Ryan’s Movie Corner

By Ryan Vickers

With the holidays around the corner, it’s time for a Christmas present and… a lump of coal.

 

Some movies, when they come with sequels/additional parts, are really a visual feast. Take, for example, The Godfather trilogy – its first and second parts BOTH won the Academy Award for Best Picture. And then there’s the Back to the Future trilogy – which was meant to be a stand-alone movie originally, but due to studio demand, an additional two movies were not only ordered but also filmed back-to-back resulting in a three-film series that, in my personal opinion hold up to this day.

 

Another method of creating a sequel movie involves taking a movie and attaching a title that already has audience recognition, even though there are very loose connections. Often these are released “straight to video” (meaning they rarely, if at all, get played in the cinema). Let’s look at one of these cases right now.

 

PRESENT: Into the Blue. Action movie, 2005

 

Into the Blue is a movie about a romantically involved couple named Jared and Sam. Sam works in the tourism industry, and Jared works on local boats leading tourists on discover scuba sessions and the like. They are joined by Jared’s friend Bryce and a romantic fling named Amanda. Together all four embark on adventures to make money to fund their treasure-hunting ambitions.

 

Two things to note: First, this film subscribes to Hollywood’s ideal that there must be lots of pretty people in a movie about diving, and secondly, I believe that if we as divers experienced a diving accident, we would try and learn from the situation. However, these characters experience EVERY DIVE ACCIDENT EVER. Hey, scriptwriters, there are other ways to drive the plot!

 

Availability on numerous streaming services such as Amazon, Apple TV, Tubi and the Roku Channel. Please note that streaming availability may vary by region. Also available to purchase on DVD (if you prefer physical media).

 

THE COAL: Into the Blue 2: The Reef. Action movie, 2009.

Into the Blue is a movie about a romantically involved couple named Sebastian and Dani. They both work in a business that rents out snorkelling gear. They are visited by Carlton and his partner Azra. Together all four embark on adventures to discover a wreck named the San Cristobal.

Hmm. Sound familiar?

 

Do you have a television show or a movie that focuses on diving? Please let us know what you’d like me to review by emailing info@ScubaBiz.Help with the subject line “Movie Corner.”

 

Thanks for joining us once again in Ryan’s Movie and TV Corner!