Bruce

This one sounds like a winner - any word on when we can expect a release?

Adam

Bruce,

Open Water will be released limited on Aug. 6, 2004. It will go wide Aug. 20, 2004. You can check out the trailer on quicktime.com. I really think this is one of those pictures that could strike a nerve. I smell a sleeper.

Barbara Valle

We have to go see this movie mom...read the review

diverD

Being a diver, I am anxious to watch this movie when it opens. Unfortunately, a dive operation in Australia was known to leave a couple of divers behind. It was one unfortuante instance, and I found accounting procedures in Australia to be exemplary. Role call is done after every dive and before the boat moves. No one will be left behind again! No matter how scary, it won't keep me out of the water. I've seen sharks and they've just swum away. I hope it doesn't keep potential divers from discovering the incredible, amazing world below.

Sam I am

Oper Water is playing in Austin, TX on 8/14/04 on Lake Travis! That's right! Ticket include an inner tube to watch this film while floating in the middle of the lake!!! I'm planning on therapy afterwards- can't wait!

Adam

Sam I am,

That sounds kick-ass! Didn't they do that with Jaws a couple of years back? It makes me wish I lived in Austin Texas. One of these days, I'll get out there for one these events. Between Lake Travis and that Aint-it-cool-news Butt-Numb-A-Thon festival, I can't see why any film fan would ever want to move out of the area. Shoot us a story on the Open Water screening and let us know how it was. Thanks for checking out our site.

Porter Melling

Regardless of the endless and soggy praise Mr. Mast has bathed this Sundancer with -don't be fooled by hype on Open Water, which Adam describes as an extremely scary shark-attack movie that uses no special effects. The latter is true, the former is not. It's not scary because the characters are totally unlikable and boring as hell. This is mostly due to the Amateur Hour performances from the D-grade leads (veteran character actor Saul Stein steals the film early on in a near-cameo), but also because director Chris Kentis does everything wrong that Gus Van Sant did right with his Gerry, a film that's also about two characters lost in the middle of nowhere, struggling to survive. Thanks to bad digital videography and poor framing, Kentis blows his opportunity to use the ocean location to his advantage, and the dialogue is often laughable. Only the very ending, which I won't reveal, injects some true spark of courage into the proceedings, but it's too late to rescue this failure

Anonymous Coward

Porter Melling,

Again, movies all boil down to personal opinion, but I have to say, Open Water is everything Gerry wasn't; Interesting. At the very least, Open Water evoked a sense of fear. I was happy I was in a theater and not in those characters' shoes

(or flippers as it were). Gerry by comparison, was a complete bore. So boring in fact, that I'd much rather get lost in the woods then be forced to endure that snooze-fest again.

I've never been in the situation that Daniel (Daniel Travis)and Susan (the beautiful Blanchard Ryan) find themselves in in Open Water, but the way they gradually realize the horror they've been plunged into, feels real. I never felt that in Gerry. True, the Gus Van Sant picture was gorgeous to look at, but it ends there. Their

situation was nowhere near as dire or intriguing as the one on display in Open Water.

As for the characters being unlikable, I didn't see that. They just seemed like regular people to me. They're hardly D-Grade as you suggest, but then I liked Blair Witch Project as well, and I'm guessing you didn't like that either.

Kentis isn't a genius with framing, but he doesn't need to be because this story speaks for itself. I liked the movie because I got sucked into the ordeal, and there are plenty of shots that shook me up including an amazing moment in which we see our helpless characters treading water with several hungry sharks (real ones!) swimming just underneath them. It's a horrifying shot, and one I won't soon forget.

Yes, Open Water is low budget and certainly, it won't win any Cinematography awards, but it is haunting and I never found myself bored during the quick eighty minute running time. It's not Jaws, but it's better than half of the films we've seen this summer, and it's yet further proof that movies don't need to cost $100 million to be effective.

Cameron (major spoiler alert)

I just saw Open Water and I was going into the film with the expectations that I would be scared, disturbed, and ultimately depressed by its ending. Well, the fact is I really don't have an opinion about the movie. I find myself asking questions in my head about how there had to be something that I missed as the movie came to a closure. Maybe it was a tale of two divers getting left behind, stranded and eventually meeting their death by certain means, end of story. I just can't seem to buy that and it irks me. I like the movie in that it makes me think the way I am now, what really happened and why?? How did Blanchard die? Did she drown, get eaten by the pool of sharks around her? I just can't come to a conclusion and I hate that the film is based off of true events because frankly, we don't know exactly what happened out there for 2 days in the open sea. I know that I will definately see it again and soon as to appease some part of me in some way. I give it a 5 out of 10.

