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Riding Giants [DVD] [2004]

DVD ~ Laird John Hamilton

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

RRP:	�19.99
Price:	�5.48 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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This item: Riding Giants [DVD] [2004] DVD ~ Laird John Hamilton
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Billabong Odyssey [DVD] DVD ~ Philip Boston
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Big Wednesday [1978] [DVD] DVD ~ Jan-Michael Vincent
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	72% buy the item featured on this page: Riding Giants [DVD] [2004] 4.5 out of 5 stars (15) �5.48
	11% buy Billabong Odyssey [DVD] 4.2 out of 5 stars (8) �4.98
	8% buy Big Wednesday [1978] [DVD] 4.6 out of 5 stars (16) �2.98
	4% buy Riding Giants / Dogtown And Z-Boys [DVD] 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �9.78

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Product details

Actors: Laird John Hamilton, Darrick Doerner, Dave Kalama, Jeff Clark, David H. Kalama Jr.
Directors: Stacy Peralta
Writers: Stacy Peralta, Sam George
Producers: Laird John Hamilton, Agi Orsi, Franck Marty, Jane Kachmer, Nathalie Delest
Format: Anamorphic, PAL
Language English
Subtitles: English, Hindi
Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Classification: 12
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 22 Aug 2005
Run Time: 97 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

ASIN: B00099BJ3O
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,991 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)
Popular in these categories:
#3 in DVD > Sports > Water Sports
#29 in DVD > Documentary > History

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Riding Giants is more than another blissful surfing movie. It's an outstanding documentary about one era in American alternative lifestyles, when surfing was well-suited to a radical culture of social dropouts. Using an amazing array of amateur film clips, shot for the most part in Hawaii and California from the late 1950s and early '60s, director Stacy Peralta traces the rise of surfing's appeal to young men looking to test themselves in an unorthodox (and sexy) milieu--of "living life to the fullest," as former surfer-turned-screenwriter John Milius (Big Wednesday) puts it at one point. Lengthy chapters on the glories of Oahu's Makaha and the "superstition and dread" that accompanied the big-wave challenge of Waimea Bay are riveting and sometimes heroic, particularly told through the memories of surf legend Greg Noll. Great material, too, about the deadly wonders of surfing Mavericks, California, where the rocks will get one if the violent tides don't. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

Synopsis

Giving a history of surfing that stretches from the early 1940s to 2004, RIDING GIANTS is director Stacy Peralta's examination of surfing as a lifestyle, a risk-taker's delight, and a space for increasing innovation and modernisation. From the California coastline to the dramatic wild waters of Hawaii, big waves are the aim of some of the top surfers in the sport--Greg Noll, Jeff Clark, and Laird Hamilton. Beginning with old footage of the first surf boards which were long and heavy and made for riding small waves without much movement, and taking viewers through the sport chapter by chapter, this comprehensive documentary shows how the faces of the sport change with advances in surfboard technology. Bit by bit boards become smaller and 'beach bums' are more readily accepted by society. The film offers a comic look at cult films like GIDGET and the music of surf guitarist Dick Dale--pop culture influences responsible for introducing the sport and its lifestyle to the mainstream. The most fascinating moments of the film come in its final quarter when Hamilton and his buddies discover the key to tow-in big-wave surfing and break through all imaginable boundaries. RIDING GIANTS shows some true daredevils doing what they do best, and its magnificent photography, comprehensive interviews, and insider perspective are truly a marvel to behold.

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Finest Surf Movie Ever Made?, 31 Aug 2006

By	S. Whitehead (Cornwall UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is absolutely no need to have ever taken the slightest interest in surfing to enjoy this movie. I have never been interested in surfing, but when i caught this movie by accident on TV i was spellbound. Captivated from start to finish.
I've watched quite a few surfing movies since, nothing comes close to this. Buy it, Keep it, Enjoy it many times and show it to all your friends.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blimey..., 14 Dec 2005

By	Mr. P. J. Bamford "triftji" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What an amazing film, charting the rise of surf culture in California and Hawaii through the '50s and '60s, starting with the early long and heavy board proponents of the sport. It was the era of the beat generation, only this offshoot was dedicated to the hedonism of beach culture and surfing, living off the land, and generally dropping out. Loads of high-quality amateur footage show the progress towards bigger and bigger waves - I don't even surf, but some of these monsters are utterly awe-inspiring. It follows the surf bums as they scour Hawaii's northern reaches for bigger and bigger breaks, landing at last at Waimea where Greg Noll rose to become the finest big wave rider of all.

