Michael Biehn climbs one of the deadliest mountains in the world in the outdoor adventure thriller K2. New to 4K UHD from Kino Lorber.
The Film
One of the most difficult and rarely executed genre pictures is the outdoor adventure film. A genre that is seldom trekked into by filmmakers because of the sheer difficulty and nerve required to pull one off convincingly. For the most part, one must practically mount an expedition into the wilderness to successfully create a rousing adventure story on par with the works of Jack London. Fitzcaldardo, The Edge, Cliffhanger, Into the Wild, The Revenant, The River Wild, and All is Lost are all outstanding pieces of pulpy (and not so pulpy) adventure fiction that pushed the boundaries into the great expanse. K2, if one has never seen it, is as impressive an outdoor adventure film as those.
Taylor and Harry (Michael Biehn and Matt Craven) are your typically white-collar types who get their thrills from climbing mountains. While on a weekend expedition, they by chance meet billionaire Phillip Claiborne (Raymond J. Barry) and another expedition. They are training for another ascent that Taylor instantly wants a part of, but Claiborne and his man Dallas (Luca Bercovici) want nothing to do with him. After Taylor and Harry save their lives during an avalanche, Claiborne reluctantly agrees to allow them to join their expedition to ascend the deadliest mountain in the world, K2 (the second-highest mountain only to Everest). As they begin their ascent to K2, the glory is superseded at every turn by tragedy, folly, and Mother Nature at her primal worst. As the crew begins to dwindle in size, it isn’t a matter of if Taylor and Harry can ascend to the top, but rather can they survive the descent.
Part of what makes K2 so thrilling is its lack of star power. Yes, Michael Biehn is in full charismatic lead persona here, but he, along with the entire ensemble, is not the type that you feel is guaranteed to survive this film. This imbues every moment of the expedition once it begins, with a sense of danger that something with more star power would have. Director Franc Roddam’s insistence on shooting on location at real high altitude mountain locations (including the Himalayas) and working with a world-class cinematographer, Gabriel Beristain, creates a sense of verisimilitude that few fiction films reach.
The film has a distinct 70s flavor to it, with characters not being likable but real in the moments of drama. Biehn’s Taylor is as arrogant, if not more so, than the billionaire. There is an emptiness to them and their wonton need to climb this mountain against all odds and human cost that may not be likable, but it’s arresting to watch. Even the most sympathetic of characters, Harry, put himself in harm’s way. Though Roddamn and the script by Patrick Meyers and Scott Roberts, based on Meyers’ play, never points fingers or makes assumptions. It allows the human drama to unfold in a raw, unfiltered level that feels less polished than another film may have been, and is better for it.
The Transfer
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is excellent. This may be one of the trickier transfers that Kino Lorber has had to navigate in recent memory. The beautiful on-location photography from Gabriel Beristain features wide open skies and snow-capped mountaintops, which makes any defects in the image instantly present. The image is flawless without a hint of dirt, scratches, or blemishes throughout the runtime. The Dolby Vision HDR encoding/mastering adds to the experience, giving depth of detail not just to the black levels and nighttime scenes but also to the daytime scenes where the primary color is white, giving the image that depth of detail and variance, adding to the overall visual experience. Kino continues to impress with their restoration work in 4 K. This may prove to be one of their best.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
The Ascent & The Descent: NEW Interview with Director Franc Roddam
Theatrical Trailer
The all-new Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry begins with the duo’s introductions before diving into a discussion of the stage play and how it was produced. Some of the details include the adaptation/development of the stage play to film and what was specifically added; discussion of a recent staging in 2018 of the 1982 play; a side discussion of Disney Executive/CEO Frank Wells, who died during a Mountain Climbing incident; the history of Mountain films; the development process before the current iteration direction by Franc Roddam; the casting process and particular needs of the production when looking for actors; the realities of these types of mountain expeditions and why so many of these fictionalized mountain films have billionaires as characters; the work and career of actor Raymond J. Barry who stars as the billionaire; details of the production and filming timeframes, anecdotes, and just how difficult the shoot was including the conditions, the crew, et. al.; the release of the film both in the US and internationally; a larger discussion of the production and the difficulties faced with the cast and crew making this film on location, including quotes from interviews; a discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; a discussion of the various locations the production used; and much more. Reesman and Evry provide a fascinating commentary track filled with quotes by people who made the film and much more.
