http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWWcQC0ZxIM

"127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers (Clemence Poesy), family, and the two hikers (Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara) he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet? A visceral thrilling story that will take an audience on a never before experienced journey and prove what we can do when we choose life."

Being familiar with the event (from Aron's book), and also with the particular location of the incident, I have the feeling that even small amounts of "poetic license" being used might drive me nuts when watching the film. Although, it will be worth watching to see what is real and what is not.

Hopefully, the movie won't be a bunch of people jumping, bikes flying, and bombs exploding, you know, the stuff made for 14-year-old moviegoers. The events that took place were mostly not fast-paced and exciting, although I guess they have to make previews that way.

scale a 65 foot wall

I hope it's understood that "scale" in this case means rappel. Although, still, imagine the difficulty in untangling the rope and setting up and executing the rappel without your right arm and after 5 days of starvation and dehydration.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I admire Aaron's pluck for survival and his subsequent exploitation of his fame is smart.

But I had no interest in reading his story beyond the initial 3-page report, nor in seeing this movie. Now I had no interesting in seeing Into the Void either but once I did, I thought it was among the best mountaineering movies I'd ever seen.

I think the thing that put me off - a picture of Aaron with an ice axe fixed to his arm, but knowing the dude didn't ice climb. That sorta stuck with me and bugged me.

DMT

I read his book. Came away thinking that he was an accident waiting to happen - incredibly reckless. I doubt I'll see the movie.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I admire Aaron's pluck for survival and his subsequent exploitation of his fame is smart.

But I had no interest in reading his story beyond the initial 3-page report, nor in seeing this movie. Now I had no interesting in seeing Into the Void either but once I did, I thought it was among the best mountaineering movies I'd ever seen.

I think the thing that put me off - a picture of Aaron with an ice axe fixed to his arm, but knowing the dude didn't ice climb. That sorta stuck with me and bugged me.

DMT

An ice axe arm can still be useful for drytooling... or murdering people.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:...but knowing the dude didn't ice climb.

How did you know that?

It's easy to jump to conclusions when you only know part of the story. Reckless? Haven't many of us been, now and then...? I don't see much recklessness in what happened to him in Blue John though.

Bastardization of truth aside, as a fan of cinema, this trailer really did it for me. A story of survival in the wilderness with James Franco (Milk, Pineapple Express) in the hands of Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach). Can't wait.

I do want to know where they filmed the giant blue pool of water. Movie set, perhaps?

Nothing like that is in Bluejohn.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I didn't say anything about reckless.

Buz did. I was responding to him.

I think I recall someone saying after all this (the accident, the story, the magazine cover, the book) he has gone on to do some climbing, so good for him.

After? He did a helluva lot of stuff (endurance hiking, alpine climbing, rock climbing, river running, cycling, etc.) before the accident too. The guy's been an adventurer for years, and continues to be (albeit less so these days, with a family).

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I admire Aaron's pluck for survival and his subsequent exploitation of his fame is smart.

But I had no interest in reading his story beyond the initial 3-page report, nor in seeing this movie.

Agreed -- I really couldn't understand how an entire book could be dedicated to a story that, although amazing, was pretty simple. A whole movie? Not interested, even if the acting is top-shelf (better be, it's tough to make a good movie where a large chunk of it involves one person alone (like Castaway)).

kozman18 wrote:

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I admire Aaron's pluck for survival and his subsequent exploitation of his fame is smart.

But I had no interest in reading his story beyond the initial 3-page report, nor in seeing this movie.

Agreed -- I really couldn't understand how an entire book could be dedicated to a story that, although amazing, was pretty simple. A whole movie? Not interested, even if the acting is top-shelf (better be, it's tough to make a good movie where a large chunk of it involves one person alone (like Castaway)).

It will probably involve a lot of "flashbacks" and be presented non-linearly.

If it gets good reviews I might see it. I bought his book and saw him speak when he came to Tempe a few years ago. The cinematography and location-shooting might be worth it alone!

surgent wrote:

kozman18 wrote:

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I admire Aaron's pluck for survival and his subsequent exploitation of his fame is smart.

But I had no interest in reading his story beyond the initial 3-page report, nor in seeing this movie.

Agreed -- I really couldn't understand how an entire book could be dedicated to a story that, although amazing, was pretty simple. A whole movie? Not interested, even if the acting is top-shelf (better be, it's tough to make a good movie where a large chunk of it involves one person alone (like Castaway)).

It will probably involve a lot of "flashbacks" and be presented non-linearly.

If it gets good reviews I might see it. I bought his book and saw him speak when he came to Tempe a few years ago. The cinematography and location-shooting might be worth it alone!

Was the book any good?

The movie reviews will have to be really good to get me to spend 2 hours and 8 bucks on it. We'll see.

kozman18 wrote:

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I admire Aaron's pluck for survival and his subsequent exploitation of his fame is smart.

But I had no interest in reading his story beyond the initial 3-page report, nor in seeing this movie.

Agreed -- I really couldn't understand how an entire book could be dedicated to a story that, although amazing, was pretty simple. A whole movie? Not interested, even if the acting is top-shelf (better be, it's tough to make a good movie where a large chunk of it involves one person alone (like Castaway)).

The book was about more than just the accident. And I thought it was a good book, but can't see it making much of a movie.

Saw the movie Monday. Very good. Highly recommended.

I always find it fascinating, almost surreal in a way, when the talking heads of SP bring about someone you know personally, bash or praise them about in forums as though they have any clue what they are talking about.

I came away with the same impression as Buz. I don't know Aaron personally and think he did an incredible job at surviving and rescuing himself from an accident, however the picture painted of him throughout the entire book was of someone with reckless tendencies waiting for an accident to happen. The accident when he got his arm stuck was just dumb luck compounded by people not knowing where he was. It doesn't seem like the accident was caused by him being reckless, but it seemed inevitable something would happen to him over his lifetime based on his pattern of decision making.