Diving Movie Reviews!!!

[Amphibious]

I would just like to say that I think "The Big Blue" is the worst movie ever made, and I will only ever use the dvd as a flasher while spearfishing and the case to level my kitchen table. No one dives like that, it was all lies! Jean Reno is the worst Actor EVER!!!

I would also like to proclaim that "Open Water" Was the best peice of cinimatic glory I have every spent two hours in front of. it moved me in ways no movie ever has. it's the best, most realistic, true to life acount of current scuba diving trends and practices I have ever seen! I am a better person for watching it!


The above is all false, Island_Sands Dared me.......

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

You know that's funny you say that. When I first saw that movie in 1995, after I guess it had been already been out a while, a SCUBA instructor at the local dive shop my father and I went into one day highly recommended it to us after hearing about our experiences freediving and spearfishing in Sardegna.

Of course we were excited to see it, since both of us didn't even know there had even been a movie made about Jacques Mayol and Enzo Maiorca’s life long rivalry, and when we watched it I think the old man fell asleep. Susanna Arquette and Jacques were corny.

The entire story which should have really been produced more like a documentary was turned into a corny love story. Even if the uncut version was better, who wanted to watch it again. When I returned it to Blockbuster they told me I was the only one to rent it in three years. Furthermore I shouldn't forget, once I even tried to get a girlfriend who was interested in freediving to watch it....and even she couldn't make it to the end. We had to find better things to entertain ourselves with.

Another real pity, as a result of the film's poor story-line which really depicted the image of Enzo Maiorca as a show off know it all and lady's seducer, and in such a tacky way, it was banned in Italy.

The only parts that leaves you aspired and fascinated with Jacques superhuman nature with some element of truth unlike the ending that were actually witnessed in real life were his relationship with our mammalian full time cousins the dolphins. I have a friend in Florida who still today runs a live aboard to Bimini and parts of the Bahamas for spinner dolphin trips and in the 70’s he was in the Turks and Caicos when Mayol happened to be there. My friend Jim had heard of him of course and had actually seen him way offshore playing with dolphins. These dolphins recognized Jacques years after years of intermittent visits and they had created a very special bond with him. He understood the dolphins better than any of us probably ever will. He could relate to them and after working at Miami Sea Aquarium in his early years as a trainer he learned to love them. My friend Jim begged and begged Jacques for some private lessons when he managed to run into him one year in the Islands, and after a few complimentary meals courtesy of Jim he taught Jimmy the basics one on one in the Kaikos with the dolphins too of course. It must have been pretty spectacular to interact with Jacques in that sort of setting and on that level. Now that I think about it Jimmy must know a lot about dolphins too since he’s been there so often and played with them so much. Anyway, it just got me thinking about my dolphin interactions now and even though they weren’t as profound it’s hard to forget…

By the way I didn’t like Open Water, it reminded me of Blair Witch Project as the two made too many stupid mistakes that most people who are open water certified would have avoided so it was frustrating to watch. I mean common ever think about dropping your reg in the water and opening the air to scare the bubbles at the sharks! Or how about swimming to that buoy you saw near the end within swimming distance….okay just let them eat you why don’t ya.

One of the only good freediving films, or diving films for that matter, that was really spectacular, which I took my wife on a date to see once, was the Imax film with Pipin and Pelizzari done with master u/w cinematographer Bob Talbot. It’s late and I can’t remember the name of it now but it’s only a couple years old. It would have done Mayol and Maiorca much more justice to have a film made like this of them, portraying them as the pioneers they were, instead of a cheesy comedy romance like The Big Blue. The filming on location of the later in Sardinia, Miami and the Bahamas with the dolphins is really breathtaking too, no pun intended.

How could I forget the I-Max movies name, it will come to me, was it “Into the Blue?” Oh what am I saying, its Ocean Men. I saw someone brought it up on another thread

 

[Erik]

Colin I know you're pulling my leg a bit :ko
I must say that I loved The Big Blue when I first saw the US Version in 1991 and still watch it once a year or so. It moved me so much it's hard to describe. It really was a life-changing part of my history....what can I say?
At the time I didn't have the heritage or knowledge to know who these people were, so the imagery wasn't tainted by any of that. I was a new scuba diver and knew nothing about freediving, so any of the bad science didn't get to me either. Arquette was irritating, but incredibly sexy....still is. Jean Reno is still one of my favourites.
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was great, but I'd read the book first as a kid and preferred that version.
There's a movie out there called 'The Dive' made in Norway/the North Sea that's a commercial diving movie(!): it is excellent if you get a chance to see it.
I liked The Abyss as well, despite the bad science. The scene where Ed Harris is plummeting into 1000's of feet of water is spellbinding to me.
If you accept submarines as 'diving', then Das Boot has to be in there. Powerful.
That's all I can think of at the present.
Good thread Willer.
Cheers,
Erik Y.

