Boo MSP

**alto** · 10-09-2003, 01:32 PM

I saw Focused last night in Salt Lake City. I will get to my complaints in a second, but there was definately some crowd pleasing stuff in the flick. McConkey's ski-off-a-thousand-foot-cliff with a helmet cam is some of the coolest footage of anything ever. Huge-o Harrison STOMPING 70 foot cliffs at full speed was good. So was Seth, because Seth is the best. But the majority of the movie did not satisfy me. I thought the music sucked. I know this is personal preference, but there was no flow! It was all over pumped-up almost hardcore modern rock. Sure, for Quinlan doing a backflip on his beel this works, but for mega-pow, it hurts my ears. The repetative nature of the shots kills me in every MSP movie. One angle of one trick followed by two more angles of the same trick. ULTRA SLOW MO on the saaaame trick. The same skiers doing the same tricks just gets a little old. MSP has the most amazing people working for them, the most amazing money working for them, and the coolest goddamn camera angles ever. I just wish they would do something different with it. Film a new skier. Film some tree skiing. Show me something besides bluebird skies. I want to see their recourses put into showing the non fair-weather skiers, because all I have seen for the last few years has been ultra-rock-star mega porn; porn without soul. But I guess this is exactly what they are going for. It sells, they win. But I still have faith. Come on TGR, give me what I need! [/rant]

disclaimer - I will still probably get a copy of it, and Mcconkey is one of the most creative and daring minds on the planet.

**altachic** · 10-09-2003, 01:36 PM

I definitely agree with pretty much everything you say....I found myself almost bored for a bit with all those rails and same tricks over and over...until Shane's footage was on...Whoa, my jaw was dropped and he is absolutely insane.
Good crowd, packed full last night, but I'm loving TGR more this year.

**teleee** · 10-09-2003, 01:41 PM

I was going to go see MSP next week at the Skybox. Should I bag it?

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 10-09-2003, 01:48 PM

alto -- I haven't see Focused yet, so thanks for the review.

Based on your gripes above, you might like Omen's [ah-MIG-da-la]. I watched it last night.....and it's good because its real. By real I mean, a bunch of mostly unknown rippers killing it....and loving it. Good mix of tunes from soulful acoustic stuff for the hiking, BC, & pow segs mixed with some harder, edgier stuff for the jib segments. Plus lots of local Tahoe footage so I was able to connect with that...but anyways....it's pretty darn cool. Definitely has an Immersion type quality to it too, where it's striving to become more than just ski porn.

**altachic** · 10-09-2003, 01:50 PM

Originally posted by teleee
I was going to go see MSP next week at the Skybox. Should I bag it?

I would still see it if you haven't yet.

**teleee** · 10-09-2003, 01:54 PM

Thanks,
I am sure that we will. Besides drinking beer and watching even bad skiing is better than drinking beer and watching no skiing right?

**iskibc** · 10-09-2003, 01:55 PM

I thought the cinematography was pretty sweet. The front line was better (IMO) because it had more diversity. I thought the music in Focused was great. How can you talk down on such classics as The Zoo by the Scorpions, or Holy Diver by Dio. Dramamine (Modest Mouse) was a sick song for Seth's segment. I guess it all depends on your flavor for ski flick tunes.

**alto** · 10-09-2003, 02:53 PM

Teleee - I would still go see it. It's great entertainment, just not great soul porn.
iskibc - I like modest mouse.... seths part was f'ing unreal. every year you think hes maxed it out and then the next year he comes out and goes way bigger. Go seth.

**teleee** · 10-09-2003, 02:59 PM

Thanks Alto,
It has been a while since I have seen the deep down soul inspiring skiing. Always up to see some great skiing wether it touches my soul or not.
And you are right he just gets sicker every year. Seth is insane!

**nhtele** · 10-09-2003, 03:20 PM

Any thoughts on where to find good ol' fashioned super-deep pow porn? You know, slow-mo in trees with a reggae beat and huge faceshots.

Used to see tons of this stuff, but last year all I can think of is during the Snowbird segment from TGR.

**iskibc** · 10-09-2003, 03:23 PM

Originally posted by nhtele
Any thoughts on where to find good ol' fashioned super-deep pow porn? You know, slow-mo in trees with a reggae beat and huge faceshots.

Used to see tons of this stuff, but last year all I can think of is during the Snowbird segment from TGR.

Blizz of Ahhs has a few scenes, some of the older gaffney stuff has some great super deep, slomo shots in it.

**alto** · 10-09-2003, 03:23 PM

I missed the premier but according to this teaser http://www.team13.com/TJSD_teaser.html , team13 has some shit figured out.

edit - maybe this link is screwed up anyone have it?

**Arty50** · 10-09-2003, 03:28 PM

Actually, I really liked the movie. The jibbing doesn't do much for me, but it was still pretty good. The music however could have used some work. But I've come to expect that with ski movies. Most of the music sucks. But with that said, Seth's segment broke the mold. When I heard Modest Mouse kick in, the stoke level went through the roof. Not just because it's a great song, but because it brought life to the segment.

