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 Open Water 

What grade would you give this film?
A 43%  43%  [ 3 ]
B 29%  29%  [ 2 ]
C 29%  29%  [ 2 ]
D 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
F 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 7

 Open Water 
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College Boy Z

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Post Open Water
Open Water

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Open Water is a 2003 horror film loosely based on the true story of an American couple, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who in 1998 went out with a scuba diving group, Outer Edge Dive Company, on the Great Barrier Reef, and were accidentally left behind because the dive-boat crew failed to take an accurate headcount. The couple were never found and perished at sea.

The film was financed by writer/director Chris Kentis and his wife, producer Laura Lau, both avid scuba divers. The film cost $500,000 to make and was bought by Lions Gate Entertainment for $2.5 million after its screening at the Sundance Film Festival. Lions Gate spent a further $8 million on distribution and marketing. The film ultimately grossed $55 million worldwide (including $30 million from the North American box office alone).

Before filming began, the Lonergans' experience was re-created for an episode of ABC's 20/20, and the segment was repeated after the release of Open Water. Clips from the film were also featured on NBC in Troubled Waters, a Dateline episode (July 7, 2008) with Matt Lauer interviewing two professional divers, Richard Neely and Ally Dalton, who were left adrift at the Great Barrier Reef by a dive boat on May 21, 2008.


Last edited by zingy on Tue May 10, 2005 1:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:07 pm
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Open Water

http://www.worldofkj.com/Zingaling-OpenWater.php

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You know there is something wrong when you are hoping the sharks eat the people and end the movie. Before walking into Open Water, I felt nervous because I had heard that Open Water could be compared to The Blair Witch Project, which could possibly be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. But, I also heard that Open Water promised to deliver the scares and chills that The Blair Witch Project left out. I'm still waiting for the scares again. To be honest, I'm not really afraid of sharks. Of course, if you are in the situation that the two people were in, the scenario might be different. But when watching any movie that says it will deliver real horror, I will not let that go. I expect whatever they say, and I'll be disappointed if they don't. This is what happened in Open Water.

Open Water tells the story of a young couple, who wanted to take a vacation from their busy lives. One day, they decide to go Scuba diving with a group of people. Unfortunately for them, the person who makes the head counts to see if everyone is back on the boat never finished Kindergarten, for he thought he counted all 20 people who originally came, but he only counted 18. Now, the couple is left in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sharks and other creatures that live in the deep.

One major problem with this movie is that it keeps dragging on. You may be sitting there, hoping that some kind of action or scare finally happens, but you'll just be waiting until the credits, when you are in shock that the movie is over, delivering absolutely nothing. At a few points in the movie, it begins to move faster, but then slows down again. It's a shame, because the movie did have an excellent story, but they went in the wrong direction with it. Another problem I saw was that there was no music. One of the key factors to a horror movie is the scary music that lets you know that something is going to happen, but still leaves you surprised or scared. But with Open Water, there is no music, and I guess it would make sense, since there are no scares either.

But, I honestly can't say that the movie was bad in every aspect. First of all, I'd consider the acting top-notch for two very unknown actors. They did a good job of showing you their fear. It's not the type of movie where the girl starts screaming the moment she realizes that the boat left. They felt worried through the beginning, and as time went on, they grew more and more scared until they couldn't stand it anymore. I also think that it's awesome that the two did such a good job when you consider the situation that had to be in to shoot the movie. These aren't computer-generated sharks like other movies usually are. These were real people surrounded by real sharks, and you can applaud their courage, even if you felt the movie went completely wrong. Also, the humor factor was a big one. I found myself laughing a lot in this movie, because when you're stuck in the middle of the ocean, you're bound to say some stupid things. They had you laughing at the right moments instead of when they're terrified. Finally, I also liked how the movie shows that when two people are stuck in the middle of the ocean, in fear of getting eaten by sharks, you can turn on each other, and blame each other for the mess, instead of working together to survive. Realistically, that would be the real case. Would you help each other to survive? Definentely. Will you argue about whose fault it was? Yes. I found that one of the strong points of the story.

Overall, I found this movie to be very unentertaining, boring, and dragging, but at the same time, well acted and stays very true to real life situations instead on unrealistic events. To this day, I feel disappointed that Open Water was not the least bit scary, but that will not be the case for everyone. This movie can easily scare some, especially those who are terrified of the water. For the people who are expecting non-stop screams or even just terror, turn around and watch something else. This movie is not for you, as it did not satisfy me overall.


