Gripped Movie Released

Dave K wrote:

Now that I think about it, it seems like it was made for children.

There is a nice 'Lowest Common Denominator' about the audience. It's watchable... i found it to be just as good as most "terrible movies you stream off the internet to pass the time" kinda viewing. I'd rewatch it just for laughs with climbing friends to mock it. Perfect for those nights back at the Air BnB relaxing after a hard day out. Drink a beer and laugh at a movie as u discuss tomorrows plans.

Good enough to enjoy, bad enough to laugh at. 

Carolina wrote:

I have young children, does anyone know if this is suitable for them to watch ?

There's a few f-bombs, but other than that it's pretty clean.

Carolina wrote:

I have young children, does anyone know if this is suitable for them to watch ?

It's PG at most due to some profanity.  However, you may not want them to watch it if you don't want them to lose a few IQ points.  

I fast forwarded through this a bunch and I'm mostly under the impression that A) Brett is terrible and B) if Brett had just worn a helmet this whole movie could have been avoided? 

Jason Mills wrote:

I fast forwarded through this a bunch and I'm mostly under the impression that A) Brett is terrible and B) if Brett had just worn a helmet this whole movie could have been avoided? 

Yup. That's about it. 

Also add that Rose is a super shitty friend to Jade. 

Also Jeremy is adorable. 

I'd much rather watch a movie about Jade and Jeremy puttering about after being ditched by their friends. 

That dude is a sexual predator. 

Carolina wrote:

I have young children, does anyone know if this is suitable for them to watch ?

(SPOILER ALERT)

It's basically a romance/drama that uses climbing to move the story along.  There are several dozen funny/stupid issues with the movie from a climber's perspective.  These are great fun.

But the problem I have with it, as a woman, is that the guy comes across as an idiot, who almost gets them killed through his own hubris and lack of common sense climbing foresight, and yet, God knows why, in the end, they end up in a happy ever after romantic-partner relationship.  (I have a male friend who was so annoyed at male lead character after the first bouldering scene, that he turned the movie off.)  I would have found the ending much more satisfying if, after they took him away to the hospital, she told her friend "Well that was certainly a huge mistake.  What an idiot. Remind me never to do that again."  So I guess it depends if you think that the happy ending will teach your kids a lesson that the relationship dynamics in the movie are something to emulate in the real world..

phylp phylp wrote:

"Well that was certainly a huge mistake.  What an idiot. Remind me never to do that again."  

That's usually what my ex's are overheard to have said too, so what I'm saying to you is let me have my little fantasy perfect dream life played out and lived vicariously through this stupid movie. 

Actually what I would have REALLY liked is that somehow afterwards she becomes this over-confident kinda-jerk that hangs out at the climber's campsite far too much, looking for new gumby victims to take up the Killer Pillar. 

And this pattern just keeps happening over and over again. Like a long-running horror movie series. Just a new gumby for each sequel. The Killer Pillar just raining down broken holds

and blood.

Dave K wrote:

So you are saying a strong beautiful woman shouldn't fall for a guy that lacks common sense? ... that there's no hope for a lasting relationship?

You're not wrong. It's good advice.

But I'm glad you didn't know my wife 25 years ago.

Long Ranger wrote:

Actually what I would have REALLY liked is that somehow afterwards she becomes this over-confident kinda-jerk that hangs out at the climber's campsite far too much, looking for new gumby victims to take up the Killer Pillar. 

And this pattern just keeps happening over and over again. Like a long-running horror movie series. Just a new gumby for each sequel. The Killer Pillar just raining down broken holds

and blood.

groundhog day but with bad beta and concussions. 

The movie would have been so amazing if 3/4 of the way through it, it changed mood and tone completely to be this weird horror thriller. Kill Piller rests on sacred ground and those who dare tread on it, are cursed to repeat the path from gumby to spray lord; leaving behind dropped micro-fractured #4's, piss bottles, and THEIR SANITY.  The only way out is to find a replacement for your now damned, souless body. 

THE ONLY WAY DOWN IS UP!

Muaha. Muahahahaha. Ahahahahahahhaaaaaaaaaa!

But I also like love stories too, so the movie was fine.

Long Ranger wrote:

The movie would have been so amazing if 3/4 of the way through it, it changed mood and tone completely to be this weird horror thriller. Kill Piller rests on sacred ground and those who dare tread on it, are cursed to repeat the path from gumby to spray lord; leaving behind dropped micro-fractured #4's, piss bottles, and THEIR SANITY.  The only way out is to find a replacement for your now damned, souless body. 

THE ONLY WAY DOWN IS UP!

Muaha. Muahahahaha. Ahahahahahahhaaaaaaaaaa!

Ooh, so it's like a weird mashup of Vertical Limit and The Ring? In order to escape the curse, you have to bring a Gumby up the route?

Someone's gotta make this Killer Pillar thing over again--with biological weapons, mercenaries, and BIGFOOT!

