Best thing I've watched in ages - Life Cycles

JMcP92

Dunno if this is old or new, just popped up on YouTube as a recommendation, 45 minutes well spent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evJclGGjXlo

cooldad

So so old.

cat_with_no_tail

Pretty old now. and I didn't think it was that good tbh. Lots of fancy camera work, but nothing the the way of a plot. Just a collection of youtube clips.

I got 3 minute gaps for Christmas and found that to be excellent as it actually has a point to it. It follows some of the top riders through the 2010 DH WC series, loads of great riding, but interviews and stuff too to break it all up a bit.

And of course, Seasons for a proper classic.

bennett_346

Cat With No Tail wrote:

Pretty old now. and I didn't think it was that good tbh. Lots of fancy camera work, but nothing the the way of a plot. Just a collection of youtube clips.

Exactly what i though. The hippie narrative was strenuous too.

querhoch

Over the last few years there have been several attempts to tackle riding vids from a different perspective and they have all failed in my opinion. Life Cycles was an ok idea for a college project, but it had no business passing itself off as a proper riding movie. I know we invest a lot of ourselves in our machines and they are important to us in ways that non riders won't understand, but the whole 'bike has a soul' angle was nauseating.

Follow Me is about the best Ive seen and stands a head and shoulders above the HUGELY overrated* Where The Trail Ends, which was just another film about a bunch of mainly rich white dudes going big in different places. Utter garbage. Theres been a couple of women made and specific videos that I enjoyed, Women of Dirt and If she can do it. None of them have Brad Majorson high fiving his bro's and going 'Woah dude, that was super gnarly!' in a helicopter.

So yeah, Follow Me and anything where Clay isnt mooning over Sam is worth watching. the rest are mainly vanity projects.


*yes, I know ratings are subjective and for something to be overrated there must be a single definitive score, but its is the most hyped and heralded film for about 5 years and it offers absolutely nothing new.

Ouija

So it was a cycling video then? Got about 40 seconds into it before my boredom threshold was reached and stopped watching it (the throaty pseudo hippy voice-over was annoying).

blueneedles

awesome watch that with some nice video work cheers for the share dude first time ive seen it

Clank

The only way to keep mountain biking fresh on the screen for 45mins is to give it a story anyone can buy into - give it risk, give it jeopardy and that will creat drama and interest. Leave the cod-philosophy for hipster fixie riders. Go to Redbull TV and watch a round of Downhill or Rampage.

'Life Cycles' had nothing to say, and still took 45 minutes to say it.

MountainMonster

I loved life cycles. Watch it regularly on DVD.

querhoch

Hippy

MountainMonster

querhoch wrote:

Hippy

Happily so

DanDax1990

I quite enjoyed this although it would've been better with no pointless story and gay voice over. Would've been better just the clips edited together.

JMcP92

I watched Follow Me last night, was quite good but really not much different from Life Cycles, some were criticising it for it's hippy-esk voice over and just shots of riding etc.
Follow me was little different, a lot of riding but not as astonishing camera work. Didn't have the hippy voice over but didn't follow a story at all. I enjoyed it, but I'm not gonna say it's so much better than Life Cycles, was just the same but didn't have as strong camera work

rockmonkeysc

Dull art project bollocks. If I wanted to watch a bike film i would want something with more riding and less bullshit.
I believe Barry Norman reviewed it as a pile of toss.

lawman

As a filming exercise is ridiculously we shot, unbelievably so, but it falls short on content, tbh the only section I really like is the section with Kelly McGarry and Doerfling, in the woods, loam by the skip load and some awesome trails, fooking awesome!