Terry Sizemore

I was fortunate enough to see this film pre-theatre at Waterfront Film Festival -- an all water film by an independent film maker??? YES, it is very well done and focuses your attention on the tragedy at hand and there is no movie-forced-emotion because you've connected so well and feel sorry for the scuba diving couple. You are drawn in by the thought of (you)being left behind in shark infested waters and by the emotion, reaction, and nervousness of Daniel Travis and Blandchard Ryan. The film goes quickly to the water, and from there you will remain on the edge of your seat 'till the movie's end. Great flick!

David Gan (Spoiler Alert)

It is a story of "I assume" spelled backwards, U made an ass out of me. It is unforgiveable for the boat captain to mis-counted the number of snorkelers. Instead of number count, he should have checked off names. Two people died because of his gross error. I hope that it won't happened again. It was a suspenseful movie and I felt sad at the end that no one had survived the ordeal.

sirdizzy (spoiler alert)

This is the kind of movie that makes you mad at the ending because even though it was probably the right ending and the most fitting as it is based on a true story you cannot help but be angered because you were hoping for it to end another way. It was also the kind of ending that everyone sat through all the credits to just make sure that is how they meant to end it, the last movie I remembered doing that for was the Blair Witch Project. But unlike Blair Witch I loved the movie up until the end, where as I hated every single moment of the Blair Witch. That's all I can say about how the movie left me feeling after I left the theatre without spoiling it for everyone else. The best thing about this movie is easily the cinematography as it is done so well you almost feel like you are amongst the waves with the sharks circling around you. The movie cast a feeling of dread and the vast openness of the ocean just by the way it was shot, for example at night the screen is dark except with lighting crashes across the sky making you feel like you were right there. Also you never totally see the sharks, which I love as it is like they are circling and you never know where they are or when they might strike next. The movie would have been incredible had it ended like I wanted it to, but all the same the movie was still really good and definitely worth seeing.

brad minsky

I think you guys hyped this water-logged disappoihtment up a little too high. It's enough to make you believe in spoilers.

Adam

Brad,

I'm just curious. What did you find disappointing about it?

brad minsky (spoiler alert)

Roughly the part that started when they surfaced from their dive until they go eaten,

T

It was sooo good i could have peed my pants and i did.

Adam

Brad,

Well, I suppose you're not the only one. As for my hyping the film up, I often do that for movies I really like. I believe this is a terrific picture. Sadly, very few agree with me, but as far as I'm concerend, it's their loss. In terms of genuine tension, I think Open Water has it. I'll take it over a movie like Exorcist: The Begninning any day of the week. I'd also like to comment on the ending of the film without giving anything away. I found it chilling and most unexpected. Open Water is no Jaws and it isn't without it's flaws (particularly the choice of music), but ultimately, I found it to be a well crafted indie that delivers real scares without the use of a big budget. Kudos to director Kentis and an up to the challenge Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis who were willing to jump into the ocean with real sharks. This is a good movie.

May Reynolds

Minsky you need to check your pulse chief, what does it take to entertain you, your testicles electically shocked? Open Water is a suspenseful masterpiece that takes a bit of intelligence to appreciate, which might well be your problem

Open Water Logged

The scariest thing about Open Water is the acting - come on guys, you mislead us on this one, I want my damn money back, i could have done a better job than that guy. Open Water blows

Mickey Bess

These two were such annoyingly bad actors that i was pleased that they were eaten, I only wish the actual actors were Shark food as well, just in case they're offered parts in future films, sorry Adam but this movie blew like a whales hole.

Adam

Open Water Logged,

I didn't mislead anyone. I liked the movie and you didn't. It's that simple. Personally, I thought Ryan and Travis were pretty damn good. Their dialouge was mundane and surprisingly realistic, granted I've never been left alone with a loved one in the middle of the ocean. Still, I thought the movie felt pretty damn real. I'm sorry you didn't like it, but trust me when I tell you. IT'S FAR BETTER (AND CREEPIER) THAN THE EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING!

Rizzo

NEWS FLASH!! ---- THE SHARKS WERE FAKE!!! ---- NEWS FLASH!!

