This weekend, the film documenting the events of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill, lands in cinemas across the UK.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez and Dylan O’Brien, the film charts the events leading up to, during, and after the explosion on board the Deepwater Horizon oil r ig off the Gulf of Mexico. It shows the crew’s fight for survival, as well as their efforts to prevent what went on to be one of the world’s worst environmental disasters in history.
To get you in the mood for Deepwater Horizon, we’ve chosen three Blu-rays which show just how dangerous the high seas can be.
Captain Phillips
Based on a true story, Captain Phillips documents the 2009 hijacking of the US MV Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship which was the first US ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. Hanks plays Captain Richard Phillips, who attempts to form a relationship with his pirate captors in order to save the lives of his crew.
The Blu-ray includes two special features – audio commentary with director Paul Greengrass and an hour-long documentary on the making of the movie, which includes input from the real Captain Phillips.
The Perfect Storm
George C
looney, Mark Wahlberg and John C. Reilly star in this true story set during the 1991 “perfect storm” which devastated the state of Massachusetts.
The film follows the Andrea Gail, a small commercial fishing vessel which sets off on an expedition beyond its usual patch. After a successful haul, the crew turn back to land, to find a storm brewing between them and their destination. Keen to capitalise on their hard work, they decide to brave the storm, risking life and limb in one of history’s worst storms to get back home.
The Perfect Storm looks glorious in high definition Blu-ray – you can almost feel the freezing spray of the ocean! The film also comes with a number of bonus features, including three audio commentary tracks, deleted scenes, a look at the making of the film, and interviews with eyewitnesses of the real storm.
Titanic
Arguably one of the most famous nautical disasters in histo
ry, Titanic tells the tragic true story of the maiden voyage of the supposedly unsinkable ship.
Set in 1912 on board the RMS Titanic, the story follows the forbidden love story of a young aristocratic woman, and a poor, but good-natured artist named Jack. The secret affair takes place on board the ship, which is making a transatlantic crossing. Not even a collision with a giant iceberg is enough to shake up the class system on the ship, which sees everybody from first class to the engine rooms fighting for their lives.
Available as a Special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, the film comes with a number of special features, including a number of audio commentaries, a feature-length making-of documentary, a look at the real-life sinking of the Titanic, and a number of deleted and extended scenes.