 

[Amphibious]

Oooooo Good responses

 

[watts]

What about Alkis "The freediver". Anybody here seen it? Any good?

 

[Amphibious]

don't care if it;s any good, Dominique Swain is in it :girlie

Mmmmm......


I'm very surprised no one has found any of the white text yet?

 

[Adrian]

Watts: Here you go!

http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=41195&highlight=freediver+movie

Adrian

 

[sinkweight]

Well, I saw the [The Big Blue] movie, I dunno, when I was 12 or 13 or so. Thank god I managed to squirm away from my babysitter's hand over my face when Barr and Arquette started banging the old headboard. Besides that, I really didn't pick up the whole romance thing, as simming and constructing legos were my two loves.

During the movie, I thought to myself "Why doesn't she take the hint that she should like dolphins more?"....a 12-year-old's reasoning, I know, but I still think that when I see the movie.

I just bought it [The Big Blue] recently, watched it once, and now it resides neatly in my small vault of misfit media.

To agree with Amphibious and Mark in this matter....To some extent, I'm not really inclined to suggest anyone watching it who's seriously intrested in acquiring knowledge pertaining to freediving, Jaques, Enzo, or learning how to lie to your boss in order to stalk a freediver you met while appraising the loss of a snowmobile in the Andes (or whatever it was).

I also have to agree with Erik. It's what got me interested in staying underwater like a dolphin-wanna-be at an early age. It's just a shame that just recently I found out the sport was alive and kicking, thanks do Deeperblue's wonderful community. I would say The Big Blue is an influential movie, on a personal basis. Like I'd mentioned earlier, I saw it on Amazon, while looking up Jaques Mayol on Google (I never remembered that Besson took his name for Barr's character....c'mon...I was 12 during the last viewing), and bought it to remenisce. Like I had also mentioned, beautiful cinematography with a matching ambient musical score (slightly dated, I know, with late 80's Roland and Oberheim keybords with a world music flair, but nice none-the-less). Science and psychological data can probably prove that I haven't matured much since the age of 12....but why all that romantic crap. Arquette may go all night like a rabbit. But JEEZ!, just cause you lose your job over a gamble you made on a man you don't know...doesn't mean you have to hang on like a barnacle and disturb his breath-ups, heh-heh.

Her character was like a bum that tries to wash your windsheild after you told him not to, then in a desperate attempt to win your attention, keeps wiping his dirty rag on your car, running with your car as you pull away, still hoping for a quarter.

However, it's the only thing on DVD, filmed with beautiful cinematography that shows ELEMENTS of freediving. When people at the pool swim lanes ask why you're doing four laps underwater on one breath, or dead-manning at the bottom of the pool, you try to sum up different descriptions of freediving and encompassing sports. When all else fails after they scratch their head, looking slightly mentally challenged with those little swim goggles on, you tend to say "Have you ever seen the 80's movie, The Big Blue, by anychance?"

Granted no-one I know has, or at least remembered having seen it, but when interest is shown, I tell them to check out the dive scenes in the middle of the movie...

...and, of course, maybe some Barr-on-Arquette ack-shaawwwn!

 

[Stephan Whelan]

I've had this conversation about a million times. Most recently when talking to Freedivers who watched "The FreeDiver".

Movies that show any type of "specialised" activity are not going to be represented wholly accurately. Mainly because to show these activities truly accurately generally make them into a bit of a snooze-fest for the audience (apart from people who actually practice what is being shown)

FreeDivers who watch FreeDiving movies are going to be disappointed with FreeDiving movies. I work in the IT industry and still chuckle at every movie that portrays any sort of IT activity, likewise I speak to buddies who are surfers and they say the same thing about surfing movies.

Hollywood takes great liberties with how they show sports, hobbies, etc... so as to make it entertaining to the majority of people. Stylised FreeDiving movies can and will be popular to the masses, however they will generally not be accepted by the FreeDiving enthusiasts as they are fully of inaccuracies.

Sitting through the premiere of "The FreeDiver" in Vancouver once again proved it to me. I have seen the movie several times, once at a press showing in London with a bunch of non-diving people who all seemed to enjoy themselves (they weren't talking oscars but were definately interested in FreeDiving more AFTER the showing) and another time in Vancouver where it was greeted with fits of giggles and, at certain points, howls of laughter followed by groans.

Saying all that, I'm not immune to it - I was sitting and watching some TV docu-dramas about FreeDiving with some instructor buddies the other day and we all were exchanging glances, small groans and the occassional giggle whilst watching them.

