Im Rausch der Höhe

In "Deep Winter" Eric Lively and Kellan Lutz play two friends who join forces on a adventure of a lifetime: to be part of a documentary showing their risky performances while skiing on a dangerous mountain on Alaska. Followed by the filmmaker (Luke Goss) and a well trained guide (Michael Madsen) they're heading to something that can change their lives and not in a good way. And a film like this couldn't exist without some cracks on this beautiful friendship after Lively's character start to date Lutz's sister (played by Peyton List).

Lifeless and quite insignificant, there isn't much to be said about this flick since it's a movie that doesn't have much to say or show. Sure, there's some breathtaking skiing sequences and the two hotties as main stars but that's it; the rest of the movie isn't all that interesting and we only have endless skiing scenes and some other moments involving Madsen's character saying there's a storm coming which makes even more impossible the already impossible stunt, and the filmmaker always concerned about losing money and wasting time waiting for the weather to change so he can film his documentary. It repeat itself so much that it gets completely dull.

Almost enjoyable. Almost. 5/10

Tyler (Eric Lively) is a hotshot skier with much talent but not enough self-control. His defiance of rules and instruction gets him tossed off the American ski team by his coach (Robert Carradine). Heading back to his Rocky Mountain home, he catches up with old friends, including Mark (Kellan Lutz) and his attractive younger sister, Elisa (Peyton List). Not having a good plan for his future, Tyler and Mark, also a skier, are asked to ski in a put-on-a-show video in Alaska! The concept is that a helicopter will take the duo up to a mountain in the 49th state, drop them off and have a camera rolling. It is one risky business, for small avalanches occur regularly. Only the most skilled athletes and fearless souls need apply. The two men go. There they meet a former Alaskan skier, Dean (Michael Madsen) who will be giving them advice and holding the recorder. Initially, things go well and some spectacular footage is shot. But, with both Mark and Tyler liking to compete "on the edge", will they return home safely? This movie has some of the most terrific scenery and skiing cinematography that most viewers will ever see. Imagine, skiing down a huge mountain in Alaska! Just looking at it makes one a bit dizzy! On the other hand, while the cast is talented and good looking, the plot is mediocre. It also has some drug related elements that might make some film fans uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the movie's unique setting and eye-popping ski stunts make the flick very worthwhile, winter or summer.

(2008) Deep Winter ADVENTURE

Acting is bad, and the plot is too cliche to be taken seriously as well as absolutely offers nothing professional skiers do not know themselves besides being very predictable, but if anyone were to be ignorant as much as I am about the dynamics of filming skiing videos this film succeeds at doing just that. Co-written and directed by Mikey Hilb directing a movie that has simplistic plot about a professional skier, Tyler Crowe (Eric Lively) who gets himself kicked off his ski team, he then visits a girl, Elisa Rider (Peyton List) working at a bar who the star Tyle is close to her brother and a professional snowboarder, Mark Rider (Kellan Lutz) who also knows about the star getting himself kicked off his skiing team, brings along and introduces to him a film crew who makes ski videos for a living and offers him a contract to showcase him to do some serious skiing on some of Alaska's most treacherous mountains. Michael Madson also stars as the helicopter pilot, Dean whose job is to drop skiers/ snowboarders to the mountains. The process of making skiing videos is what should be focused here than on anything else, otherwise it's pointless for this to be watched at all.

I read this review on DVD Verdict then rented the movie and loved it.

You know, I wasn't expecting anything more than a cookie-cutter snowboard jock-movie starring annoying characters, but Deep Winter surprised me. It's an entertaining spectacle, sporting some jaw-dropping downhill footage, a serviceable human drama, and likable players to tie it all together.

Deep Winter is sort of a meta-snowboard movie, quite possible the first of a genre. The story is about these guys making a ski and snowboard movie, but it's obvious from the crazy downhill shenanigans that human beings are actually strapping themselves to thin pieces of sculpted plastic and voluntarily sliding down a big-ass mountain. Really, I can't say enough about how awesome the skiing and snowboarding is in this movie. If I had to guess, the angles are sheer 90 degree drops of doom and somehow the nutjobs the filmmakers suckered into rocketing down the slopes negotiate this wintry peril with ease. Just fantastic.

Buttressing all of this is the movie itself and it's decent. You'll be able to chart out the trajectory of the plot no problem: the twists, the relationships, the looming fatalities, the Final Momentous Choice our hero makes, all of it. You've seen this melodrama in countless other works. The clichés are tempered with some solid acting and a likable Alpha Male awesome skier guy who bangs his best friend's sister, sure, but that's a necessity in movies like this, so you can't fault him for that. Even Michael Madsen brings his game, likely relieved he's not hoisting around a fake sword and incomprehensible accent from a Uwe Boll movie or playing a gangster for the billionth time.

Again, the centerpiece of Deep Winter is the ski action footage, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you skipped through some of the extended sentimentality to get to the good stuff.

The film looks good in its 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen treatment, though the picture quality isn't as vibrant as it could be. In fact, Deep Winter is best-suited for a high-definition treatment. Audio is pushed by a 5.1 track, and it's rich, pounding bass and blasting out the nifty soundtrack. The total lack of extras is a major missed opportunity.

This movie is AWESOME!! I didn't expect it to have have a good plot, but it did! The skiing was mind blowing. I have no idea how they got some of these shots, it's incredible. The hot guy Emmett from "Twilight" is even in it! Michael Madsen is a total classic. He adds a lot of depth to the movie. The soundtrack is great too! The Citizen Cope song was made for "Deep Winter". I can't imagine anyone NOT being totally blown away by this movie. I show my friends and they can't believe what they are seeing. They show all of their friends and so on and so on. But EVERYONE says how amazing it is. I'm totally psyched to see the whole movie. When can I get my hands on it? I want it and I want it NOW!!!!!