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cathyshin
Reviews
Against the Wind (1978)
Ah, the great stuff that was on PBS when I was a kid...
Man, amazing how many of us saw this as kids and still remember it! Now that said, I mostly recall that I was totally hot for Greville (I must have been about 13) and I can't really remember details of the plot or much else except that I loved watching the thing.
I'm another one of those who would love to get this on DVD.
I'm actually going to Australia this Sept but wondering if the DVD will play on my American machine. Funny that I've been there twice before and never thought of this. Someone brought up Dr Who, another PBS import that I loved from that era, which made me get all sentimental about watching Poldark, Duchess of Duke Street and Against the Wind :)
Touching the Void (2003)
Wow!
I read the book back in the 90's when I used to climb and it was de riguer in the community - like having Freedom of the Hills and the Painted Spider video. But wow - this film somehow had an even greater impact than the book. Nothing like really knowing that you are going to die - alone... no hope... and then... It really conveyed those feelings.
I'm only echoing others when I say I was absolutely glued to the screen, felt physically ill at times, was in total suspense although the final outcome was obvious. Unlike some, though, I think Simpson's deadpan ("I don't even like Boney M"), dry and mostly unemotional tone was totally appropriate (hey, that's what we expect from the Brits) and actually added to the emotional impact. Weirdly enough, although I am not religious, I was mildly disturbed when Joe said he thought he might revert to God in extremis but then found he did not. He's obviously a tougher man than I. Broken leg - OK, but once in the crevasse, I think I'd be wailing for God, Mommy and whoever else. I also really wanted to see an x-ray of Joe's knee. He said plateau fracture (tibia) but also described what sounded like a SC femur fx. Excuse me - just professional curiosity. He seemed to be walking well in the "making of" video 17 yrs later...
Back when Cliffhanger came out, I saw it with a bunch of gym rats and we all mocked the "bolt gun" Stallone was using mercilessly. In that spirit, I offer up two nits to pick - one, they seemed to always be rappelling (uh - abseiling) on single ropes rather than doubles - were they just going to abandon their rope? and a single 8.8? Also, when Joe is stumbling down the talus field, where's his other ice axe? He had two before - two would have given him 3 points to walk on and fewer painful tumbles. Finally, other (I thought stupid) comments were made about why didn't they have whistles, walkie talkies, more fuel etc. Uh, you heard Simon talk about alpine style - we're talking that means FAST and LIGHT. Fuel is weight - they planned to be off by day 3 or 4. Also recall this was back in the 80's - remember that time before cell phones? Anyway, even though I'm not much of a mountaineer - beautiful sunny rockfaces only, please - I've never heard of using walkie talkies. I guess big expedition/Everest basecamp type climbs use radios but??? Even the whistle sounds very backpacker-ish. You usually communicate by tugs when yells cannot be heard.
OK, that's enough talk - just go see it. Best for stoic loners who don;t go for regular box office hits.