DVD: Sender Films Return2Sender
10th Jun 2006
A Peter Mortimer Film
Watching Return2Sender is a bit like reading a book by an author new to you can sometime be. The style can be so irritating and such hard work that you are prone to giving up before really getting into it (Trainspotting did this to me). Persevere, accept Timmy O'Neil for who he is - an eccentric and very American American - and you will love it.
Rather than focus on one place or event Return2Sender features a series of completely unrelated shorts, each one well filmed and interesting. It's the first film - Parallelojams' which actually features Timmy. With a unique style that becomes laugh out loud funny at times Timmy takes us on a tour of Indian Creek's hardest lines, at the same time as giving us a lesson in the art of jamming. A superb film and well deserving of the awards it won at film festivals across the world last year. Awe inspiring stuff.
The other shorts are a mixed bag: Freebird features Michael Reardon talking gibberish about his solo climbing exploits. Never impressive and always nonsensical it left me feeling very under whelmed. Bug Out on the other hand is superb. It features 10 year old Cicada Jenkins climbing way harder than I ever will at the same time as sounding pretty down to earth (for a 10 year old!). 40 Days and 40 nights is another dose of O'Neillism. It's a real breakbeat film of a couple of first ascents in Southern Greenland. Mexican Base is a well put together modern version of the Eric Jones classic, BASE jumping into the cave of the Swallows in Mexico. Biscuit and Felix is a follow up to Mortimer's well loved 2004 short 'Biscuit The Climbing Dog', but sadly not in the same league - entertaining nonetheless. Lastly Prego - Pull till you pop is an inspirational 5 minuter featuring a heavily (8 months) pregnant Maia Tauber top roping and having fun. In addition there is a funky Big Wall cartoon, a whole load of outtakes, deleted scenes, trailers to other productions and more.
Well worth adding to your DVD collection, and essential if you are planning a trip to Indian Creek sometime.