Connect with us

News

5 Shark-Based Films To Watch for a Frightfully Fun Time

Published

on

Written by Shannon McGrew

To some, sharks are majestic creatures which are misunderstood, while to other, including myself, they are ferocious creatures of the sea. When your job is to write about horror, you start to become de-sensitized to ghosts and demons and other supernatural entities and to start to focus on real-life horrors. For me, the ocean, as beautiful as it can be, holds many dark secrets and is quite a terrifying place if you consider the majority of it has been unseen and undocumented.

With the news that Steve Alten’s novel ‘Meg’, a fictional story based around a factual prehistoric shark called the Megalodon, will be coming to the big screen in 2018, I thought I would list some of my favorite shark-based films.

We are all familiar with “Jaws” and I think it’s pretty unanimous that it’s the best shark movie out there, so for the sake of this article, I’m going to refrain from using that film in my list. Also, I have heard a lot of people mention how great “The Reef” is, unfortunately I have yet to see that but it’s on my list! So without further ado, let’s get into my top 5 shark-based horror films!

#5 Sharknado (2013)

 

I’m going to be upfront and let you all know that there are 2 films from SyFy on this list and I’m not going to apologize for that! When “Sharknado” graced our television screens in 2013 I don’t think SyFy realized how much of a hit it was going to be. How can you say no to sharks and tornado’s combining into a powerhouse killing machine?! You can’t! Though I wasn’t as big of a fan of the inevitable sequels, I still have a soft spot for the original “Sharknado” and I’ve enjoyed watching it every time I have seen it. Also, Ian Ziering and Tara Reid fighting tornado sharks. Enough said.

#4 Finding Nemo (2003)

Yes, I’m adding in a Disney/Pixar film and you can’t stop me! Listen, Bruce the Shark, was pretty unnerving in this film. I’m not saying I was scared or anything, but for a predominantly kid friendly movie, Bruce and his buddies had some insidious plans in mind. I mean come on, they were trying to convince Marlin and Dory that they were vegetarians! Sharks are not vegetarians. I’m not saying that sharks are evil, but if there is anything I learned from “Finding Nemo,” it’s that sharks should never be trusted.

#3 Sharktopus (2010)

Here we are again with another SyFy film! I absolutely LOVE “Sharktopus” and I’m not ashamed to admit that. Unlike “Sharknado,” this time around we get to see a shark and an octopus combined due to a military experiment. Want to know why this is so great? It’s great because it allows this hybrid creature to walk on land! Imagine that!! A shark walking on land! If I ever saw that, I would say my prayers and await the impending apocalypse that would soon come. In all seriousness, I really do love this film and it’s always a nice surprise when actor Eric Roberts shows up to kick some ass and take some names.

#2 The Shallows (2016)

Okay, now that I’ve have gotten all those other films out of my system, it’s time to pick a more serious one. “The Shallows,” which was released this past year, was a hell of thriller that had some incredibly tense moments along with some beautiful and eye-catching special effects. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this film when I first heard about it, and I hate to say that I didn’t think Blake Lively could pull this film off, but I’m happy to report that I was proven wrong. Through the whole movie, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat awaiting the terror approaching from below. The CGI used for the shark was incredible which resulted in the creature being that much more petrifying when it revealed itself in all its glory. Though I won’t go as far as to say it’s the best shark movie since “Jaws”, it still remains one of the better shark-based horror films to have come out in recent years.

#1 Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Yes, this is my number one choice and I couldn’t be more proud of it! I remember the first time I saw “Deep Blue Sea” and being absolutely terrified when Samuel L. Jackson’s character got eaten. That scene, and everything leading up to it, was one of the first times I was ever truly scared while watching a movie in the theaters. Sure, it doesn’t necessarily hold up to the test of time, but it’s still an enjoyable watch. Also, the scientists studying this shark for Alzheimer’s research, are living in an isolated research facility under the water. For some, the isolation, the fear of drowning, and the claustrophobia, is more frightening than the killer sharks themselves. Plus, this film has LL Cool J and you really can’t go wrong with that.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

Published

on

Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

Published

on

The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading