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Tom Bruskotter
Trad climber
Seattle
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Sep 27, 2018 - 04:38pm PT
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Heads up that the Nat Geo page for Screenings of Free Solo may not be accurate.
I've been watching the page for my theater in Seattle which is still listed as screening October 12.
The theater actually starts screening September 28 and runs for a week.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Sep 27, 2018 - 06:17pm PT
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Hey Mikey!
I think you will be surprised with how many people in the audience still can't actually watch it! I've sat through numerous screenings with large audiences, the best part of the show for me is watching how many people cover their face. And If they aren't covering their face they are often sitting with their mouth gaping wide open in awe. That being said I still haven't seen it with a crowd full of climbers. Wish I could of seen it at Facelift to see how people react.
I was at the Facelift screening on Tuesday. I didn’t look at anyone else’s reaction in the audience, but I can tell you that my body language and facial expressions perfectly matched yours in the film. I watched half of it through the gaps between my sweaty fingers. Knowing the outcome made no difference for me. I think I aged 10 years watching it. Respect to all involved.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Sep 29, 2018 - 07:53am PT
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Those 3D things are pretty cool!
The film was amazing.
If it were a close friend in real time and I did not know the outcome as these guys didn't, I too probably would have had a hard time watching.
My reaction in the theater was the opposite, though. I started growling at the Boulder Problem. When he hit that 5.6 hand crack at the last exposed section of the route, when it's truly over, I was nearly that guy in the theater to yell out "fuk yeah".
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spectreman
Trad climber
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Sep 29, 2018 - 10:12am PT
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Saw the movie in Boulder last night. I'm still in awe. Super well done and unbelievable photography. I can't imagine everything involved to make this happen, both from Alex and the film crew, but the movie showed a glimpse of the intensity of this achievement.
I don't think I would have been able to watch if I didn't know the outcome. The footage of Mikey really helped to humanize and show the raw power and intensity of what Alex was attempting to complete.
I loved everything.
Thank you to everyone involved!
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Tom Bruskotter
Trad climber
Seattle
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Sep 30, 2018 - 03:23pm PT
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Heads up that the Nat Geo page for Screenings of Free Solo may not be accurate.
I've been watching the page for my theater in Seattle which is still listed as screening October 12.
The theater actually starts screening September 28 and runs for a week.
Regal Cinema removed the film from their website. Sounds like they are now back to Oct 12.
They could have told me not to come to the theater tonight. They have my email that they sent the confirmation to. Weird.
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Dell
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Sep 30, 2018 - 03:38pm PT
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Our 12-year old and I biked to the Century Theatre in Boulder Saturday night for the 5pm showing (p.s. don't bring a pannier...apparently it's a security risk). In a bike town.
What struck me is that we were sitting in the theater with the full knowledge of what will happen, and 1: that didn't lessen the impact of the (limited) footage of the soloed route; and 2: those who were actually there that day — like Mikey — didn't have that luxury. I suspect I would have turned away if my telephoto framed someone I had grown to appreciate.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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Sep 30, 2018 - 07:59pm PT
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Saw it at the 3pm showing at the Hollywood Arclight. PERFECT place to see a movie with those kind of visuals. Alex did Q&A afterwards which was a real treat.
Mikey, at least half our audience was climbers (Alex asked for a show of hands and one point and was impressed that in Hollywood there were that many of us...I think is response was "legit.") You could tell the climbers from non-climbers at certain points. When Dean Potter peeled off that free solo in Sweden and was freefalling until he pulled his chute, the non-climbers were gasping in horror (those of us who saw it in Reel Rock knew what was going on).
Great audience made up of people who climb and know Alex's story and others who were just outdoors/adventure lovers or NetGeo fans interested in the story. Everyone seemed to know that it was successful going into it in one way or another and that he wasn't going to die. Those visuals though...OMG, Mikey I can't believe how stressful it would have been to watch him climb it live. There were some cheers when he got the boulder problem, but I think that's cause the audience was on such full stoke. For most of his free solo experiences you could have heard a pin drop the theater audience was that silent and involved.
In the Q&A Alex revealed that cheap fridge he put in his Vegas house over Sanni's wishes crapped out after two months and they got a proper one. He said having a film crew following them around a Home Depot shopping for it was by far the weirdest and hardest part to shoot. He was okay with it in the Yosemite environments but outside of it filming made him feel weird. He said they also followed him to the Nevada DMV to register his van and everyone at the DMV looked at him like "who is this guy who needs 2 camera and a boom?" for an everyday task. That scene didn't make it into the film.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Sep 30, 2018 - 10:01pm PT
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I saw it last Tuesday at the FaceLift in the Auditorium, where the audience is always a bit more expressive than the Theatre (four showings to get everyone through).
