Customer Reviews

JOSHUA TREE - Michael Reardon's Climb on! Series: Volume 1 [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

essentially this is a collection of climbing footages edited together with different types of music (some good, some mediocre) slapped on to provide some kind of soundtrack with a few interviews of climbers thrown in. the camera work ranges from fair to really lousy and there is a complete lack of concept (other than it's about climbing in joshua tree) that ties all the material together. the director/writer is either uninspired or lazy. would i recommend this video? it really depends on who you are and what you want. if you're a layman interested in rock climbing,find some other video. if you're a novice climber looking for further instruction and inspiration, find some other video. if you've been to joshua tree and would like to reminisce, maybe this video is for you. do i regret buying this video? not entirely. i just wish that volume two would be shot better, written better, and not another series of uninspired footages which mean little to those who have never been there.

First of all, let me just say that I was a little skeptical of this video and its representation of one of the most special climbing areas in the country. I was afraid that the focus would be on only the ultra-hard, never-in-my-lifetime sport routes and boulder problems as most videos are: elite climbers sending the hardest possible climbs, aestetics aside. This video is different; it shows Josh as it really is. True, the hard routes are not neglected, but they are coupled with some stellar mellow cracks that make Josh such a truely great place for climbers of all abilities. And how many other climbing videos would dare show 5.8s and 5.9s, or 5.10 climbers on sketchy 5.10s? Not many. This video blends the best climbs and boulder problems, regardless of ratings, and accurately represents one of my and many others favorite climbing destinations. I would have given it five stars, but I thought that the naked girls bouldering at the end was unnecessary.

Well yes...kind of. I'd say the general climbing scene is pretty well represented. Though I've never seen anyone climbing naked there. It was refreshing to see people on film sketching along side some cool-headed, smooth climbing (not much room for error on a free solo). For the price, I would normally expect better film and sound quality (thus the 3 star rating), but am looking forward to the next in the series anyway. Why? Because it's different than a lot of videos. Everyday climbers doing climbs that I can aspire to. Film on Michael!

Michael Reardon's new Joshua Tree video shows the park's radically diverse climbing scene completely and with a strong cast of female and male climbers. The camera work is strong and it catches both Joshua Tree's unusual beauty and the giant variety of climbing you can do there. There are also some pretty spectacular and scary moments. I really enjoyed this video!