For me, the film really took off when it moved to California and the insane Maverick break - a mile or two off-shore (close to San Francisco) in rip tides and freezing water, 30ft waves - a break ridden by one single hero for FIFTEEN years, before it came to wider attention! Then onto Jaws in Hawaii (60 - 80 ft waves!!), where tow and surf was born, and then onto the three-mile offshore breaks with even bigger waves. I'll leave the finale for you to discover!

I found this a truly mesmerising film. If documentaries about extreme sports and the lifestyles that go with them is your thing, this is unmissable.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Riding Giants, 29 Aug 2006

By	M. Struthmann "waternut" (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Riding Giants is a documentary made at the right time for preserving the history of big wave surfing. The movie was produced recently and the possibilities and techniques of filmmaking in the 21st century were exploited.

The various characters themselves take the viewer through the story most of the time. As the characters do not all relate to each other face to face, this narrative technique prevents the film from taking on its own personality, in contrast to Bruce Brown's Endless Summer movies which have taken on their own personalities so well.

At first viewing the special effects usually used in action movies seem confusing. These effects range from waves breaking fast forward to a flash appearing when a narrator snips his fingers after making a point. I am not sure whether the special effects are irritating or contribute to showing what surfers experience.

The film gives some time to exploring the psychology of surfers and what made them do what they do. This the film does very well without this aspect of the film becoming overwhelming. Pitty only that the movie focuses almost exclusively on America and Americans - big wave surfing has gone worldwide by now!

Riding Giants was well made, but is not a classic.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Dvd.
Good Dvd. Not much tow in surfing scenes though.Good value.They could have added extra bonuses .

Published 3 months ago by M. Locci

5.0 out of 5 stars Epic!
There is no other way to describe this film that absolutely epic! 99% of surfing films and just action-packed, adrenaline filled clips that are good to view, but once you're... Read more

Published 8 months ago by F. Beare

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring stuff
I only watched this recenty and I really loved this film.....just captures the progression and danger of surfing at the highest level. Read more

Published on 20 Sep 2007 by Neil Gibson

5.0 out of 5 stars truelly an excellent documentary
this is an intelligently produced movie that strikes an excellent balance between documenting the history of surfing, the culture that surrounded the grass roots of the sport in... Read more

Published on 17 April 2006 by Mr. J. Mahoney

1.0 out of 5 stars Movie for surfing nerds
Dull, dull, dull. Bunch of surf bums justifying their sport. Unfortunately the real drama of the surfing experience is very difficult to capture on camera. Read more

Published on 10 April 2006 by S. WRIGHT

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing waves
A great docfilm from those that made DOGTOWN & Z BOYS, I loved it and have never surfed, only a passing fascination with skateboarding in the 70's. This is great!

Published on 8 April 2006 by J. Collins

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
This is probably the best surf film you'll ever see. For surfers and non-surfers alike, get swept up in the passion of amazing people doing amazing things in amazing surf... Read more

Published on 22 Mar 2006 by Dr. J. D. Mitchell

5.0 out of 5 stars surfs up dude
After having to suffer Endless Summer and Billabong Odyssey, I didn't have much hope for another dude!? Read more

Published on 28 Feb 2006 by H. R. B. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Even if your not a surfer, you will LOVE it
top quality history of surfing, well structured and edited

contains almost EVERYTHING on the history of surfing!

Published on 26 Dec 2005

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST surfing movie I've ever seen
If you like surfing this movie is a MUST. Lately I've seen plenty of surfing DVD's and for me this is the best of all without a doubt. Read more

Published on 26 Sep 2005 by marcopostigo2

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