Ghost Shark

Last updated
Ghost Shark
Ghost-shark-poster.jpg
Written byPaul A. Birkett
Eric Forsberg
Griff Furst
Directed byGriff Furst
Starring Mackenzie Rosman
Dave Randolph-Mayhem Davis
Sloane Coe
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time84 minutes
Budget$1.8 million [1]
Original release
Network Syfy
ReleaseAugust 22, 2013 (2013-08-22)

Ghost Shark is a 2013 American supernatural monster film directed for the Syfy television network by Griff Furst. With Furst joined by Paul A. Birkett and Eric Forsberg for screenwriting, the film premiered on Syfy on August 22, 2013. [2] [3]

Contents

Despite being panned critically, the film attracted attention on social media due to its fantastical premise. Websites such as Vulture commented on moments from the film. [4] An unofficial sequel, Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws , was released on 1 July 2015. The two films are unrelated in terms of narrative, other than both being films featuring killer sharks.

Plot

When a great white shark eats the potential catch of a sport fisherman, the man and his daughter violently retaliate by sadistically torturing and killing the shark. The shark's corpse then sinks to the bottom of an underwater cave. It is subsequently resurrected as a ghost due to the cave's mysterious paranormal properties.

Now hungry for revenge, the ghost shark eats its killers, along with the captain of their boat. It eventually sets its sights on the rest of the local community in the seaside town of Smallport, Florida. Due to the shark's new spectral form, it can attack and kill anyone as long as there is even the smallest amount of water nearby. This allows it to emerge from a swimming pool, a bathtub, a bucket, a metal pipe and even a drinking cup. It kills many people in several unexpected locations. [4]

Though the terror is seemingly out of control, a group of young people trying to find answers end up having their pleas ignored. The local mayor is in the midst of his re-election campaign, and other authorities are unwilling to believe in the ghost. The teenager Ava Conte (Mackenzie Rosman) vows to put an end to the ghost shark, after it devours her father and several friends. She teams up with a local lighthouse keeper named Finch (Richard Moll). Finch is a drunken figure who claims to know the secrets to the shark's new-found form. Reportedly, when the cave was still above water, it was where a dying African-American slave put a voodoo curse on the entire town.

After being arrested, harassed, threatened, and otherwise impeded in their struggles, the group finally manages to lay the creature to rest. [2] [4]

Cast

Reception

Critical reception for Ghost Shark has been predominantly negative. The film holds a rating of 29% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 7 reviews, with an average score of 5.2/10. [5] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 32 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [6] For example, critic Jim Vorel, writing for Paste , blasted the film as "a mind-numbing movie", featuring severe problems "[f]rom its performances to its horrendous execution in the editing room". He concluded, "the film violates the most crucial rule of trashy filmmaking— you can be stupid, but don't be boring." Vorel particularly criticized the fact that the character of Cicily, played by Sloane Coe, is filmed in a sexually suggestive manner in several scenes despite the fact that she is identified as being too young to have a driver’s license (and is presumably under the age of consent). [3]

One of the rare mixed to positive reviews for Ghost Shark came from Horrornews.net, with the film given a five out of ten score. The film was labeled as featuring both "[s]pecial effects that would make a film student cringe", but also a "well experienced cast mixed with fresh faced and eager newcomers." The film was compared, both positively and negatively, to an episode of one of the Scooby-Doo cartoons. [2] Also, in spite of being panned critically, the film had some success attracting social media attention, with websites such as Vulture.com and the YouTube channel Fact Fiend with Karl Smallwood commenting on moments from the film. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Jaws</i> (film) 1975 thriller film by Steven Spielberg

Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley. It stars Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody, who, with the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter, hunts a man-eating great white shark that attacks beachgoers at a summer resort town. Murray Hamilton plays the mayor, and Lorraine Gary portrays Brody's wife. The screenplay is credited to Benchley, who wrote the first drafts, and actor-writer Carl Gottlieb, who rewrote the script during principal photography.

