Before the 1975 masterpiece Jaws made us all afraid to go in the water, another film presented equally terrifying footage of real underwater nightmares. Directed by Peter Gimbel, the 1971 documentary Blue Water, White Death follows a group of aquatic photographers and adventurers determined to capture the first underwater footage of Carcharodon carcharias, the mythic apex predator commonly called the great white shark. While not a horror movie per se, the film presents breathtaking footage of massive sharks shot from within cages designed specifically for the expedition. It also includes shocking acts of animal cruelty and a dated understanding of marine wildlife. Premiering three years before publication of Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel Jaws, this unprecedented documentary formally introduced the world to the great white shark and likely planted seeds that would go on to change cinematic history as we know it.
Filmed in 1969, Gimbel and his crew departed from Durban, South...
Filmed in 1969, Gimbel and his crew departed from Durban, South...
- 7/28/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
Russell Jay Kagan passed away on March 27 after a brief battle with cancer. Kagan, who died peacefully, surrounded by his friends and family, was 65. A pioneer in the International Television Distribution world who helped introduce international co-productions, Emmy winner Kagan, whose career spanned four decades, was a fixture at Napte and Mip/Mipcom and was often referred to as the “Mayor of Cannes”.
“We’ve lost a great, respected, loving colleague whose spirit, generosity of heart, knowledge and insight were second to none and available to many,” said Armando Nunez, President and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group. “I’ve known Russ for close to 40 years and will miss my trusted friend who also acted as consigliere to so many. Mip and Mipcom in Cannes won’t be the same without him…my father and I will miss him greatly.”
Kagan’s career started with Alfred Haber Distribution where he...
“We’ve lost a great, respected, loving colleague whose spirit, generosity of heart, knowledge and insight were second to none and available to many,” said Armando Nunez, President and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group. “I’ve known Russ for close to 40 years and will miss my trusted friend who also acted as consigliere to so many. Mip and Mipcom in Cannes won’t be the same without him…my father and I will miss him greatly.”
Kagan’s career started with Alfred Haber Distribution where he...
- 3/28/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Beware: Sharks are in theaters again! Some who've already seen David Ellis' Shark Night 3D have praised its cheesy entertainment value. Whatever the final verdict on the film, there's no denying that it, as well as every movie featuring sharks made since 1975, swims in the very large shadow cast by Jaws. But four years before Steven Spielberg made everyone afraid to go in the water, Blue Water, White Death provided moviegoers with real-life thrills. The documentary, directed by Peter Gimbel and James Lipscomb, follows a movie crew that traveled to South Africa in April 1969, determined to find a great white shark and to film it under water. Gimbel, leader of the expedition, is one of five diver/photographers on the team, which included Stan...
- 9/3/2011
- Screen Anarchy
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