Eiger to Succeed

John Harlin III is a successful mountain climber, just like his father before him. The younger Harlin's next ascent will bring him closer to his father, one way or the other: He's set his sights on the Alps' storied Eiger peak. The Eiger, with its evocatively named sections (the "Death Bivouac" and "Traverse of the Gods" being two of the more colorful), claimed the life of the senior Harlin 40 years ago. With such a dramatic back-story, it's only fitting that Harlin III's assault on the Eiger was captured by an OMNIMAX film crew. The Alps documents Harlin's quest to achieve what his father could not and reveals the lives of the people who live among the mountain passes. All of this is backed by a suitably epic score, provided by Queen guitarist Brian May. Only the four-story-tall OMNIMAX screen at the Saint Louis Science Center (5050 Oakland Avenue; 314-289-4424 or www.slsc.org) could hope to contain the spectacle. The Alps screens at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. on Monday, March 24; the film plays daily through Sunday, April 6. Tickets are $7 to $8.
March 24-April 6, 2008