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Best climbing movies ever?

Original Post
ssimonson09 · · Portland, OR · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 5

Something tells me their rating system may be a bit off...
screenjunkies.com/movies/ge…

PTZ · · Chicago/Colorado · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 490

What about The Eiger Sanction. Clint Eastwood

wendy weiss · · boulder, co · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 10

I liked the one where the climbers were carrying dynamite (which came in handy) on a Himalayan expedition. It begins in Utah (I think), with the brother and sister cutting their father off the end of their rope. Maybe someone else remembers the name.

Julius Beres · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 364
wendy weiss wrote:I liked the one where the climbers were carrying dynamite (which came in handy) on a Himalayan expedition. It begins in Utah (I think), with the brother and sister cutting their father off the end of their rope. Maybe someone else remembers the name.
Vertical Limit
imdb.com/title/tt0190865/
ssimonson09 · · Portland, OR · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 5

I honestly think they're missing the modern cinematic masterpiece, Cliffhanger. I mean bolt guns, bad guys, burning cash to stay warm! That shouldve won like over 9000 oscars.

Dr. Ellis D. Funnythoughts · · Evergreen, Co · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 125

Would have been nice to see K2 but oh well. Dont remember too much climbing in 127hrs.

David Sweet · · Silver City, NM · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 430

Not really a "clmbing" movie but Seven Years in Tibet has some of the most realistic climbing scenes ever filmed.

wendy weiss · · boulder, co · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 10

Thanks, Julius. That was surely one for the ages.

Em Cos · · Boulder, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 5
Travis Spaulding · · Las Vegas, NV. · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 30
Em Cos wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxtg7raPDYo
Wow. that just blew away every climbing movie and instructional guide I've ever seen. Can't wait for part two....I think I just totally relearned how to climb in just a few short minutes.

:D:D

Totally awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Blake M · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 1,874

Anyone know where to find "The Ascent" from that list. It pretty terribly good.

Mike Lane · · AnCapistan · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 880

Before the standard litany of climbing flicks get listed again, I'll toss this in as it has climbing action and is just a plain old bad ass movie
youtube.com/watch?v=l5I1q4K…

Joe Huggins · · Grand Junction · Joined Oct 2001 · Points: 105

An old friend was on the film crew for Vertical Limit-spent like 6 or 7 months in New Zealand. When he got back he was laughing about how badly it was going to suck. The best story he had was about the day Bill Paxton (the villain)was told by the producer to be on the mountain, in costume, even he wasn't in any scenes that day. So Paxton is just walking around ripping on the guy at full volume-"you stupid fat fuck! You're paying me to do nothing!"

Anyway-How about The Mountain with Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner or Banner in the Sky(Disney version of the James Ramsey Ullman book?

M Dudley · · Central Rockies · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 30

Lots of good documenties and you-tube vids. a couple of my favorites are "El Capitan" 1978, by Fred Padula. Filmed by Glen Denny and
Chris Sharma's FA of "Dreamcatcher".
But if I'm thinking Hollywood.In order of viewing it's "The Mountain" w/ Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner. Good acting (of course)and pretty good climbing content for the time (1956). The "Eiger Sanction" is very much Hollywood, but the climbing sequences are pretty true to real climbing. The Eiger sequence is almost totally based on the ill-fated 1936 attemp of the North Face by Kurz and Hinterstoisser. Which brings us to my all time favorite..."North Face" directed by Phillip Stolzl. It's a historical fiction offering, however, very close to the real story of Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser's 1936 attempt of the Eiger (The Orge)north face.
Being a total thrill guy, I will defently check-out "Decsent".
P.S.- I've heard about a movie coming out about the Messner brother's 1970 ascent of the Rupal face on Nanga Parbat.
Anybody know about this?

Mike Lane · · AnCapistan · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 880
M Dudley wrote: Being a total thrill guy, I will defently check-out "Decsent".
Watch it in the dark, at night. There's one part that almost makes you shit your pants.
Tim McCabe · · Tucson, AZ · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 130

This one is classic imdb.com/title/tt0049523/

Not really just about climbing more like a 50's cliffhanger.

Some great footage of the old make the belayer hold you aid technique.

Mike C · · Co · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 1,046

i think the north face is the most impresive climbing movie. the most realistic climbing movie i've ever seen. they had me clenching my sofa for about 30 minutes with 5.9 gripage. the worst i think would either be vertical limit or cliffhanger.

M Dudley · · Central Rockies · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 30

Thanks for the heads-up Mike.I've done a little caving and did some underground, hard rock mining for 15 yrs. in Leadville, Co.
Dark confined places, dripping water, strange noises, Yhea,It can really mess with your head.Shit my pants? Well, I'm not quite that old, but I suppose "Depends" could be an option.

Rick Blair · · Denver · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 266

Eiger blah blah blah, desert towers with overhangs blah blah. "Take it to the limit" has batman sequences up water towers, rappeling inside car tunnels and top roping "little dome".

Mike, I was caving with a group of people about 15 years ago, we were 4 hours into the cave and a girl they had brought along, she had never been in a cave before and I didn't know her, had a complete breakdown. Hyperventilated, screaming, snot coming out of her nose, the works! We all looked at each other in complete terror imagining how we were going to get her safely back to the surface. Eventually she got it together but I will never forget that.

I also got spun around in 4 connecting chambers one time and my partner and I started to panic. Eventually we sat down, got calm, looked at out map and compass and figured it out. Caves can play with your head.

jack roberts · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 0

Touching The Void is the best film by far!!!!

jack roberts · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 0

Touching The Void is the best film by far!!!!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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