Reality Movies

The current mania for reality television has yet to make a successful leap to the big screen. I’m afraid that MTV’s “The Real Cancun” just doesn’t count.

In contrast, “Open Water” promises something much more interesting. “Open Water” is a fictional story about a scuba diving couple who accidentally get left behind by their tourist boat, and are stuck in the middle of a shark-infested stretch of open water.

While the movie sounds interesting, what’s even more interesting is how it was produced. Rather than cheesy special effects sharks, the filmmakers simply plopped the lead actors in the middle of the ocean and let nature take its course. 120 hours of footage and several friendly sharks later, the result is available for your viewing pleasure.

In many ways, this scheme is a sane version of the crazy plan I read about by one production company to shoot a war movie in the middle of the Iraq invasion. If “Open Water” is a success, who knows what might be next?