**BakerBoy** · 10-09-2003, 03:34 PM

I just really don't understand why they hyped up Jay Quinlan's backflip so much. I'm sure he's probably a friend of theirs, but not only did Peter Line do one on his snowmachine 2 or 3 years ago, he also did it much cleaner/nicer. And poor old McGovern -- he only got cheers after he managed to crash down an entire AK peak. Hell, throw some free skis at me and I'LL do it myself. Neat.

**alto** · 10-09-2003, 03:38 PM

Jim Rippey was the snowboarder who did the backflip a couple years back. McGoverns crash was amazing. And then later in the movie Shane is like "I almost McGoverned it" hahaha

**Plakespear** · 10-09-2003, 03:39 PM

Originally posted by alto
Show me something besides bluebird skies. I want to see their recourses put into showing the non fair-weather skiers,

The reason you rarely ever see ski photography during overcast conditions is that the flat light results in terrible images. The subtle variations in terrain that you can see would be lost on a cloudy day. You would just be looking at a skier skiing through a white field. With the expense involed in shooting film, it does not make sense to burn thousands of dollars worth of film on days when the odds of getting good footage are stacked against you.

**bad_roo** · 10-09-2003, 03:42 PM

Can golf be cool if you're Adam Sandler?

**Plakespear** · 10-09-2003, 03:48 PM

Originally posted by bad_roo
Can golf be cool if you're Adam Sandler?

No.
http://images.pgatour.com/u/photos/a..._multi1209.jpg http://www.bhcc.com/images/volunteersmurray1.jpg http://content.clearchannel.com/Phot...y_HarryHow.jpg http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/...to/caddy_i.jpg

"And I said, 'Hey Lama, how 'bout a little something, you know, for the effort?' And he says, 'There won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed you will receive total consciousness.' So I got that going for me ... which is nice."
-- Carl Spackler

**funkendrenchman** · 10-09-2003, 04:15 PM

Originally posted by nhtele
Any thoughts on where to find good ol' fashioned super-deep pow porn? You know, slow-mo in trees with a reggae beat and huge faceshots.

Used to see tons of this stuff, but last year all I can think of is during the Snowbird segment from TGR.

Check out Team 13's flicks. "The Trip" has the best slow mo pow seg EVER!

**Lane Meyer** · 10-09-2003, 04:19 PM

Originally posted by nhtele
Any thoughts on where to find good ol' fashioned super-deep pow porn? You know, slow-mo in trees with a reggae beat and huge faceshots.

Best places for that are The Continuum and Walls of Freedom.

I have to say that I thouight Focused was the most fluid MSP movie yet. I actually remmeber thinking that the editing was superior to any other MSP film I've seen, simply beacuase the skiing fit the music very well.

**Platinum Pete** · 10-09-2003, 04:56 PM

Focused was cool. There were a lot of fresh camera angles, and they took some chances with the music, which beats the crap out of the same old thing metal & bland rap from the past couple MSP flicks. Plus, I get so bored with the jib segments in all these ficks, but they took it to the Bronx - that was rad. The big mountain skiing was off the charts. I thought Vinnie Dorion stepped way up. Pep Fujas in Norway was a let down. They should've done more with the Pollard jokes.
What happened to Candide Thovex and Shawn Sullivan, they don't seem to be in the movies this year (as far as I know)?

**Julio** · 10-09-2003, 05:29 PM

and what happened to JT Holmes...I miss the straightlines?

**Big E** · 10-10-2003, 06:43 AM

Originally posted by Plakespear
The reason you rarely ever see ski photography during overcast conditions is that the flat light results in terrible images. The subtle variations in terrain that you can see would be lost on a cloudy day. You would just be looking at a skier skiing through a white field. With the expense involed in shooting film, it does not make sense to burn thousands of dollars worth of film on days when the odds of getting good footage are stacked against you.

Sure for the huge AK peaks. But that's what the trees are for. P-tex, Lies, and Duct Tape has some incredible pow segments in BC, almost all of them on overcast or downright puking days. Oh, and something other than heavy metal/thrash/rap/whatever that pervades flicks these days.

**Lane Meyer** · 10-10-2003, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by Julio
and what happened to JT Holmes...I miss the straightlines?

He spent most of last season hurt, one way or another. Should make a fine comeback this year.

**Pinner** · 10-10-2003, 02:57 PM

[i]Originally posted by Plakespear http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/...to/caddy_i.jpg

"And I said, 'Hey Lama, how 'bout a little something, you know, for the effort?' And he says, 'There won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed you will receive total consciousness.' So I got that going for me ... which is nice."
-- Carl Spackler [/B]

Where can I post an mp3 of that monologue for you guys to listen to? It's freaking CLASSIC.