thedrifter
05-12-09, 07:44 AM
Marine's furlough targets outdoor DVDs
Pendleton Marine on furlough reminds us that sometimes, best outdoor experience is inside.
By DAVID WHITING
Register columnist
Comments 1 | Recommend 1
I learned something the other weekend.
Marines wear yellow Bart Simpson pajamas.
Or at least they do when there's not much else to lounge around in during a well-earned break after a tour in Iraq.
And I learned something else.
Sometimes, it's just fine to kick back and enjoy the great outdoors inside.
It was a beautiful sunny Southern California day. Perfect for running, cycling, swimming or hiking. And yet these two kids were doing nothing but sitting on my couch, eating whatever they could get their hands on and watching television.
Hours of television.
Except they weren't kids anymore. They were young men, my son and one of his best friends from high school, Adam.
I hadn't seen Adam in more than a year, and it reminded me how quickly young men grow up, especially when they join the Marines.
I was about to say something about turning off the TV, going outside and getting some exercise. But I realized my absurdity.
Chiseled cheekbones had replaced the soft face that looked out from under his graduation cap when Adam graduated from high school just three years ago. Hard biceps and thick forearms hung from broad shoulders.
If anyone deserved the comfort of home, it was this kid who talked of attacks from RPGs – rocket-propelled grenades – as "nothing to worry about" because the enemy couldn't shoot straight.
And so I plopped down on the couch with these two young men and suggested some of my favorite outdoor DVDs.
I'll confess, you can take the Marine out of the war, but taking the war out of the Marine is a bit tougher. They wanted movies with serious action – "The Punisher," "Green Street Hooligans," "The Matrix."
Ah well. Perhaps next time we'll travel to distant shores courtesy of high-def TV. In the meantime, kick back like a Camp Pendleton Marine on furlough and try our top outdoor DVD picks:
"Grizzly Man Diaries"
What it is: Video, still photographs and journal entries by Timothy Treadwell, the guy who loved and lived with grizzly bears – until one killed him and his girlfriend. An eight-part Animal Planet series.
What it isn't: An interpretation of the director or of anyone else about Treadwell's venture into the wild to live among grizzlies.
Why: "Grizzly Man Diaries" is much more successful in allowing you to make your own decisions about Treadwell's actions, rather than filtering it through acclaimed director Werner Herzog's eyes. Hear Treadwell's story unfold in his own words, watch his peculiar relationship to the natural world and witness his growing anthropomorphism that ultimately leads to his death. An unsettling, sometimes chilling series that offers insight into Treadwell's childlike innocence and dangerous lack of awareness.
"Everest: Beyond the Limit: Season 1"
What: The Discovery Channel's reality show of men and women climbing the world's highest mountain. Breathtaking in high Def
Extra bonus: One of the stars is from Laguna Niguel – firefighter Brett Merrell.
Why: The most awesome high altitude climbing footage ever.
Really why: We climb for the beauty, the challenge and to feed our souls. But sometimes the passion becomes an obsession and can destroy. This series brings you into that world – without having to worry about frostbite.
How: Unencumbered by heavy IMAX equipment, "Beyond the Limit" takes full advantage of the digital age and the time television allows. Fifteen production people on the mountain shot 250 hours of footage and topped it off with special "Sherpa cams" that allow you to watch the truly dangerous climbing – stuff that is impossible to shoot with more traditional equipment.
"Into the Wild"
What: Sean Penn's homage to Jon Krakauer's true-life book by the same name. One of the most successful outdoor films ever made.
Who: Actor Emile Hirsch plays Chris McCandless who walked into the Alaskan wilderness at age 23 and never returned.
Why we love it: Penn's camerawork adroitly turns nature into a living, breathing character and through this technique, examines McCandless' relation to the outdoors. It is the kind of film that can only be made by a director who has walked the razor's edge himself and understands the power, danger and celebration of the natural world.
Soundtrack: Eddie Vedder's evocative songs and music are pitch perfect for the movie. Actually, they're pretty darn good for any thoughtful excursion into the wild.
"The Legend of Bagger Vance"
Who: Director Robert Redford gets the outdoors.
Why: The beauty of the natural world, even when it's cut down to a golf course.
Really why: Will Smith says stuff like this: "Can't see that flag as some dragon you got to slay... You got to look with soft eyes... See the place where the tides and the seasons and the turnin' of the Earth, all come together... where everything that is, becomes one... You got to seek that place with your soul… Seek it with your hands, don't think about it."
David Whiting's column on people and places appears Tuesdays. He can be reached at 714-796-6869 or dwhiting@ocregister.com.