The Ascent & The Descent: Franc Roddam on K2 (46:25) – in this all-new interview with Roddam, he begins with his frustrations of working within the studio system, and going to the independent film sector presents another set of problems. The director goes on to discuss the stage play that the film was based on, and the inventiveness of the film; the adaptation that was needed as the play was only the last third of the film; his rock-climbing experience that he shared with fellow director Tony Scott; the reason why they chose K2 as the mountain and the benefits of shooting on location; how he formed his directorial style and adherence for realism through years of BBC documentary work, how that translated to the production of this film; the production locations used in Canada and the Himalayas and the logistical nightmare the locations proved to be; bringing color to a film that could have been white because of the snow covered mountains they were filming; some of the ideas that the studio shot down; some of the struggles that he faced with the production team; some of the stolen shots that eventually got a camera fired; the difference in the play and film’s ending; a discussion of James Wickline a real life climber that inspired the characters; the response he got from Robert Duvall when he tried to cast him in the role eventually populated by Raymond J. Barry; his collaboration with cinematographer Gabriel Beristain; the great below the line crew that made this difficult production possible; his original cut of the film, the two different cuts (one released in Japan/Europe and the other released in the US) both of which were not his original cut; how Weinstein and Producers ruined the cut of the film; the release of the film which coincided with the LA Riots; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for K2 (2:06); Rampage (1:04); Dante’s Peak (1:25); Daylight (2:26); The Eiger Sanction (2:50);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has given this unique outdoor adventure film a beautiful 4K UHD release. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
Michael Biehn climbs one of the deadliest mountains in the world in the outdoor adventure thriller K2. New to 4K UHD from Kino Lorber.
The Film
One of the most difficult and rarely executed genre pictures is the outdoor adventure film. A genre that is seldom trekked into by filmmakers because of the sheer difficulty and nerve required to pull one off convincingly. For the most part, one must practically mount an expedition into the wilderness to successfully create a rousing adventure story on par with the works of Jack London. Fitzcaldardo, The Edge, Cliffhanger, Into the Wild, The Revenant, The River Wild, and All is Lost are all outstanding pieces of pulpy (and not so pulpy) adventure fiction that pushed the boundaries into the great expanse. K2, if one has never seen it, is as impressive an outdoor adventure film as those.
Taylor and Harry (Michael Biehn and Matt Craven) are your typically white-collar types who get their thrills from climbing mountains. While on a weekend expedition, they by chance meet billionaire Phillip Claiborne (Raymond J. Barry) and another expedition. They are training for another ascent that Taylor instantly wants a part of, but Claiborne and his man Dallas (Luca Bercovici) want nothing to do with him. After Taylor and Harry save their lives during an avalanche, Claiborne reluctantly agrees to allow them to join their expedition to ascend the deadliest mountain in the world, K2 (the second-highest mountain only to Everest). As they begin their ascent to K2, the glory is superseded at every turn by tragedy, folly, and Mother Nature at her primal worst. As the crew begins to dwindle in size, it isn’t a matter of if Taylor and Harry can ascend to the top, but rather can they survive the descent.
Part of what makes K2 so thrilling is its lack of star power. Yes, Michael Biehn is in full charismatic lead persona here, but he, along with the entire ensemble, is not the type that you feel is guaranteed to survive this film. This imbues every moment of the expedition once it begins, with a sense of danger that something with more star power would have. Director Franc Roddam’s insistence on shooting on location at real high altitude mountain locations (including the Himalayas) and working with a world-class cinematographer, Gabriel Beristain, creates a sense of verisimilitude that few fiction films reach.
