lowell@fluke.UUCP (Lowell Skoog) (10/19/85)
Warren Miller and his 1985 tour film "Steep and Deep" hit Seattle on October 16. The film has been playing to packed houses at the 5th Avenue Theater. Four additional showings have been scheduled, bringing the Seattle run to seven shows. This film is a marked improvement over last year's effort. With a new music supervisor and (apparently) some new photographers and editors, Miller's production crew has done a much more professional, imaginative job. Last year's film (I forget the name--was it "Snow Wonder"?) was filled with overexposed footage, mediocre skiers, and endless cliff jumping crashes. "Steep and Deep" is better all around. This improvement is apparent in the first sequence of the film. Here Miller's cameraman catches a group of freestyle skiers on some of Sun Valley's classic mogul runs. The skiers are first-rate, instead of the cronies that have inhabited previous films. The photographer does a good job of capturing the Valley's great film angles and lighting on runs like Holiday, Limelight, and Exhibition. (It looks like Miller's crew has finally taken a look at some of Dick Barrymore's old films.) There is some imaginative camera work, as when the cameraman hopped on the Limelight chairlift and followed the skiers down the run, shooting from above. The improvement in editing shows up in a spectacular sequence on the Volvo Freestyle Show. The show consists of about a half dozen skiers who tour the world doing aerial and ballet demonstrations. Most of the sequence is simply put to music, and features good shots of triple-twisting, triple back flips and the like. There are a couple of wonderfully disorienting shots where the cameraman positioned himself underneath the jump, then managed to follow the skier through the air while spinning the camera. Miller retains a fondness for cliff jumping and crashes, and as always, he has no trouble finding people to crash into trees, jump over busses, and drop into crevasses. Fortunately, he does not build the film around this. There are some spectacular shots of glacier skiing in France and New Zealand. Some of the snow is truly deep, but the steep comes as much from camera inclination as it does from geography. Miller has never done a very good job of covering competitive skiing. The brief section on pro ski racing catches none of the suspense of a live race. He has nothing good to say about the World Cup circuit, indulging instead in wisecracks about how much money today's "amateur" makes. There is no footage of the FIS tour--no Stenmark, no Girardelli--and thus he dismisses offhand the best skiers in the world. There is the usual miscellany--a telemark mogul contest, slush pool wipeouts, marauding gangs on homemade ski scooters. The sequence of wind surfing on the Columbia River Gorge may not be as spectacular as Hawaii, but with the growing popularity of the Gorge with western skiers, it is very appropriate. Miller even waxes sentimental, with footage of the Jimmy Heuga Express and a handicapped girl that are inspirational without being sappy. The admission was as steep as some of the runs ($9.50), but the audience seemed satisfied with the investment. My recommendation is to go see it. It's cheaper than a ninety minute helicopter ride, and almost as good a lift. Lowell Skoog, Seattle
michaelk@azure.UUCP (Mike Kersenbrock) (10/21/85)
> > Warren Miller and his 1985 tour film "Steep and Deep" hit Seattle on > October 16. The film has been playing to packed houses at the 5th > Avenue Theater. Four additional showings have been scheduled, bringing > the Seattle run to seven shows. > > [good review edited out by responder] > > The admission was as steep as some of the runs ($9.50), but the audience > seemed satisfied with the investment. My recommendation is to go see it. > It's cheaper than a ninety minute helicopter ride, and almost as good a > lift. > > Lowell Skoog, Seattle The admission apparently varies with city (and promoter/sponsor, I assume) I saw "Steep and Deep" in Portland,Or for 7.50, and could have seen it for 6.50 had I seen the afternoon showing instead. I enjoyed the show, except it makes me WANT SNOW!!! Now I'm squirming all over the place, daily reading the weather forcast for the Oregon Cascades (snow level predicted at 3500 ft. this week!). Alas. I went to the last Portland showing. The house was packed. -- Mike Kersenbrock Tektronix Software Development Products Aloha, Oregon