Climbing Narcissist » The Players

More Climbing Movies Available As HD Downloads

Narc — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:00:15 +0000

Continuing a trend that started to take hold in late 2009 with the release of Progression via both DVD and internet download, Bouldering.com has added a nice assortment of climbing movies to their Video On Demand section.

For a greatly reduced price you can download movies right to your computer, most in a really nice HD quality. Among the titles available for download are Continuum Project ($14.95), Perfecto ($9.99), Pure ($14.99), and Spray ($9.99).

Thanks to Chuck Fryberger I was able to download a copy of Pure, and the process was smooth and relatively quick given the nearly 2 GB file size. The movie itself looks great, and since I thought it was worth purchasing the DVD at $30 when it was first released I think it’s fair to say that $15 is a pretty good deal.

In related news, Satisfaction, a movie that features Jon Glassberg and Nate Draughn “climbing some of the classics that Boone and the Southeast has to offer as well as some ridiculous antics and quite a compelling storyline” is available as a standard definition download for a reasonable $8.99. To quote Glassberg, “Its 2010 people! DIGITAL!”

PURE – A Bouldering Flick by Chuck Fryberger OFFICIAL TRAILER from Chuck Fryberger on Vimeo.

Spray Trailer from BS Productions on Vimeo.

Perfecto from Mike Call on Vimeo.

More Climbing Movies Available As HD Downloads from Climbing Narcissist

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The Players DVD Review

Narc — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:32:39 +0000

BS Productions has released another DVD, The Players. This productions offer a glimpse into what makes some of today’s strongers climbers tick. Climbers you will see include: Chris Lindner, Lisa Rands, Chris Sharma, Dave Graham, Alex Puccio, Emily Harrington, Ethan Pringle, Joe Kinder and Daniel Woods.

In his/her section, each climber speaks candidly about climbing motivations and personal climbing goals. For example, Alex Puccio speaks about the competition between female climbers and the need to continually raise the bar, and Daniel Woods shares his desire to increase the popularity and awareness of climbing. Dave Graham talks about…well it’s hard to say what exactly he was really talking about. Either way, it was interesting to see those various aspects of everyone’s personalities.

The video did not hurt for interesting footage. Shots of Chris Lindner deep water soloing in Vietnam, for example, were impressive as were the shots from South Africa. Climbing destinations were diverse and the camera work was good. Somewhat distracting, however, were the filler shots between climbs. While some were interesting, a number seemed to function only to fill time. Overall, however, the movie kept a good pace and was enjoyable to watch.

Trailer for The Players

If you enjoy seeing some of the best climbers the U.S. has to offer climbing hard in a variety of disciplines, The Players is something you will definitely enjoy. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Read more about The Players in this interview I did with filmmaker Brian Solano.

The Players, $29.99 at BSProductions.us

The Players DVD Review from Climbing Narcissist

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The Players Trailer & Interview With Brian Solano

Narc — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:30:13 +0000

BS Productions is slated to release their latest project The Players later this month, with pre-orders shipping on May 26th for a special price of $23.99. Since most everyone has already seen the trailer, I thought I would catch up with filmmaker Brian Solano and ask him a few questions about the movie:

Why the title “The Players” and how did you choose the climbers?

I wanted to make a film that focused on showcasing the climbers. Not their incredible accomplishments. Not the breathtaking crags. But their unique personality and drive. Climbing is a game and this film is about those who play the game, hence The Players. With a strong name like The Players, I had to back it up and feature the major players in the sport. Those who are defining the sport, taking it to new levels, and creating a life of climbing. There are way to many players in climbing, so I chose to focus on the American players. Our lineup includes Sharma, Dave Graham, Lisa Rands, Emily Harrington, Daniel Woods, Joe Kinder, Chris Lindner, Alex Puccio, and Ethan Pringle!

Was there any segment that was more difficult to film than the others?

I’d say Chris Lindner’s segment in Vietnam was by far the most difficult to shoot. In Ha Long Bay, you’re surrounded by water, a language barrier, and no guidebook. We set out to explore and find badass cliffs. A lot of the shots are from a boat, so keeping them steady is a challenge. Any top down shots required solos with rigging gear. Everything is ground up. Given these challenges, I’d still say this was the most rewarding shoot/trip of my career! Big thanks must go to SloPony Adventures for helping us out along the way!

What else can we expect on the DVD besides the feature movie? Extras, outtakes?

The extras feature all the action that didn’t make the cut, which wasn’t a ton because we packed it all into the feature! About 10 min of extra climbing footage, plus some trailers and the beta on visiting Vietnam.

Who are some of the other filmmakers that helped contribute to the movie?

I couldn’t have made this film without the help of an extremly talented group of shooters. Tim Kemple shot Emily Harrington’s segment in China. Mike Call shot Lisa Rands and Chris Sharma’s segment. Andy Mann and Wade David assisted on Puccio’s segment as well. Chad Greedy filmed the segment with Dave Graham. The climbing community is stacked with talent and I was lucky to bring many of us together for this production!

Who are your sponsors for the movie?

Evolve, Dead Point Mag, Smith Optics, and The Spot Gym. Thanks guys!

Any projects on the horizon?

I’m taking it one step at a time. This one has been a long haul, so I’m psyched to take some time off from shooting and focus on climbing!

Big thanks to Brian for the interview! Here is the trailer once again for those that haven’t seen it:

Pre-orders shipping May 26th for only $23.99

The Players Trailer & Interview With Brian Solano from Climbing Narcissist

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Stone Alliance Film Tour Trailer

Narc — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:14:29 +0000

You seemingly can’t release a climbing movie these days without an accompanying film tour, and the Stone Alliance Film Tour seeks to take it to the next level by featuring 3 movies in one tour. Comprised of Masters Of Stone VI from Eric Perlman, The Players from BS Productions and Herakleia from MVM, the tour should not dissapoint.

Here is what Brian Solano has to say about the tour on his blog:

The Stone Alliance Film Tour represents the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect that climbers have long shared with each other in our love of the natural world and the sport that connects us with it. The StoneAlliance Film Tour is the cooperative effort of three great directors on three separate films. We extend an open invitation to climbing filmmakers everywhere in future seasons.

Our premier shows will be held in Boulder, Co and Salt Lake City, Ut on March 11. We have a big schedule of additional shows all around the world to follow. Check www.StoneAllianceTour.com for showtimes and ticket info, as new shows are being added daily.

Here is the tour trailer:

2009 Stone Alliance Film Tour from Brian Solano on Vimeo.

Stone Alliance Film Tour Trailer from Climbing Narcissist

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