D+


Last edited by zingy on Mon May 09, 2005 7:13 pm, edited 3 times in total.



Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:08 pm
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Open Water: Movie Review

By: Dr. Lecter

The Blair Jaws Project

Back in 1999, a small independent movie, made for peanuts became a worldwide phenomenon and the most profitable movie ever made grossing thousands and thousands times more the amount of its budget. Furthermore it set new standards in marketing movies and building up the hype over the internet. The documentary-like movie based on a fictional "true story" has been loved by many, but hated by even more. Nonetheless, a month after the movie has been released, a survey has been made among the people who have seen it and over 60% stated that they believe it was indeed based on a true story. This just shows the impact of the marketing the movie has gotten.

Now before I even start with my review, I want to say what I thought of a movie that is the most comparable to Open Water. Since the first movie coming to one's mind when you think of Open Water is The Blair Witch Project, I think I should say that I hated Blair Witch Project with a passion and felt like it was one of the most boring and pretentious movies ever. It didn't scare me, it didn't entertain me and it didn't give me a feeling of it being a true story. I just thought it would be fair if I told that to the readers of my review first. You can see that my feeling towards Open Water are somewhat similar as the making style of it and the whole idea, are basically "borrowed" from The Blair Witch Project. The filmmakers obviously didn't even try to hide this fact.

The premise of the movie is, although very simple, actually an interesting one and it is based on a true story of two scuba divers. A normal, happily married (or not, as you will find out later in the movie) couple, Daniel and Susan, decides to take a break from their stressful jobs and go on a short, but memorable vacation on the Bahamas. Once they are there, they decide to go on a diving tour. Unfortunately, their scuba diving trip ends up with both of them being stuck in shark-infested waters in the middle of the ocean after having been accidentally left behind by the diving boat crew.

Without a doubt, it is an interesting concept. Now the execution, unfortunately, could have been much better. The idea of being stuck in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sharks, sounds creepy, much creepier than being stuck in a forest. This gives hope even for those who didn't like Open Water's twin - The Blair Witch Project. Instead of exploring the wonderful possibilities, however, this concept offers, the movie turns into a scare-free and suspense-free laugh fest and a therapy for married couples. You have to bear in mind that the movie's running time is only 79 minutes. The last time I remember seeing a movie with such a short running time, was when I watched Phone Booth . Now that movie was full of suspense and used its short running time perfectly with no minute of it wasted. As for Open Water, it takes at least 25 minutes until the main plot of the couple being left behind in the ocean sets in. And even then, the moviemakers didn't really spend much time with trying to scare the people much (as that was actually what the movie has promised). In the middle of the movie, as the isolation sets in and Susan and Daniel turn to one another for support which they cannot offer, instead of becoming really emotional, as it could have, it offers some of the funniest scenes I have seen this year in theatres. It remains a question if the large amount of humor in this movie was intentional or not. It just seems like some hilarious family therapy. Kudos to this movie for making me laugh harder than many recent comedies did.

Another thing about Open Water that annoys me is the camera work. It is understandable that is supposed to look realistic, so the filmmakers just used a hand-held camera, like in The Blair Witch Project. A hand-held camera is a well-known device of cinema-verité. It rather damages the experience of the movie, though. The filmmakers copied so much from Blair With Project, but this fact takes it too far. The whole structure of the movie is stolen from The Blair With Project. First some people go enthusiastically somewhere on a trip. Then they get lost, but are still full of hope. Then they begin to panic as an invisible menace appears and it all ends in a shocking way. This structure has been used in both movies, in the absolutely exactly same way. Was there a need for that, aside of just cashing in on The Blair Witch Project's success? Well, I would say, it is highly doubtful.

What bugs me about this movie as well is that people going to this movie expect suspense, they expect shocking and scary scenes and the least they can expect is seeing the couple in the middle of the ocean facing dangers in the most interesting way possible. With a running time of 79 minutes there can't really be anything really needless and redundant in it, right? Well, wrong. What the viewers will witness are around 4-5 minutes of just gratuitous shots of water! It remains pretty unclear how simple shots of water flowing can have an effect on the audience.

