The Bay

Director: Barry Levinson Barry Levinson

Overview

Three years after a massive government cover-up involving a parasitic outbreak in a small seaside town, a reporter unearths chilling footage that reveals the terrifying truth in this found footage-style shocker from Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson. On July 4th, 2009, the town of Claridge, Maryland experienced an unprecedented biological disaster. An isopod parasite typically found in fish somehow found its way into a human host. As the town gathered for its annual Independence Day celebration, the parasite began to spread at unprecedented speeds, consuming its victims from the inside out. Now witness the terrifying events that unfolded that fateful holiday weekend as captured on the security cameras, mobile phones, and webcams of the people who witnessed them firsthand, but never lived to tell their stories.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/05/2013
UPC:	0031398166276
Original Release:	2012
Rating:	R
Source:	LIONS GATE
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:25:00

Special Features

Closed-Caption; Feature-Length Commentary With Derector Barry Levinson; "Into The Unknown: Barry Levinson On The Bay" Featurette

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kristen Connolly	Stephanie
Will Rogers	Alex
Kether Donohue	Donna
Frank Deal	Mayor Stockman
Stephen Kunken	Dr. Abrams
Christopher Denham	Sam
Nansi Aluka	Jaquline
Kimberly Campbell	Nurse Rebecca
Beckett Clayton-Luce	Charles
Dave Hager	Fisher Jerry
Tara Polhemus	Teenage Girl
Sean Johnson	Teenage Boy
Murat "Murf Dawg" Erdan	Mike Radio Host
Lamya Reynolds	Ms. Rosenblatt,Homeland Security Officer
Lucia Forte	Marla Spadafora
Stacy Rabon	Middle Age Woman
Charles Weaver	Water Rescue Worker
Keyla S. Childs	Ms. Crustacean
Justin Welborn	Activist
Rick Benjamin	News Anchor Bernie
Christi Lowe	News Anchor Marsha
Jack Landry	Larry
Holly Allen	Sally
Robert C. Treveiler	Dr. Williams
Brandon Hanson	Cameraman Jim
Michael Beasley	Officer Jimson
Heidi Lawson	Nurse Jessica
Kenny Alfonso	Dr. Michaels
Jody Thompson	Officer Paul
Andrew Stahl	Sheriff Lee Roberts,Sheriff Lee Roberts
Zoe Clark	Little Girl at Party
Wyatt Hays	Little Boy at Party
Brandon O'Dell	Bill
John David Bland	Man Attacking Dr. Abrams
James Patrick Freetly	Bob - Fishing
Alissa Harris	Mom at Fair
Truman Brothers	Tim
Tim Parati	Fair Man
Bridget Gethins	Fat Lady
Sue Plassman	Woman With Boils
Chris Walters	Harvey Crab Winner
Nan Stephenson	Harvey's Wife
Kenya Phifer	Woman Calling 911
Tim Ross	Reporter - Brian
Jonathan "Lund" Maverick	George Khouri
Jane McNeill	Victim One
Ken Moran	Chicken Feeder
Rasool Jahan	Dr. Nu
Divakar Shukla	Dr. Sacerdoti
Zach Hanner	EPA Staffer
Troy Rudeseal	Man With Belly
Jennifer Burch	Teen With Infested Arm
Sarah Jordan Levin	Jennifer's Friend
Rachel Eddy	Girl Texting
Jason Sosnoff	Marine Biologist,Stephanie's Mother
Lamya Jezek	Ms. Rosenblatt
Lucia Scarano	Marla Spadafora
Marcelo Zarvos	Composer

Technical Credits

Michael Wallach

Barry Levinson

Michael Wallach	Screenwriter
Barry Levinson	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Jason Blum	Producer
Steven Schneider	Producer
Oren Peli	Producer
Brian Kavanaugh-Jones	Executive Producer,Producer
Jason Sosnoff	Executive Producer,Producer
Greg Strause	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Producer,Producer
Ellen Chenoweth	Casting
Mariusz Glabinski	Sound/Sound Designer
Amelia McCarthy	Casting
Tracy Kilpatrick	Casting
Jonathan S. Gaynor	Sound Mixer
Chris Bridges	Makeup Special Effects
Cal Johnson	Stunts
Bruce Resnik	Script Supervisor
Paul A. Levin	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Paranormal Activity creator Oren Peli helps that old dog Barry Levinson learn some new tricks in The Bay, and the Oscar-winning director performs them rather well as he uses found footage to tell the story of a quaint Maryland community that's attacked by an aggressive parasite that makes the leap from fish to humans with terrifying ferocity. Three years after a massive government cover-up involving a parasitic outbreak in a small seaside town, a reporter unearths chilling footage that reveals the terrifying truth. On July 4, 2009, the town of Claridge, MD, experienced an unprecedented biological disaster. An isopod parasite typically found in fish somehow made its way into a human host. As the town gathered for its annual Independence Day celebration, the parasite began to spread at an unprecedented speed, consuming its victims from the inside out. We witness the terrifying events that unfolded during that fateful holiday weekend as captured on the security cameras, mobile phones, and webcams of the people who experienced them firsthand, but never lived to tell their stories. As the found-footage phenomenon takes root as a genuine mainstream film movement, it's only natural that established directors try their hand at the rapidly evolving style. George A. Romero did it with varying degrees of success in 2007's Diary of the Dead, and now with the very first horror film of his four-decade career, Levinson does the creator of the modern zombie movie one better by tapping directly into our deepest fears about rampant disease and man-made epidemics. A sort of found-footage-style Outbreak for the first third of its running time, The Bay frames the story of the emerging plague with the footage and recollections of a budding journalist (Kristen Connolly) who is covering Claridge's annual Fourth of July celebrations when what initially appears to be a rash of murders breaks out in the town. Meanwhile, the video diaries of two ocean biologists reveal an alarming infestation spreading in the local waters; an overburdened doctor Skype chats with the CDC as his waiting room overflows with patients showing signs of what initially appears to be a highly contagious bacterial infection; local cops struggle to maintain order; the town mayor races to silence any sounds of alarm; and an unsuspecting young couple head to Claridge in a rented boat with their infant son in tow. Together with screenwriter Michael Wallach, Levinson juggles these plotlines with the skill of a seasoned storyteller, giving us just enough information at each turn to answer important questions while keeping tension levels high. That said, some of the best scares come during scenes that don't necessarily involve the main storylines, but serve as little self-contained segments of shock peppered throughout the film. The use of multiple video formats proves highly effective at keeping the viewer off balance; it's difficult to get comfortable when you never know what type and quality of images you'll be confronted with next. Also, by filling out the cast with talented yet lesser-known actors who prove largely adept at appearing unrehearsed in front of the camera, Levinson does a good job of maintaining the illusion of a small town plunged into total chaos. And though the spoken-but-not-seen coda ends The Bay on a somewhat anticlimactic note, Levinson and Wallach have done such an effective job at maintaining tension throughout that the film stands as a refreshing approach to such cautionary creature features as Godzilla or, more recently, The Host, and will no doubt still be lingering in our heads during our next trip to the lake. Much like a genuine parasitic infection, the horror takes root inside of us, and continues to grow long after the initial exposure.