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The Real Story Behind The Movie Sanctum

Noreen — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:00:09 +0000

The recently released scuba diving movie, Sanctum, produced by the acclaimed producer and film-maker James Cameron, got mixed reviews by audiences the world over. Some complained that the movie which was loosely based a real life incident in which writer/producer Andrew wight was involved in, was exaggerated and over the top. But the action thriller, meant for the box office didn’t claim to be based on exact events. As far as I’ve heard, divers have appreciated the technicalities of shooting such a film and identified with the characters in it when they were faced with the challenges of cave diving and decompression issues. Here’s a look at a short comparison of the true story it was inspired by vs the movie. For pictures of the real incident and to read a first hand account of the story read- National Geographic’s SANCTUM: The Real Story

* Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t watched the movie already this post may reveal a few things you probably didn’t want to know!*

Sanctum: The Only Way out is Down

Nevin — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:57:18 +0000

Film maker and director James Cameron’s love for scuba diving and the water has always shown in not only his recreational activities but even his professional life. Be it in the form of subtle influences he inputs into his movies Avatar or his not so subtle displays of his fondness for water in movies such as Titanic and The Abyss. His most recent scuba diving flick Sanctum gives us another thrilling combination of cave diving where an underwater cave diving team experiences a life-threatening crisis during an expedition to the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world.

Universal Pictures’ description of the movie is as follows:

“The 3-D action-thriller Sanctum follows a team of underwater cave divers on a treacherous expedition to the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. When a tropical storm forces them deep into the caverns, they must fight raging water, deadly terrain and creeping panic as they search for an unknown escape route to the sea. Master diver Frank McGuire (played by Richard Roxburgh of Moulin Rouge!) has explored the South Pacific’s Esa-ala Caves for months. But when his exit is cut off in a flash flood, Frank’s team-including 17-year-old son Josh and financier Carl Hurley are forced to radically alter plans. With dwindling supplies, the crew must navigate an underwater labyrinth to make it out. Soon, they are confronted with the unavoidable question: Can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?”

The movie, directed by Alister Grierson, was shot entirely on location off the Gold Coast in Queensland and in caves in South Australia, as well as at the Village Roadshow Studios. Sanctum employs stunning 3D photography techniques developed to lens the critically acclaimed Avatar and the action-thriller will take audiences on a breathless journey across plunging cliffs and into the farthest reaches of our subterranean world.

The Cast of Sanctum include Richard Roxburgh (of Stealth, Moulin Rouge, Mi-2 fame), Australian actor Rhys Wakefield (Josh) and Alice Parkinson (Victoria) known for her role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and finally Ioan Gruffud (Carl) who we’ve seen in the fantastic four series as Dr.Reed Richards.

The movie was conceived loosely off a real life experience when in 1988, producer and renowned caver Andrew Wight led an expedition to explore and dive into a remote cave system hidden beneath the Nullarbor Plain in Australia. During the course of his trip, a freak storm caused the cave entrance to collapse, leaving 15 people trapped deep underground. A rescue mission was mounted and, incredibly, everyone survived the harrowing ordeal. The experience led Wight to develop Sanctum with his longtime colleague James Cameron, a film inspired by these life changing events.

Preparation for the movie was reported to have been very intense with all of the cast and crew having to learn to scuba dive, use rebreathers, dive in the water tank at night in the pitch dark and do all sorts of other crazy things. In addition to the rock climbing and hours of scuba diving required of most of the cast, Gruffudd (who plays Carl in the movie) also had to learn base jumping for a particular scene.

Santum’s stunt director claimed that the principal performers had to complete a scuba-diving open-water course and were placed straight onto the rebreathers. A team of experienced cave divers spent weeks working with the actors to help build their confidence and improve their buoyancy. After they mastered their basic safety drills and buoyancy techniques, they were introduced to ancillary equipment—such as the helmet, full-face mask, lights, stage cylinders, reels…and even diver propulsion vehicles (DPV’s) .

Sanctum is set to release in IMAX and 3D theatres on February the 4^th, and we’re sure that this film will be a must watch especially for Scuba divers.