I think as a sport FreeDiving needs more movies to be made that help make the sport look cool and interesting. It's a great way to get a lot of people more interested in the sport (along with good press coverage and TV documentaries).

 

[Amphibious]

Very good points..... Mmmmm....


wow, people found alison's white text right quick.... but no one has found any of mine? Not even Papa Smurf!

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Very good points..... Mmmmm....


wow, people found alison's white text right quick.... but no one has found any of mine? Not even Papa Smurf!

That sounds like a challenge senor! I have found your hidden text!

 

[Alison]

:friday Fame at last Makes you wonder how long I have been doing it for though ? Doesnt it

 

[Amphibious]

rofl This Thread is covered with it!

 

[Alison]

Ive seen grin! but there's pages and pages of it elsewhere, its taken nearly 12 months to find wink

 

[ajwaverider]

Stephan,that's what was running thru my head when I started reading this thread.I've seen documentries that beat alot of movies hands down but I also like just seeing the facts .I have to admit I liked the Big blue and when I saw it I had know idea what freediving was.I would imagine that it would be possible for someone to put a movie out that would be just for those familer with our sport even if it wasn't on the big screen.Anybody with cinematography skillz?

 

[island_sands]

That sounds like a challenge senor! I have found your hidden text!

The above is all false, Island_Sands Dared me.......

lol!!!!!!!! JUST FOUND IT MYSELF!!! Even I didn't know it was there!!!

rofl rofl Amphibious.... :ko

 

[sinkweight]

Hey folks, it's one of those mornings, at 4:40 am on Saturday, so pardon my homemade spellcheck,:friday, er, that's me on the right there, falling down.

Get the gist?

aaaaannnyhoo.

I'm just sitting down to read some subscribed reply's to this thread. I read them, of course, hence this reply. hiccup.

aaaaaanyhooooo.

I realize that both Stephen and A-to the-J-to the wave-rider are right. Ya dig?

I've become too cynical these days. I totally stepped back. There's never going to be a perfect movie that can be about your "selectively popular" sport (And I say that from a U.S. stance, I have no idea how high other places hold freediving. And it shows in that last reply I made. :hungover ).

It's not like it was a B-rated movie. It's a very nice movie. I'm sure you have had this conversation a million times, Stephen. I think I've had the same with people about movies about aviation. I just forget that I involuntary love movies about things I love. And I know you're also right about the liberties that the movie, tv, and even (sadly enough nowadays) documentary industry give themselves.

AJ. Dude. I really always like to hope that movies such as The Big Blue will be a stepping stone for someone who freedives, and is part of the (for lack of better word) culture, to make a movie that really clicks. I've seen some really good aviation movies...but they're only for aviators. It's like I can imagine what a perfect movie would be but then it always kind of sinks into the realm of "nobody else but people like me want to watch this".

I guess the human-existence-long moral of the story is that you can't please all the people all the time. I'm pleased with that in itself. Jeez! I need to summarize more often. I type a helluva lot on the computer because of this site. Man. I need my own editing staff.

I can go for some...friggin'....scrambled eggs. I'm gonna regret hitting "Submit Reply" Before I hit the "Preview Post", but here goes. And I'd like to give a shout out to anyone on this site who helps produce or distribute Belvedere Vodka.

"Hi, I'm Sinkweight. As an aspiring apneist, I try not to abuse my liver. But on nights like these, I turn to Belvedere, Polish, four-times-distilled vodka. I don't complicate things with a twist of this...or a splash of that. I take it chilled and unadulterated...you can forget the ice. You see, only Belvedere gives me the promise of strong bones and a healthy smile. Belvedere Vodka. It get's my drink on for me."

 

[sinkweight]

One last thing, I'm not going to write this much without giving this thread some stars.

 

[ajwaverider]

Sinkweight ,I'm sure when someone decides to make a movie they want to keep the story true to the facts.Then when they get to hollywood it starts to get kida crazy ,the company lending the money says "Hey that won't sell" then someone says lets add some romance and so on .I have some surfing vids where the director gets a bunch of guys from different places and different levels of surfing and takes a trip or couple of trips and films the whole journey to there destination.I would like to see a freediving vid like that, a little spearing, some exploring and photography followed by a crazy night on the town.Just an idea.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

I have some surfing vids where the director gets a bunch of guys from different places and different levels of surfing and takes a trip or couple of trips and films the whole journey to there destination.I would like to see a freediving vid like that, a little spearing, some exploring and photography followed by a crazy night on the town.Just an idea.

Already in the works! I've been batting around a few ideas with film people I know and we already have a lot of footage together for something like this.