools of Southern California or the turquoise breakers of Hawaii, snowscapes -- whether they're in Vermont, Colorado or Alaska -- tend to look the same up close: white. And it's often difficult to discern who's who underneath the parkas and sun goggles."
Ouch. The American public seems to have no trouble telling the difference between a triple lutz and a triple axel, so don't tell me they can't tell a McTwist from a 720 (and they are 720s, a 360 won't even get your mom to take a picture these days let alone get you in a movie theatre). There's also that crack about the snow. Now, yes, all snow IS white, but the point is not the snow, it's the angle of the mountain, it's not knowing what lies below the next cliff, it's the height above the half-pipe that matter. If she were watching the magic the riders weave ripping down a mountain, choosing a line, risking their lives, doing something no one's ever done before, instead of looking for pretty scenery and smiling faces, maybe she'd have enjoyed it a bit more.
1) Snowboarders don't "schuss," we shred, homey! It's surfing on the snow, that's how it should be properly explained. Accept no substitutes.
2) She writes that snowboarding "aficionados" (I hate that word) will appreciate the chance to see their sport on the big screen, which is true, but then she says "until now, snowboarding has mainly been the purview of DIY videos whose gonzo party stunts gained them a huge cult following and are credited with helping the sport catch on." Which belies the fact that snowboard videos have become a HUGE part of the sport. A pro not in a movie is virtually unheard of, and it's gotten to the point where their movie credits are as vital a part of their stats as their binding angles and board length. Their release each year comes with much fanfare and all kinds of coverage from the sports' magazines and prominent displays in its boardshops. They're big business and build the sports' stars, hardly what I'd call DIY. In fact, this year, there's an all girls snowboarding DVD, As if..., from the first ever all girls snowboard film company, Misschief Films. Go get it! Or even better, get it for me for Christmas. :)
3) And finally, she says:
"But by and large, the half-pipe swoops, wipeouts and 360 turns that characterize snowboarding begin to all look the same, as Curley and Harrison return again and again to the same events and competitions. Unlike the streets and swimming pools of Southern California or the turquoise breakers of Hawaii, snowscapes -- whether they're in Vermont, Colorado or Alaska -- tend to look the same up close: white. And it's often difficult to discern who's who underneath the parkas and sun goggles."
Ouch. The American public seems to have no trouble telling the difference between a triple lutz and a triple axel, so don't tell me they can't tell a McTwist from a 720 (and they are 720s, a 360 won't even get your mom to take a picture these days let alone get you in a movie theatre). There's also that crack about the snow. Now, yes, all snow IS white, but the point is not the snow, it's the angle of the mountain, it's not knowing what lies below the next cliff, it's the height above the half-pipe that matter. If she were watching the magic the riders weave ripping down a mountain, choosing a line, risking their lives, doing something no one's ever done before, instead of looking for pretty scenery and smiling faces, maybe she'd have enjoyed it a bit more.
posted by lunchbox at 10:07 AM
2 Comments:
the only thing that disturbs me about this movie is that mountain dew paid for it. i know they're a big sponser for all things winter x, but i still have some reservations about seeing a "documentary" paid for by a soft drink
I don't know, doesn't seem much different than most of the product placement that happens in movies these days... Plus it's damn expensive to heli-drop in Alaska!
Post a Comment
<< Home