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So, Let’s Get Mystical has been in stores for a while now, but it was only today I finally managed to get hold of a copy. Mutiny’s UK distributor, Seventies, told me on several occasions that batches had sold out quickly, perhaps on the back of the hype stirred by the firm’s last release – Stoked on Being Pumped (SOBP).
SOBP didn’t only raise the bar for production quality within the industry, it literally propelled it to heights Matt Hoffman would have trouble hitting. Combining the steady results of a glidecam with HD quality, SOBP’s trailer alone had jaws dropping. One thing you’ll notice from the title, which has been uploaded to the web here, is that you’ll almost get distracted from the riding itself simply by the quality of the footage and director Joe Simon’s flawless editing.
Find out what I thought of Let’s Get Mystical after the Jump…
Before I create any more hype around the title, here’s the trailer for Let’s Get Mystical.
Now if you’re thinking of making the investment based on that, take into account that the title comes as both a standard DVD and in Blu-ray – an industry first as far as i’m aware. If you’re kitted out with a Blu-Ray player, then the extra cost should be stomached, if not for the riding clips, then for the stunning montages and time lapses that Simon intersperses throughout.
The video kicks off with a flowing introduction to the team before moving straight into a section dubbed ‘North West’. In this, plenty of the street spots are recognisable from previous territory reports, nonetheless, the riding’s all fresh. Content is typically separated by region as opposed to by rider.
First impressions indicate a slightly higher production budget than you’d expect from your typical sub £10/$15 BMX title. The soundtracks vary from mainstream acts like Placebo and a muteable Soulja Boy track, to lesser known bands such as The Horrors. A music listing isn’t found in the credits, though track details are listed here.
Initial sections include UK rider Niki Croft, though sadly the footage of this shredder is confined to the first five minutes. This could be down to the fact the majority of LGM is filmed stateside, though is more likely the result of Croft now riding for The Make. Needless to say, Croft kills it, busting his signature tabletops at stupid heights. This isn’t a clip from LGM, but to give you some idea of what to expect, check this out.
As the video progresses, the UK gets its own section covering street, trails and parks across the country, though this is perhaps the shortest of all parts in the video.
A dedicated Pennsylvania trails section then follows, which takes full advantage of the colouful surroundings. The glidecam is used to great effect throughout, though this proved to be one point in the video where the quality of the editing somewhat overshadows the riding itself.
However, the further into LGM you watch, the more the riding begins to pick up the pace. In fact, from the moment Soulja Boy starts to ‘sing’, things get serious. Not too far from this point there’s a succession of clips that dropped my jaw through the floor and somewhere beyond the basement. Decade hop drops, huge curved nose manuals, and giant 540s over fences are the kind of thing you’ll see. What’s more, the tailwhip count isn’t too high, which is an incredible achievement since that’s all riders really do these days…
I digress. Toward the end you’ll also see the obligatory Hanson Little mile-long gap, which seems to feature in all Mutiny’s titles. Once you’ve sat through the 46 minutes of main content, Hanson also has his own section in the bonus material.
That’s enough from me. It’s awesome and won’t break the bank, so don’t wait another year for Mutiny to upload it to the web, go grab a copy.
