Backpacking: The Movie

“Anybody know why there aren't any films about backpacking?”

“I wish they would make a movie about "Walk accross Amirica" by Peter Jenkins.”

“Now that would be cool a backpacking movie I would see it a whole bunch of times.

8)”

“Great freakin Book!!!”

“Ah, good one Dude.

Who would play the antagonist?”

“That was in Alabama. Prolly Opie.”

“Have you ever noticed on TV and in movies when there is a backpack or someone goes backpacking, the gear looks so phoney? Plus, they pull way too much stuff out (e.g. a huge tent), like those cowboys who pull coffee pots and all kinds of stuff out of their tiny bedrolls and saddle bags.

If I ever saw a realistic”

“the gear on tv is always brand new, never any show of wear, and where's the necessities? sat phone for emergencies, let's get a fire going with these eye glasses, and either it's all perfect, or it's all bad, walking through the spring flowers in an open meadow, or walking in the rain with swarms of bugs and bleeding knees. i don't even want to see Backing the movie... they'd portray it wrong, now if we made a movie about backpacking, there we go ;) then we'd have the right stuff.”

“I don't think the experience translates well to film; you just gotta be there.”

“I thought Lord of the Rings was about Backpacking?!”

“my bad. I guess I'll go see it Path :P”

“Just kidding. I like the story in large part because of the journey.”

“I guess if you can't or don't do it, you can always sit like a couch potato and watch, but for some people, backpacking is a participatory activity.”

“Pathman - I think you're right, Lord of the Rings essentially was a backpacking movie! Good call!”

“Of course the appeal to Lord of the Rings was the constant risk of attack and evil and death. Most backpacking doesn't involve any of those.

There was a movie several years ago with Kirstie Allie as a bp guide and some evil guy took her and a bunch of guys hostage. it was called 'Shoot to Kill'. It was obvious none of the actors had anything in their packs. I remember it being a stupid movie.”

“In a fit of insomnia earlier this week I saw a movie from 1986 called Whitewater Summer - Kevin Bacon was on a whitewater canoe trip with 3 or 4 teens (including Sean Astin). There was climbing, canoeing and a good amount of backpacking. The teens all had these massive Sears style cotton sleeping bags strapped to their smallish packs. Yet when they camped they just layed down on the ground. They were also all wearing jeans and tennis shoes.

Although it does not actually include backpacking - Last of the Mohicans is a great backpacking flick for me. Beautiful mountains, walking everywhere, communing with nature, etc.”

“Maybe towndawg could write a screen play for a movie. They could hire Tarp Rat as a technical advisor.”

“I recall seeing a couple tapes on video store shelves that were films about either Outward Bound or such wilderness education groups/college pals out for a BPing trek in western mountains. Of course, they involved some psycho bad guy(s) picking them off one by one. It might have been a brief flurry in the 80s when Hollywood was seeking to refine the teens in peril formula.

I too always notice that the packs they carry are obviously empty, the way the actors bounce along with it flapping on their backs (half the time they haven't even buckled the hip belts).”

“The problem with backpacking is that there isn't a formula for standard Hollywood movies that it could fit into. There is no competition for the Hero to finaly pull out a victory against al odds, there isn't an antagonist like a hiking boss that the Hero has to face, the only one that came close was the one with Kevin Bacon where the Hero had to show up the Evil Hinking Instructor.

Maybe they could take "A Walk in the Woods" and make a movie out of it. You could have Kelsy Grahmer as Bryson, John Goodman as Katz, Rosie Odonald as they annoying woman (she is perfect), and only do the parts where they hike from Springer to Gatlinburg, then the part where they skip to the Shenandoahs, and the part where the skip to Maine.”

“might have been more backpacking movies if Deliverance hadn't been so successful...... :^)”

“I agree with SGT Rock. Good Backpacking = boring movie. We walked, and walked, and walked. We filtered water. We cooked noodles. Over and over and over.

I also think your casting for A Walk would be excellent. I might exchage Oliver Platt for John Goodman. But Grammer is an excellent choice for our 'hero'.”

“"Teens in Peril!" *YIKERS* LOL

Yeah, that Deliverence thing sure was a bummer!

They could do it up as one of those disaster flicks with tornadoes, flash floods, animal attacks, ...

