Into The Wild

[Frank_Ridgeway]

Saw it, loved it. Thought it was going to be depressing watching people eat popcorn and Milkduds in the theater while someone was starving to death onscreen, but there were lots of funny scenes.

Sorry if there's a thread already -- looked and couldn't find one. I don't love everything Sean Penn's done with films, but I think this one was brilliant on many levels.

 

[jimnorden]

agreed. loved every little bit of it.

 

[John]

I'm hoping to see it this week. Just haven't had time since it finally came to town after waiting weeks for the national release.

I've read the book at least 10 times in the past decade and I'm always wary of film adaptations of books I love, especially on a subject like this, but I've heard nothing but raves for the job Penn did.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Best movie I've seen in a while. The soundtrack was terrific, too.

 

[Rosie]

I thought this was a hockey thread.

I am so clueless when it comes to today's pop culture.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Into the Wild was also 1996's pop culture. It's based on a book that spent two years on the NYT bestseller's list.

And the movie is fantastic and I believe a darkhorse Oscar contender.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Movie looks good. Sean Penn directing is a big, BIG red flag for me.

Hate, hate hate, hate, Hate, Hate, HATE, HATE, many of Penn's other directing jobs.
"The Pledge" and "The Crossing Guard" were both painful to watch.
After seeing "The Pledge" I swore off Sean Penn-directed movies.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

The original Krakauer article:

http://outside.away.com/magazine/0193/9301fdea.html

 

[Dyno]

There was mention of it on one of the generic movie threads. I saw it and really, really liked it. Emile Hirsch was great and the supporting performance by Hal Holbrook was amazing. I read the book when it first came out and want to read it again now.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Like John, I've read that book many times. I haven't seen the movie, because I'm worried about the romantic idealization of McCandless. He died because he was foolish, and I hope the movie drives that point home like the book did.

 

[Pulitzer Wannabe]

Krakauer is on another level. I know there's a lot of Gary Smith worship here, and rightfully so, but Krakauer is every bit the writer/reporter/storyteller that Smith is.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

Like John, I've read that book many times. I haven't seen the movie, because I'm worried about the romantic idealization of McCandless. He died because he was foolish, and I hope the movie drives that point home like the book did.

Foolish and selfish, yes. I think the movie delivered those points without preaching.

Worth it for the scenery alone.

 

[Will Hernandez]

Like John, I've read that book many times. I haven't seen the movie, because I'm worried about the romantic idealization of McCandless. He died because he was foolish, and I hope the movie drives that point home like the book did.

I actually just finished reading the book on the train ride into work today. Sounds like I'll have to see the movie now considering the reviews it's been getting. Like Inky, that's the reason I haven't seen the movie. And I'm still recovering from the cluster**** that was The DaVinci Code. Great book, terrible movie.

 

[Trucha]

Like John, I've read that book many times. I haven't seen the movie, because I'm worried about the romantic idealization of McCandless. He died because he was foolish, and I hope the movie drives that point home like the book did.

I'm hoping the movie just tells the story and let's the viewers decide whether McCandless was a romantic idealist or selfish/foolish.

I know a couple of people who've actually been to "The Bus." They were going to spend the night, but it was just too creepy ... not to mention the realization that grizzly bears are in the area.

 

[IGotQuestions]

if you don't see the movie, get the "Into the Wild" soundtrack anyway. It's a great, low-key, beautiful listen. ukelele, banjo, Corin Tucker's unique voice on backup vocals, good guitar work. best originally scored soundtrack I've heard from start to finish in a loooong time - well, 2 songs are covers, but they're so obscure, hack reviewers out there attribute one or both to Eddie Vedder, Tucker.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

if you don't see the movie, get the "Into the Wild" soundtrack anyway. It's a great, low-key, beautiful listen. ukelele, banjo, Corin Tucker's unique voice on backup vocals, good guitar work. best originally scored soundtrack I've heard from start to finish in a loooong time.

Was just going to post this. Eddie Vedder did pretty much the whole thing, except for one cover song of an artist named Gordon Peterson, who seems to have done an even more thorough vanishing act than McCandless.

 

[IGotQuestions]

"Hard Sun" is an Indio cover, too. And dare I say, Vedder/Tucker's version blows the original out of the water.

 

[PhilaYank36]

"Hard Sun" is the best track on that album.

 

[IGotQuestions]

Of course, in reviews Vedder says they did like 50 takes/remixes on Hard Sun while most of the others he did in no time flat, which makes a handful of the others all the more impressive in my book. you won't hear much prettier stuff with a freekin ukelele.

 

[Ace]

Seriously, this just sounds boring to me. I know of many people who were determined to do foolish and/or self-destructive things in their lives so watching it play on in a book or on a movie screen doesn't really excite me.

I am sure I'm wrong and it's great but I am not investing my time in it.