Last movie you watched......

Rewatching Hoop Dreams; damn that was a compelling story line

 

I just interviewed director Jimmy Chin about the film on Thursday. Really interesting stuff. I had the chance to see an advance screening in New York a couple of weeks ago but couldn't work it into my schedule. Can't wait to see it, especially after speaking with Chin about it. Honnold sounds like an incredibly interesting and amazing guy.

Yosemite recommends climbers give the Freerider route four days to complete. Honnold did it in four hours. With no ropes. It's hard to argue against it being called "the greatest athletic feat of any kind, ever."

 

Different route. Honnold climbed the Freerider route. However, there is a Dawn Wall doc that was just released by different filmmakers. "Free Solo" was made by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who also teamed up on 2015's "Meru," one of my favorite docs.

 

There is a point on his climb when he passes two guys sleeping on the face. It's actually this weird nervy moment, because one of the guys is wearing a costume, like he's a mascot or something, and it's like, What's this weird dude doing on the mountain? Honnold just floats past them on this little edge. The sleepers must have been wondering what the hell was going on.

 

First Reformed. It's no Winter Light.

 

Finally watched "Three Billboards." Lots of unexpected plot twists. Good show.

 

He's batshit crazy or he's addicted to the rush like a herion addict is addicted to the rush.

It's his life, but he will die doing it if he doesn't stop.

Fuck

 

Actually, I don't think it's either. I saw something (I think it was 60 Minutes) on him after he completed the climb in which they discussed the way his brain functions. Brain scans showed the part of his brain that controls fear is far less active than most people's, even when he's experiencing danger. So he actually doesn't get the rush that most people get when he's climbing. In a 60 Minutes piece from like six or seven years ago he talked about how he doesn't get an adrenaline rush and, if there is one, something's gone terribly wrong. Basically, it's more about being controlled for him. Chin talked to me about how Honnold has mastered his fear, but it sounds like he physically doesn't react to fear the way most people do.

That said, he acknowledges in the film that basically everyone who makes free soloing a major part of their life has died, so you may be right on that last point.

 

Son of Creed vs. Son of Drago!

I’d be lying if I said wasn’t looking forward to this.

 

I need to see this.

 

No, because Schrader isn't Bergman and anyone who's seen First Reformed, and then read about the ending, knows Schrader didn't know what to do with the ending and ultimately the ending is so torn that it can be read two ways.

But the first 95% of that movie is pretty damn good, and it's accurate to the life of a pastor. Small moments with broken people.

 

There is a condition known as Urbach-Wiethe disease. It actually prevents people from experiencing fear.
Good episode of the Invisibilia podcast about it.