Into the Wild – The Movie

I read for the first time today about a film version of Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild that is due out later this year. I read the book a few years ago when I friend recommended it because I was “into that survival stuff.”

It was a pretty intense read about a fresh-out-of-college kid who thought he was a sort of later-day Daniel Boone. He had a series of semi-misadventures where he got himself into some harrowing situations and by skill and luck managed to survive. He eventually ended up testing his mettle in Alaska and his luck ran out.

Nature always wins . . .

It’s a great book and something I recommend to any armchair adventurer who grew up reading Hatchet and thinks they can hack it in the real wilderness. It creeped me out in the same way that Jack London’s To Build A Fire creeped me out about being without a nice, warm fire in the out of doors.

It certainly changed my perspective on the whole idea of wilderness survival being anything but glamorous.

The famous bus scene. Creepy.

The real-life Chris McCandless also traveled initially with a lot of guns and really was pro on them – finally regretfully having to bury a few in the dessert to shed weight. The film is directed by anti-gun stalwart and Hollywood B-list loony Sean Penn, so I am sure this aspect of the book will be disregarded.

More info on the move here.