The director, actors, cast and crew have all been going around Hollywood "bragging" about the fact that ALL sharks in their new show, "Open Water" were real. However, that is completely false and I am appalled that a major movie studio would try and hoodwink an audience!!!! The fact is that over 90% of these "sharks" were actually trained dolphins with prosthetics attached to their bodies on loan from Sea World-San Antonio!! These dolphins had both facial and dorsal prosthetics attached to them to make them resemble the "carcharhinus limbatus" or Blacktip shark. If you go and see this atrocious movie, please realize that you are actually seeing trained dolphins playing the part of sharks. PETA is filing a lawsuit against Lions Gate film, the producers of Open Water, because they allegedly abused dolphins when trying to outfit them with "shark" prosthetics!!!

I'm in the biz in L.A., so I do know my stuff.

thomas mason

i think it is brilliant i went and seen it tonight and i think it was treriffic.

Erica (if need to say last name then NO!)

I have not seen it yet..... But I really want to see it!! I love sharks... they are cute! Hope to see it!!!!

Got Jipped

I had rented this movie on the assumption that it would be somewhat like JAWS, boy I was totally wrong. The girl was gorgeous but that's about it for this movie. It was so boring, the only reason why I watched it till the end because I was hoping that it would get better, boy I was wrong again. This movie should be in the "B" class section ; not in the new release (LOL). I could probably direct a better movie about my dog for god sake, well I got jipped and the worst thing is, the damn sales clerk said this movie was worth renting, was she on crack?

Karen

i'm just wondering if they both died than how do we know a movie even exist, becuz dead people can't tell a story. If someone could email me and tell me some anwsers becuz my whole family is lost! And did the real divers make it or not?Thanks

Dear Karen

While it is certainly true that dead men tell no tales - it is true that both of our bouyant heroes did indeed perish in the real life version of the Open Water story - obviously writer and director Kentis took a great deal of liberty with the details of the story. While, the film was well-recieved critically I wouldn't blame anyone that felt mislead and disenchanted by the ending. As for myself, I alreeady knew how it was going to end, so it wasn't as much of a belly-drop for me - and I did appreciate the way the ending was handled with out all of the standard hollywood dramatics. Hope this helps you and your family - the Boneman

casey rainey

i watched this movie and it had me on the edge of my seat and gripping the couch the whole way through.

Adam

Karen,

In addition to the Boneman's comments, I have a couple of my own. Watch the very end of the movie. Just before the end credits, there's stock footage that suggests how the divers' fates were determined. Much of the film is in fact speculative much in the same way that The Perfect Storm was. Still, I found Open Water surprisingly effective.

Lacy

At first, I thought, "Oh great, this movie is filmed really stupid." Then, it turned out to be the catchiest part, the fact that it was filmed so realistically. I love it and think it's a mind-wandering movie.

Jason

I think it was a thriller it was definatly a thrilling movie. But the thing I don't like about it is no one came back alive they both died. It was awful I didn't like the movie because of that. If they wanted to get word of it that that might happen to you they could have put it all over the news on CNN, GOOD Morning America The Today Show and all your other local news channels, they could have put it on 20/20 and primetime. Instead of making a sad movie about this couple dying out in the middle of the ocean, and worse of all it was a true story too. At least at the end of the movie they could have told if the couple had family members and if their family members sued the scuba diving place and sued the scuba diving instructor that was on the boat. They could have told whether the Scuba diving instructor lost his job over that, I think he should have. I think at the end of the movie when they caught the shark that ate the couples camera they should have said where they caught the shark and when they caught the shark. I really didn't get the meaning at the end both of them died but what really stumped me was when they were cleaning out the shark they caught. When they caught the shark and when the guy was cleaning it they had it on camera while the guy was cleaning it. I mean what did they expect to have come out of the shark?? I mean when they went out looking for the couple when they couldn't find them what did they do after that? go shark hunting and they found the same shark that ate their camera? I think it was a horrible movie it was awful who wants to see people dying out in the middle of the ocean getting eatin by sharks? When its a actual true story. I think they could had explained the ending a little better. I mean no one was there when they were alone so how did people know what conversations they had with each other they put in this movie what they talked about and how they reacted and how long they lived. Well we don't know that cause no one came back alive to tell about it. Thats another thing thats bad about the movie. And how the heck to they know the Girl was alive and the sharks took her just before the safety people came to rescue her. They could have died 4 hours before that they could have died in the middle of the night they might of died a lot sooner because sharks got them. Maybe 5 hours past and they just drowned themselves we don't know I think directors shouldn't suspect how they reacted and how long they lived and what they talked about when no one came back alive to tell about it. My grade for this movie is a F-. It was awful it was the worst movie I have ever seen in my life the sadest one too. I was crying at the end when they both died.

Cheryl

where did they film this movie? Bahamas or Mexico?