The film has a distinct 70s flavor to it, with characters not being likable but real in the moments of drama. Biehn’s Taylor is as arrogant, if not more so, than the billionaire. There is an emptiness to them and their wonton need to climb this mountain against all odds and human cost that may not be likable, but it’s arresting to watch. Even the most sympathetic of characters, Harry, put himself in harm’s way. Though Roddamn and the script by Patrick Meyers and Scott Roberts, based on Meyers’ play, never points fingers or makes assumptions. It allows the human drama to unfold in a raw, unfiltered level that feels less polished than another film may have been, and is better for it.
The Transfer
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is excellent. This may be one of the trickier transfers that Kino Lorber has had to navigate in recent memory. The beautiful on-location photography from Gabriel Beristain features wide open skies and snow-capped mountaintops, which makes any defects in the image instantly present. The image is flawless without a hint of dirt, scratches, or blemishes throughout the runtime. The Dolby Vision HDR encoding/mastering adds to the experience, giving depth of detail not just to the black levels and nighttime scenes but also to the daytime scenes where the primary color is white, giving the image that depth of detail and variance, adding to the overall visual experience. Kino continues to impress with their restoration work in 4 K. This may prove to be one of their best.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
The all-new Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry begins with the duo’s introductions before diving into a discussion of the stage play and how it was produced. Some of the details include the adaptation/development of the stage play to film and what was specifically added; discussion of a recent staging in 2018 of the 1982 play; a side discussion of Disney Executive/CEO Frank Wells, who died during a Mountain Climbing incident; the history of Mountain films; the development process before the current iteration direction by Franc Roddam; the casting process and particular needs of the production when looking for actors; the realities of these types of mountain expeditions and why so many of these fictionalized mountain films have billionaires as characters; the work and career of actor Raymond J. Barry who stars as the billionaire; details of the production and filming timeframes, anecdotes, and just how difficult the shoot was including the conditions, the crew, et. al.; the release of the film both in the US and internationally; a larger discussion of the production and the difficulties faced with the cast and crew making this film on location, including quotes from interviews; a discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; a discussion of the various locations the production used; and much more. Reesman and Evry provide a fascinating commentary track filled with quotes by people who made the film and much more.
The Ascent & The Descent: Franc Roddam on K2 (46:25) – in this all-new interview with Roddam, he begins with his frustrations of working within the studio system, and going to the independent film sector presents another set of problems. The director goes on to discuss the stage play that the film was based on, and the inventiveness of the film; the adaptation that was needed as the play was only the last third of the film; his rock-climbing experience that he shared with fellow director Tony Scott; the reason why they chose K2 as the mountain and the benefits of shooting on location; how he formed his directorial style and adherence for realism through years of BBC documentary work, how that translated to the production of this film; the production locations used in Canada and the Himalayas and the logistical nightmare the locations proved to be; bringing color to a film that could have been white because of the snow covered mountains they were filming; some of the ideas that the studio shot down; some of the struggles that he faced with the production team; some of the stolen shots that eventually got a camera fired; the difference in the play and film’s ending; a discussion of James Wickline a real life climber that inspired the characters; the response he got from Robert Duvall when he tried to cast him in the role eventually populated by Raymond J. Barry; his collaboration with cinematographer Gabriel Beristain; the great below the line crew that made this difficult production possible; his original cut of the film, the two different cuts (one released in Japan/Europe and the other released in the US) both of which were not his original cut; how Weinstein and Producers ruined the cut of the film; the release of the film which coincided with the LA Riots; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for K2 (2:06); Rampage (1:04); Dante’s Peak (1:25); Daylight (2:26); The Eiger Sanction (2:50);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has given this unique outdoor adventure film a beautiful 4K UHD release. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of K2 is out now.
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