MovieChat Forums > The Reef (2011) Discussion > Hands Up If Films Like This Stop You Goi...

Hands Up If Films Like This Stop You Going Swimming!

posted 14 years ago by tohu
48 replies | jump to latest

Jaws, Jaws 2, Open Water, and now The Reef. All good films - in their own different ways - and all have had an impact on me. I won't go swimming in the sea.

I know! I know! 'You're more likely to die crossing the street than get eaten by a shark.' I do know all that. So let's take all those sorts of responses as read, shall we? :)

I like to think I'm an intelligent, rational adult (39yrs old) and I understand 100% that the chances of an attack would be absolutely minute. But I am honest enough to admit it: these films have made me afraid to go in the water. I don't really like 'beach holidays' anyway, as it happens, but whenever I do go on one I'm happy to sit on the beach and watch the sea, not enter it!

Anyone else going to be honest enough to join me in this pathetically irrational confession? 8=))

_____________

"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.

[–] junkjunk247 13 years ago

I don't think it is irrational. If I had a choice between horrific car accident or death by shark, it's car accident all the way baby! That's why it's perfectly fine to drive even though your chances of death are way worse. The fear of a shark chomping on you is the problem...not death itself.

[–] btemple23 13 years ago

The one thing that I think people have failed to mention about this movie was it based on a true story. Which is very scary, even though I don't live in Australia,
there are White sharks in my area as well.

[–] melongstrike 13 years ago

HellRaiser, Poltergeist, Exorcist... all examples of horror films that don't and can't scare me.

Now Open Water, Jaws, The Reef TERRIFYING!!!

My wife laughs at me how I can muster up the nerve to watch the Ring but always find myself quivering under the covers at these films.

I don't go swimming in the ocean/pond/lake anymore to say the least.

[–] hello_happy_fatty 13 years ago

It's more irrational to continue to watch these empty films, than swim in the ocean.

All you're doing is contributing to the ongoing demonization of a species of marine life that doesn't actually want to eat humans, and only occasionally grabs them by mistake, while we kill in excess of 90,000 sharks per year. Which species has more to fear from the other?

[–] tohu 12 years ago

Sorry, but I'm not 'demonizing' anything.
I actually agree with the rest of your point: I think sharks are beautiful and fascinating creatures. I believe you are right that most attacks on humans appear to be mistaken identity, and I think its quite wrong that so many sharks are killed needlessly.

Shark attacks on humans do happen though. However rare they are, and however un-intended - Neither of these things would be much consolation if it happened to you! :)

So, please don't make assumptions about me. I don't believe sharks are evil or demonic, and I don't think they should be killed. I just dont like the idea of being eaten by one, that's all. And I accept thats my problem, not the sharks'. :)

_____________

"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.

[–] FeistyCadavr 13 years ago

Not at all I live on the Florida coast and love to surf. Shark attacks are very rare.

Now of course if you're floating/swimming in the middle of the damn ocean for hours on end, it's a little more likely.

Also, as depicted in the movie, it's the opposite. Great whites aren't this aggressive, unfortunately their eye sight isn't good therefore you may be attacked by mistake. But White sharks don't actually prefer the taste of humans. After the shark bit the first guys leg off it probably would have moved on.

It would have been more realistic if the blood drew more sharks into the area.

[–] papadodgio 13 years ago

Jaws scared me so much as a kid. Now it's one of my favorite movies. I used to be afraid to even swim in a swimming pool but once I read all of the statistics and found out that if you've ever been in the ocean, you've been near a shark, I'm actually not scared anymore. I've done some not too smart things in the ocean and nothing's ever happened, so I'm not afraid. I've seen sharks while swimming and they're actually more afraid of us. The movies have it all wrong, but it makes for an entertaining movie. I've swam to the sandbar, which is about 50 yards out. Some friends and I played nerf football out there and then at midnight we swam out in the ocean again and the dangerous marine life flag was out, but I didn't realize that at the time otherwise I wouldn't have done that. Once I read online after doing all of that, half the things we did are things they say not to do. Nothing ever happened to us. I've been stung by jellyfish but that's it. Out of the millions of people that swim in the ocean only about 100 people are attacked. Out of those 100 people only around 10 people die each year. You're more likely to be struck by lightning and win the lottery. Statistics say you're also more likely to be killed by a toaster. I would have no problems going back out in the ocean to surf. So there's isn't much to be afraid of, just don't provoke any sharks. Have some fun in the water! The ocean is amazing!

[–] thedayshoursminutes 13 years ago

You are not alone! My mom took me to see Jaws when I was 7 (really poor judgment...) and I refused to swim even in a pool for about 5 years. I even remember dozing off in the bathtub and waking up in a panic attack when I realized I was in water, LOL To this day - I'm 41 - I will NEVER swim in the ocean. The thought of what could possibly be underneath the water just creates panic and cancels out any enjoyment :) I live in Seattle so the water is too cold to swim in anyway, but when we go to California or Hawaii, I don't go in above my ankles!

[–] arteemus 13 years ago

Ha! I was the same way, saw Jaws at the theatre when it was first out (I'm 45), it scared the everloving hell outta me, and I would freak out sitting in the bath tub. I had a couple of drowning close calls when I was much younger, so that pretty much did me in for swimming for quite a few years.

My family went to Vero Beach, Florida in July about 11 or 12 years ago, we went into the ocean about waist deep, for maybe 15 minutes, and then that was enough. I saw a newspaper report a couple of months later, that reported a boy being killed by a shark near where we were swimming.

I've also seen video taken from a helicopter where mass groups of people are standing/swimming close to shore, and there are dozens of sharks swimming amongst them, with the people none the wiser. Apparently, this is quite common, most people aren't able to see them because of the murky water, or the reflection of the sun/sky on the water. !!!!

[–] Moriarty88 13 years ago

hell yeah. never going swimming in the ocean again haha. pretty much havnt been anyway since i was like 13 and saw one of the Jaws movies
i was even so scared i didnt go in a pool for years and years. hahaha.

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[–] whookie 13 years ago

It's not just the sharks that scare me, it's everything else as well. Along with the fact that you can barely see anything. It's like if you walked into a dark room with hundreds of random animals and just flung your arms around like an idiot. There could be a bear in that room, a hungry wolf, a snake..

[–] FeistyCadavr 13 years ago

It's not just the sharks that scare me, it's everything else as well. Along with the fact that you can barely see anything. It's like if you walked into a dark room with hundreds of random animals and just flung your arms around like an idiot. There could be a bear in that room, a hungry wolf, a snake..

No, actually that's a terrible analogy. You would have been closer if you said it's like being in a vast forest where animals like wolves and bears live. But a room? Way off base.

Also, Sharks aren't exactly a highly populous fish.

[–] strummer2808 13 years ago

not really when a forest is massive and a room well is a room.

i see where spookshow is going though , just the thought of being in a massive ocean in there environment them being far quicker then you and being able to attack when ever they want .. the unpredictability is terrifying and claustrophobic as anything.

[–] yeley 13 years ago

I don't like swimming in any water that doesn't have tile or cement under it! I've watched enough disaster and horror flicks to convince me not to fly in airplanes or go camping out in the wilderness! I am happy just to sit in my house and watch movies on netflix knowing that I am not in the same situation as the people in the movies I am watching! It is safer to stay home and avoid dangerous situations!