sasha_feather: Leela from the 5th element (multipass)
[personal profile] sasha_feather
The Dawn Wall - Netflix documentary

I watched this on a rec from [personal profile] rydra_wong. I was totally sucked into this story about two climbers attempting a Feat: climbing the Dawn Wall of El Capitan, in Yosemite Park, which has not been done before.

The film follows Tommy Caldwell, a genius climber. He became a professional rock climber early in his life, endured a harrowing kidnapping while climbing in Kyrgyzstan, and lost part of his index finger in an accident with a table saw. Tommy eventually pairs up with Kevin Jorgeson, and the two spend years planning their Dawn Wall climb.

This documentary does an excellent job explaining why this feat is so challenging. Technical aspects of climbing are clearly conveyed. The landscapes are gorgeous and the people are likable. There is little to no controversy. The tension just comes from: can they do this amazingly difficult thing?

Very enjoyable.

Content note: Matt Lauer (in old interview footage)

Strike a Pose - Netflix documentary

So I know very little about Madonna and was not familiar with this big tour of hers, but apparently it was a big cultural moment. This film follows up with 7 men who were her backup dancers on that tour. There was an 8th member who died from AIDS. There were also some women but they are not featured in this film.

This was just a sort of gentle documentary that was relaxing for me to watch last week when I was stressed out. I enjoy watching gay people just talk about their lives. One of the 7 is straight, and at first I found him annoying, but then I realized that he comes from a lower class background than the others, who were all classically trained. They talk frankly about their experiences, they show a lot of emotion, and they clearly all formed a deep connection while on the tour.

The film talks a little bit (though not in great detail) about some lawsuits that happened. I would have liked to hear more about the idea that Madonna engaged in cultural appropriation when she performed Vogue, profiting greatly off of work done by queer and trans people of color in the Ballroom scene in New York. The film doesn't discuss this at all.

Content notes: AIDS, discussion of addiction, and ugh, Matt Lauer again in old media footage.

Date: 2019-03-11 08:50 am (UTC)
rydra_wong: stick figure on an indoor climbing wall -- base image taken from the webcomic xkcd (climbing -- xkcd)
From: [personal profile] rydra_wong
I was totally sucked into this story

Yay! \o/ \o/ \o/

I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

In case you would like to participate in CAPSLOCKing and having all the feelings about it, it's going on here:

https://rydra-wong.dreamwidth.org/665726.html?thread=8215678#cmt8215678
https://rydra-wong.dreamwidth.org/665726.html?thread=8215422#cmt8215422
https://kore.dreamwidth.org/1379326.html

If you would like a free related extra, I can highly recommend A Line Across The Sky, in which Tommy recruits Alex Honnold to try to claim one of the big goals in Patagonian alpinism, the Fitzroy Traverse -- even though Alex has never been to Patagonia, never done any alpinism, and doesn't really understand how crampons work.

Totally accessible to non-climbers, and it's one of the most purely delightful climbing films I've ever seen:

https://www.redbull.tv/video/AP-1MQAPEZX91W11/a-line-across-the-sky-part-i
https://www.redbull.tv/video/AP-1M8AK3VKD2111/a-line-across-the-sky-part-ii

Gorgeous scenery, amazing climbing, and charming character comedy.

Date: 2019-03-12 12:17 pm (UTC)
rydra_wong: Lee Miller photo showing two women wearing metal fire masks in England during WWII. (Default)
From: [personal profile] rydra_wong
It also very much fits this description:

The landscapes are gorgeous and the people are likable. There is little to no controversy. The tension just comes from: can they do this amazingly difficult thing?

Except with even less angst! And different landscapes.

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