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 13 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.

[–] danucky 13 years ago

I hear you, buddy, and it's quite understandable, even if irrational. I remember reading about an adult woman who got so freaked out after Jaws that she was afraid to even turn on the shower, lest sharks come through the pipes and get her. How's that for irrational?

Co Bao: What mean expendable?

[–] dance-gavin-dance 12 years ago

LOL I was like that too...as an 8 year old. I used to not want to swim in a pool anymore because every time I looked underwater I could imagine a big killer whale attacking me. Same thing with my bath tub.

[–] hypnosis 13 years ago

I haven't been in the ocean for ten years because of my insane fear of sharks.
Going back to a part of your post, I really hate it when people whip those statistics out to make me seem irrational and naive. It's like, okay, I'm aware I can have a car crash when I'm on the road...but if I'm in the ocean, there is a chance of me being attacked by a shark. They are two very separate, incomparable things. I don't care how minute people make it out to be...there is still a chance.
I'll tell you one thing. Three years ago, we had the hottest summer I've ever encountered in New Zealand, and I decided that the next day, I would cast my fears aside and go swimming with my friends the next afternoon. The next morning, there were reports of great white sightings at that very beach. None of us went to the beach that day...and I decided to never tempt fate by swimming in the ocean. I know I sound insane, but I believe I would get attacked by a shark if I were to go swimming lol.

Blue Valentine/Williams/Gosling/Weaver/Hawkes

[–] tohu 13 years ago

Yep. I hear you loud and clear hypno. :)

Thanks for being honest - and you too danucky. Looks like we three are the only three people on imdb who are too scared of teeth to swim. (yeah that'll be right!!) lol

Have you seen that video on youtube, where a surfer is attacked by two (I repeat, two) great white sharks at the same time? The guy actually survived, but watching it is incredible. Even if I was to start weakening, that would be enough to top up my phobia for life!!

_____________

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

[–] strummer2808 13 years ago

Same , anything that is big enough to eat a human whole scares the crap out of me

[–] tommy.skold 13 years ago

lol, I swim but don´t particularly like it when it's deep and if (heaven forbid) someone should start humming "Nana, nana, nana, nana" in increasing intensity my frenetic swim to shore would probably put Michael Phelps behind me. I have to admit it's gotten better over the years but it was bad for a while.

Just because I rock doesn´t mean I´m made out of stone

[–] Celestina_24 12 years ago

Hell yeah i don't know if i will ever go in the ocean again. I recently was in key west florida and went snorkeling and looking back its like holy sh-t What the &$(@# was i thinking???? I was with a group of 40 and we were in the middle of the ocean for like 40 mins...scary sh-t thinking back

Lets not play with eachother- Judge Judy

[–] MCall84 13 years ago

The other problem with the statistics is that they just don't reflect the stark horror of what it would be like to be on the losing end of them. I mean sure I have a pretty good chance of dying in a car crash someday. But if I'm lucky, that involves crashing into someone and getting killed instantly, or at least passing out before I die. Now being eaten alive by a big F___ing fish...not so cool! So sure call me paranoid, but odds or no odds, I think I'd rather just die and not feed some monstrosity in the process.
Actually this thread reminds me of many other movie situations it would suck to be in. Foremost in my mind is the movie "Frozen". Yeah, when the alternative is being eaten by a pack of rabid dogs or freezing to death in an uncomfortable chair I think i'll leave about three hours before the ski park closes, or better yet...i'll stay inside with hot chocolate and a lazy boy chair and slowly work my way towards a nice cozy heart attack. That's the way to go for me, thank you very much.

[–] system030 13 years ago

I watch jaws when i was 12 (28 now) and you wont catch me in the water ever, so im whit you there. ohh and tonyhu most shark attacks happen in waist deep water sooo

[–] hypnosis 13 years ago

tonyhu most shark attacks happen in waist deep water sooo

Wait, is this an actual fact? If so, wow.

Blue Valentine/Williams/Gosling/Weaver/Hawkes

[–] FFblueVII 13 years ago

Yes, that is a fact, because most attacks are from Bull sharks. They can swim in knee deep water, go up rivers, and they attack just for the fun of it. They are really the only truly dangerous shark in the water

[–] hepp316 13 years ago

It's amazing that most attacks happen in 3 feet of water.

[–] salmo365 12 years ago

Thats it, you've killed paddling for me too now.

[–] sun-27 13 years ago

there is a bull shark story in the news recently, couples in honeymoon, both waist deep in water, the bull shard tore the husband arms off and half his leg and jawed at bit of his torso, needless to say this is beyond horrific, the man died on the beach after getting pulled out.

so statistic or not, i'm on the same boat as you guys, i watched jaws a long time ago and decided that this is not the way to go, the sea is not our domain. swimming pool sounds fine to me !

[–] system030 13 years ago

oh sry tonyhu the last was ment for tommy.skold

[–] demon_pete 13 years ago

I go diving for crabs in the sea at night in black water, in fact here's a video from my camera right here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0pfO4j7tmI

This is basically because I'm not a little bitch, yes you are right you ARE more likely to get killed on the road but does that stop you from driving on the road? I bet it doesn't.

