Warren Miller is a name synonymous with skiing: he's been filming both pros and amateurs alike bombing down runs and thrashing through moguls since before there was color film, or chair lifts for that matter. His 47th annual film, entitled "Snowriders," will be showing at Centennial Hall this Friday at 8:00 p.m.

The press release assured me that fans of Warren Miller's past 46 films would find more of Miller's trademark wit and wisdom. This being my first encounter with the Miller mystique, I can't speak for the past films. The 'wit,' however, struck me as a little shopworn.

What's really on display here is Miller's wisdom. He knows skiing, and filming skiers in action, better than anybody, and this shows to glorious effect. Nearly two hours of eye-popping stunts, gut-wrenching falls and outrageous stunts make this film a visual workout. Though the cameramen have a bizarre fixation with Panavision lens flares, the skiing is pretty amazing and the scenery steals the breath the way it should.

Make no mistake, this is a film for skiers, by skiers. Full of lingo (much of it terribly square) and comments like "there's nothing like fresh powder in the morning," this is a film for people who are willing to fork out $400 for a day of helicopter skiing and $4 for a cup of cocoa back at the loge-and think nothing of it.

From my perspective, that's always been one of the eternal mysteries about skiing. I love to ski, but I've never had enough disposable cash to spend enough time on the slopes to actually be good at it. People who have enough cash to throw away on carbon-fiber skis are usually to busy to use them. Yet Warren's video features some of the most expensive skiing possible, from the heights of the French Alps to China's lofty peaks. His secret? The liberal (though subtle) product shots and endorsements that saturate the film make it pretty clear where he got his lift ticket money.

The film rolls along in a homey, casual style that matches Warren's drawling voice-over. Less a narrative than a collection of clips, the movie travels all over the globe in a hopscotch pattern, from Colorado to China to Canada without a blink. There seems to be a heavy emphasis on comedy over technique this time around, and the first few minutes of the film are full of some of the funniest, and most excruciating, ski accidents, face plants, and personal avalanches I have ever seen.

There's also an interesting political angle. Politics and skiing, you say? Well, if any of you have strapped on a snowboard and cut up some powder recently, you probably got heckled by some self-righteous plank-riding (read: skier) snob in a $400 powder suit. Well, good ol' Warren attempts to set the record straight and start some healing by proclaiming that all who do the good ol' facial snowplow routine are to be called "snowriders" from here on out. Still, he can't resist taking a few swipes at the snowboarders (who play a pretty minor role in the film overall) in a mocking commentary about long-haired snowboard instructors with facial tattoos.

There's also a nice mixture of amateur skiing mixed in with the pro egomaniacs. Of course, the pros get all the glory shots. And let me tell you, some of the pros definitely need to reserve some time in a rubber room in the near future. There are some absolutely sick descents in this film, including one stunt that left my lower jaw dangling near my ankles-I won't ruin it for you, but let's just say even Hollywood couldn't do this one justice.

So if you can put up with Warren's stale jokes ("well folks, gravity is the same all over the world," he drawls more than once) and staler lingo (note to Warren: no one says "let's do some turns" anymore) then this is a pretty enjoyable film. It is certainly guaranteed to leave snowhounds drooling. Though at times it began to resemble a 2-hour commercial, there are some very nice pieces of film-especially the footage of the Australian tube-riding competition. All I know is, with the nearest decent snow nearly a state away, it's just plain cruel to show this film to Tucsonans.

Showing one night only at Centennial Hall, tickets available at Dillard's and the Centennial Hall box office. Call 621-3341 for info.

---

Daily Wildcat News Opinions Sports PoliceBeat Comics Arts