News reaches me that they've made a film documentary (which has already won a few awards) regarding Philippe Petit, the man who, 24 years ago, accomplished the tightrope walk between the two towers of The World Trade Centre in New York. The film centres on what is undoubtedly his most famous stunt (or, as Petit may call it, 'performance art').
He was a very naughty boy and for many people it makes him a cultural hero of sorts. The stunt was illegal which renders Petit's six year pre-planning all the more intriguing. How would they get the 450 pound cable from one structure to the other, by using a bow and arrow perhaps? How did he even get clearance for his many visits to the top to assess his achievement to be? How did they stabilise the 'tightrope' between the two buildings considering various problems like swaying of the towers due to wind at that high altitude?
I can't wait to see this, but in the meantime, you can read more about Petit here.
14 comments:
A very naughty boy, indeed.
Is that his mummy with him in the hotel room?
I bet she gave him a good spanking.
She spanked him with a Rickenbacker ;-)
It was a bow and arrow. I saw him on Newsnight or The Culture Show or something. Mark (Marc?) Kermode was fawning all over him and asked him that very question.
He didn't ask him your others so, you know, I dunno. Sorry.
God I wish someone would harpoon Mark Kermode.
That's it, throw a little mystery into the "pot" and you're in with a better chance of success.
Spice up the old hat/bat: bite the head off a budgie and suddenly you're more than half the man you used to be there's Sharon hanging over thee (rather him than me) O I believe in publicity.
I agree with Romo. We should get a petition to Gordon Brown to harpoon Kermode. Think of all the British whalers just itching to get their fingers on the trigger after years of whale watching. I know there's not much meat on him but what wonderful sport!
Blog meet. Details on my site for a right royal knees up.
Hey Ister, tried to open said account last night....having trouble as usual! hmmmm tell me something new.
Thing is I signed up one account but it was the wrong one....so I signed up with the music one and uploaded a song.....but where is it? Where is the player? nothing, zilch????
Does he fall off?
Or would that give away the end of the film?
I'd like it if he falls off.
As long as he doesn't actually hurt himself when he hit the ground of course.
I do wonder though, why bother to actually walk the rope/wire between those two monstrous erections, when with a minimum investment, a couple of computer geeks and a good set of crayons, you can do it all with CGI.
Much safer.
JPT - Kermode. What a brilliant name, and quite an apt one for Mark.
As for the other questions, we can all find the answers out by reading up on the event, but I'll wait for the suspense that film generates.
RoMo - Don't worry, I've got a hotline to my Japanese whaling friends. I'm on his case.
MoMad - Mystery in the 'pot'? Have your 'recreational substances' been tampered with?
Geoff - Hmm, there's a Kermode bashing going on in this comments section and I'm wondering if it really would be justified if he was to be harpooned. It'd be such a waste of a PhD in modern English and American horror fiction, wouldn't it?
Bollix, let's suggest Kermode Harpooning as the new sport for London 2012.
AV - That date rings a bell with me in a negative way, I'll have to double check the diary.
Jif - Once you've uploaded the songs to the player (where they should appear on the left hand side under the 'manage songs' page), what you then have to do is press the 'update settings' button (which you'll find on the same page) - I made the same mistake. Email me if you're still in a quandry.
Howesy - I love your surrealism, mate. The fact that he is interviewed in the film about an event that took place in the early seventies kinda gives the game away. I would've liked it if he fell off but landed safely into a blanket that was held by four firemen, but what would've been the chances of that happening, mmm?
Ah! it appeared...sorted thanks.
If I was a horrible person I would make a joke about not having too far to fall of the tightrope these days...
I expect they need that tightrope for a plum line nowadays.
8 times he did it! according to wikipedia. Bloody amazing!
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