Scuba Diving Movies from Hollywood Part 2

Nevin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:28:51 +0000

Going through withdrawal symptoms waiting until your next diving trip? Can’t wait to submerge into the underwater realm? Well we have compiled a list of Scuba Diving Movies from Hollywood that will help you get through that “dry” spell. Here is Part 2 of our list of Scuba Diving movies; if you missed our first part then you can click here.

Cave (2005)

The Cave is an Action Horror Adventure about bloodthirsty creatures that attack a pack of divers who become trapped in an underwater cave network. Fans of creature movies and cave diving might like this one, but otherwise there is no real ground breaking plot. Overall an average film that has some good action sequences and plenty of cave diving in it.

The Abyss (1989)

This James Cameron 1989 classic is a must watch if you haven’t done so already. Starring Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio the plot is about a crew of an underwater oil rig divers are enlisted to assist in the rescue of an American nuclear submarine at the height of the Cold War, and they discover a strange and mysterious force living in the deep ocean and their rescue mission becomes an adventure with the unknown. The movie is captivating through-out and the first half of the movie is primarily about the descent into the abyss with special deep diving suits which is both gripping and fun to watch.

The Big Blue (1988)

Starring Jean Reno and Rosanna Arquette, the big blue is one of those movies that you will surprisingly enjoy more for its gorgeous underwater sequences, its exotic ocean-side settings in Greece and Sicily, than for the actual story, which is a romantic quest between two childhood friends Jean and Rosanna who both love the ocean and free diving. Jean constantly pushes the depth limits of free diving with mysterious dolphin like qualities which lead to a very interesting conclusion. The Big Blue is overall a great diving movie for those wanting to get through the off-season.

Men of Honor (2000)

Men of Honor with its all star cast of Cuba Gooding Jr., Robert De Niro and Charlize Theron is simply a classic must watch diving movie. Set in the early days of bell suit diving (with hookah air line systems), the story is about Carl Brashear, the first African American, also the first amputee, US Navy Diver and the man who trained him. Definitely an inspirational movie, which also gives a great insight into how much diving, has changed since. If you haven’t watched this DVD yet, then grab a copy from your local video store, and you won’t regret it.

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Starring Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Samuel L . Jackson and LL Cool J, Deep Blue Sea is about a group of research scientists in an isolated facility working on a cure for Alzheimer’s find a way to genetically enlarge shark brains. However the shark subjects get super smart and break out into the open sea. The film is full of unexpected twists but still fails to be frightening. Overall Deep Blue Sea is a fun movie, some thrills and fast paced enough to keep you occupied for a couple of hours.

Continued from: Scuba Diving Movies from Hollywood Part 1

Scuba Diving Movies from Hollywood Part 1

Nevin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:13:56 +0000

Going through withdrawal symptoms waiting until your next Scuba diving trip? Can’t wait to submerge into the underwater realm? Well we have compiled a list of Scuba Diving Movies from Hollywood that will help you get through that “dry” spell. So rush to that video store now and load up these Scuba DVD’s in your player!

Some of the Newer Movies (in no particular order):

Fools Gold (2008)

Starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, Fools Gold is a romantic movie combined with a fast paced underwater treasure hunting action adventure built in. Tons of dive scenes and pristine blue water to make you want to go diving immediately after watching. The movie however is very average and we would recommend this movie only for a lazy afternoon viewing simply because of the stunning visuals and locations both underwater and above.

Into the Blue (2005)

The Plot of this movie is about a group of divers that find themselves in deep trouble with a drug lord after they come upon the illicit cargo of a sunken airplane. Starring Paul Walker and Jessica Alba, the movie was shot primarily in the Bahamas and features ample underwater scenes. Overall the movie is once again just average, and if it weren’t for Jessica Alba in a bikini and generous diving scenes, we wouldn’t recommend this movie.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

This adventure comedy starring Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Kate Blanchett and Willem Dafoe is a must watch. The Plot line is about a wild expedition undertaken by Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) after his partner is killed a mythic Jaguar shark, sets off to hunt it down. The movie is colorful, quirky and bizarre, but nevertheless entertaining with tons of diving scenes.

Open Water (2003)

Based on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left, Open Water is a must watch for any Scuba diver. Financed, directed and produced by avid scuba divers, this movie portrays the perils of getting stranded in the middle of the ocean very realistically. This movie really puts you in the place of the characters and makes you wonder what you would do in their situation.

Continued in: Scuba Diving Movies from Hollywood Part 2