DVD Review - Graylight Productions
I have been having a neat e-mail exchange with Marlon Holden of Graylight Productions. Why “Graylight”? Says Marlon:
The Gray Light is the magical moment for all sportsmen alike. This happens at a time when the sun starts its ascent into the sky and likewise below the horizon. This memorable time between fishermen and hunters is known as the Gray Light! Catch this moment too late and you might just be out of luck. All creatures are moving at this time and the natural order of the world gives us our opportunity as outdoorsmen and women to experience some of the most incredible moments of our lives.
Anyway, I offered to do a review of Marlon and Alisha’s new DVD, so here it is ~Desert Rat
Adventures In The Gray Light is an archery video first and foremost. Most of the hunts are for Pacific Hybrids in California, with a bunch of desert mulie hunts in Arizona. There is a mule deer hunt in Colorado, and footage from Utah as well. First off, the DVD is professionally packaged. The cover is well-done and very artistic. I popped it into the DVD player and away we went! Marlon and Alisha busted one of my pre-conceived notions, right out of the gate. Honestly, I’m thinking “Yeah, OK - they guy has a pretty wife. marketing cheesecake at best.” Come to find out that Alisha is a formidable bowhunter, and an accomplished videographer to boot! She ran the camera for most of the filming, and the film quality was great. Their banter was cute but not cutesy, not overdone, and added to the movie. My apologies to Alisha and Marlon for letting my cynical side get ahead of me! Before the movie gets in to the real hunting, we get to see an antler scoring session. Anyone who has never witnessed this process will find it interesting, and it does lay the foundation for some of the “bone” we get to see in the rest of the film. It’s a nice addition.
The first few hunts of the DVD are in California for Pacific hybrid deer. The scenery is great, the footage is great, and we get to see Marlon put the smackdown on a huge hybrid from 50-plus yards away. Musical score throughout the movie is appropriate, helps build the excitement, and is not excessive. The segment of the show that was my favorite was the hunts in southern Arizona for desert mulies. I’m intrigued by these creatures and am dying to get one myself. They’re out there, in the desert units surrounding my home. I’ve seen them, have yet to get a shot, and I’m hooked. I was wiggling in the seat for this portion. We follow Alisha on a stalk. She is getting close when the buck hears her and trots away. Anyone who has tried to creep along the desert flats can feel her pain! We see some awesome footage in Arizona, and get to see two big bucks go down. These were great deer, and it was exciting to see from start to finish. We get to see some action in Colorado, and also a neat exchange between Marlon and Alisha in Utah. You can really sense the chemistry these two share, and it is fun to watch.
One thing that struck me through the video is the use of some very interesting, funky and artistic special effects. At first I was worried that they might be “too much”, especially for more, ummm… traditional hunters. This video will obviously appeal to younger hunters, but I think “not younger” hunters will enjoy it too. The special effects are crisp, original, and make the transition segments interesting. I think they raise the overall quality of the film. There is minimal blood in this video, and no gore. My eleven year old daughter watched it and she enjoyed it too. I think it would be fine for the non-hunters in your family - as a matter of fact, they would get to see some beautiful footage of great western scenery. This is not a “wack em and stack em” hunting video.
One (minor) criticism - keep your remote handy. We had to adjust the volume periodically, especially when a hunt segment ended and Marlon and Alisha were introducing the next segment. I would absolutely recommend the video. It is entertaining, informative, and the quality is great. You can order the DVD online at the Graylight Store. They also have a cool message board/forum set up too. You can visit that here: Graylight Forums. Well done, Marlon and Alisha!
[...] excited about. Thanks to Alisha and Marlon of Graylight Productions for agreeing to do interviews. I did a review on the first DVD and I must tell you, it was awesome! These 2 interviews were fun and I am looking [...]
November 9th, 2009 at 7:38 am
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November 15th, 2009 at 4:31 pm