Not too terribly far from the truth, eh guys?

(okay... more like blister and splinter attacks, but you know what I mean)”

“Movie: Bless the Beasts and Children

Theme: The Young and the Restless (Nadia's theme)

This 6 boys (misfits) from different families meet at a boys camp, and goes cross country and try to save buffalos that's about to be killed.”

“OH... "B-E-A-S-T-S"...

n e v e r m i n d . . .”

“Vertical Limit isn't about backpacking but I thought it was a good movie.”

“myabe backpacking (and thus backpackers) just aren't cool enough

he he he”

“Or maybe we're too cool.”

“we are too cool”

“I guess no one here went to see the "Blair Witch Project".”

“Ya! We're cooooll”

“Oh yeah - forgot about BLair Witch. That movie made my wife not want me to go camping. I just kept thinking - where'd they get that tent?”

“Never went to see the "Blair Witch Project"....heard from some friends that there are a lot of "shaky" camera special (?) effects. I get nauseous when I have to see that.

There were some scenes in "Behind Enemy Lines" where the scenes were shaky (while the camera was following the main actor)...I had to close my eyes after a few seconds of that chit. Too bad, it ruined a good movie.”

“I don't consider that a real backpacking movie. It is more in line with "Deliverance" for playing on peoples fear of the woods. Most likely Hollywood's next hiking movie will be about the women that got murdered in Shanandoah back about '96. Those sort of movies fit into the cookie cutter. It would take an independant film company to make a real backpacker movie.”

“Does anyone remember that John Belushi/Blair Brown comedy where she was the wildlife researcher and he was the Chicago reporter sent out west to interview her? He had to BP in to her research site in the mountains. That was the other side Hollywood can manage to conjure, the clueless city slicker burdened with gear, but managing to bring along liquor and cigarettes, which naturally leave him at the mercy of the woman when he can't breathe.”

“with all the hilarious material on TT, somebody could make one hell of a comedy.”

“Imagine,while watching a crescent moon, comet and Venus, a discussion of Ayn Rand and her ashes (dust) on a car camping trip in a Nalgene container, making Lime Green Jello? Which container was that in? Where's my Aurora? Can anybody see?”

“THAT'S where Ayn Rand went!!

She's In The Jello.”

“Whenever there is backpacking involved in TV or a movie the people are way over-dressed.

They are humpin' around wearing flannel shirts and jackets and down vests(the producers must think down vests are cool).

The weather usually appears to be warm and the actors aren't sweating inspite of all the layers they are wearing.”

“Ewwwww, who put Ayn Rand in the Jello?!?!”

“Does anyone know if The Discovery Channel, the learning channel or PBS is airing a documentary about Shackelton in the Antarctic? I saw his name flash across the screen on one of those channels but can find it in any of their programming guides. Now that would be a backpacking movie!”

“I saw a quick blurb about Shackleton last night, too... I think it was A&E.

Yes, there was a Very Private Scattering Ceremony and Ayn went into the Goop.

Considering what's gone into the Jello already, I'm surprised anyone would notice!”

“Kenneth Branagh as Shackleton.

It's a two-parter. Part the First, A&E, Sunday April 7, 8 pm eastern.

Also... the hour before Part 2 airs on Monday, Shackleton is the subject of Biography (also at 8 eastern).”

“Hey that looks good I am going to have to check that out!

Thank you for the info.

8)”

“Oh man! Thanks Tilt! After reading a few of the accounts of his (and Mawson's) expeditions, this should be "Must see TV".”

“Just as long as they eat all the dogs in the movie as in the real story.

Say, some of those puppies were really cute!”

“Real cute... covered in A-1 Sauce!

I know Amundsen developed a taste for Puppy Stew... Shackleton too, eh?”

“Yeah, they started with about 70 sled dogs.
The dogs were mutts of various breeds, magnificent mutts.
There are photos in the book of some of the puppies born during the ordeal.

Eventually all of the pooches were eaten.

Oh, snackboy!”

“I must have read a different book. The only dogs I recall them eating were the last team.”

“Where did all the dogs go?
Freed by PETA?

Its been a couple of years since I read it.........the one with the pictures.”

“Thanks Tilt! TV worth watching for a change.”