The Score
Production 262 introduces KTM racer Kurt Caselli to the masses in
As the Gears Turn.
Kurt Caselli is one of America’s best off-road riders, and in 2007 he was virtually unbeatable. The
Production 262 directing crew of Wiley Watson and Cuyler Ruskin (you might recognize their work from the WORCS Fastest 3 Minutes in Motorsports - now the Fastest 5 Minutes – videos) take an inside look at the young KTM rider.
The Scoop
Ten different chapters chronicle the rise of the 2007 WORCS and ISDE champion, Kurt Caselli. Old photographs, home videos and narratives by his parents, Rich and Nancy, give viewers a feel for how this legend-in-the-making got his start in off-road dirt bike racing. Commentary from long-time friends Daryl Ecklund and Timmy Weigand shed some light on Kurt, and when Ty Davis compares him to Ron Lechien, well, that’s a pretty good endorsement.
ATGT does a great job of mixing the all-important riding footage with clips of Caselli in his home in Palmdale, Calif., and at the races. The viewer comes away feeling like they have a good idea of the type of person he is. By his relaxed attitude and affinity for goon riding, Kurt comes across as a fun-loving guy, but he also shows his softer side with a personal segment on the death of his father.
There’s only one section where the video loses track of its otherwise excellent pace, and that’s where Caselli and crew are shown whipping over and over at Racetown 395. All considered, a few extra shots of dirt bike whips is hardly anything to complain about. Production 262’s Watson is a hip dude, so it’s no surprise the music compilation reflects the younger generation with mixed beats by DJ CityScape and Famouz. The soundtrack was a good complement for the visual content and nothing like the majority of ear-bleeding soundtracks common to moto videos.
It's hard to know what kind of people our racing heroes really are. Get to know Caselli in this DVD.
Bonus features are pretty minimal with some catchy trailers for the video, but there is one that absolutely cannot be missed and that’s the slow-motion clips – a collage of I-Movix extreme slow-motion footage devoid of any sound. I didn’t even want to hear music or narration. If there has ever been a tangible way to describe poetry in motion, this is it. Kudos to the 262 crew for tapping this video resource, it’s by far one of my favorite forms for viewing.
The Sentence
This film was out of sight, out of mind for a long time thanks to a buddy’s five-finger discount, but I’m very happy to have it back in my collection. The fact that it had been sitting on someone else’s shelf tells me that it’s worth getting your own copy, or at least being the guy who steals it from a friend. The Production 262 crew is a rising presence in the motorcycle media production world, and their first stab at a full-length video is more than commendable. If this is an indication of things to come then we’ll be keeping keep tabs on this young company … and the video subject, Kurt Caselli. I’m sure we’ll see good things from both.
For More Information, visit
www.asthegearsturn.com.
