Customer Reviews

On the Edge

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I would contend that the first review on this page misses the boat. This new version is re-edited, but NOT for the reasons mentioned. I can guarantee you that the excising of Pam Greir's character from the film had nothing to do with the provocative nature of an interracial relationship. If they were willing to have Bruce Dern sleep with Pam Greir in 1985 (he's a lucky guy btw), then in today's far more open world, it would certainly not be an issue. Her character was removed from the film for one simple, obvious reason...There was no reason for her to be in the movie. Even back when I was young and watched this film, I always thought to myself, "Pam Greir is HOT, but why is she in this movie? She's a completely pointless character that offers NOTHING to the story?" Thankfully, they have removed her, which only makes this even more of a running movie, which I like. The DVD is grainy, and the audio wasn't synched well with the video, but this is an incredible movie made by runners, for runners. God, what a movie....

Although not quite in the league with Chariots of Fire, I think this is perhaps the best of the "running movies" that followed.
Bruce Dern plays "Wes Holman", a 44 year old former elite 10K track athlete who was driven from the sport by unfair circumstances. Wes attempts a comeback training for a somewhat unique race, a 14.2 mile mountain trail "handicap" race in which runners are started at different times dependent upon their age or sex. It is said that a real race in Marin County, "The Dipsea" served as a model for the movie.

The movie chronicles the Wes' year of training, while also dealing with issues with his father and the athletic governing body, and has re-kindles a relationship with an old flame, played by Pam Grier. The best part of the movie is simply watching the training and finally the race. Some of the stuff with the race is kind of "corny", so to speak, but I think most runners would enjoy the movie just to watch the running.

I have been a distance runner for over 20 years, and have run countless marathons and other races, so I enjoy a good running movie. When I first saw this movie, 20 years ago, I thought it was great. It focused not only on the training and the sacrifices we go through to achieve our goals, but on how it affects other aspects of our lives. It takes a toll on the close relationships we have. It's hard for the ones we love to understand the sacrifices we make for that elusive mistress, the marathon. This movie in its original form explored those issues. What they have now is closer to a documentary, than trying to get to the Soul of running. Why did they have to screw up a good movie. Besides, Pam Grier is beautiful in the original version. Find an old VHS copy with Pam Grier and see the difference.

The premise is that of a talented long-distance runner having spoiled his career by naming too many bigwigs in the hierarchy of amateur athletics as having been "on the take". The runner's dad, an old marxist, didn't see the point of pursuing an athletic career, as opposed to struggling in the political arena, despite his son's carrying off his athletic commitment with a great sense of justice and fair-play.

So, the son comes home and competes in a race he isn't supposed to be in & the old man, over time, gains a broader appreciation of human endeavor, as long as it's done with class & honesty.

Maybe a somewhat predictable story, but Dern carries off the loner-hero-runner who would not close his eyes to corruption with great style (kind of Serpico meets Jim Ryun). I always thought Dern was great in roles that express baby-boomer social concern.

Also, Pam Grier is Dern's girlfriend (that's gotta help, eh?).

Rob Nilsson of San Fran directed this & also the excellent "Northern Lights".

This review is from; On the Edge

As a marathon & ultra-marathoner myself, I was pleasantly surprised to find a film that was filmed on a actual race course called "The Dipsea" (called the "Cielo Sea" in the film). I actually ran that course in 2000. Since 1905, the Dipsea race is the second oldest running race in the country (after the Boston Marathon).

The "Dipsea" race course is located along the coast & hills of Marin County which is just north of San Francisco. In the film you get some nice visual images on how tough the course is, but statistically the 7.1 mile course features 9,200 feet of climbing, 671 steps of stairs and the infamous "cardiac hill" at 1,360 feet (which is mentioned in the film). The "Dipsea" course I ran in 2000, was the "quadruple" version (28.4 miles!). Since I ran that course four times in one day, I got a true first hand perspective on how tough that course really was and it was much tougher than what the film could show!

The film features a runner named Wes Holman (played by Bruce Dern who is actuallly a runner himself) who is a 44 year old runner that has been banned from the sport due to a technicality of unfair circumstances, but he yearns to compete again after a 20 year absence from running competitively. Wes goes through a "Rocky-like" montage of training to get in shape for the next "Cielo Sea" race. Wes enters the race as an unregistered runner after all of the registered runners have already started. As he quickly begins to pass many runners from his dead-last start, race officials recognize the banned runner and make some attempts to remove him from the race, but they are unsuccessful largely in part to the protection provided by the other runners that are running near him.