The Mountain Dwellers

Fail Falling wrote:

Yup. That's about it. 

Also add that Rose is a super shitty friend to Jade. 

Also Jeremy is adorable. 

I'd much rather watch a movie about Jade and Jeremy puttering about after being ditched by their friends. 

Nailed it. The movie should have shifted protagonists, bailed on the d-bags and followed the quirky adventures of Jeremy and Jade. 

Also. Anybody else think homie seemed pretty lucid for having just had some major concussion that kept him from climbing? I think he was totally sandbagging her. 

Stephen L wrote:

Nailed it. The movie should have shifted protagonists, bailed on the d-bags and followed the quirky adventures of Jeremy and Jade. 

Also. Anybody else think homie seemed pretty lucid for having just had some major concussion that kept him from climbing? I think he was totally sandbagging her. 

I think the main injury was actually the broken shohlder.

I’m about 40 minutes in, primarily only listening to the audio, and so far:

- Blondie has handed Femme Fatale (FF) - who has no idea how belaying works - a grigri with about 3 seconds of instruction, told her not to worry, and then appeared to be try-harding on what is presumably a beginner climb.

- FF and Blondie (quite reasonably and predictably) got into a dual-shit-fit argument because FF feared for her life and Blondie wasn’t eager to offer calming assurances and methodical exposure to trusting safety systems. Don’t worry though, because instead of reflecting momentarily and acknowledging that things were moving quicker than prairie fire with a tail wind and looking more recklessly than a drunkard choppin stump wood with a hatchet, Blondie and FF decide to suck face.

- After 1 day of outdoor climbing, an emotionally unstable FF has used her sexual desirability as leverage to strongarm Blondie into “a serious commitment”. No need to discuss ‘progression’ or ‘long-term goals’, since there’s less ‘trauma-that-might-lead-to-catharsis-but-probably-definitely-wont’ with that kind of reasonable pushback.

Despite all that, I’m enjoying the absurdity of it. Decent guitar riffs in the background, too.

It would be interesting to have a Q&A panel with the production team and try to understand what the objective of this film was (other than cashing in on the current wave of climbing hype), but I’d be wary of the endorsement/validation that might offer the writing & finance teams... 

Personally, I just want to know why Gary Busey wasn’t involved, why there are apparently zero “cut the rope!” or “shoot the hostage...” scenes, and WHERE THE HELL IS CAPTAIN KIRK?

Mostly just grateful the R&I link to the Gripped YT stream somehow appears to not be monetized(?). 

Brent Kelly wrote:

I’m about 40 minutes in, primarily only listening to the audio, and so far:

- Blondie has handed Femme Fatale (FF) - who has no idea how belaying works - a grigri with about 3 seconds of instruction, told her not to worry, and then appeared to be try-harding on what is presumably a beginner climb.

- FF and Blondie (quite reasonably and predictably) got into a dual-shit-fit argument because FF feared for her life and Blondie wasn’t eager to offer calming assurances and methodical exposure to trusting safety systems. Don’t worry though, because instead of reflecting momentarily and acknowledging that things were moving quicker than prairie fire with a tail wind and looking more recklessly than a drunkard choppin stump wood with a hatchet, Blondie and FF decide to suck face.

- After 1 day of outdoor climbing, an emotionally unstable FF has used her sexual desirability as leverage to strongarm Blondie into “a serious commitment”. No need to discuss ‘progression’ or ‘long-term goals’, since there’s less ‘trauma-that-might-lead-to-catharsis-but-probably-definitely-wont’ with that kind of reasonable pushback.

Despite all that, I’m enjoying the absurdity of it. Decent guitar riffs in the background, too.

It would be interesting to have a Q&A panel with the production team and try to understand what the objective of this film was (other than cashing in on the current wave of climbing hype), but I’d be wary of the endorsement/validation that might offer the writing & finance teams... 

Personally, I just want to know why Gary Busey wasn’t involved, why there are apparently zero “cut the rope!” or “shoot the hostage...” scenes, and WHERE THE HELL IS CAPTAIN KIRK?

Mostly just grateful the R&I link to the Gripped YT stream somehow appears to not be monetized(?). 

I'm throrughly enjoying your eloquence in dissecting this film. Would you consider recording a commentary that can be played alongside the feature presentation?

Can anyone think of a fictional movie with better, more realistic climbing sequences?  It seems like they didn't have enough money to make silly, over-the-top climbing scenes with complicated rigging/wires or CGI, as seen in "climbing" scenes in movies like Vertical Limit.  They had to settle for real leads with real gear placements (which made the movie better IMO).

There are a few parts that bothered me, such as the pendulum with a single strand (how did they retrieve the rope?).  The fact that the production crew were able to get to these locations with cameras means that by definition they have to know enough to be able to get it right.

The only other movies I can think of with comparable climbing scenes would be The Eiger Sanction or the German film The North Face (Norwand)