UKC

"Pornography is supposed to show the sort of sex life we would be having in an ideal world. On film sex is always more exotic, involves better looking people and is more readily available than in our own hum drum worlds.....................................despite my arch cynicism and seething jealousy, I couldn’t help.......... "

writes Ashley Lewis - UKClimbing.com's Film Reviewer about the Chris Sharma DVD King Lines.

Read the full review here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=681

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Maybe the James Bond analogy is a stronger one than the porn metaphor, but then who knows what sort of porn Ashley watches...

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Top DVD nevertheless - even better on HD (sadly only on the computer as our TV is decidedly LD).

In reply to TRNovice:

Oh and it was rather disarming Sharma stating that he realised how lucky he was essentially living on the support of the overall climbing community - even if it was thought out and scripted, still nice for general punterdom to get an acknowledgement. I now feel like one of the main contributors to Sharma's success, do I get to tick Es Pontas I wonder, I'd settle for Realization I guess.

In reply to TRNovice:

>"Top DVD nevertheless"

It was good, beautiful photography and production but too much limestone, too much Sharma and not enough Dave Graham to see frequent reapeat viewings.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

I picked up a copy in Tokyo last week and was lucky enough to watch it first on the large widescreen (maybe HD - not sure?) in my hotel room. Visually really stunning, particularly the intense colours of the stuff shot in Bishop and Mallorca. I wondered whether the footage had been enhanced after filming in some way to enhance the colour - anyone know?

Excellent review by Tyler also. Echoed most of what I thought.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Oh yes, and: where in the DVD is the "Multi-pitch madness in the Verdon Gorge" ... I don't recall that?

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

I saw it at the KMFF, enjoyed it, but did smile a bit when he was talking about being unhappy about the rain and lack of food, after watching Iain Parnell and Andy Kirkpatrick live under a wet rock for three days in the Patagonian Winter.

In reply to tobyfk:

http://www.kinglinesmovie.com/extras.html

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Just figured that out ... I guess I have an first-run copy.

In reply to tobyfk: Or a dodgy Hong Kong counterfeit.

In reply to John2:

Yes .. wondered about that, though it looks kosher. AFAIK there's not a lot of dodgy HK/ China stuff in Japan but I could be wrong. Postmanpat would know better.

In reply to tobyfk:

tbh, having lived in HK I can't see them bothering with copying something like King Lines. It's just not worth it.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Hmm - had taken a look at those (have a DVD with the glitch) didn't pick up on the Verdon stuff - must take another look.

BTW was it just me that found it cool seeing Sharma in a helmet fiddling cams into cracks .

In reply to TRNovice:


I have downloaded and skimmed (*) the missing stuff and I can also confirm there is nothing from Verdon.




* aside from the Lauren Lee footage at Clark Mountain which I found necessary to examine frame-by-frame ....

In reply to tobyfk:

Don't recall that either, and from what you are insinuating, I'm assuming that I would have...

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

"Pornography is supposed to show the sort of sex life we would be having in an ideal world." Really, and you paid him for this Mick? Pornography is nearly always about making loads of money by blantant exploitation of the participants and the purchasers. It is erotica degraded by dishonest and depraved intent. Is the reviewer implying this is the sort of thing the producers of King Lines intended?

In reply to Offwidth:

I sort of thought that as well - but as in my OP, maybe Ashley watches "nice" porn.

In reply to TRNovice:


That's his Santa Cruz pal isn't it? Sharma is belaying, sans-helmet.

Steve Maclure wrote a nice story in Climb about Sharma's trad technique (doing Grand Wall together at Squamish) which seemed to consist of throwing a couple of pieces of gear in each pitch when he remembered.

In reply to tobyfk:

The two of them are sharing the helmet (no double entendre intended) there is footage of Sharma climbing a corner wearing it and footage of him climbing the face not wearing it. I thought the former more notable.

In reply to TRNovice:

Sorry, you mean on the DVD .. I was just talking about the downloads.

In reply to tobyfk:

Yup - meant the main DVD.

Not convinced that the Verdon stuff exists, but may be proved wrong.