Went To See Valley Uprising Last Night

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Messages 1 - 36 of total 36 in this topic

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 20, 2014 - 04:21pm PT

Left during intermission. True Story.

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Sep 20, 2014 - 04:26pm PT

Hmmmm?

nah000

climber

canuckistan

Sep 20, 2014 - 04:27pm PT

elaboración, por favor...

Radish

Trad climber

SeKi, California

Sep 20, 2014 - 04:34pm PT

Teenage Cyborgs crunching 5.14's for 2 hours or what??

Spider Savage

Mountain climber

The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles

Sep 20, 2014 - 04:38pm PT

The film may or may not be good BUT it's tough to make a living as a climber. So give our brothers some support.

Thanks for your input. I'll still pay to see it and sit through the whole thing, even if I find it less than I expected.

Even Hollywood films like Veritical Limit (gag) and Cliffhanger (meh) flowed money into our community. So let's at least encourage that part of it.

WBraun

climber

Sep 20, 2014 - 04:48pm PT

You didn't see sh!t.

If you watch the film cross eyed you'll see me in the background flying around on my magic carpet ......

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

Nothing creative to say

Sep 20, 2014 - 04:54pm PT

sik! I love magic carpet rides!! :)

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2014 - 04:54pm PT

Oh, don't get me wrong, it's a worthy movie. I'll buy it and watch it over and over when it becomes available. But the sold-out crowd of NAU students, gym climbers, and the like almost drove me insane. Imagine a theatre full of clueless kids who had no idea when they should jeer or cheer, but did so anyway -- with gusto. One of the last straws for me was the Dawn Wall sequence. A bunch of maynards booing Harding, Cheering Robbins, then falling silent when Robbins stopped the chop because the nailing was taking everything he had and then some. It irritated me.

I also had some minor quibbles about the film. Well, maybe not-so-minor quibbles. 20 minutes into the film I was kicking myself for not bringing a notebook. They kinda stretched things there in order to develop a coherent narrative.

This stuff happens when entire generations begin to believe their own press releases.

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2014 - 05:00pm PT

Bard cackling like a little kid when describing the pot and the lake -- priceless. It was those little bits that I enjoyed the most.

And Werner -- how come you always looked stoned in the photos?

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:01pm PT

High five bob

klk

Trad climber

cali

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:02pm PT

This stuff happens when entire generations begin to believe their own press releases.

money quote

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2014 - 05:04pm PT

I'm thinking one for n00bs and one for those who own a rack.

goatboy smellz

climber

लघिमा

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:05pm PT

bvb

This stuff happens when entire generations begin to believe their own press releases.

What!
Climbers blowing smoke up each others asses.
Why would they do that?

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2014 - 05:13pm PT

I probably won't see it

I already saw it, and seeing it thru someone else's eyes 40 years later might be a disappointment.

Oh yeah Kevin, that was no doubt part of my problem. But the little things grated on me. The film was talking about Robbins and the '57 route on Half Dome, but the film cut to a photo of Robbins sitting at a picnic table with the rack for the 2nd ascent of the Nose.

That kind of stuff happens over and over and over. I suppose I'm an ass for even noticing, but hey, there you go.

Flip Flop

Trad climber

Truckee, CA

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:15pm PT

I see beauty in that group epiphany. . Didn't we all learn and grow and change along the way?

ryankelly

Trad climber

el portal

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:22pm PT

Werner is funny man

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:32pm PT

Um, you know that to the climbers of today, just one of every cam, is a proud suggestion of a rack?

klk

Trad climber

cali

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:35pm PT

But the little things grated on me. The film was talking about Robbins and the '57 route on Half Dome, but the film cut to a photo of Robbins sitting at a picnic table with the rack for the 2nd ascent of the Nose.

now yr retreating to antiquarian complaints.

you were on the edge of saying it with the generational nostalgia deal, don't pull the reins now.

whip and ride, baby, whip and ride.

WBraun

climber

Sep 20, 2014 - 05:44pm PT

We all know for sure if they really showed what happened in those daze the film would just end up triple X rated ......

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 20, 2014 - 07:17pm PT

now yr retreating to antiquarian complaints.

Perhaps, Kerwin. But you of all people should be able to understand what it's like to catch this over and over and over in a documentary. There's just no escaping knowledge of facts, history, and of course personal experience. I can't hide from the fact I, y'know, know stuff. As for my snark about believing your own myths, more on that later. When I'm in a foul mood.

