Amber Tamblyn Defends the 127 Hours Amputation Scene: 'It's Seriously Nothing'

You read the review for Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, and then shortly after, you read Movieline's comprehensive timeline of everyone who fainted during the gruesome amputation scene starring James Franco and a dull pocket knife. Before you decide to not see the film because of a few personalized accounts of cold sweats, nausea, fainting and panic attacks, check out what 127 Hours co-star Amber Tamblyn told Movieline about the infamous scene.

"I just wrote something about [the fainting reports] on my blog," said Tamblyn. "Recently, we had the premiere here in L.A. and Huffington Post posted this huge article saying that somebody had a seizure at the screening, which is very true, but they clumped that story in with other reports of people fainting and having seizures during the [amputation] scene. The truth of the matter is that the person [at the L.A. premiere] had a seizure within the first 15 or 20 minutes of the film. She had a seizure because of diabetic shock, which was completely unrelated to the film."

Even so, Tamblyn does not think that reports of arm amputation-induced fainting have been completely fabricated.

"I think there is a thing going on here," Tamblyn conceded. "It is like a symptom poll where people hear about this 'terrifying, scary, shocking, disgusting scene' and so when they go to see the movie, they hear that people are passing out and there is an inclination to traumatize their feelings about it."

The actress, who is guest-starring on a 13-episode arc on House these days, closed with a few final words for the film's skeptics.

"Honestly, that part of the film is three minutes. Seriously, three minutes. It's nothing. It's seriously nothing. I just shake my head. I feel bad for people who aren't going to see the movie just because they hear that and think that it's going to be horrible. It's such an incredible film about one man's survival and the triumphs of the human spirit."