Hood To Coast Movie Comes 1-11-11

Way back in August I wrote about the Hood To Coast Relay, which is a race that begins 6000 feet up Mt. Hood in Oregon and runs 197-miles to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Each year, 12,000 participants take part in the event, which is billed as "the World's Largest Relay Race."

At the time that I posted on the run, I noted that a film was in the works as well. That film is now nearing completion and is set to make it's debut on 1-11-11 (January 11, 2011). You can find more about the film at HoodToCoastMovie.com and checkout the great trailer for it below. Looks great!



Hood To Coast Movie Trailer from HoodToCoastMovie on Vimeo.

Thoughts on 127 Hours

So, I finally had a chance to catch 127 Hours yesterday, which is of course the film by Academy Award winning directory  Danny Boyle that portrays the events that took place when hiker Aron Ralston had his arm pinned beneath a boulder and eventually had to amputate part of it himself in order to escape. Most of you already know the story, and heck, many of you have probably already seen the film, but I've been asked for my opinion, and it has taken me a bit of time to get around to seeing it, mostly because I've been rather busy of late.

I'll start off by saying, that I liked the film, but I wasn't blown away by it. I think that partly comes from knowing the story and the inevitable outcome of the events portrayed in. I will say that James Franco, who places Ralston, does an excellent job with the role, and lives up to the hype going in. Also, Boyle did some interesting and very creative things while making the film that gave you unique perspectives on what what was happen. This includes everything form quick-flash dream like sequences that give us insight into what was going through Ralston's mind while trapped in that canyon, to the unusual perspective of seeing water, not to mention other stuff, flowing down the tube from a hydration bladder. The filmmaking was top notch and worthy of the director for sure.

Franco's performance is an impressive one when you consider the fact that he is on screen alone for most of the film. He is a likable guy and his charming personality shines through in the early moments of the film, but as the tension mounts, and he comes to the realization that he is going to die alone, trapped under that rock, his desperation sets in too. I can see why he is getting Oscar buzz for his performance, as his emotions run the gamut, and he does a great job of bringing Ralston alive on screen.

The much talked about scene where the amputation actually takes place is definitely a challenge to watch, but I personally found the segment before hand, when Ralston was forced to break the bones in his arm, more cringe worthy. Boyle does an amazing job of building tension during the scene, and the use of music to build that tension is superb. At the crucial moment that Ralston needs to cut a tendon draws near, the music amps up with a nerve grating sound that helps to hammer home the pain that he is feeling in that  moment. It's tough to describe, but you'll know it when you hear it.

For me, the true star of the film was the scenery. The amazing Canyonlands setting of Utah looks fantastic in the movie, and the cinematography is top notch throughout. Once again, Boyle does some interesting things to show off the those landscapes, and outdoor enthusiasts will no doubt want to visit the place for themselves. The scenery is so fantastic looking in fact that it is almost worth the price of admission alone.

As I said in the beginning, I liked the film but didn't love it. It is well crafted and definitely worth seeing, but I came out of it wanting to know more about what followed after the events. We do witness Ralston's stirring rescue after he escapes the canyon, and we get a brief update about his status before the credits roll, but other than that, it's all about his struggle to get free, with little to follow. Still, for fans of Ralston's story, the film is a must see.

The Rest of Everest DVD Giveaway Week 1 Winner!

Congratulations to Val Nordquist of Philadelphia, PA for winning the Rest of Everest DVD contest this week and claiming a copy of Everest {the other side}. I'll get that DVD shipped out to you ASAP Val, and I hope you enjoy it! :)

A new episode of The Rest of Everest should be available later today, which means we'll have another opportunity to win in the next day or two. If you're a fan of Everest, and mountaineering in general, you'll want a copy of this DVD. It's an excellent, well made film about the mountain, and it was the catalyst that brought us the Rest of Everest podcast.

Thanks to everyone who entered this week. If you didn't win, give it a shot this week. We have a number of DVD's to give away, and it's easy to win!

Announcing The Rest of Everest DVD Giveaway!

As promised last week, I'm launching the first contest ever here on The Adventure Blog and it involves my favorite podcast The Rest of Everest. As many of you already know, the Rest of Everest launched as the most in depth look at climbing the tallest mountain on the planet, following every aspect of an expedition that took place back in 2004, starting with the team buying supplies at the local Wal-mart and continuing on to the summit and beyond. The show has since gone on to show us climbs on other Himalayan peaks, as well as taking us back to Everest on both the North and South Sides. For true fans of Everest, it really is the best show around.

What a lot of people don't know is that the Rest of Everest evolved out of a documentary film created by Jon Miller. After Jon went to Tibet and filmed the expedition, he returned home, edited the video, and produced a film called Everest {the other side} which is now available on DVD for the first time. The podcast was spawned by all the extra hours of footage that never made it into that film, and the rest is, as they say, history.

Jon has recently sent me several copies of Everest {the other side} to give away as a promotion, and I thought long and hard on how I could use them, and here is what I've come up with. Starting this week, I'll be asking a trivia question from the latest episode of The Rest of Everest, which is traditionally released on Wednesday. I'll ask everyone to e-mail me the answer to the question, and of all the right answers, I'll pick randomly from a hat to see who gets the DVD. For anyone who is already a fan of the show, this gives you a chance to win a copy of the film that started it all. And for those who aren't watching it yet, shame on you! This will give you an excuse to jump in and not only enjoy a great weekly podcast, but you'll get the same opportunity to win.

Look for the first question to be posted in the next day or two, following the release of this week's episode. I'll keep the contest open for several days, and then draw a winner and ship them a copy of the film. And don't worry, I have several DVD's, so there will be several chances to win in the weeks ahead.

Good luck and have fun! :)

James Franco To Play Aron Ralston In Film

A couple of months back we got the news that Aron Ralston's story was coming to the big screen courtesy of Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire). At the time, we only knew that the film would be called 127 hours, which matches the amount of time that Ralston was stuck out in the wilderness, while trapped under a boulder. He would later cut off his own arm with a pocket knife to walk back to civilization.

Today, we get word from the Wend Blog that the part of Ralston has been cast. It seems that James Franco will play the role of the intrepid hiker/climber with a high tolerance for pain. Franco is probably best known for his role in the Spider-man movies.

Personally, I think Franco is a solid actor and will do well in the role. I'm not sure he has the right "look", but we'll see. I have a lot of faith in Boyle to pull this movie off well, and I'm already looking forward to it down the line. Reportedly filming is set to begin in March with the intention of being released later this year.

New Movie Frozen Looks Either Really Silly or Really Scary

The Adventure LIfe posted a trailer to a new film coming out soon called Frozen that looks both incredibly scary and silly all at the same time. The movie centers around a trio of young skiers and snowboarders who are off to the slopes for a day of fun. But when they decide to make one last run very late in the day, they end up getting stranded on the chairlift just as the resort is closing down for the week. (I swear I'm not making this up!) The film will then follow their fight to survive out there in the cold, battling the elements, and wolves of course. (Really! I'm not making this up! Watch the trailer below!

The critical review quotes shown in the trailer compare the movie to Jaws at one point, but really, it seems more like Open Water to me. As I watched the teaser trailer, I thought the premise seemed like a bit of stretch, then after they're stranded, it just seemed to get worse. I kept waiting for the tone to shift towards a teen comedy, but it never happened. Not sure what to make of it all. What do you think?