Warren Miller's Wintervention Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
Do you have a skiing or snowboarding problem? Do you always have to take "just one more" run? Will you go to the ends of the earth in search of snow? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, it may be time for a Wintervention. Warren Miller Entertainment’s 61st film features acute cases of classic “snow-diction” from across the globe. Skiers travel from Argentina, Antarctica, the northern reaches of the Arctic Circle and more to get their powder fix.
Talk about "escapist entertainment." Warren Miller's Wintervention takes viewers to the ends of the Earth -- literally -- for another captivating
installment in the decades-old series that has long inspired skiers and enthralled armchair winter sport enthusiasts alike. And it's no surprise the series
has
run so strong, for so long. What's not to love about gorgeous locales, covered in snow, and people enjoying the heck out of them? Then again, it's not
just pointing the camera and shooting people having fun on beautiful backdrops. It's about the love of a sport, a lifestyle, a healthy addiction.
It's about dreaming, about finding a moment of nirvana, about the camaraderie, the friendship, the passion for skiing that only an absence of snow can
disrupt. But much to skiers' delight, just like it's always five o'clock somewhere, it's always cold and snowy somewhere, and those "somewheres" just
so happen to also be some of the most beautiful places on Earth. Warren Miller's films are also about creating a sense of visual awe and filming the
people
and places with a technical expertise that pulls the audience into the action, the places, and the people who call winter "home."
'It's all downhill from here' takes on a whole new meaning in 'Wintervention.'
Warren Miller's Wintervention travels around the globe, highlighting some of the best slopes as described by some of the world's finest skiers
and as captured by some of the world's best filmmakers. From "the last frontier" Antarctica to what is thought to be one of the birthplaces of
modern skiing in Arlberg, Austria, the film chronicles the passions and the people who ski the world's most famous and challenging slopes, no
matter their financial or physical condition, because it's all about the rush, living the dream, that last run towards a pure heart, a clean conscious,
and eternity. Wintervention also makes stops in several U.S. skiing hotspots -- Vail, Telluride, Utah, and Alaska -- while also paying visits to
the former Soviet republic of Georgia and to frigid Norway where skiers are required by law to pack heat if they want to venture on out into the cold.
But no matter where, no matter when, the legendary Jonny Moseley -- who hosts a call-in show for addicted skiers throughout the movie --
encourages them all to "keep living the dream" with every run down the world's best slopes.
Warren Miller's Wintervention is definitely tailored towards longtime ski fans and Miller video aficionados. Casual fans won't immediately
recognize or remember most of the people and the names that go with them, and even some of the more "exotic" ski locales will, literally, sound
foreign to newcomers, ski newbies, or casual fans watching from somewhere like Texas where snow is about as alien as a close encounter of the third kind. Nevertheless, this is a program that should
enjoy
wide appeal, given that audiences outside its target are willing to give it a chance. It's quite the looker, and it's entertaining, too, if for no other
reason
than to live vicariously through some of the most passionate and skilled people that will ever grace the screen, or to just soak in the splendor of
some
of the world's most beautiful locations. Best of all, it's all done so well, with so much apparent love on both sides of the camera, that even that
casual
viewer can't help but to be pulled into what seems like one exotic world after another, places that are retreats for most, a way of life for some, and a
ticket to fame and fortune for a select few.
That transitions nicely into a look at the technical prowess of Warren Miller's Wintervention. This film is beautiful and beautifully
assembled, and even if it might engender a slight sense of déjà vu to most any or all of the recent Warren Miller titles, this and its contemporaries
prove worth their weight in powder thanks to a sense of spectacle that's rarely achieved on film. Wintervention is the latest grand,
painstakingly
crafted, and meticulously edited feature that transports viewers to the slopes and the ski lodges the world over via some of the most beautiful
photography ever to grace a television screen. This, and its Warren Miller peers, are practically unequaled in terms of sheer visual splendor that's a
result of expert camerawork capturing both the action and people in a Documentary style that doesn't really feel like a Documentary.
Part action sports piece, part travelogue, and part meet-and-greet, Warren Miller's Wintervention offers a little bit of everything, and it's all
made complete by an expert, big-in-scope filmed production that just oozes passion and professionalism.
Though it's not perfect from a technical perspective, Warren Miller's Wintervention looks darn good on Blu-ray. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release
is handsomely filmic, sporting a natural layer of grain that accentuates fine details, from freshly-disturbed snows to faces and heavy winter clothes.
There is a slight flatness about the image, and it's consistently ever-so-soft, but its grand, cinematic big-screen texture is truly a sight to behold. Colors
are natural, neither dull nor vibrant, and yield handsome shading on bright winter jackets and caps. The contrast between fresh and pure white snow
giving way to bright blue skies is one of the film's visual highlights. Several scenes appear to have been shot in HD rather than on film; they look quite
good, too -- stable, bright, clear, and very well-detailed -- but there's something about the organic nature of film that translates exceptionally well to this
material, particularly in the wonderful slow motion action shots. Unfortunately, there are a few errant jagged edges and very slight banding, but neither
is really much of a cause for concern. Wintervention isn't the most polished and technically perfect 1080p transfer on the market, but it's
simply one of the flat out nicest ones to look at that's currently available. Job very well done.
Warren Miller's Wintervention skis onto Blu-ray with a bigger-than-life DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. If anything, this one never wants for
energy. It's loud at reference level -- not obnoxiously so, but louder than most -- but the big sound seems only appropriate given just how big the movie
plays, visually, on Blu-ray. Narration booms, music blares, and sound effects rock. The front channels carry the bulk in all areas, but the back channels
are often involved in a support role. Spacing is not a problem, obviously, and the listener will feel sonically enveloped from start to finish. Of all the
various sound effects, the booming of Telluride's cannon as heard in chapter nine is perhaps the most impressive. Dialogue is normally crisp, but every
now and then it falls apart, sounding tinny, muffled, and crunchy. Generally, however, the track plays quite well. It might be too loud for some, but the
extra oomph really adds to the overall Wintervention experience.
Warren Miller's Wintervention is a wonderful all-around feature. It's built for ski buffs -- no surprise and, really, aren't most "specialty" videos
like this? -- but it's accessible to all and will be an entertaining diversion for most, particularly audiences who crave a look at the kinds of people and the
sort of exotic locales that don't normally grace primetime TV or the local video store shelf. The production is above reproach and is up to the challenge of
capturing the people and places with the attention to detail they deserve. It's great to have these types of materials making the transition to Blu-ray.
Wintervention looks fantastic on Blu-ray -- even despite a few minor technical shortcomings -- and it just oozes a sense of visual
grandeur the likes of which aren't often yet found even in high definition. The soundtrack is pretty killer, too, and even considering the absence of a
more thorough supplemental section, Warren Miller's Wintervention comes highly recommended.
Warren Miller's Wintervention Blu-ray, News and Updates
This November, Shout Factory will release Warren Miller's Wintervention on Blu-ray. This documentary uses such skiing and snowboarding luminaries as Hugo Harrisson, Jossi Wells, Chris Davenport, J.J. Thomas, Reggie Crist, and Andy Mahre to illustrate the passion ...
Warren Miller's Wintervention Blu-ray, Forum Discussions
