Ah, Aspen Extreme. You might be asking yourself why I’m remembering this film on its 30th anniversary. There is an excellent chance that you’ve forgotten about it, or never even heard of it.
First. I’m not the only one remembering the skiing dramedy (NPR story HERE). Thank you very much..
But I’ll never forget Aspen Extreme because it got me booed out of my living room with relatives visiting us on vacation. NOT because it was necessarily a bad movie.
I got booed for Aspen Extreme because I fell for the easy, early 90s advertising.
The film, starring Paul Gross, Peter Berg (before he became a blockbuster director) and Terri Polo (years before the “Meet the Parents” franchise) presents as a good times comedy. Like a “Sideout” for volleyball or a “Cutting Edge” for figure skating.
But the film actually deals with some serious subjects, such as drug abuse and the unexpected death of a well liked character. I guess I should have read into the “Top Gun on slopes” reviews more closely
“You said this -ish- was funny, Frank!” my uncle said to me, with my cousins joining in on the jeers.
I never forgot it.
The truth is that Aspen Extreme is a film you can’t judge by its fizzy commercials.
It will always hold a special place in my movie watching memory, even three decades later.
You can watch the trailer that fooled my teenaged self below.
Aspen Extreme (30th Anniversary)
GRADE: C+
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour and 57 minutes.
Aspen Extreme premiered in theaters 30 years ago, January 22, 1993. #90s #90smovies pic.twitter.com/obggBbHhhY
— Retro Clips (@RetroClips80s) January 22, 2023