MSP Review of In Deep in Vancouver

**postman22** · 09-25-2009, 10:06 AM

Here are some highlights:

1. Marc Abma on saving the planet “Yeah ummn we’ve got all these great new ideas at my company one step like uhhhhh uhhh uhhhhhhh uhhhhhhhh using paper bags instead of plastic bags. Could we get a skier that isn't stoned at these events to NOT make us look like a bunch of idiots.
2. “I love catching air, I really love catching air, catching air is the best, I really like it when I land my airs, the best feeling is looking at the jump when you are in the air
3. Skiing is amazing, best jump session ever, best trick session ever, best line ever, best best best line ever
3. Let's burn trees and watch skiers ski through them. Note how this contradicts how Abma is trying to save the planet.
4. Sean Petit section was awesome and the tribute to Shane McConkey when he reads "what he would in his life if he had aids and were to die in a month" was pretty moving. That's probably the only thing that will sell copies.
5. The movie theater was sold out with 16 year olds. Yet not one of them cheered during the park sections when makes it seem that even they are bored of seeing the same trick being done for the last 10 years
6. " i love the feeling of skiing powder, its the closest thing to flying, soaring in the air is like flying, riding the chair is like flying".

Conclusion:
They had awesome footage and blew the editing. This will go down in history as evidence that not all companies should have their skiers speak. MSP should stick with making ski porn and leave the artsy feel good movies to Sweetgrass who has that market cornered.

**filthyfrenchbum** · 09-25-2009, 10:25 AM

Agreed that the editing wasn't the best, but it was good stoke to watch nonetheless. They didn't go for anything complicated, I think I know all the songs that they used ("In the air tonight" was a sweet segment), but the skiing was shredtacular, and the tribute was by far the best part of the movie.

Also, shout out to Ben, Mike and Cam who got all saucered out! Ben's stoked on the Shoguns!

**smmokan** · 09-25-2009, 10:34 AM

I disagree. The movie was great, entertaining, and had some of the sickest footage I've seen... typical MSP if you ask me. Their movies are always entertaining, and they take a different approach to their ski movies than the hardcore TGR take. Each is awesome in its own right.

(but yeah, I don't understand the tree burning thing. At least that tree was already dead, I guess.)

**D(C)** · 09-25-2009, 10:34 AM

I actually thought it was well done, a bit different than the usual ski porn. I found that it was filmed more from the skiers' perspectives and gave a bit more insight into what they do. I felt that I was joining them vs. watching them.

The Pettit segment was sweet, as was the "In the Air Tonight" pow segment - really made me want to ski. The McConkey segment was very well done as well, not overly heavy.

Park skiing is boring to watch.

**postman22** · 09-25-2009, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by D(C)

I actually thought it was well done, a bit different than the usual ski porn. I found that it was filmed more from the skiers' perspectives and gave a bit more insight into what they do. I felt that I was joining them vs. watching them.

The Pettit segment was sweet, as was the "In the Air Tonight" pow segment - really made me want to ski. The McConkey segment was very well done as well, not overly heavy.

Park skiing is boring to watch.

fair enough but MSP doesn't make money on ski tours. Would you actually buy that movie and want to watch all the "i love catching air shit" again

**powderslayer** · 09-25-2009, 10:52 AM

did anyone notice the complete 180 shift that chris davenport made in this film? last year he was talking about how much he liked earning his turns and ski mountaineering in the alps, showing a bit of disdain for full throttle heli skiing, and this year he's flying down spines out of a heli in AK.

**D(C)** · 09-25-2009, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by postman22

fair enough but MSP doesn't make money on ski tours. Would you actually buy that movie and want to watch all the "i love catching air shit" again

Most ski movie athlete narration is cheesy, faux-philosophical dribble. It's to be expected. I actually found it cool to see that these guys, who do this for a living, are as stoked about skiing as I am, and it was cool that viewers were given access to some of the thought processes involved with skiing these lines. When you watch ski porn, you sort of assume that these guys just ski these faces, get to the bottom and do it again. In Deep makes you realize that there are thoughts and emotions involved. It humanizes these athletes.

And yes, Abma's presentation regarding his foundation could have been more eloquent, but it's cool that he's doing something constructive.

Burning trees is not constructive.

