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Best climbing movies ever?
M Dudley wrote: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?Yup, that's about my list too.The Mountain is extra special for a 50's flick, full of all those misconceptions people have about what we do. This movie has over the shoulder belay with a manilla rope. No braking device, just the tight squeeze of your bare hands to the point where they are cut nearly in half and bleeding. But then, with dead weight and rope over an edge, the old man Tracy pulls Wagner up hand-over-hand to rescue. Yeah, sure... we do that all the time don't we? Anyway, I'd still say Eiger Sanction is most believable climbing scenes filmed in reality; not too sensational and good slow paced mountain action, just like real life ascents at that time. |
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+1 for "Touching The Void" I don't know how we missed this one. Incrediable tale.I have to say it really is thought provocing. I would think that some of us may have contiplated being in that situation. In this movie we are brought face to face with such a reality, and it's not pretty. A very well done movie/documentry. I have to admit that I liked the book better. |
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funnest climbing movie ever! |
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+1 for Touching the Void & North Face. Also, if you're into bouldering/sport at all, BigUp Productions has a lot of hq stuff, mostly with Sharma. Great scenery though, whether you're into that kind of climbing or not. |
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Okay, here's an obscure one: Scream of Stone directed by Werner Herzog. It's a fictional story about climbing Cerro Torre, I believe. I've only seen the end, but it's SERIOUS.Also, he did a great doc on Messner called "The Dark Glow of the Mountains". Not a lot of actual climbing, but still awesome. |
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Just watched touching the void today and it was still awesome. I love the part where he gets the song stuck in his head. North Face is great also. |
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Solo by Mike Hoover |
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As far as non-hollywood goes.. I loved progression and Committed Volume 2. Clearly the best climbing scene ever filmed in hollywood is the Tom Cruise free solo in Mission Impossible. Flawless technique, especially when he ends up with his back against the cliff in an iron cross position, dont you hate when that happens? |
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So bad it is good. They are on the summit of K2 which is for some reason, below treeline. You must see this to believe it. |
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At long last, the classic climbing film El Capitan is being re-released!! Here is a note from the filmmaker: |
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: I think it was actually nitro glycerin (ytf you would want nitro on a mountain is beyond me) and they were attempting to summit k2. Most inaccurate mountaineering/climbing film since Cliffhanger. I like Touching the Void. Haha, also, I think someone said Eiger Sanction. That one's definitely worth checking out. Also, the movie, "K2" from 1991 is pretty good/goofy but not as dumb as Vertical Limit. |
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Point Break. |
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Not sure if it was mentioned yet, but "North Face" has some old school climbing with great angles set on the Eiger pre-WWII. It's on netflix. |
"H" wrote:Not sure if it was mentioned yet, but "North Face" has some old school climbing with great angles set on the Eiger pre-WWII. It's on netflix. North FaceYeah, it's on the page that the OP linked.. It is a great one though. Good cinematography and interesting to see old school mountaineering with the old static twine ropes and people learning black smithery just to forge their own lost arrows, pitons, crampons etc... Purty cool stuff. |
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"a teenager willingly joins a group of rock climbers" |
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Early 70's flick called Solo. (?) The dude climbing has a frog in his shirt pocket the whole time. |
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Alien vs Predator has some great climbing scenes in it. The opening where she is soloing a huge ice climb is entertaining. |
ZaneL wrote:+1 for Touching the Void & North Face. Also, if you're into bouldering/sport at all, BigUp Productions has a lot of hq stuff, mostly with Sharma. Great scenery though, whether you're into that kind of climbing or not.Agreed. North Face and Touching the void are amazing. The acting in vertical limit makes me laugh. Plus, after the fall it really gets boring. Cliffhanger...rules. Bolt guns, free soloing overhangs 1000 feet up (rescue team?) and the worlds most terribly made climbing gear, breaking... epic. |
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Boogie Till You Poop. |
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Seems like nobody has ever seen this but me. Has some good reanactments of 20s style climbing. Not the best, but Connery has to be respected! |
