How Alterian Made the Arm Amputation in 127 Hours

In this episode, Tony Gardner takes us behind the scenes of 127 Hours, Danny Boyle’s harrowing true story of Aron Ralston - and breaks down the practical effects that made the film’s infamous arm-amputation sequence so brutally convincing.

Tony talks about how the filmmakers approached the graphic scene, the prosthetics and makeup effects behind it, and why the sequence left audiences genuinely speechless. Kyra asks her dad to break down the challenges of bringing a true story this intense to the screen without sensationalizing the gore, and what secret trick about this particular sfx gag made audience members pass out in theaters.