Now to be fair, this movie had some good things about it. It actually succeeds in what The Blair Witch Project failed to do. In multiple scenes which are mostly dialogue-free, it gives this very unsettling and haunting feeling. The idea of being stuck in an ocean is very creepy itself. Furthermore, kudos to the both main actors: Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis. While, both of them are rather inexperienced actors, they have an absolutely great chemistry and seem like a real married couple. Seeing them on screen is a refreshing pleasure. Moreover, the movie has one or two rather scary scenes involving shark fins. To a certain extent, the movie redeems itself in the last 10 minutes which are creepy and unsettling. The last 10 minutes are just like the whole movie was supposed to be. Unfortunately the movie in whole is a disappointment. I was hoping for a mixture of The Blair Witch Project (only executed better) and Jaws. However, this movie is basically The Blair Jaws Project, . Nothing more, nothing less. But it is much better executed than Blair Witch Project. The ending of the movie is great. It is somewhat unexpected and it really struck me hard when I have seen it. Too bad the first 65 minutes of the movie weren't as good as the rest of it.

Is it a really good movie? No, not really. Was it better than The Blair Witch Project? Yes, definitely, but that is not hard to achieve. It has some great moments in it, but the rest is rather sub-par. The large amount of humor (intentional or not) was also something I have liked. I have a feeling, though, that many people will feel cheated after having seen this movie, as they are going in for scares and suspense and not for laughs. However, there sure will be people who will love the movie. Chances are good, however, that these people liked The Blair Witch Project as well.

Overall, Open Water, wasn't awful, much more a mixed-bag. I am sure there will be people who will love it, but I am sure that many people will hate it as well. This movie was average, at best, but it could have been great if it was like the last 10-15 minutes of it.

Grade: C+

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Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:12 pm
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I think I would have given it a B. It wasn't all THAT great. I liked the ending, though.

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I liked the movie, I don't understand why lots of people didn't.

7/10 (B)

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Open Water (2004) : Movie Review

By: Jeff Schade

They have been victimized by Hollywood relentlessly since 1975. They are man-eating, malicious, and dangerous. They hold grudges; they can be genetically modified to thirst for blood even more. They are, of course, sharks, and they have faced the brunt of Hollywood's brutal force since 1975's thriller, Jaws. They are once again the center of attention in the creepy, atmospheric, and decidedly low-budget independent film, Open Water. While much of the material is not entirely original, and certainly isn't the most imaginative of script-writing, the film does deliver a few chills, and several genuinely tense moments.

Daniel and Susan are taking a much-needed vacation to an unspecified island, and, after some sightseeing and relaxation in their hotel, take a trip on a scuba diving expedition. Conditions soon deteriorate, however, as the crew of the scuba-team miscounted their passengers and leave the unsuspecting couple alone and without any method to return to the shore.

This is where the numerous problems begin in the film. While it is tense, and suspenseful at times, the period in between often stretch the limits of believability, to the point of becoming painful to watch. While it would be suspected that if left alone in the water, emotions would begin to be strained and a fragile relationship would quickly, and easily, be shattered. Such is the case, but it occurs in such a way as to simply elicit a few sighs, instead of a genuine emotional attachment to the characters involved. Perhaps the lead actors, Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis, were not given enough material to work with, which prevented them from fully developing believable characters. It quickly becomes obvious that the problem is certainly deep-rooted, as the characters resolve to loud matches of various expletives in order to carry the scenes, a method that once again drags on and becomes a tedious exercise in patience.

While many expected the film to be closer in nature to 1999's The Blair Witch Project, which succeeded on the misconception that it was supernatural fact, Open Water, is not even closely similar. For one, it is based on fact, but the fact is not so scary, and requires a few visual tricks to deliver the occasional scares. Open Water also has the issue of the set-up to its plot, and once that has been established, there is little else that happens; once the characters have been left at sea, they are in the middle of the ocean with nowhere to go.

The script, written by Chris Kentis, is another issue, providing some out-right silly dialogue during scenes that should be tenser in nature. While it is only the second effort by Kentis, his other work being 1997's Grind, and is commendable for some excellent segments, the majority of the script is weak and prevents one from achieving a true interest in the characters.

Overall, while the acting is consistently weak and the script becomes an exercise in patience, Open Water succeeds in providing a mildly entertaining film, with a genuinely interesting plot. The filmmakers should also be applauded for the focus on filmmaking rather then grand special effects. Open Water therefore rates as a C+ but a few-too-many cheesy lines and some sigh-inducing delivery prevent it from earning a recommendation.

Grade C+

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Sun Nov 21, 2004 11:54 pm
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Post Open Water
Open Water is one of the worst films of the year.

F.

The acting is so piss poor, the script so bad, the cinematography so choppy, the music overdubs so bad, it's just a shit film.