There was rapt attention during the scenes of the solo, I'm at a loss to describe what other audience members were doing because I was totally pulled into the movie. For me the side shots of Alex's feet on the Free Blast slabs, showing both the angle and the relative lack of noticeable holds evoked a lot of angst.
But certainly those were not even close to the hardest sequences.
Speaking for myself as a climber, I could relate to the experience of soloing, and the feelings that it go along with a particularly hard solo, the intense focus, the flow, the feeling of mastery, dealing with anxiety and fear. This was discussed in the movie, but I'm not sure that non-climbers could even imagine what it was like.
Mikey said in one of the scenes: "it was Alex's best day, and my worst..."
I have to admit I missed the whole thing, climbing in the Valley that day we walked at a distance past the van of one of the camera men we knew and decided not to interrupt the discussion. On Sunday we stopped by Tom's scope and he asked what I thought of the event, 'what happened?' to which Tom opined that we were probably the only two climbers on the planet that didn't know.
It is a remarkable accomplishment, and the movie is a great record of what went into it.
Alex answered questions after all the showings, very gracious, it was an apt locale to see the movie.
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silverplume
Trad climber
Boulder
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The attendees of the evening showing in Boulder last night were like a who's who of front range climbers and our climbing community. I saw the Weidners, Connie Self, Bill Wright, Stefan Griebel, Nick Rosen, and many others. I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't expect as much silence and seriousness from the audience, and I think that's a testament to the storytelling and to Alex's accomplishment.
It was awesome to see Jimmy, Mikey, Cheyne, Keith, Clair, Sam, Jim, our pal Josh Huckaby and everyone else on the crew doing such incredible work to tell this story with care and sensitivity, and clearly Chai is a powerhouse. Congratulations to everyone. Won't surprise me at all if you all walk away with an Oscar for this one.
For me the most unsettling portion of the film was a segment where Alex talked about what drives him, and he said something to the effect that there's a fair bit of self loathing that underlies soloing – and it seemed like he was implying that applied to himself as well. The comment came and went quickly, but it rattled me, and continues to.
One interesting fact shared last night: as of this opening week for the film, it's already on track to being the highest-grossing documentary film ever. Of course it has a long way to go to surpass Fahrenheit 9/11 for lifetime earnings, but the film is already making serious waves...
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WBraun
climber
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silverplume -- "For me, the most unsettling portion of the film was a segment where Alex talked about what drives him,
and he said something to the effect that there's a fair bit of self loathing that underlies soloing –
and it seemed like he was implying that applied to himself as well."
In the summer of 1970 one night, I asked Bridwell why we climb.
He gave four words, "Because you hate yourself" ...... LOL
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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soloing is certainly an activity that requires "perfection"
and the level of "perfection" increases as the grade and length of the solo rises. Having done the solo, you have demonstrated your mastery: you lived.
Bridwell is quoted as saying about soloing: "so much to loose, so little to gain"
An individual's need to demonstrate "perfection" can be rather complex, no doubt self-loathing is a bit of it.
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couchmaster
climber
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Mikeyschafer noted:"Yep, Alexey that is me. I will be forever known as the camera man that can't even watch what he is shooting... At least they didn't put the part in there of me crying due to the stress. "
My palms are sweating just thinking of you filming it and I have the benefit of knowing it turned out fine. I need to see this film for sure.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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The background father story and how that effects his pastime and adult relationships - shown in intimate detail - it's pretty good - really well done.
Seems possible the movie could gain momentum with a much wider audience as word of mouth gets around that there's more to it than just another daredevil thriller.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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I want a Calgary screening.
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ryankelly
climber
Bhumi
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The free solo footage was amazing. The mini-trac footage had too much air time in my opinion. The relationship story telling was not my favorite.
I'd like to see a climber's version of the footage if that is ever possible. But perhaps there isn't really that much of it...
Nice work to the film team and Alex for hanging at FaceLift and answering all the questions after all the showings. Oh yeah..and for bouldering the Free Rider.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA/Joshua Tree
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Alex's GF Sanni's part in the film was really good. She helped show how he was hard at expressing emotion and she still dealt with it. In addition to him being occasionally critical of her over even the silliest things like celebrating holidays to cutting a watermelon. Producers really used her as the human element into WHY do what he did. He had a GF who loved him, a life they built but he was still willing to risk death on the free solo anyway.
REALLY rewarding film. It broke the all-time box office per screen revenue for any opening documentary. This movie is going to be a monster hit once it goes wide.
You could have heard a pin drop in the theater during his solo climbing sequences (not limited to Freerider).
Really hoping Chai and Jimmy get a much deserved Oscar nomination and win for the Oscars Best Documentary Film. I seriously am thinking about going to see it again next Sunday. It is THAT good and my stoke is still so high a day after seeing it.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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I haven’t seen a climbing film since I overdosed when I was on the jury for the Banff Film Festival seven or eight years ago but I think I’ll break my fast for this one.
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