‘The Chamber’ Feature: The Terrifying World of Water
It makes up seventy per cent of our bodies and covers over seventy per cent of the Earth’s surface, and keeps us alive – yet water can also strike terror into our hearts, and, deep in the ocean, conceal frightening forms that wouldn’t hesitate to eat us whole. Such is its power that it’s been used to scare us to death for years on the big screen!
As a warning to film fans, we’ve put together a handy guide that pinpoints the places where the waters are their most terrifying and deadly. Caution: Things ahead could get very wet indeed.
Location: The Yellow Sea, China
The Yellow Sea, located between China and Korea, is so called because sand from the desert turns the surface of the water golden yellow. But don’t be fooled – underneath that alluring surface, things get very black, very fast.
Water warning
As the crew of the research sub discover in the thriller The Chamber, you don’t want to be stuck below the surface of the Yellow Sea off the coast of North Korea. And if you are, make sure you’ve packed enough diving suits, and that you’ve told your expedition guide exactly what’s going on – otherwise, there might be friction, fights, and catastrophe.
Location: Mexico
Mexico has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and some of the best surfing to be had on the planet. Surfers flock to the likes of Oaxaca, Guerro and Nyarit, dream destinations for a surfing trip.
Water warning
As Blake Lively showed in the hit thriller from last year The Shallows, just because you’re not out in the deep blue sea doesn’t necessarily mean you’re much safer. Only 600 feet from the shore she is attached by a great white. While shark attacks in Mexico are rare, they do occur – in 2008 three attacks by sharks on surfers along Mexico’s Pacific Coast caused panic. But it hasn’t stopped surfers from heading to the country – the waves are just too good!
Location: Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, USA
Martha’s Vineyard, an idyllic island off the northeast coast of America, is an exclusive resort for vacationers looking for a secluded, beautiful getaway. Sandy beaches, picturesque towns, wonderful views and friendly locals make this a dream destination.
Water warning
Martha’s Vineyard was where Steven Spielberg’s classic monster movie Jaws was filmed, renaming it Amity for the purposes of the film, with holidaymakers terrorised by a great white shark – disastrous for the fictional town’s local tourism. In fact, shark attacks in Martha’s Vineyard are extremely rare. Although there were attacks in the 1930s, and one more recently in 2012, remember, your odds of getting killed by a shark are 1 in about 4million. But, there are great white sharks in the waters there, so do be careful…! As the writer of the original book Jaws, Peter Benchley, wisely said about sharks, “The ocean is not our territory, it’s theirs.”
Location: Bermuda
Bermuda a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, is a wonderful and luxurious holiday location, with paradisical beaches fringed by palm trees and crystal blue waters. Scuba diving and snorkelling are hugely popular among the coral reefs there, in the crystal blue waters filled with exotic marine life.
Water warning
The more adventurous traveller might be drawn to Bermuda because of the mystery surrounding the area and the infamous ‘Bermuda triangle’, where numerous vessels have sunk without a trace. Perhaps you fancy yourself as a bit of an underwater explorer in search of booty lying unclaimed on the sea bed. Well, be careful. In The Deep, the 1977 film (based on the novel by Jaws writer Peter Benchley) treasure hunters exploring a sunken wreck come a cropper when they are attacked by a giant eel.
Location: Geiranger fjord, Norway
The fjords in Norway are a truly stunning location, and a huge draw for tourists who can cruise along western coast of the country to enjoy the spectacular views and wildlife, including rare birds and wildlife. Geiranger fjord is so beautiful it was the inspiration for the Disney film Frozen.
Water warning
In the spectacular Norwegian disaster film The Wave from 2015, a mountain pass above the beautiful Geiranger fjord collapses – causing a deadly 300 ft high tsunami. Although the film is fiction, there was a fjord disaster in 1934, and, it could happen again.
Location: The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Off the coast of Queensland in northeastern Australia, this is a huge, incredible ecosystem made up of thousands of coral reefs and hundreds of islands, populated by a beautiful array of fish, turtles, and dolphins, making it a hugely popular destination for scuba divers who want to explore the sea. Oh, yes, I nearly forgot, there are also sharks.
Water warning
So, let’s say for example you go scuba diving in the Great Barrier reef, be sure to stay close to your boat, on the off chance it sails off without you at the end of the trip. The brilliant low budget chiller Open Water, horrifyingly based on a true story, shows what happens when two divers are left stranded, and start to be circled by the locals – namely, a school of great white sharks. It might put you off diving at the reef, but as someone says on TripAdvisor: “The only precaution possible is keeping a lookout. Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef are usually well fed so attacks are very rare”. Phew.
The Chamber releases in cinemas 10th March and on Digital Download, DVD and Blu-ray 20th March.