Maybe I should just review the film the way Lester Bangs would have -- honest and unmerciful. Guess I'll have to see the 2nd half first.

klk

Trad climber

cali

Sep 20, 2014 - 07:50pm PT

Perhaps, Kerwin. But you of all people should be able to understand what it's like to catch this over and over and over in a documentary. There's just no escaping knowledge of facts, history, and of course personal experience. I can't hide from the fact I, y'know, know stuff. As for my snark about believing your own myths, more on that later. When I'm in a foul mood.

yeah, but antiquarian accuracy (even pedantry: cf the endless sierra/s whining here on ST) is what i expect from local history of climbing or music or architecture or anything else of the kind. i've long since given up on the purity of that crap, unless some major interpretive moral rides on this or that detail.

so when i watch/visit/read something like this, i actually want something different from the n-teenth installment of "cali-climbing-was-spiritual-in the-50s/60s/70s" schtick. jay got the context right in pilgrims and st hated him for it. i trust ken to get the technical details right in the popular venues. and we really can't take any more autobio. i haven't seen this one and wasn't a consultant.

we want the snark. and without all that lester bangs bs.

ryankelly

Trad climber

el portal

Sep 20, 2014 - 08:44pm PT

I'm going early for my spot in line to watch this commercial trash try to replicate the past...

Stonemasters will probably fly to the front on magic carpets...I know that us modern humans just can't reach the same heights as the old dudes..

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Sep 20, 2014 - 09:18pm PT

I think you'll enjoy it Warbler, if you just open your mind, let it flow, and try hard not to over analyze it.

Just go for the ride, not your interpretation of what it was in your eyes at the time.
Like Werner says, there can be no full telling of the story for all those wildmen, including you, in a couple hours. Can't be done.

Hell, I was there for some of it too! Does it show Chappy consoling me out in the meadows for my failure? No. Does it show me picking some leaves out of Harding's hair after a wild night? No.
Does it matter? No.

Will I enjoy it for what it is? Yes.

Peace.
B

bhilden

Trad climber

Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO

Sep 20, 2014 - 10:29pm PT

I am pretty sure it doesn't show Harding assaulting me at midnight in the Mountain Room bar spilling wine all over my clothes while muttering "no way the East Face of the Column goes free! Let's go out there right now so I can see you do it for myself!"

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

Nothing creative to say

Sep 21, 2014 - 12:06am PT

I flew a magic carpet last weekend. Born of a common desire to climb in the Sierra that spans all generations. One slice of a view will never capture my golden age at a handful of smaller crags. Neither will this movie capture the Yosemite golden ages completely. And where else might the new guys catch a piece of the history?

Keep stoke alive

Wayno

Big Wall climber

Seattle, WA

Sep 21, 2014 - 12:35am PT

Funny thread. It occurred to me that all one has to do is attend the Oakdale Climbers fest. The last two years attendees represented a large part of the surviving participants in this evolving myth. You can actually talk to the players. For the the most part they are accessible , genuine and inspiring. Way better live than on some contrived video.

Leggs

Sport climber

Made in California

Sep 21, 2014 - 08:50am PT

When ya run the film backwards the down climbing is awesome and the audio repeats over and over "Werner's dead, Werner's dead,......". ;-)

GHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa

Best
Qwote
Ever.

I'm with Tami on this one.
Freaking hilarious.

Bob, I appreciate your input on the film ... I like your honesty and perspective.

~peace

phylp

Trad climber

Millbrae, CA

Sep 21, 2014 - 09:01am PT

BVB, I agree with your main point, which is that documentary's should be accurate.
Which raises an interesting idea -

Maybe they should have made this movie as a "docudrama" using current day climber/actors to play the now ancient historical figures. Would get a lot more action footage. Could put in more sex drugs and rock and roll scenes.

Which current day climber would play which historically depicted climber?
werner could still play himself, probably.

Phyl

Rick A

climber

Boulder, Colorado

Sep 21, 2014 - 09:35am PT

Bob,

You missed the best part! The second half includes videos of illegal wingsuit flights amongst the Valley landmarks which are exhilarating.

I had quibbles about several things, but overall, I really enjoyed it and recommend that people don't wait for the video. Big screen is the way to go on this film.

Living in Colorado, most have not visited Yosemite and I always struggle to try to explain the scale of the El Capitan, "Take the tallest building in Denver, imagine three more stacked on top of it. Now imagine it is made of white granite and is a half mile wide."

The movie was able to communicate the immensity of El Cap better than anything I have ever seen or heard. One base jumping video that made this point near the end of the movie was worth the price of admission alone.

It would make even a curmudgeon smile! :)

TwistedCrank

climber

Released into general population, Idaho

Sep 21, 2014 - 10:04am PT

There is no such thing as bad publicity.

climber

Sep 21, 2014 - 10:51am PT

"...the only true story is told by the crags and their routes." - The Warbler

Ah, the stands in 'mute testimony' thang...

I agree!

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Sep 21, 2014 - 11:01am PT

I like Phyl's idea!
Though I will see this, and plan to enjoy it anyway, whatever take on history it spins.

"Unbiased journalism is a contradiction in terms," - Hunter S.thompson