Riding Giants Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
An insider's look at the origins of surfing, the colorful and subversive birth of surf culture, and
the mythology and lure of the "big wave." This passionate and fluid film is the first authentic
history of surfing from its humble Hawaiian beginnings to the big business it became to the still
rebellious universe it inhabits today. A study in individuality and freedom, the pursuit and
techniques of pure kinetic pleasure, and the risk taking and attitudes that characterize its
leading figures. Closely chronicling the sometimes-life-and-death drama that big-wave riding
entails, the film is a visual thrill ride. But also revealed is the realization that the man versus
nature dialectic never ends; the search for the ultimate wave and the spiritual pinnacle can only
be pursued but never reached.
It becomes so important to you that it becomes the object around which you plan the rest of
your life.
"Culture" and "community" are words that are found in dozens, if not hundreds, of endeavors,
whether speaking at a basic level on a collective shared heritage and a group of peoples living in
proximity, or any number of like-minded individuals that come together from countless identifiable
"cultures" and "communities" to participate together in and discuss ad infinitum shared interests.
Firearms, favorite authors, music, clothes, pets, and sports are but classes of activities and objects
underneath which are many dozens more sub-layers that can be classified as having identifiable and
unique followings arranged in "cultures" and "communities." One such niche that falls under
several possible categories -- sport, recreation, and lifestyle, for instance -- is the culture of surfing
and the community of surfers, both of which are the subject of the excellent 2004 documentary
film Riding Giants, an easygoing glimpse into the modern history of the activity and the
people, places, and things that have come to define it over the past several generations.
Surf's up.
Opening with a brief history of the earliest years of surfing -- including its founding in Hawaii, its
banishment by Calvinist missionaries, and its resurgence in the early 20th century -- Riding
Giants moves on to look at the history of modern surfing through the eyes of three greats
and
a trio of the
most renowned surfing spots in the world. Starting with the legendary Greg Noll, who in 1948
found himself immersed in the sport, the documentary recounts his exploits at Waimea Bay and
the birth of "Big
Wave"
surfing, while intermittently entwining information about advances in technology to make boards
lighter and smaller, the birth of the surfing culture and the origins of the "beach bum," and the
influence of the film Gidget that greatly multiplied the number of surfers seemingly
overnight. Riding Giants also introduces viewers to Jeff Clark, the man who for 15 years
surfed the famous Mavericks in Northern California by himself before he could convince anyone
else
of the spot's stature as a premiere surfing destination for big waves, bigger, even, than those at
Waimea Bay. Finally, the film focuses on Laird Hamilton, a modern-day surfer influenced by
the greats
of the Big Wave era and his contributions to tow-in surfing, particularly at Maui's Pe'ahi reef.
Riding Giants is of a visual style and feel that's reflective of both its subject material
and the personalities of the individuals interviewed therein. Director Stacy Peralta
(Dogtown and
Z-Boys) injects the film with a consistently breezy and light tone that's complimented
by a wonderful array of visuals both new and old, all brought together by the film's strongest
asset, the participation of some of surfing's biggest legends. Greg Noll in particular defines the
film, more so than any other participant or wave-drenched imagery. Noll may be past his
physical prime, but the world-famous surfer certainly isn't gun-shy when it comes to speaking his
mind as he recalls the good, the bad, and the ugly both through his experiences as a surfer
and the
state of the culture both then and now. A surfer through and through, Noll's occasionally
profanity-ridden monologues nevertheless capture the heart and the soul of surfing quite unlike
any other individual depicted in Riding Giants. Indeed, Riding Giants effortlessly
captures a broad spectrum of emotions as they relate to the sport, whether the rush of surfing
that big wave or coping with the lives lost to the unforgiving and powerful forces of nature that
surfers face every time they step onto their boards and paddle out into the ocean blue.
Riding Giants is a film that's cobbled together from a myriad of sources and of varying
degrees of quality, and Sony's 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer is reflective of the source material
included in the film. Noisy, grainy, and featuring plenty of pixelation, banding, and random artifacts,
the image is consistently rough but nevertheless true to filmmaker intent. Much of the footage was
shot with amateur equipment over the course of decades, and the rough-around-the-edges look
only adds to the film's appeal and mystique; Sony has wisely left every imperfection intact and
viewers need not worry that there's something wrong with the disc itself. Much of the newer
footage -- generally static interview clips -- do indeed look "better" but often retain a
somewhat
messy, grainy appearance so as to better fit with the remainder of the imagery. Interview clips with
the three primary subjects -- Noll, Clark, and Hamilton -- clearly benefit the most from the high
definition treatment but soft edges, a lack of pristine detail, slightly muted color, and moderate grain
often sneak into the frame. Overall, Riding Giants seems to perfectly capture Director
Stacy Peralta's intent, and this is, then, another strong and natural Blu-ray transfer from Sony.
