Isle of Man: Beyond the TT Race Video

by Lori B. for webBikeWorld

I'm always surprised at the quality of independent video lately; modern production equipment and media-savvy producers are continuously raising the bar for all types of video, and we're all the better for it.

I fully expected "Isle of Man: Beyond the TT Race" to be a quick exploitation flick covering the debauchery that goes on behind the scenes and after the sun sets on the famous island.

But I discovered that it's a look behind the scenes alright, but in a very interesting and informative way.  I'd say that if you ever plan on going to the Isle of Man TT races -- and every motorcyclist should attend at least once, right? -- then you need to watch this video. 

It explains everything from the history of the island to the origins of the 3-legged graphic on the Manx flag, to the history of the island and its people.  This is, of course, in addition to the race, the preparation for the entire event and, yes, the partying and entertainment.

At only $9.95, it's priced to sell and my feeling is that it's worth it.  The only issue I had was that I played the video on two completely different systems and it was filmed in black and white, which I thought was strange.  It would have been nice to see some of the events in color and I'm not sure how or if any money was saved by filming in black and white -- but perhaps there is something wrong with my copy?

UPDATE: The video is in color; I am having problems with my DVD players.  Andrea Conigli, the Director and Producer, wrote that "Most probably there was a NTSC/PAL mismatch with the DVD you purchased and the systems you were using.  Generally, USA systems are NTSC and European systems are PAL. Playing back a PAL DVD on a NTSC system (or vice versa) can lead to funny results.  That's probably what happened.  But it should look OK if played back on a computer anyway."  

Nevertheless, Isle of Man: Beyond the TT Race is an interesting look at everything you probably don't know about what it takes to present the world's longest-running -- and, of course, most dangerous -- motorcycle race in the world.  Definitely worth a look.

The video is distributed by Indieflix, and a trailer can be seen here.  The producer's marketing text includes this information:

"This documentary captures the excitement and energy of the event, and goes deeper into the culture, people, events, and landscape of this normally tranquil Gaelic island.  This film is focused on the action around the race, rather than the race itself.  Its appeal therefore is not just for the serious rider, but for people interested in travel documentaries that have a fresh and youthful approach.  The DVD includes access to 11 chapters, trailer, 10 extra minutes of deleted scenes.

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