Following a slight delay, 1981’s ‘The Last Shark’ is finally available in the UK, in a packed Special Edition from Treasured Films.
Writer Peter Benton (James Franciscus) finds his much-anticipated summer break at Port Harbour thrown into chaos when he discovers that a 35-foot-long great white shark is attacking and feeding on surfers and bathers at the nearby seaside resort. The mayor wants the beaches kept open to attract tourists to an upcoming windsurfing race, so it’s up to Benton and Ron Hamer (Vic Morrow), a local shark hunter with a frequently changing accent, to go out to sea to find it and kill it.
Does this remind you of another film? It reminded Universal Studios of a certain film they released in 1975, and following legal action, the film was pulled from US cinemas on its second week of release, and has not been available to watch in the US since. Thankfully, Treasured Films secured the UK rights, and it can be seen in all its HD glory for the first time. In my opinion, the wait is well worth it.
Starting with an opening of various scenes in various speeds, of a windsurfer doing various poses, the back of his board gets bitten off by an unseen sea creature, causing him to fly off the board when it unexpectedly explodes! Yes, all the signs point to the coastal town being invaded by a 35-foot great white shark, but with a big summer windsurfing event just around the corner, the Mayor, as previously mentioned, insists on keeping the beaches open, and so the two biggest box office names in the film venture out to sea to make the beaches a safer place.
The Last Shark is not a good film, but with the right approach to watching it, you are in for a treat. It truly is ‘so bad it’s good’. The first quick glimpse of the el-cheapo shark is actually quite impressive, but the longer it appears in shots, the cheaper it looks. Apart from Vic Morrow’s American/Irish/Scottish accent, there’s also fun to be had spotting James Franciscus’ trousers change from blue to red to blue from shot to shot, along with the human actors being switched for obvious mannequins with disproportionate limbs when they are attacked.
Add a very dated soundtrack, stock shark footage of varying quality, overly gory kills, and LOADS of unnecessary slow motion shots, and it’s a very enjoyable 85 minutes (or considerably much less if you run the slo-mo shots at normal speed!)
Picture quality is very good, but not perfect. A lot of grain has been removed, which also means losing some fine detail. The English soundtrack is clear, though at a different pitch to the original Italian one, also included here.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
Audio Commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth – this is a very straightlaced look at the production of the film, also looking at the legal complications. Sadly, there is no soundtrack in the background, so the few silent gaps that there are become very noticeable.
Interviews – All in Italian with English subtitles
Great White Enzo: Interview with Director Enzo G. Castellari
High Tide: Interview with Actor Massimo Vanni
Big Fishes in a Sea Full of Sharks: Interview with Producer Maurizio Amati
Blood Tide: Interview with Producer Ugo Tucci
Unfamiliar Waters: Casterllari Out of Action: Very amusing video essay by Mike Foster about the director’s other films/rip-offs.
Squali! A Brief Introduction to the Italian Killer Animal Current: Video Essay by Eugenio Ercolani. This is an occasionally unsettling feature mainly about Italian animal exploitation films, including a look at animal cruelty in Italian films. No explicit footage is shown, but there are a few graphic descriptions; however, it is a thorough and rewarding look at the genre.
Image Gallery
Trailer – narrated by Percy Rodriguez, who narrated the original trailer for Jaws!
Reversible Sleeve featuring two artwork choices
TV Spot
Summing up, The Last Shark, although shot on a considerably smaller budget, just elevates how brilliant Spielberg’s Jaws is. Its recent 50th anniversary re-release reached number 2 in the UK and US box office, proving that it’s still as entertaining as ever, but if you want to see a cheaper, poorly acted, shoddily directed knock off, The Last Shark ticks all the boxes. Invite some friends over, grab some snacks and drinks, encourage people to react loudly, and you’re going to have a great night in.
FILM – 4 VIDEO – 7 SOUND – 8 EXTRAS -10
Review by Steve Wells
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