the best underwater films...

Hi,

I’m hoping someone might be able to help me here.

What do you people consider to be the greatest underwater films made (recent and classics). Having seen some truly stunning footage in the blue planet series I’d love to see more.

If you can point me in the direction of shops that sell this type of film as well it’d be much appreciated.

Thanks.

I would really reccommend watching the big screen version of the Blue Planet, the Deep Blue. Which I enjoyed much more than the series.

My favourite small format film is the BBC's Reef Encounter filmed by Peter Scoones, which won Gold at the Antibes Festival in 1997. I would guess that you can find that at the BBC online shop. This is a magical film about all that is wonderful about diving in Sipadan, Borneo.

I'm sure others have their favourites.

If you want to see the best uw films produced each year going to the Antibes Festival in France is really worth it. The problem is that there are so many interesting people there it is hard to stay inside the film theatre! http://www.underwater-festival.com/en/index.html. And remember Wetpixel won the website award their last year!

Alex

thanks alex.

i've been meaning to check out the deep blue for a while. hope it's still on in the uk.

thanks for the link too. looks like the bbc natural history unit bag a prize most years. they are the dons!

The Deep Blue is on limited release in the UK - playing at art house cinemas during August.

I have some friends in low (deep) places and was able to blag a ticked to the Premiere in Leicester Square back in February. I really want to see it again at the cinema. My last viewing was compromised by drinking too much at the free bar before the screening, then having to sit through two hours of shwooshing water while needing to visit the toilet. I couldn't sneak out of the cinema because I was sitting just next to the director Alistair Fothergill!

Alex

I like Kodak VS 100

I also like fictional underwater movies. The Big Blue is good (about freediver Jacques Mayall (sp??).

The Abyss is pretty cool if you're into deep water.

Cheers

James

Blue Water, White Death is my favorite classic u/w film.

The scenes with Stan Waterman, Peter Gimbal, and Ron and Valerie Taylor filming large white-tipped oceanic sharks is some of the most exciting footage ever shot.

Larry

J. E. Wiliamson... Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the sea...Shot in 1914. He used real tiger sharks, divers were in hard hat with rebreaters. He had a wooden submarine that would dive to 80 ft. The large metal sphere with a glass window that he used to shoot from is still lying alongside the highway in Nassau, Bahamas.

J. Y. Cousteau...The Silent World shot in 1953.

There is a new Bill Murry film coming out called, The Life Aquatic or The Battling eels of Antibes...say it with a french accent. It is a spoof of J. Y. Cousteau

Here are a few of my favorites:

· National Geographic's -- Ocean Drifter (amazing footage and story plot)

· The Octopus Show (great footage, Mike deGruy is informative and entertaining)

· In The Wild - Dolphins w/ Robin Williams (the comedian/actor) -- Great footage and quite the comedy too.

· Bob Talbots - Dolphins & Orcas -- Incredibly beautiful visuals with some great behind the scenes too (DVD only).

· Howard & Michelle Hall's (and company) -- Secrets of the Ocean Realm series. I especially like 'Creatures of the Darkness' for their Humbolt Squid footage (wow!). Their 'Filming Secrets' is a hoot and inspiring. Get the companion book for this series. It's a great read and the Hall's and company are great (real) story tellers.

· All of Macgillivray Freeman's IMAX films -- Dolphins / The Living Sea / Coral Reef Adventures (get the companion book for this last one -- very interesting read)

· The Blue Planet series (stunning imagery -- top class stuff)

· Stan Waterman's films -- he's very entertaining, eloquent and a great story teller. I hope I get the opportunity to dive with him one day.

· Dolphins of the Bahamas - a Lazaro Ruda(aka laz217) film. The imagery is not the finest but I watch this one the most. Incredible scenes.. some even bring a tear to my eye. I might be a little biased on this one, though.

I'm sure I've forgotten a couple but these should keep you busy for some time. Man, maybe I should open up my own Nature BlockBuster video store. I've got more nature programs than Hollywood movies in my collection.

Blue Water, White Death is my favorite classic u/w film.

The scenes with Stan Waterman, Peter Gimbal, and Ron and Valerie Taylor filming large white-tipped oceanic sharks is some of the most exciting footage ever shot.

 

Larry

Larry,

Have you actually found this film somewhere? Last time I searched for it I found out it was purchased by a television station and they have not released it on VHS/DVD. I'd love to see this film some day. I wonder if Stan Waterman would sell me an autographed copy? Cool...

I saw that film in 1970(???) or there abouts, and was enthralled for life!

I got NAUI certified in 1971, and I seem to remember seeing it before I was a diver...

Truly one of the best dive/shark related films ever made!

I would also be interested in details of it's availability!

Blue Water, White Death is my favorite classic u/w film.

The scenes with Stan Waterman, Peter Gimbal, and Ron and Valerie Taylor filming large white-tipped oceanic sharks is some of the most exciting footage ever shot.

 

Larry

 

Larry,

 

Have you actually found this film somewhere? Last time I searched for it I found out it was purchased by a television station and they have not released it on VHS/DVD. I'd love to see this film some day. I wonder if Stan Waterman would sell me an autographed copy? Cool...

I saw BWWD about 6 times when it was in it's original theatrical release and I'm sure I have seen it on TV since then but I have no idea about whether it's available anywhere now. I would think that Stan Waterman is probably the best source of info about it. If you find that it's available anywhere I'd be interested in a copy of it as well.

BWWD was the first of it's kind and I don't think it's been surpassed by anything since.

Larry

I have had the pleasure of watching snippets of BWWD many times with Stan on Aggressor boats. However, he explains that he does not have a full copy of the film. He has tried to get it from the distributor/owner but they won't release it.

BUt on a brighter note, Stan showed it for the first time since it was in the theatres at a trade show in Dallas in April. Therefore, he must have had it released within the last year. ( i haven't seen him since June of 2003)

Check his website or send him an email if you are truly interested. He may have more showings coming up. www.stanwaterman.com

wow. thanks everybody. that's given me a few ideas. but can you buy them? or is it just a case of waiting until they're shown on tv?

sadly I don't have the national geographic channel so i miss out on a lot of this.

My last viewing was compromised by drinking too much at the free bar before the screening, then having to sit through two hours of shwooshing water while needing to visit the toilet. I couldn't sneak out of the cinema because I was sitting just next to the director Alistair Fothergill!  

 

Alex

LOL!

but can you buy them? or is it just a case of waiting until they're shown on tv?

oh i see, you can often buy them off the photographer's website.

wow. thanks everybody.  that's given me a few ideas.  but can you buy them? or is it just a case of waiting until they're shown on tv?

 

sadly I don't have the national geographic channel so i miss out on a lot of this.

All the one's I've mentioned you can purchase either from the cinematographers web site, Amazon.com or many other video distributors. Do a Google search for them and a million results will appear.

National Geographics has a ton of other videos I didn't mention available too. Aside from their great underwater films, I also like the National Geographic Photographers DVD. Their photographers talk about their job and how wonderfully hard it is. David Doubilet is in it too.

thanks laz. now that i've got some titles i can get going.

thank you one and all!

It has been a few years since I rented from them but the Museum of Modern Art in New York has an extensive library of almost every film ever made. BWWD was on their list.

Don Kincaid

It has been a few years since I rented from them but the Museum of Modern Art in New York has an extensive library of almost every film ever made. BWWD was on their list.

Don Kincaid

wonder if they'll mail them to the uk

anyone know of somewhere similar in the uk that rents this type of film?