Will Hollywood EVER get climbing right?

Long Rangerwrote: Hot take:

Climbing is kind of boring to watch. Movies don't have to be mirrors of the real world (and rarely are). Case in point: the last movie I watched was about an emo space viking and it was alright.

Agreed. I just got around to watching that Solo movie everyone has been talking about and I have to say, the representation of climbing was pretty unrealistic. I'm not even sure Alex Honnold ever had any actual screen time. But it was an entertaining way to waste 90 minutes.

Will Hollywood EVER get climbing right?

They will if they hire me as the director. They won't if they hire me as the leading actor.

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Hollywood got Free Solo right.

No they didn't.

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

No they didn't.

Why do you say that? What did they get wrong?

José Flovinwrote:

They could. We’ll see how it develops. Keep in mind that this last year is the first year climbing attained a global stage with the olympics. Now there are personalities and reachable people who might have some spare time to consult Hollywood’s script.

Then again, the group that this trailer appeals to is larger than our global rag-tag group of climbers.

There have long been climbers working in film as writers and consultants, and particularly doing rigging. I have to assume that the lack of fidelity to climbing practices is because directors sacrifice verisimilitude for story-telling (or economics).

Marc801 Cwrote:

Why do you say that? What did they get wrong?

Did you see it?

Marc801 Cwrote:

Why do you say that? What did they get wrong?

The refrigerator scenes seemed staged.

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

Did you see it?

Irrelevant but yes. I’m asking *you* why you feel that way. 

Marc801 Cwrote:

Irrelevant but yes. I’m asking *you* why you feel that way. 

If youve seen it, and Meru, The Dawn Wall, and The Alpinist, then you should know all the ways they got it wrong. Let me know if you're directing the next big hit and I'll happily take your money to consult on what not to do, if attempting to make a compelling climbing film.

There have long been climbers working in film as writers and consultants, and particularly doing rigging.

Ever see Cliff Hanger? John Long pitched it, consulted on it and it still is a laughable movie with respect to climbing accuracy. But then  again, ole Largo has been known to be a little loose with the accuracy, himself. Hah!

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

If youve seen it, and Meru, The Dawn Wall, and The Alpinist, then you should know all the ways they got it wrong.

I've see all those. Humor me. Again, tell me what *you* feel is wrong.

And since I'm at post limit, there was going to be this response:

Senor Arroz wrote: 

People have been consulting on Hollywood scripts for ages. It's not a lack of good information that holds Hollywood back. Bob Gaines is the person who comes to mind as the most thoughtful, knowledgeable climber who has been consulted over and over.

It's not  just climbing. Science regularly takes a hit: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233692252_Reel_reality_Science_consultants_in_Hollywood

If anyone is looking for a time suck, this YouTube playlist consists of experts breaking down movie scenes for realism: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0hKMB1-xkc8bPJ_N9BoGNnPBOFG1ZSZf

Of particular interest for this group, Alex breaks down iconic climbing scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7qSiEKntQA&list=PL0hKMB1-xkc8bPJ_N9BoGNnPBOFG1ZSZf&index=3&ab_channel=GQSports

José Flovinwrote:

They could. We’ll see how it develops. Keep in mind that this last year is the first year climbing attained a global stage with the olympics. Now there are personalities and reachable people who might have some spare time to consult Hollywood’s script.

Then again, the group that this trailer appeals to is larger than our global rag-tag group of climbers.

People have been consulting on Hollywood scripts for ages. It's not a lack of good information that holds Hollywood back. Bob Gaines is the person who comes to mind as the most thoughtful, knowledgeable climber who has been consulted over and over. The result?

A close friend was hired to consult and rig for an episode of Hawaii Five-0 that had “rock climbing.”  He’d give them advice on how climbing worked, and they’d respond with: “Thanks! But, it’ll look better this way!”

Cherokee Nuneswrote:

Ever see Cliff Hanger? John Long pitched it, consulted on it and it still is a laughable movie with respect to climbing accuracy. But then  again, ole Largo has been known to be a little loose with the accuracy, himself. Hah!

Why did you leave out the last part of my post:

 "I have to assume that the lack of fidelity to climbing practices is because directors sacrifice verisimilitude for story-telling (or economics)."

Why did you leave out the last part of my post:

Because I wasn't commenting on the last part of your post.

Andrew Ricewrote:

People have been consulting on Hollywood scripts for ages. It's not a lack of good information that holds Hollywood back. Bob Gaines is the person who comes to mind as the most thoughtful, knowledgeable climber who has been consulted over and over. The result?

To be clear. If you look at the IMDB credits, John Long gets a writing credit for "premise" and Gaines gets a credit for "mountain safety officer" because he helped teach Stallone how to move on rock and, no doubt, also kept him and others safe. But if Long and Gaines can't talk Hollywood into basic realism, I don't hold out that a couple newly minted Olympians can. 

Matthew Jaggerswrote:

If youve seen it, and Meru, The Dawn Wall, and The Alpinist, then you should know all the ways they got it wrong. Let me know if you're directing the next big hit and I'll happily take your money to consult on what not to do, if attempting to make a compelling climbing film.

It’s weird how much effort you’ve put into not simply answering his question 

Not climbing but relevent to the why Hollywood gets X wrong topic.

Andrew Ricewrote:

Are you pissed because they used C4s in those giant pockets instead of Tricams? 

There's lots of good helmet cam footage on Youtube if you want to see climbing accurately portrayed. 

Yes. Very pissed.

I love how in "Vertical Limit" the one Camelot held a four person fall but in "Fall" it couldn't even hold one.