Open Water, has anyone watched this dvd yet? (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

i just watched it today, and i thought it was one of the worst looking dvds i have seen yet.

it was blurry, or slimy looking.
i dont know really how to describe it but slimy is good because alot of the image tends to leave a trail of sorts as the images move.

i'm guessing it was supposed to look like this because i didnt see it at the movies.

i didnt have time to look at the sups so i dont know if the style was discussed there.
but i did look at one of the deleted scenes and it look like it was, i dont know the actual term, shot using digiTAL CAMeras.
as it was very clear almost live looking.

other then that i thought it was a terrific movie.
edge of my seat wondering what would happen to these people.
strangely enough one of the other people who watched it said they thought it was boring/too slow.
sure most of the movie took place in the water with just the 2 people but it was far from boring.

the sound was spectacular.
dts and dobly digital including dts-es and dd-ex.

a thunderstorm near the middle of the movie was some of the best sound i ever heard on a dvd.

it was a short movie hitting
the credits at about 1hr 16 min.

 

[jason:g]

Worst movie that I've seen all year at the cinemas.
This movie really sucks.
But I have to give the filmmakers kudos for filming with live sharks.

 

[CraigL]

Loved this movie. One of my favorites of this year.

I saw it twice in theaters and it never looked good.

It was shot on digital video and when it was blown up it definitely didn't look so hot. I also think that it was done intentionally to make it all seem like a documentary/home movie.

Either way, can't wait to pick it up when it comes out next week. Best Buy is having a unique bonus disc. All over that.

 

[JeffMc]

Me too! I can barely sit through any Hollywood flick even ONCE these days, but OPEN WATER got me into the theater twice. What a refreshing change-of-pace it was from the usual over-blown CGI crap that comes out every week. I guess it comes down to taste. If you're a movie buff that's just sick and tired of the usual Hollywood crap, it could be the best thing you've seen in a long time. But, if you like your films big and flashy, OPEN WATER will definitely NOT be your cup of tea AT ALL! And the marketing campaign Lion's Gate used definitely tried to make it look like a big "JAWS"-type film which it definitely is NOT.

I can't think of one other film I saw theatrically this year that I can say I even LIKED! But I thought OPEN WATER was terrific! Thank God for alternative cinema for those who could care less about the new SPIDERMAN adventure. I'll definitely be in line on Tuesday to get this DVD.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Yeah, Open Water is really unnerving. I'm glad I didn't take a date, as I was yelping throughout. The picture quality seems intentionally dodgy.

 

[AndrewA]

Yeah, I liked this movie as well. Being an avid scuba diver, I was a little hesitant to see something that in some ways took a valid fear and realized it through film. Not that it happens all that often, but it does happen, people have been left by dive boats and the angst that this couple show and their mental and physical anguis is something I can really imagine. We've always been careful about which companies we use when we go diving...honestly getting left behind scares me more than the prospect of sharks attacking. I dove many sites where sharks were abundant and have had no problems, the film makers did make it pretty convincing though, but it won't keep me away from diving.

As for anyone who likes "big and flashy" movies not liking this film, why would this be the case? I love popcorn movies and have the same appreciation for indy films as well, along with classics and brain less action.

 

[Jesse Blough]

Oh the DVD is coming out next week? I'm totally out of the loop. :frowning:

Anyway, I'm getting this. Open Water gets my vote for horror movie of the year.

Yeah, I don't remember the picture quality being all that great...

 

[Matt Butler]

My friend got this a couple months ago. He works for a video store so he occasionally gets screeners. The picture does look dodgy but I knew it was shot on video and made to look documetary-like. No DTS or DD though so I couldnt comment on that factor. Just Dolby Stereo.

Good movie. Unnerving.

 

[Jon Martin]

I was wondering how the DVD would be.

As mentioned it was shot on digital video, then blown up for film for theatres where it didn't look very good.

I was HOPING that the DVD would be a transfer from the original digital to DVD, but it looks like they went from digital to film back to DVD, the same way they screwed up the BLAIR WITCH DVD.

I can't say I loved the film as much as a lot of people here. I didn't hate it as a lot of the audience I saw it with did ("That's it?" was one persons loud take on the film when it ended). But, it wasn't very involving either.

 

[JeffMc]

Yes, a blanket statement that a person can only like one type of film is a bit off, but my point was that in regards to this film in particular, all the negative comments I have heard about it were from movie fans who complained about "nothing happens, it's just two people in the water for 90 minutes, you hardly see any sharks, it's all talking, the only good scene is the attack sequence, etc." All of these comments lead me to believe that these viewers wanted their usual weekend fix of "big and flashy" and were severely disappointed that there was no 'big' and there was no 'flashy'. I know some of these viewers personally and they are the type that go see every new big action-superhero-disaster-whatever blockbuster every weekend - and that's cool if that's what they like. If they didn't like OPEN WATER on its own merits, fine, but most negative comments I've heard from people seem to infer they were disappointed that it wasn't more like JAWS or DEEP BLUE SEA 2.

Two people bobbing in the water for 80 minutes is definitely not for everyone. Many viewers today will probably find it extremely dull. Just like how I find 'popcorn movies' full of action, explosions and noise to be extremely dull. I avoid the usual blockbusters (life is short and I want some brains with my popcorn) and I'm sure a lot of fans of these big blockbusters, in turn, avoid small art-house films that they have no interest in. The problem with OPEN WATER was that it was a small art-house film marketed as a big blockbuster (similar to what happened to BLAIR WITCH) which definitely would upset viewers expecting a big JAWS-type film.

 

[AndrewA]

JeffMc,

Point taken and I absolutely agree with the attempt to maket this film as a next Blair Witch, I guess they were hoping to bottle the same lightning bolt. And as you said, to each his own, I hardly go to the theaters anymore unless there's something compeling that I can't wait for the dvd for...Spidey 2, LOTR, Open Water, Hotel Rwanda, City of God, as you said life is short.

The funny things is that this film was heavily marketed in many scuba publications, and it actually backfired, many of my buddies refused to see a film directly showing an accident that could possibly harm the industry and the hobby. Thier loss, cause its very intruiging film, and goes beyond the inital accident. Even though it's just 80 minutes of two people bobbing in the water talking, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I'm dissapointed that the picture quality is low, as mentioned above I was hoping a digital to digital transfer would make this release a cleaner one. I hope the judgement on the pic is wrong, but with this many people already seen it, I'm not very hopeful.

 

[Michael Elliott]

I just got the screener in the mail and will try to have a review up tonight. We're in the middle of a snow storm and the power is going on and off but I'll do my best.

I've been dying to see this so hopefully it'll live up to the hype.

 

[Chet_F]

Anyone have any info on the incident this was based on? I was hoping they would get into this at the end of the film or in the special features but I didn't see anything. Luckily I found this used for $5 - not a bad movie but the ending...........:frowning:

 

[Mark Lucas]

It wasn't based on any one incident.

 

[AlexCremers]

Are you talking about amusement park rides?

 

[Mark Lucas]

So what incident is it based on?

 

[JoshB]

Try and google it. I know it was based on either one incident or several, though I cannot remember where or when. The pacific ocean I know for certain, but not much else. Look at some ofthe DVD reviews or reviews ot the film, and they might mention it.

 

[Rhoq]

Ask and you shall receive..

 

[Mark Lucas]

It's a story that was based on several incidents but not just one and the characters are original. Like I said.

 

[TonyD]