GYMKHANA 2 preview
Ken Block giving demo rides to VIP guests
Tuesday evening on May 26th DCshoes hosted a small industry get together and sneak view party of the GYMKHANA Film Project Part 2. The next episode of this epic gear head film feast will be launched June 1st in just 5 days from today.
To get all the media and VIP attendance into the mood and to also better understand what they are about to watch on the big screen, Ken Block offered some demo rides in his 500HP+ Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car. There was tire smoke. Lots of it as Ken catapulted volunteer co-drivers through obstacles on a deserted pier in the Long Beach harbor.
The crowds await the showing of GYMKHANA2
That brings us to the location of GK II. Cranes, containers, train tracks, forklifts, warehouses with steel pillars, concrete walls crates loaded with odd shapes goods, steel pipes surrounded by shoreline edges leading into the water with no rails. The set has nothing but danger written all over and driving in this environment is not for the faint hearted especially at a high rate of speed and mostly sideways.
After about 3 hours of playing sideways on the dock and lots of subsequent tire changes Ken Block of DCShoes finally introduced the soon to be launched GK II film to the highly anticipating audience. Ken called it an infomercial as it contains some product placements whereas the original GK I did not. After watching it twice it was clear that DCShoes, Monster Energy, Subaru and BFGoodrich are behind it but I wouldn't go so far and call it an infomercial or else I would shift my TV watching habits to after 1AM.
So the big question is how does it stack up to GYMKHANA I that was received widely positive and has been compared to short films like the 1989 Climb Dance and 1976 making of Rendezveuz? Will it be able to stack up to what they did last year? Does it continue the story line? Those where all questions I had going into it and the answer to me is not a clear yes or no.
Ken Block and producer Josh Martelli
Mad Media produced both films and this time the production was a lot more complex compared to GK I. Shooting took 5 days instead of 1 1/2. The crew was 30 people compared to 10 and one of the biggest differences of the production was the use of 4k RED cameras that film at about 4x the resolution of a 1080HD screen. There where also celebrity athlete appearances wheres at GKI it was all about Ken and his Sabaru Rally car.
So the big question remains. How was it?
It was good. Very good. The cinephotography was what you are used to from Hollywood and has clearly elevated Mad Media's ability to produce films to a new level. The driving challenges are equally astounding and Ken Block demonstrates his skill to be unmatched by few. GKII will not disappoint and is a must see for any gear heads out there while in my book the original GKI will always remain the "Bullit" of the GHMKHANA series. So what's next? GKIII in the dirt with BJBaldwin? Time will tell.
Watch the launch on DCShoes website June 1st.