As an ex-racer, it was cool to see Rhalves shred.

**shirk** · 09-25-2009, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by D(C)

As an ex-racer, it was cool to see Rhalves shred.

Rhalves is back racing, he is doing skier cross.

**Spark** · 09-25-2009, 11:28 AM

I agree with all of postman22 comments. I liked the reality check of the scary/crazy falls that can happen when skiing monster lines.

For me, besides the big lines, I just love the part or slow-mo of just skiing pow in the trees … the deepness, the faceshots, the flow … but there was really only one segment like this … wish there was more.

Not my favourite MSP flick but still got me stoked for ski season nonetheless.

**pappag** · 09-25-2009, 11:39 AM

I agree with a lot of what's been posted already, but thought the real-time footage was one of the bigger treats and something I could easily become accustomed to seeing more of in the future ... wink, wink.

**todug27** · 09-25-2009, 11:57 AM

I really enjoyed the skiing, but the narration was...um, not i.q. raising. I also liked the relative lightness of the S.M. tribute. Emotional yes, but it was in a positive he lived a good life look how great he was, so that if someone didn't know who he was before they could get an honest appreciation of him.

Also, did anyone else have the awkward conversations with the athletes when trying to grab posters? The awkwardness was quite funny.

**KevinDineen** · 09-25-2009, 01:06 PM

Perhaps some B.C. (as in the province) folks can fill me in here, because I'm kinda talking out my Clavin, but I think the tree burning thing is something the cat and heli ops do on their tenures to eliminate future fuel for forest fires.

Any hoser mags out there that can confirm?

**huckasoreass** · 09-25-2009, 02:10 PM

Come on. Burning trees is fun! Especially when the tree has been killed by the pine bark beetle that is decimating forests all over North America. If you can burn a tree in mid-winter when nothing else is going to ignite--thus removing one more bit of fuel for summer--and perhaps kill off the beetles in the process, is that a bad thing? No. On top of that, it's really cool to watch because the tree goes up in seconds.

**powderslayer** · 09-25-2009, 02:50 PM

To me the tree burning looked like a redneck yahoo segment like we've seen in previous years with people throwing gas on fires (intro to claim), exploding firecrackers (idea) etc...i don't think it reinforces the whole theme of environmental stewardship that abma was speaking about

**wizard604** · 09-25-2009, 05:48 PM

why was there no PSA on this? I would love to have gone.

**powder11** · 09-25-2009, 06:50 PM

Phil, it's a fucking ski movie! If anything they should play up the "I can't lace more than two words together because I'm stoned as fuck" and not even try to take it seriously. Do you want to see some porn chick take a big load in the face and then talk to you about recycling your condoms? Fuck no!

**Loon** · 09-25-2009, 07:10 PM

This thread is the reason I hate movie critics

**huckasoreass** · 09-25-2009, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Loon

This thread is the reason I hate movie critics

Yeah, you never know if it's going to be that time of the month... And look what you end up getting when it is.

**kalisto** · 09-25-2009, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by powder11

Do you want to see some porn chick take a big load in the face and then talk to you about recycling your condoms? Fuck no!

fkna, haha

**splat** · 09-25-2009, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by huckasoreass

Yeah, you never know if it's going to be that time of the month... And look what you end up getting when it is.

Used tampons?

**teamdirt** · 09-25-2009, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by postman22

Conclusion:
They had awesome footage and blew the editing. This will go down in history as evidence that not all companies should have their skiers speak. MSP should stick with making ski porn and leave the artsy feel good movies to Sweetgrass who has that market cornered.

Just watched Signatures! simply awesome! could be a contender as one of the best films out there...

**Pablo Escobar** · 09-25-2009, 08:59 PM

It was worth the $15 I paid to see it in Denver. Soundtrack could have used some help tho.

**millfiger** · 09-25-2009, 09:16 PM

I thought the footage and more so the editing were a creative step up for MSP.

Abma is doing it right, imo.

**Atrain505** · 09-25-2009, 09:32 PM

Many cliches. Too many.
But I appreciated some of the steps forward in getting behind the athletes.
I thought it was one of the best MSP films to date.
That being said, there is always room for giant steps of improvement.

It was ski porn. I was stoked.

I also agree with many, many of postman's comments.