Shark Week: Why Do We Love Schlock Shark Movies?

Then sharks were considered dangerous predators on a global scale. They were unstoppable, soulless creatures; “He has lifeless eyes, black eyes like a doll. When it approaches you, it appears to be lifeless.” Jaws‘Quint (Robert Shaw) complains. With terrestrial predators, you can probably protect yourself from them as you can usually see them coming. But you won’t see a shark in the water (maybe a fin if you’re lucky); you are the most vulnerable snack in a bikini. Three sequels later and Jaws became toothless. Fascination with sharks lacked an irrational fear of them.

‘Deep blue sea’ and ‘open water’ bring sharks into the 21st century

Two films have worked together to evoke these fears: Deep blue Sea and 2003 open water. Deep blue Sea was the first major studio release to feature sharks since 1987. Jaws: Revenge and although it couldn’t get any worse, director Renny Harlin instead raised the stakes. It wasn’t the only shark that attacked the summer town. Dark blue Sea there were a few sharks. Bigger, faster and smarter; always one step ahead, and that made them even more dangerous. Combined with the spreading rumor of the star’s unexpected death Samuel L. Jackson in the middle of the movie Deep blue Sea was a success. More importantly, it made the sharks thing again. And if Deep blue Sea reintroduced the shark to the public in the cinema, then open water rediscovered fear of them. Dark blue Sea was fantastic, but open water is rooted in the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan stranded in shark-infested waters. The film not only profited from the fear of sharks and the fear of being stranded and helpless, but it also scored because it was based on real story.

Now the sharks were back in the spotlight and the timing was perfect. Affordable CGI effects opened the door to anyone who could make a shark film, and the advent of social media provided a means of promotion around the world. However, to stand out, the stakes had to be raised. Sure, sharks were still intimidating, but what more scarier than a shark? shark hybrids. Sharks are not limited to the ocean. Sharks that escaped from top-secret government projects. Movies seemed to come out daily and people couldn’t get enough. Not only was the object of their fear front and center, but they now existed in the water, on the ski slopes, on the beach, in the sky, in outer space, and even on land, drawn to their fascination with what bizarre premise could be next.

When did shark movies get so hacky?

This new era of shark shark films began in 2005. Hammeralso known as sharkmanoriginal film shown on SyFy channel. (Fun fact: SyFy and the independent film company The Asylum have been responsible for most of the B shark movies since 2005.) But that was only the beginning. What did attract public attention in 2009 Mega shark vs giant octopusfeaturing a 1980s prodigy, Debbie Gibson And Lorenzo Lamas. The trailer for the film became a viral hit, racking up millions of views, and the film was delivered.

Two prehistoric titans are accidentally released into the open sea where they fight, cause havoc, and Mega Shark even shoots down a commercial airliner. The film’s success opened the floodgates to other sharks. Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast (2011) is about a prehistoric shark that swims in the snow, terrorizing the inhabitants of a small town. And if you thought you were safe in a warmer climate, 2011s sand sharks shows a group of monstrous beasts that swim across the sand. Attack of the two-headed shark in 2012, she made good on her promise to create a two-headed shark.

‘Sharktornado’ ushered in an era of mainstream shlock shark films

Then came 2013 and the first film of what would become a giant franchise was released: shark tornado. It was an absolutely ridiculous premise, played seriously by the actors: a waterspout forms in the ocean where it picks up sharks. The cyclone then heads towards Los Angeles, where it drops sharks all over the city, allowing them to feast on the population. Bar owner and former surfer Fin (Jan Ziering), his ex-wife April (Tara Reid), bartender Fina Nova (Cassie Sherbo), as well as Fin and April’s son Matt (Chuck Hittinger) combine to stop the cyclone, now called the “shark tornado” (talking about the harsh wind, amirite?).

The task becomes more difficult when one tornado becomes three, but Fin realizes that they can stop the disaster by throwing a bomb at the center of the tornado. He stops all three and saves his family by sawing a large shark in half. shark tornado will continue to elevate the madness over the course of 5 sequels, each of which increases the absurdity of the previous one and comes to an ending that uses time travel and androids in some way. The franchise has proven that there are absolutely no rules in shark movies. Nothing was sacred, nothing was forbidden, and it didn’t matter.

As with any horror movie, one of the reasons people keep watching hack shark movies is because they come with a scoop. Any shark movie, no matter how crappy, is good for at least one scare. Another reason is novelty. Seeing a shark in the water on screen can be the same thing, but seeing a shark in space or merged with an octopus is a new experience, and in the highly unlikely event that a shark tornado hits your city, you are now ready. However, the real draw is the sharks themselves. No matter how ridiculous the film’s premise may be, everyone is holding on to a notion that has been ingrained in society ever since Jaws: The shark is an unstoppable, soulless force of nature, so purposeful that it almost should not have existed. This element still frightens and fascinates people in a way that no other being can imitate, and as long as people continue to believe in it, there is no escape.