[–] strummer2808 13 years ago

Pete stop being a dick , people have fears ..shark attacks do happen.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Joecool1-1 13 years ago

I agree with you. When I was a small kid I was afraid Jaws would get me in the pool. Jaws 2 doesn't normally get the respect it deserves cause it is always compared to the original so I'm glad to see you listed it. They are all good films (I can't speak of The Reef yet since I haven't seen it as of this writing). I even saw a movie as a kid where the shark is going through the sand (can't remember the rest of it to save my life) I think it might have been a small clip from Terror In The Isles.

But yeah add me to your list. I will NEVER go in the ocean. The guy who responded last called people who don't go in the ocean a bitch. Well that may be your POV Mr Shark Bait, but I'll be lmao when you get bit and I'm safe and dry on the couch watching your victim episode on shark week. You think the statistics mean much to someone who's actually been bitten? I prefer to keep my arms and legs intact. The statistics against winning the lottery are pretty stacked against you but at least when you lose you come out whole. I'd take my chances in a car accident as well. Most of us have experienced a minor fender-bender at one time or another. A shark attack even if it's not a Great White but a Tiger or Bull Shark? Hell no. They come in close to shore all the time and I know my luck is much better getting bitten by those suckers than winning the lotto. :-)

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] daver6 13 years ago

I'm with you on this!

When I was younger I lived on Malta for three years and in Santa Monica California for two years and I was always in the water; absolutely loved it. I had no fear and would happily swim/snorkel into caves etc on Malta.

And then I watched Jaws and later a documentary about the great white shark in the Med, where all encounters have been fatal to the swimmer/diver. I am now extremely uncomfortable in the water and if I am snorkelling I am constantly looking behind me, especially towards the darkening depths where the bottom slopes out to sea. I would rather not go in; but feeling like a foolish victim from a shark film I make myself and often visualise an imaginary audiance shouting 'No Don't its waiting out there!'

Jwas is a great film but I sometimes wish it had never been made.

[–] Jirishmeehan8600 13 years ago

Jaws is one of my all-time faves, which obviously means you'll have a better chance of seeing me walking from Empire State Building to Chrysler Building on a tightrope and nary a balance pole than wading into the ocean for more than two minutes.

Besides, I live in Massachusetts and there were great white sightings reported off the coast of Cape Cod in last several days and I saw The Reef while being totally baked last night; I know, I know...the worst combination possible, especially during summertime, but I literally jumped in my seat several times last night. So it goes.

Bottom line, sharks (the man-eating type) are simply the Mother Nature's most perfect killing machine, even more so than lion, tiger, or grizzly, though alligators/crocodiles may give sharks a run (or swim?) for their money. Any man-eating predator that calls freshwater or saltwater home is truly terrifying.

They're relentless. Bloodthirsty. Fast. Unstoppable. Cunning. They've been around since the dawn of man for a reason. So, don't give me all those malarkey about the statistics. Everyone can manipulate and twist statistics, as any self-respecting statistician would tell you.

I'd rather to face a bloodthirsty grizzly because at least I could try to make a run for it or fend the grizzly off, whereas when facing a shark, it's basically you, the shark, and the ocean. That's it. You can probably control the environment when facing a grizzly, but the sharks control their environment. If you're trying to out-swim a shark, the shark probably will have enough time to wolf down on an unlucky baby seal and with few fin movements, it'll be right behind you. Save for a lucky punch on a shark's nose, you're the filet mignon to that shark.

Afraid of showers because of Jaws is irrational, but afraid of sharks in general is irrational? Uh-huh, no.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] vbel 13 years ago

On the news right now - "child attacked by shark in foot and a half deep water".

[–] ruffryder_soulja2000 13 years ago

As someone that loves to dive with sharks, I won't criticize y'all cause hearing bout an attack does have it's intimidation factor. Fear of sharks in very common and making fun or putting people down is complete asinine. Would anyone tease someone that's afraid of spiders, no cause it's a "rational" fear. Yes, shark attacks happen more often than none since a lot of countries don't report them, or there wasn't anyone around to report it. But don't take that as I'm trying to get people not to go in the water, all I'm trying to do is get people to respect sharks for what they are. Sharks are natures perfect killing machine but remember, the water is their territory and their the rulers. You follow by their rules and more than half of the time, you'll be fine. Now, if you want to go in the ocean but are skeptical cause of sharks, go on a tour and just get in a shark cage. You'll actually get to see these incredible creatures up close (hopefully) and you'll be safe at the same time. If you do go, don't get out of the cage please, I was with someone that was said he was fine after being in the cage. But after he got out, he started going frantic and was acting like a dying fish which attracted a few whites towards him. Grant it, we got him out the water really quick, but it ended the entire dive. So, if y'all go out, don't try to overdue things especially if you want to get over your fear of sharks.