Ellie
Pendleton Marine on furlough reminds us that sometimes, best outdoor experience is inside.
By DAVID WHITING
Register columnist
Comments 1 | Recommend 1
I learned something the other weekend.
Marines wear yellow Bart Simpson pajamas.
Or at least they do when there's not much else to lounge around in during a well-earned break after a tour in Iraq.
And I learned something else.
Sometimes, it's just fine to kick back and enjoy the great outdoors inside.
It was a beautiful sunny Southern California day. Perfect for running, cycling, swimming or hiking. And yet these two kids were doing nothing but sitting on my couch, eating whatever they could get their hands on and watching television.
Hours of television.
Except they weren't kids anymore. They were young men, my son and one of his best friends from high school, Adam.
I hadn't seen Adam in more than a year, and it reminded me how quickly young men grow up, especially when they join the Marines.
I was about to say something about turning off the TV, going outside and getting some exercise. But I realized my absurdity.
Chiseled cheekbones had replaced the soft face that looked out from under his graduation cap when Adam graduated from high school just three years ago. Hard biceps and thick forearms hung from broad shoulders.
If anyone deserved the comfort of home, it was this kid who talked of attacks from RPGs – rocket-propelled grenades – as "nothing to worry about" because the enemy couldn't shoot straight.
And so I plopped down on the couch with these two young men and suggested some of my favorite outdoor DVDs.
I'll confess, you can take the Marine out of the war, but taking the war out of the Marine is a bit tougher. They wanted movies with serious action – "The Punisher," "Green Street Hooligans," "The Matrix."
Ah well. Perhaps next time we'll travel to distant shores courtesy of high-def TV. In the meantime, kick back like a Camp Pendleton Marine on furlough and try our top outdoor DVD picks:
"Grizzly Man Diaries"
What it is: Video, still photographs and journal entries by Timothy Treadwell, the guy who loved and lived with grizzly bears – until one killed him and his girlfriend. An eight-part Animal Planet series.
What it isn't: An interpretation of the director or of anyone else about Treadwell's venture into the wild to live among grizzlies.
Why: "Grizzly Man Diaries" is much more successful in allowing you to make your own decisions about Treadwell's actions, rather than filtering it through acclaimed director Werner Herzog's eyes. Hear Treadwell's story unfold in his own words, watch his peculiar relationship to the natural world and witness his growing anthropomorphism that ultimately leads to his death. An unsettling, sometimes chilling series that offers insight into Treadwell's childlike innocence and dangerous lack of awareness.
"Everest: Beyond the Limit: Season 1"
What: The Discovery Channel's reality show of men and women climbing the world's highest mountain. Breathtaking in high Def
Extra bonus: One of the stars is from Laguna Niguel – firefighter Brett Merrell.
Why: The most awesome high altitude climbing footage ever.
Really why: We climb for the beauty, the challenge and to feed our souls. But sometimes the passion becomes an obsession and can destroy. This series brings you into that world – without having to worry about frostbite.
How: Unencumbered by heavy IMAX equipment, "Beyond the Limit" takes full advantage of the digital age and the time television allows. Fifteen production people on the mountain shot 250 hours of footage and topped it off with special "Sherpa cams" that allow you to watch the truly dangerous climbing – stuff that is impossible to shoot with more traditional equipment.
"Into the Wild"
What: Sean Penn's homage to Jon Krakauer's true-life book by the same name. One of the most successful outdoor films ever made.
Who: Actor Emile Hirsch plays Chris McCandless who walked into the Alaskan wilderness at age 23 and never returned.
Why we love it: Penn's camerawork adroitly turns nature into a living, breathing character and through this technique, examines McCandless' relation to the outdoors. It is the kind of film that can only be made by a director who has walked the razor's edge himself and understands the power, danger and celebration of the natural world.
Soundtrack: Eddie Vedder's evocative songs and music are pitch perfect for the movie. Actually, they're pretty darn good for any thoughtful excursion into the wild.
"The Legend of Bagger Vance"
Who: Director Robert Redford gets the outdoors.
Why: The beauty of the natural world, even when it's cut down to a golf course.
Really why: Will Smith says stuff like this: "Can't see that flag as some dragon you got to slay... You got to look with soft eyes... See the place where the tides and the seasons and the turnin' of the Earth, all come together... where everything that is, becomes one... You got to seek that place with your soul… Seek it with your hands, don't think about it."
David Whiting's column on people and places appears Tuesdays. He can be reached at 714-796-6869 or dwhiting@ocregister.com.
Ellie