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This is totally a psychological thriller! that's why some like it and some don't. if you are afraid of open water, of sharks, of being left stranded, then this movie will appeal to you and touch your inner most fears. i thought it was brilliant. really great. i did not expect the ending at all. very anti hollywood. B+


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I gotta see this..... defo!

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Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:13 am
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It was boring. D


Mon Jan 10, 2005 7:10 pm
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Post Re: Open Water
andaroo wrote:
Open Water is one of the worst films of the year.

F.

The acting is so piss poor, the script so bad, the cinematography so choppy, the music overdubs so bad, it's just a shit film.


now.... tell us how you really feel :-k


Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:16 pm
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B - I thought it was very intense. Knowing someone who almost had an incident like this only makes it that much scarier.


Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:23 pm
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MovieDude wrote:
B - I thought it was very intense. Knowing someone who almost had an incident like this only makes it that much scarier.


I think that's what made many hate the film, the fact that being stranded in the water in the middle of nowhere doesn't scare people like many of those real situations, like Freddy coming to kill you. :wink: If people could put themselves in the situation, they may have had a better feel of the scares. Other than that, I think a more professional filming would have been better than just the shaky camera, that wasn't even held by anyone in the movie. It's only purpose was to give a more real feel, but I think it was lost on many.

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Post Re: Open Water
andaroo wrote:
Open Water is one of the worst films of the year.

F.

The acting is so piss poor, the script so bad, the cinematography so choppy, the music overdubs so bad, it's just a shit film.


Exactly my thoughts. D
Who knew, my 2 least favorite films take place in the water. :razz:


Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:31 am
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Post Re: Open Water
publicenemy#1 wrote:
andaroo wrote:
Open Water is one of the worst films of the year.

F.

The acting is so piss poor, the script so bad, the cinematography so choppy, the music overdubs so bad, it's just a shit film.


Exactly my thoughts. D
Who knew, my 2 least favorite films take place in the water. :razz:


What's the other one?

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movies35 wrote:
I liked the movie, I don't understand why lots of people didn't.

7/10 (B)


Me too.

I think it might be because people are so used to excessive, unnecessary, violence and cheap (not money-wise :razz: ) special effects that theyb can't apreciate something like this.


*ducks*


It's not the scariest movie in the world, thought it does ahve quite a few intense moments, especially at night in the rain. I was actually surprised that there wasn't much violence to be found, and I think were it not for the nudity the movie might have actually gotten away with a PG-13 rating.


It's all psychological, though, and it works very well increating those creepy moments I mentioned. But what I appreciated the most was the characters. If the audience was not as scared as they could be, THEY were, and you could tell. And the whole scenrio felt pretty realistic, going from a calm oh-theyll- be back to anger, to losing all hope. That what kept me interested the whole time.

A-


Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:38 pm
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Post Re: Open Water
Dr. Lecter wrote:
publicenemy#1 wrote:
andaroo wrote:
Open Water is one of the worst films of the year.

F.

The acting is so piss poor, the script so bad, the cinematography so choppy, the music overdubs so bad, it's just a shit film.


Exactly my thoughts. D
Who knew, my 2 least favorite films take place in the water. :razz:


What's the other one?


Shark Tale.


Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:40 pm
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I thought Open Water was boring and a waste of time. I know this happened to a real-life couple. It's unfortunate that the filmmakers were unable to convey anything resembling the hysteria and fear that the couple must've suffered. One thing that this film got majorly wrong was the interaction between Daniel and Susan. Tense moments (which there are a handful of) are few and far between because Open Water wastes so much time showing Daniel and Susan bickering and blaming each other. Of the two actors, Blanchard Ryan is reasonably effective but Daniel Travis is absolutely wooden and out-of-depth.

One of my greatest fears is being left behind. You know, knowing you're absolutely alone, and it's as if you're "forgotten." Since this movie is primarily about that, I'm wondering why I didn't feel a more emotional connection towards it.

C-


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I can't remember when I was bored that much by a movie. Nothing happens, the characters are two-dimensional and the supporting characters are plain dumb. After 50 minutes I wished both would immediately die. All characters act completely unbelievable and they try to sweep this away "based on a true story" in the pre-credits (hmm...I wonder why the end credits say it is "ficticious"). To sum it up in five words: It's Jaws without the suspense. E


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Was going to rent it the other day, but ive heard bad things about it since my initial anticipation, so decided against it......

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This was easily one of 2004's BEST films. It's so underrated.

9/10 (A)


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loved it!!