Although the images from this film are somewhat grainy or blurry, keep in mind that this is a vintage film from the 80's. The image quality of the film has a documentary, visual quality to it. Not perfect, but watchable. The film also has a quirky soundtrack filled with electronic beeps & synthesizers like a bad science fiction soundtrack that you would hear from "Dr Who" or "Space 1999". The DVD also has informative interviews with director Robert Nillson (who is a runner himself) as well as interviews with Bruce Dern (from 1986) and some "Dipsea" runners (from 1986). The film's theaterical trailer is also included.

I heard the movie originally had scenes with Pam Grier as the love interest for Bruce Dern, but unfortunately they are not included on this DVD. I heard the VHS copy of this movie has the original Pam Grier scenes included. Although it was omitted, I think it would have been nice if the DVD would at least included the Pam Grier scenes in a deleted scene section. Having not seen the original version, I'm not sure what impact the lovely miss Grier would have add or subtract from the film, but the DVD's edited version is satisfactory to me. Serious runners may have an interesting time watching this one, while it may be of only of modest interest to casual viewers.

When I saw "On the Edge" during its first run in the Bay Area, I could give it five stars for its depiction of a man trying for a comeback after the sport he loved failed him. I couldn't give it much for its depiction of the relationship Wes had with Cora. She seemed incidental and plus, we never see her with Wes and his father or with Wes' extended family. He's more active and demonstrative with his ex-coach and his father. The fact that Cora is played by the incomparable Pam Grier makes it all the more amazing. I see him have very eye-opening sex with her but I don't see him unwind, confide, open himself with her other than when they are entwined, and then there is little here to mine. Such unwinding could give viewers a better, internal understanding about Wes and give me a reason why Cora was so integral to his life and why he returned to her. She only gives of herself when he has been disappointed or wounded; in short, she's a kind of mother figure. No wonder she leaves him just before his great "Cielo Sea" (the Dipsea) race. That she loves him in her own way is obvious, but why?

Yes, I am black and no, I have no problem with interracing in film. I'm just disappointed that I don't see more than I could wish.

The product was a good deal and good quality. However, this movie is terrible and I wouldn't recommend waste 2 hours of their life on it.

Could anybody as a runner been suspended for 20 years? Suspension usually means there is a time limit or period for such penalty or punishment, and it usually means a short term. Yet in this movie the guy after 20 years was still suspended from running. How could it be? That no big deal misconduct is the bad scenario of this movie only served as a tough element for this tough 44 years old middle aged guy to deal with, making the movie itself possible. That misconduct should not and would not sentence him a lifetime ban from running but exaggerated too much. With a lot of totally unnecessary love-making scenes just served as another cheat purpose to keep the viewers not falling sleeping during watching, just another [thing] stuffed into this slow going movie. But all in all, the ending is quite good, showing this guy not only got an iron will, but also a big heart of sharing, for the triumph and satisfaction of such achievement with other front runners.

First, service was great! Quick delivery. Courteous, etc.

The product was like a nightmare. The first one sent was like a bootleg copy or something, the movie was all there, just couldn't see it. It was 100% shadow, black, dark, could not see 90% of the scenes. The original is not like this-I have a VHS copy, crisp, clear, bright-I just wanted a DVD of the same movie.
The second copy was a little lighter, viewable, so I just gave up, I kept it because I like the movie. But the quality of this copy is not professional and should not be sold to anyone. Whomever did the copy job should be sent to a lonely, dark island somewhere, forever.

The DVD is grainy, with an out-of-sync audio track, but the story is fine, Bruce Dern does a great job. And where is Pam Grier? Every trace of her has been excised from the original movie; her name is not on the dvd box...and a 95 min loses 10 minutes to what purpose? No reviews have suggested the reason for the release of only the sliced and diced version. What had been an R rated film is now...? A real disappointment to me, having seen the movie in the theaters at the time of its release. For a movie that takes issue with commercialism, the willingness to make a "safe" version without interracial romantic plot points, is sad. Pathetic on several levels.