Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Movie The Walk Is Literally Making People Throw Up

E ^ | Oct 1 2015 | Madelyn Abry

[xp38]

We have heard of putting the audience in the middle of the action but this is taking it a little far. The Walk is based on the infamous story of tightrope walker Philippe Petit, who walked across a wire connected to the Twin Towers in 1974. The movie was shot in 3D, making the already terrifying heights actually come to life. So much so that audiences are literally vomiting at the sight of it. The Walk held press screening this week and the reception was queasy. But at least it wasn't because the movie was terrible (that's left for films like Pixels). Based on tweets and first person accounts from inside the theaters, it seems like people are getting sick from the immense vertigo induced by seeing The Walk.

[xp38]

Given the subject matter this is a great example of the use of cg since as we well know there is no more WTC to film.

[EveningStar]

ping

[Vaquero]

Good to know. I won’t see it.....don’t like heights and had a vertigo situation a few years ago from an unknown cause that got me real sick.

pass

[ExSoldier]

I remember when the EXCORCIST was released and there were widespread reports of people having seizures in theater lobbies because supposedly there were subliminal images embedded into the film. That got everybody all stirred up and was great advertising for the film. Personally, if I go see this, I'll be going alone. My wife is so terrified of heights, she gets nauseous on a short step ladder.

[truth_seeker]

I saw Petit in summer 1970, doing “street performance” in Paris, and then a few years later when I heard about the Twin Towers project, I knew it was the same guy.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"Man on Wire" is a very well done documentary using actual footage from the event.

I never felt vertigo because of course they didn't have cameras in helicopters hovering above the guy.

[PATRIOT1876]

* Literally Making People Throw Up *

Reminds me of “An Inconvenient Truth”!

[SnuffaBolshevik]

"I won’t see it.....don’t like heights.."

Same here.

When we visited Death Valley some years ago, I laid down next to the sign that read "Lowest Point in the Western Hemisphere".

It was a good feeling knowing I couldn't fall anywhere. :)

[Buckeye McFrog]

“The guy who makes audiences puke” can’t be good for his career.

[Sicon]

"Literally making people throw up..."

Same effect Obama has on a lot of people...

[tanknetter]

There’s also the legendary lost “insect pit” scene from the 1930s King Kong that had people puking in their seats.

[mware]

I remember taking a group of 8th graders to DC, As part of the trip we went to the IMAX theater at the Space Museum. They showed the film, Up and Beyond , or some such movie. I got such a case of vertigo from it that I was almost physically ill during the entire 4 hour ride home on the bus.

[LibertarianLiz]

I cannot handle intense movies. I watched the t.v. promos for this film; and, just from that brief encounter, I knew it would be too intense for me. Now, add vertigo (I also have a fear of heights), and this is a no-go film for me. Hubby wants to see The Martian. Anybody out there in Freeperland seen that yet?

[Vaquero]

I went to the Grand Canyon some years back. No problem. Planes? No problem. But poise me at the raw edge of a cliff or at the end of a high board and I’m not a happy camper

[Kirkwood]

All you need is one person getting sick and the power of suggestion takes over and spreads out across the audience.

[mware]

I've heard about that part cut from the movie.

Kong had just thrown the sailors into the ravine who were on the tree. From what I have heard giant spiders go after them and finish them off.

Personally, the scene where the guy climbs up the tree to get away from the dinosaur gave me nightmares for years, that and when King Kong breaks through the giant door.

[Menehune56]

I don’t think I could watch this movie without thinking about the poor people jumping from the towers and the smashed bodies on the ground 27 years later.

[who knows what evil?]

There’s a ‘recreation’ of that scene on YouTube...put together by Peter Jackson; who helmed the most recent ‘Kong’ remake...it’s really quite good...good for nightmares. :-)

[T-Bone Texan]

Did you lay in the salt in Death Valley?

[mware]

Wow, just checked out that recreation of the spider pit scene. Too bad there is no actual footage of the original. I did see some still photos and some of the props from the original.