B+


Mon May 09, 2005 3:33 pm
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The scariest movie I have ever seen!!, 13 April 2005




OPEN WATER (2004) Based on true events, Open Water is the story of Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis), a workaholic couple that is in desperate need of a vacation. But as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. They inadvertently get left behind while scuba diving and they are now stranded in shark-infested waters in the middle of the ocean.

I had been dying to see Open Water ever since I first heard about the raves it got at the Sundance Film Festival. Being scared of the ocean, I found the premise terrifying. I first saw Jaws when I was about ten years old and it has stuck with me. To put it mildly, it scared the you know what out of me. Jaws is one of the most primal movies out there and it not only attacks your conscious, but your subconscious as well. I know that the chance of getting attacked by any shark, let alone a Great White the size of Bruce are slim to none, but that hasn't stopped me from refraining to set foot in the ocean for 20 years. So having said that, you can begin to understand how and why Open Water is the scariest film I have ever seen. It attacked me at every level, eventually metamorphosing me into a child clinging to the chair beside me and lifting my feet off the ground as I watched the film in the theater. Primal emotions are surreal because you forget that you are human and it leaves you at the mercy of what haunts you. Sharks haunt me, and they eat away at me, literally and figuratively. This is a film that gets inside of you and it won't let go. Fear of the unknown has to be the worst state of mind, and this film captures the desperation of what it is like to be isolated, helpless, and at the mercy of nature and the wild. On a subconscious and conscious level, this is a mind bending experience.

While Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis have done a few little roles here and there before, this is the movie that will really get them recognized. They have to carry the entire movie on their shoulders, and are on screen 95% of the time. The movie relies on their performances in order for the movie to work, and the movie couldn't have turned out better, as they give exceptionally realistic performances. They have a great chemistry together, and are really believable as a couple.

They behave like a couple. They have moments of love and moments of sheer frustration. When the situation first presents itself they go through the natural cornucopia of emotions that one would expect. But when the situation becomes more dire, they rely on each other for emotional and physical support and in some macabre kind of way, they realize just how much they truly need each other. It is sad that it took a harrowing situation like this to make them realize how much they need each other, but this ultimately brings them closer together.

Having said all of that, what really makes this film tick is the scenes with the sharks. Without putting it to you in any flowery terms, straight up, this movie is scary as hell! To imagine the helpless feeling as you see a fin break water next to you. To vicariously experience what it would be like to have that sandpaper like skin brush up against you is stuff that nightmares are made of. And to put yourself in the two characters situation and realize truly pernicious their future is, it makes the film scarier than any film I have been privy to. Jaws is the best film ever made in my opinion, but this film is scarier simply because to imagine what these went through is an absolute haunting and onerous exercise in horror. They are alone, they are scared and they might as well be a million miles from home.

Before seeing it I had heard that some loved the ending and some hated it. I think the ending is appropriate. How else could it end. This is a movie that separates itself from Hollywood and its machinations to ruin good film. This film has its own ideas and with no outside interference, they get it right. Without giving away too much, if this was bastardized by Hollywood, there would have been a happy ending, maybe with gunfire or explosions. Not this film though, and these film makers. They get it right. They end it on the only note that would have made the film work. This film is as close to a primal perfection of fear as one can imagine.

Open Water isn't for everyone. The main people that will dislike it are young, immature teens and other closed-minded people that were expecting a violent shark attack movie. It's not like that at all. It's not very bloody, and it's not constant shark action. This is more of a thoughtful film that focuses more on what is implied than what is actually happening. Hitchcock once said about a film, and I am paraphrasing here of course, but something to the effect of, "a bomb explodes killing everyone in a movie, that is horrific, but a bomb is under a table, ticking, the timer shown going down from 60 seconds...59 seconds...58 seconds....now that is mysterious and that adds tension." The point is, you don't need the carnage to be effective. Just like Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre are very short on blood and gore, but they work effectively because of what is implied. Your mind does the rest. This film epitomizes that theory.

Open Water is an unforgettable film that is not to be missed.

9 out of 10, and again, the scariest film I have ever seen.

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Mon May 09, 2005 4:21 pm
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This looks bad, but I may rent it and check it out.


Mon May 09, 2005 4:23 pm
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Lets just bring this $300 digital camera I bought at Frys and make a movie!! Oh yes, we can use and sub them for Sharks. Dang I cant hold my camera right because I get this woobly feeling and I feel like Im going to hurl

*BARF*
Thats how I feel about this movie

D


Mon May 09, 2005 7:10 pm
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