It isn’t really for able-bodied people, it’s around the 10 000 step “target” people often use as a heuristic. But AFAIK the challenge in the movie isn’t walking 5 miles but maintaining a pace of 3 mph or you get shot.
It reminds of a movie where this bus had to speed around a city, and if its speed dropped, it would explode. I think it was called “the bus that couldn’t slow down.”
Honestly I don’t hate the premise you could do worse for sure, but does feel derivative of a genuinely kickass film that came out eight years before he published.
I’ve not watched Punishment Park yet (it’s on my jellyfin), but The Long Walk iirc isn’t disciplinary, they volunteer. Again, it’s been many years since ive read it, but i seem to recall it being some weird jingoistic patriotic event with a big payoff for the winner… and maybe payoffs for the families of the losers? I think it was one of those overpopulation-lottery themes that was big at the time. King also wrote Running Man around that time under the Bachman name which dealt with similar energy. Running Man probably reads like The Lathe nowadays; I remember a bit about inner city kids teaching the MC how to make nose filters to battle pollution and whatnot while the media constantly misrepresnted him as a radical terrorist.
I think that there’s a very strong case to be made that a major underlying theme of The Long Walk is toxic masculinity and how patriarchy pushes young men to destructive behavior. The Walk is explicitly stated to be boys only, and a recurring question in the narrative is “why are they doing this if they don’t have to and it will almost certainly get them killed.”
Ah yea, there was a lot of time spent on backstories, but I’m afraid I can’t remember any of them. I kinda remember a strong father figure vibe projected towards the general though, right? With a mix of how the contestants responded to that. Some of it love/eager to please, others rebellious.
spoiler
Shit, I think one of them was his kid, weren’t they? The MC, or one the last few?🤔
Had a very similar conversation with a friend the other day who who said that the twist ending of H.G. Wells’ original The War of the Worlds was a boring overdone trope because “Genghis Khan already did biological warfare.”
Tbh, I kinda had the vibe that some of Bachman was about King experimenting with other people’s stories. Like I always saw Rage as his take on The Catcher in the Rye.
idk why people are so hung up on this or why they’re so intent on acting like walking for over an hour wouldnt be a long time to get where you’re trying to go lol
most people would say an hour is too far to drive somewhere unless its for a special reason. if you had to walk an hour every morning to get to work and then an hour back, you would say that doesnt take a long time? come on now thats just some reddit contrarian talking
i said “5 miles is pretty far to walk”. i didnt say its an impossible feat nobody can do.
Oh yeah to be clear I very much agree with you that that’s a far walk. 5 miles is a decent length if I’m walking a trail, I’m definitely not walking 5 miles to my destination
5x 20 minute miles should be easy enough to average, but it might be hard to do without breaks. I also imagine it might be harder for heavier people because I can do 5 20s fairly easily if I’m unencumbered. However, the same effort with a 35lb pack will probably net me a 30 minute pace.
It isn’t really for able-bodied people, it’s around the 10 000 step “target” people often use as a heuristic. But AFAIK the challenge in the movie isn’t walking 5 miles but maintaining a pace of 3 mph or you get shot.
Sounds like a shittier version of Punishment Park (1971) if you ask me.
It reminds of a movie where this bus had to speed around a city, and if its speed dropped, it would explode. I think it was called “the bus that couldn’t slow down.”
From the director of “the beach that makes you old”
It was an interesting concept when I read it middle school… or high school?
Honestly I don’t hate the premise you could do worse for sure, but does feel derivative of a genuinely kickass film that came out eight years before he published.
I’ve not watched Punishment Park yet (it’s on my jellyfin), but The Long Walk iirc isn’t disciplinary, they volunteer. Again, it’s been many years since ive read it, but i seem to recall it being some weird jingoistic patriotic event with a big payoff for the winner… and maybe payoffs for the families of the losers? I think it was one of those overpopulation-lottery themes that was big at the time. King also wrote Running Man around that time under the Bachman name which dealt with similar energy. Running Man probably reads like The Lathe nowadays; I remember a bit about inner city kids teaching the MC how to make nose filters to battle pollution and whatnot while the media constantly misrepresnted him as a radical terrorist.
I think that there’s a very strong case to be made that a major underlying theme of The Long Walk is toxic masculinity and how patriarchy pushes young men to destructive behavior. The Walk is explicitly stated to be boys only, and a recurring question in the narrative is “why are they doing this if they don’t have to and it will almost certainly get them killed.”
Ah yea, there was a lot of time spent on backstories, but I’m afraid I can’t remember any of them. I kinda remember a strong father figure vibe projected towards the general though, right? With a mix of how the contestants responded to that. Some of it love/eager to please, others rebellious.
spoiler
Shit, I think one of them was his kid, weren’t they? The MC, or one the last few?🤔
Oh, 100%.
spoiler
The general’s kid isn’t the protagonist, but he is (IIRC) the last to fall (leaving the protagonist the winner).
There’s nothing new under the sun.
Had a very similar conversation with a friend the other day who who said that the twist ending of H.G. Wells’ original The War of the Worlds was a boring overdone trope because “Genghis Khan already did biological warfare.”
Tbh, I kinda had the vibe that some of Bachman was about King experimenting with other people’s stories. Like I always saw Rage as his take on The Catcher in the Rye.
You can go further back, to They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
i dont mean far as in undoable or too taxing but it would take a long time relatively speaking
i probably take about an hour to walk a mile at my normal pace judging by the length my walks typically are
An hour to walk a mile?
5 miles in the time it takes to watch a movie is pretty leisurely.
Most people walking at a reasonable pace will do a mile in around 20 minutes
idk why people are so hung up on this or why they’re so intent on acting like walking for over an hour wouldnt be a long time to get where you’re trying to go lol
most people would say an hour is too far to drive somewhere unless its for a special reason. if you had to walk an hour every morning to get to work and then an hour back, you would say that doesnt take a long time? come on now thats just some reddit contrarian talking
i said “5 miles is pretty far to walk”. i didnt say its an impossible feat nobody can do.
Oh yeah to be clear I very much agree with you that that’s a far walk. 5 miles is a decent length if I’m walking a trail, I’m definitely not walking 5 miles to my destination
5x 20 minute miles should be easy enough to average, but it might be hard to do without breaks. I also imagine it might be harder for heavier people because I can do 5 20s fairly easily if I’m unencumbered. However, the same effort with a 35lb pack will probably net me a 30 minute pace.
Sounds like hiking through libertarian-land (the UP) to me lol
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
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