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Release Date: December 8th, 2006 (AMC Loews 19th St.) by Matson Films. Directed by Christopher J. Scott. BASIC PREMISE: A documentary about the history, culture and lifestyle of snowboarding. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Just in time for snowboarding season comes Snow Blind, a lively documentary which promotes the sport through interviews with its many different riders. Unlike in last year’s First Descent, the interviews go beyond the professional competitors to include a 90 year-old snowboarder, also known as Banana George, and handicapped riders, all of whom enjoy the sport in their own way—but without just saying “gnarly”. Director Christopher J. Scott wisely follows a logical structure from the history of snowboarding, a.k.a. snurfing (surfing on the snow), to the excitement of the sport and to the dangers of it as well. Scott includes an interview with the hilarious Banana George, a 90 year-old snowboarder who has the energy of a 9 year old clearly deserves a documentary all about him and his adventures around the world. The scenes showing how the handicapped riders who still manage to snowboard are quite fascinating to watch as well as some scenes with a snowboarder’s close-knit family. There’s also plenty of footage of snowboarders riding down the mountain and falling in some way. But the truly entertaining scenes are when the camera follows the riders close-up and you can actually feel the adrenaline rush as they glide down the trails. Ultimately, whether or not you’re a “snurfing” fan, you’ll be easily engaged by this informative, well-organized and lively film. SPIRITUAL VALUE: It’s quite moving how the handicapped riders fearlessly snowboard as well as others who put their life on the line just to enjoy a sport they truly love. One snowboarder admits that he uses the sport as a means of escapism from the all of the problems he has in other area of his life. By focusing on him and the mountain while shunning everything else, he achieves some sort of ephemeral tranquility that couldn’t be achieved otherwise. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: None. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 0 IN A NUTSHELL: Engaging, well-organized and informative. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: Movie Theater (1st Run) Main Page Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu The "S" Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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