This Blu-ray release of Riding Giants features a high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. The film's opening scene is one of exceptional contrast; seagulls fly about innocently
enough, floating from one speaker to the next and engendering a sense of absolute calm and
relaxation that's suddenly interrupted by a powerful crashing wave that overpowers the listening
area as it spills through the room and with a rush of energy from the subwoofer. It's the most
dazzling sonic moment in the film, but there is still no shortage of aural goodness to be found
throughout. Many of the sound effects -- some of which seem added in after the fact for dramatic
effect and in a complimentary role to some of the older footage -- play with a
seamless tone, crashing waves in particular strong and invigorating but not devastating or
overpowering. The film's excellent soundtrack is cowabunga good, too; no matter the beat -- hard
rock or classic surf tunes from the golden era of the genre -- are delivered with wonderful clarity,
the rock beats in particular penetrating the listening area with an aggressive posture that fits right
in with the film's visual tone and themes. Rounded out by sound dialogue reproduction, Riding
Giants is another sonic winner from Sony.
Riding Giants paddles onto Blu-ray with a nice assortment of extras. First up are two
commentary tracks, the first with Director/Narrator Stacy Peralta and Editor/Producer Paul
Crowder. They offer a fine collection of comments, speaking on the scope of the production, the
effort to make the visuals and sound larger than life, the soundtrack and sound design, the
participation of Greg Noll, the assemblage of the footage, searching for the right pacing and mood,
and much more. There's plenty here that's reflective of both the surfing culture and the
filmmaking process; fans of both will want to give this one a chance. Track two features
Co-Writer Sam George and Surfers Greg Noll, Jeff Clark, and Laird Hamilton. Surprisingly, this
one's not quite as active and energetic as those who have seen the film and come to know the
personalities might expect. Discussions do again range between technical surfing jargon and
filmmaking techniques, and there's a relaxed, easygoing feel to the proceedings. This track is
better suited to the tastes of surfing historians and aficionados.
The Making of 'Riding Giants' (480p, 28:04) is an excellent piece that looks at how the
film
came about, beginning with Director Stacy Peralta's fascination with Greg Noll's personality and
the evolution of the project from an initial interview for a different venture. The feature contains
a wide collection of interview pieces with the cast and crew who speak on the look of the film, the
nontraditional documentary approach utilized in the film, the process of collecting data and
interviewing the subjects, the formation of a narrative, the importance of music to the film, the
discovery and assemblage of the archival footage, and much more. Fuel TV's Blue Carpet
Special (480p, 20:21) offers an extended look at the film's premiere at Hollywood's Egyptian
Theater, intermixed with interview pieces and scenes from the film. Also included are five deleted
scenes (480p, 15:45), BD-Live functionality, and 1080p trailers for Ghostbusters, The Da Vinci Code,
Michael Jackson's This is
It, 2012,
Armored, and The Stepfather.
Riding Giants' visuals and thematic tone easily reflects the culture of surfing and the
community of the crazy brave that live for the rush of finding and mastering the perfect wave. The
enthusiasm amongst the surfing legends shines throughout, and Director/Narrator
Stacy Peralta's superb documentary reflects the mood of the culture with every frame through the
combination of exciting visuals, steady narration, and the influx of music. A documentary for both
longtime surfers and audiences that have never once set foot on a board alike, Riding
Giants enthralls viewers with a fascinating journey into a culture that's quite unlike any other
and quintessentially fun. Sony's Blu-ray release is rock-solid, featuring a true-to-the-many-sources
1080p transfer, a strong lossless soundtrack, and a fine helping of bonus features. Totally
recommended, dudes.
Some of the best childhood memories often involve sitting down with family or friends to read books filled with fantasy and general nonsense. Hollywood, ever exploring ways to draw in new audiences, has adapted many of these childhood favorites to film, including ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have announced that they will bring the Stacy Peralta films 'Dogtown and Z-Boys' and 'Riding Giants' to Blu-ray on January 5th. For both films, video will be presented in 1080p AVC (1.33:1 for 'Dogtown' and 1.85:1 for 'Giants') ...
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