Warren Miller's Higher Ground
by Max Bervy
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DVD Cover Information
Director: Max BervyBrand: UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP DISTRIBUTION
Cinematographer: Christopher Patterson
Editor: Kim Schneider
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Running Time: 98 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-10-10
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
Movie Reviews of Warren Miller's Higher Ground
Movie Review: Warren Miller's Higher Ground - An off-beat mix of ski-ing, snowboarding, and winter sports hijinks
Summary: 3 Stars
It's really hard to classify Warren Miller's Higher Ground. All of Warren's films have a mix of awesome skiiing and entertaining extras mixed in. This one seems to have more emphasis on the entertainment than any other of the films I've seen. In addition, while many of Warren's movies have a progression of locations that are tied in well to the title, this one is perhaps most confusing because the title "Higher Ground" seems to have little to do with many of the sequences.
The movie starts slowly with many spoofed comic sequences. More on this later. When they get to Cordova, you get the kind of classic pan and zoom shots that I have come to expect from Warren Miller. YOu get to see some nice ski cuts against big mountain backdrops. Obviously there is an emphasis on heli-skiing in this video.
The music on this one is also mostly the typical eclectic mix of ski documentaries. There's some Incubus thrown in with Pearl Jam and plenty of fast paced hip hop and rock tunes to provide a backdrop for all the tricks.
Lindsay Dyer and Jessica Sobalevski (sp?) have some awesome free range skiing sequences. I have never been to Heavenly or the Tahoe region between CA and NV, but Warren says it best: "Jessica makes men want to become skiiers because where she leads ... They want to follow."
And the footage of Canyon's Resort in Utah is also a high-point. Jeremy Bloom in the Canadian Rockies is also impressive. And Frank Walter skiing over 6 million vertical feet in a season makes me jealous and humble at the same time. The footage of Courcheval France was nice but somehow not fleshed out enough.
The shots of the gap jupms are simply amazing. This is what I was looking for. And the "life-saving right turn" will give you more gratitude that you've managed to avoid getting caught in an avalanche.
The shots of Seth and Shane are also awesome. And when you see this guy skiing off of a sheer face cliff and opening a parachute, you can't help but to wonder why they didn't have more of that in the movie.
There's some nice acrobatic shots at Copper Mountain, but they are mixed in with a comic back-story. Once again, love the tricks, but could have done without the comedy.
There is a very choppy mix between actual ski and snowboard action and those funny moments. Chris Anthony has some funny shots working on a Navy Aircraft Carrier, supposedly to hitch a ride to Alaska for "Arctic Man." But I did find myself wondering why the NY Fire Department going down a mountain with hoses and fireman uniforms wasn't funny to me. It was clearly planned out and I'm sure it's funny to a lot of people, but I just didn't get it.
Then there's segments on a guy hop, skip and a jumping all around the city and then a shot of skiers playing cards. They try to tie this into the segment on "Heavenly" but it's hard to understand the transition. All the skiiers show up in 70s gear and do sily tricks. There's nice vintage footage but it just seems randomly thrown in.
So I guess their deliberate attempts at humor make this one less funny than the others, at least for me.
And there-in lies my principal criticism of this documentary. I believe that if 3/4 of those jokes and comic extras had been removed, this would have been a much better film. For my money, Warren Miller's Storm, Warren Miller's Journey and Warren Miller: Off the Grid are all better films than this one. Yet those who like the bloopers and jokes (which seems like a lot of people) are definitely going to like this one more.
Another thing that seems a little different about this one is the emphasis and random placement of the wipe-out footage. It made me remember other Warren Miller movies and it made me wonder, "Why are all the wipe-outs mixed in at random with the shots of them nailing all these tricks?" I didn't come up with a satisfying answer for myself.
Once you get into the base-jumping / flying, it's a little easier for me to accept the diversion away from skiing. Seeing that guy flying in the wing-suit is truly amazing. But I definitely am curious how he lands. :) Obviously he opens a parachute but it's still scary to see him flyng over the sheer cliff faces and jagged mountains.
Though I will say, the comedy of the closing sequence including the highway stop and "Warren Miller Radio" is actually pretty funny. There's a Napoleon Dynamite reference thrown in there too. :)
All in all, if you like silly humor and bloopers, this might be one of your favorite Warren Miller productions. If you are looking for the most ski and snowboard action you can get in a documentary, this one may leave you wanting more. Seek out some of the others I have mentioned instead.
Enjoy.
Summary of Warren Miller's Higher Ground
Crisscrossing the globe hitting the steeps of Alaska terrain parks in Colorado deep powder in British Columbia and cliffs in Switzerland Warren Miller s Higher Ground brings to life the ultimate skiing and snowboarding footage from around the globe!Warren Miller s Higher Groundchronicles skiers and snowboarders in their never-ending search for new and thrilling ways to ride the snow.Part action/adventure part documentary Warren Miller s Higher Ground also features legendary athletes such as World Cup mogul champion Jeremy Bloom big mountain skiers Jeremy Nobis and Seth Morrison ski-base jumping innovator Shane McConkey and the sport s hot-dogging icon Glen Plake as well as up and coming stars like five-year-old phenom Bridger Gile.Special Features Include: " Glen Plake - Through The Ages" Featurette 5.1 Surround Sound And more!System Requirements:Running Time 98 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SPORTS/GAMES Rating: NR UPC: 826663101867 Manufacturer No: DVD10186Sports DVD Video
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