Bruce Bennett Short Bio

Bruce Bennett

Bruce Bennett has been the primary contributor to Mad About Movies since it began in 2003. He is an award winning film and theater critic who, since 2000, has been writing a weekly column in The Spectrum daily newspaper in southern Utah as well as serving as a contributing editor of “The Independent,” a monthly entertainment magazine. He is also the co-host of “Film Fanatics” a movie review show which earned a Telly in 2009. Bruce is also a featured contributor at: RottenTomatoes.com

His motto: "I see bad movies so you don't have to."

Open Water

The Chilling Terror of “Open Water”

With its seemingly endless lapping waves and intimately focused camera lens writer/director/cinematographer Chris Kentis paints a terrifying and moving portrait of a scuba trip into hell. Inspired by a true event “Open Water” is the story of a young couple who embark on a much needed vacation only to be accidentally abandoned by their dive boat and left alone to battle the indiscriminate forces of the vast Carribean.
The desperation of the situation is made even more real by the convincing performances of Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis and Kentis’ keen ability of keeping the audience personally affixed to the couple’s plight and offering a riveting mirror of human emotions encompassing disbelief, panic, trust, love and horror. Rumor has it that the film was just picked up for major distribution and though shot on a low budget it’s a film that makes a lasting impression.

Sadly, the producers elected to not make a few insignificant edits (one brief nude scene and a few F-words)that could have kept the film rated PG-13, possibly selling millions more tickets.

Grade: A-
Rated R for Brief Nudity and Language

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