Free Solo

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Rattlesnake Arch

Social climber
Home is where we park it
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 27, 2018 - 03:57pm PT
Did he make it?


I'll never tell.....
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Oct 27, 2018 - 06:31pm PT
Hm.

OMG, this episode is painful to sit through!

Surprised to see this.

Different expectations? and different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I thought the conversation got on swimmingly, start to finish. For Joe and for Alex. And for me.

From my pov, a joy to sit through.
Rattlesnake Arch

Social climber
Home is where we park it
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 27, 2018 - 07:02pm PT
Pushing the envelope...

Great video! Thanks DMT.
Mei

Trad climber
mxi2000.net
Oct 27, 2018 - 07:33pm PT
Maybe I'm just weird because I cringed and made faces through the Rogan/Honnold interview.

What's weirder is even though it was painful for me to sit through the interview listening to many silly questions and comments (admittedly among some good ones), I enjoyed it. There is some type II fun to it, I guess.

I do appreciate Rogan's genuine curiosity and keen engagement during his interviews though (no, I don't think he was acting), which does set him apart from most other interviewers. I also like it that he does not feel a need to pretend to be smart like many podcasters do and allows himself to ask silly questions.

So, kunlun_shan, I still recommend the interview. You might walk away feeling impressed how Honnold handles the interview swimmingly, and might just, like me, learn a great deal how to explain to non-climbers [SPOILER ALERT] the Class I - V breakdowns; YDS ratings; speed climbing up the same plastic route in competition year after year; how free climbers might fall but not die; how aid climbers might also fall and send an entire line of protections flying (while watching your listener palm his/her forehead in horror); how the hardest climbing grade is pushing into 5.16, while "THIS" route, being the easiest free wall route up El Cap, is ONLY 5.12d (and watch your listen do the math in his/her head that oh, it's only 75% of highest difficulty -- they for sure ignore the letter d), yadayadayada...

Yeah, I recommend the interview.

P.S. Yes, DMT, that video clip is pure gold. Seinfeld is one of my all time favorite shows. So clever!
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Oct 27, 2018 - 08:09pm PT
The movie was a hit with Laurie.

It was, for me, "second time around is more better."

We two left the theater shaking our aging heads in wonder that this style was beyond greatness, it was totally rad!

Talk about chips all in. So Vegas.

The following dinner conversation was excellent. I bolstered the edible MJ I had consumed before the movie with two glasses of wine, she had water. Each of us had the lamb and brought bones home to the doggies.

It all took just under 4 hrs, too!

Just like Alex! Woot!
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
Oct 28, 2018 - 07:26pm PT
Thanks, Mei. I will check out the interview upon reading your comments.

I saw Free Solo today and really enjoyed it. Certainly found it a bit gripping at times to watch.

PS, Sure wish the full size movie poster was available for purchase, the one that they ran as an ad in NG magazine. I would love to purchase it and then get it autographed by Alex and then get it framed.
^ Klimmer2.0, the poster is available for free download in 27" x 40" size. You could get it printed.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/films/free-solo/resources/
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
Oct 29, 2018 - 01:56pm PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Rattlesnake Arch

Social climber
Home is where we park it
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2018 - 05:51am PT
We won't spoil it for you, Moose.
Rattlesnake Arch

Social climber
Home is where we park it
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2018 - 06:11am PT
Interesting chart comparing box office results to date for Free Solo vs Dawn Wall vs Meru.

https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/custom-comparisons-extended/Free-Solo-(Documentary)/Dawn-Wall-The-(Austria)/Meru

Quite a difference in trajectory.
WBraun

climber
Oct 30, 2018 - 08:16am PT
No .... people want to see how a human being can climb El Capitan without the safety of a rope.

That attraction is far greater to the general humanity.

Dawn wall they use ropes ......
Hardman Knott

Gym climber
Mill Valley, Ca
Oct 30, 2018 - 08:28am PT
Quite a difference in trajectory.


Free Solo: Heavy promotion, including television ads and endless interviews with Alex.

Dawn Wall: Very little advertising if any ["Dawn what?"]
dh

climber
Oct 30, 2018 - 08:33am PT
I can't really put my finger on it, but I preferred Dawn Wall. Better story with two protagonists, I think. And some of the scenes in Free Solo felt a bit forced / contrived. I totally get why Free Solo resonates more with the general public, though. But, I'd be happy to see Meru or Dawn Wall again, I think once was adequate for Free Solo.

Ain't no Cliffhanger, or Vertical Limit, 'tho.

Dave.

donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Oct 30, 2018 - 08:37am PT
Haven’t seen either yet but it’s no surprise which one would have more appeal to the non climbing public.
Hardman Knott

Gym climber
Mill Valley, Ca
Oct 30, 2018 - 08:53am PT
Ain't no Cliffhanger, or Vertical Limit, 'tho.

As I recall, both Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit were box office bombs, and rightfully so.
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Oct 30, 2018 - 09:23am PT
I'm surprised Dawn Wall is coming in even close to half of Meru.

Seems to me the difference is a statement about National Geographic vs Sender's ability to promote and distribute - like Sender didn't do too bad but there was more there they couldn't capture.
dh

climber
Oct 30, 2018 - 11:01am PT
OMG, people, I was kidding about Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit. :)

I'm thrilled to have recent movies that are about actual climbing.

Would like to get me one of those bolt guns, 'tho.

D.
Rattlesnake Arch

Social climber
Home is where we park it
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2018 - 12:28pm PT
Another Free Solo podcast, this time from Ouside.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2358056/alex-honnold-free-solo?fbclid=IwAR0qOCPv9rvTEkVtnXNJqS_cL8SZplCGjJeZxWbo7ZGXulDkv7kPa6s2Mq0
norm larson

climber
wilson, wyoming
Oct 30, 2018 - 01:22pm PT
Saw it last night. Great film and the storyline flowed well. Go see it.
Bring your chalk bag. Even though you know he makes it just fine it’s still gripping.
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Oct 30, 2018 - 01:35pm PT
Bring your chalk bag.

LOL! That should be the tag line.
Rattlesnake Arch

Social climber
Home is where we park it
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 31, 2018 - 10:13am PT
I totally get why Free Solo resonates more with the general public

As a climber I personally liked both movies and am in agreement with most of the upthread comments concerning why Free Solo has a bigger box office presence.

IMHO, Free Solo was more of a character study of a unique individual with a climb as its focus, whereas The Dawn Wall was more of a climbing movie. The subplots of the GF and the film crew, and the fact that free soloing is easier for the general public to understand than the complex game Tommy and Kevin were playing, would broaden the appeal of Free Solo. Certainly the release schedule, with Dawn Wall basically only being widely released on two days (neither of which was a weekend) made Free Solo more available. And there was the diligent promotion by the directors and the cast, including Alex himself. The Dawn Wall climb had a media frenzy when it was happening, but received little press after a (too)long delay in release of the movie. And National Geographic has more name recognition than Sender Films.

BTW I am interested in how much the GF and film crew subplots, and Peter Croft, affected Alex's state of mind. He must have been aware the camera was always running, and the Directors were trying to put together a certain story. Making a documentary has an effect on the events being documented. And, how much was real, how much was acting?
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