- Monster Shark
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Monster Shark Directed by Lamberto Bava (credited as John Old Jr.)
Bruno Mattei (2nd unit director) (credited as Gilbert Roussel)Produced by Mino Loy Written by Gianfranco Clerici (screenplay)
Lamberto Bava (additional material)Starring Michael Sopkiw
Gianni Garko
William BergerMusic by Guido De Angelis
Maurizio De Angelis (credited as Antony Barrymore)Cinematography Giancarlo Ferrando (credited as John McFerrand) Editing by Roberto Sterbini (credited as Bob Wheeler) Release date(s) September 7, 1984 (Italy)
January 23, 1985 (France)
November 14, 1986 (USA)Running time 90 mins. Country Italy Language English Monster Shark (also known as Shark: Red on the Ocean, Devouring Waves and Devil Fish) is a 1984 Italian horror film, and one of several environmental disaster films to emerge following the success of the 1975 film Jaws, including films such as: Great White, Orca, Piranha, Tentacles and Tintorera.
Contents
Plot
The film takes place along a stretch of coastline somewhere in Florida in the United States, where a local tourist spot has become plagued by a mysterious marine creature. Little do they know, the monster is the product of a secret military experiment — a genetic hybrid mutated from a common octopus and the prehistoric superpredator Dunkleosteus. Unfortunately, the creature has broken loose, and is now feeding on swimmers and tourists swimming or sailing along the coast. And, the monster is only an infant, and will continue to grow if it is left to hunt much longer.
A team of scientists led by a scientist named Peter and his colleague, Dr. Stella Dickens are trying to find the creature and stop it, but a group of military scientists are trying to stop them, as the experiment was classified, and it is military business. Both groups are slowly picked off by the shark while they try and track it down. They eventually find that it is hiding in the everglades and they manage to kill it with repeated blasts from flamethrowers. At the end, Peter tells Stella that he has finally decided to take a vacation. When she asks where they are going, he tells her "the mountains". The ending is a freeze frame shot.
Full cast
- Michael Sopkiw - Peter
- Valentine Monnier - Dr. Stella Dickens
- Gianni Garko - Sheriff Gordon
- William Berger - Professor Donald West
- Iris Peynado - Sandra Hayes
- Lawrence Morgant - Dr. Bob Hogan
- Cinzia de Ponti - Florinda
- Paul Branco - Dr. Davis Barker
- Dagmar Lassander - Sonja West
Reception
Monster Shark was poorly received by critics. As of September 2009, the IMDB rates the film in 83rd place on their Bottom 100 list.[1]
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Monster Shark, under its alternative title of Devil Fish, was featured on an episode of the movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, on which it was spoofed for its poor acting and erratic editing.[2]
Remake
Main article: SharktopusReferences
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/chart/bottom?tt0088100
- ^ Mystery Science Theater 3000 Series 9 Episode 11 - first broadcast August 15, 1998
External links
- Monster Shark at the Internet Movie Data Base
- Monster Shark / Devil Fish at Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Wiki
- Review of Monster Shark at The Hotspot Online
- Review of Monster Shark at Popcorn Pictures
Macabre (1980) · A Blade in the Dark (1983) · Blastfighter (1984) · Monster Shark (1984) · Dèmoni (1985) · Dèmoni 2 (1986) · The Changeling 2 (1987) · Delirium (1987) · Graveyard Disturbance (1987) · Dinner with a Vampire (1988) · The Ogre (1988) · Fantaghirò (1991) · Fantaghirò 2 (1992) · Desideria e l'Anello del Drago (1994) · Fantaghirò 4 (1994) · Fantaghirò 5 (1996)
Categories:- 1984 films
- English-language films
- Films about cephalopods
- Films about sharks
- Italian films
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes
- Natural horror films
- Films directed by Lamberto Bava
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