<i>Jaws 2</i> 1978 American horror film by Jeannot Szwarc

Jaws 2 is a 1978 American horror thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and co-written by Carl Gottlieb. It is the sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), and the second installment in the Jaws franchise. The film stars Roy Scheider as Police Chief Martin Brody, with Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton reprising their respective roles as Martin's wife Ellen Brody and mayor Larry Vaughn. It also stars Joseph Mascolo, Jeffrey Kramer, Collin Wilcox, Ann Dusenberry, Mark Gruner, Susan French, Barry Coe, Donna Wilkes, Gary Springer, and Keith Gordon in his first feature film role. The plot concerns Chief Brody suspecting another great white shark is terrorizing the fictional seaside resort of Amity Island, following a series of incidents and disappearances, and his suspicions are eventually proven true.

<i>Jaws 3-D</i> 1983 American thriller film by Joe Alves

Jaws 3-D is a 1983 American horror film directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale and Louis Gossett Jr. As the second sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws it was the third installment in the Jaws franchise. The film follows the Brody children from the previous films to SeaWorld, a Florida marine park with underwater tunnels and lagoons. As the park prepares for opening, a young great white shark infiltrates the park from the sea, seemingly attacking and killing the park's employees. Once the shark is captured, it becomes apparent that a second, much larger shark also entered the park and was the real culprit.

<i>Great White</i> (1981 film) 1981 Italian film

Great White is a 1981 Italian horror film directed by Enzo G. Castellari, having originally been assigned to Ruggero Deodato. In the film James Franciscus and Vic Morrow attempt to save hundreds of swimmers in a coastal resort after a large great white shark starts terrorizing the area and eating tourists.

Mackenzie Rosman is an American actress. She is known for her television role as Ruthie Camden on The WB's long-running drama series 7th Heaven.

<i>Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy</i> 2005 American film

Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy, also known as Sharkman or simply Hammerhead, is a 2005 Syfy original movie, written by Kenneth M. Badish and Boaz Davidson, and directed by Michael Oblowitz. The film stars William Forsythe, Hunter Tylo, and Jeffrey Combs. The film premiered on Syfy on June 18, 2005.

<i>Jaws</i> (franchise) American film franchise

Jaws is an American media franchise series that started with the 1975 film of the same name that expanded into three sequels, a theme park ride, and other tie-in merchandise, based on a 1974 novel Jaws. The main subject of the saga is a great white shark and its attacks on people in specific areas of the United States and The Bahamas. The Brody family is featured in all of the films as the primary antithesis to the shark. The 1975 film was based on the novel written by Peter Benchley, which itself was inspired by the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916. Benchley adapted his novel, along with help from Carl Gottlieb and Howard Sackler, into the film, which was directed by Steven Spielberg. Although Gottlieb went on to pen two of the three sequels, neither Benchley nor Spielberg returned to the film series in any capacity.

<i>Sharktopus</i> 2010 American TV series or program

Sharktopus is a 2010 SyFy original horror/science fiction film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Declan O'Brien, and starring Eric Roberts. It is the first film in the Sharktopus franchise.

<i>Shark Night</i> 2011 American film

Shark Night is a 2011 American horror film directed by David R. Ellis and written by Will Hayes and Jesse Studenberg. It stars Sara Paxton, Chris Carmack, Katharine McPhee, Alyssa Diaz, Dustin Milligan, and Joel David Moore. The film, which was negatively received by critics and grossed $40 million worldwide, was released in RealD 3D and Digital 3D. This was Ellis's final film before his death.

Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws is a 2015 New Zealand supernatural horror film directed by Andrew Todd and Johnny Hall. It was shot in Auckland, New Zealand, with additional shooting taking place in Christchurch and Los Angeles.

<i>Mega Python vs. Gatoroid</i> 2011 monster science-fiction disaster film by Mary Lambert

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid is a 2011 monster, science-fiction, disaster film by The Asylum, directed by Mary Lambert, and starring pop singers Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. The film premiered theatrically in Texas and premiered on television on January 29, 2011, on Syfy in the United States before being released on home video on June 21, 2011.

<i>Dinocroc vs. Supergator</i> 2010 American TV series or program

Dinocroc vs. Supergator is a 2010 American science fiction horror television film that premiered on Syfy on June 26, 2010. This is one of David Carradine's final performances. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 12, 2011; it was supposed to be a parody of King Kong vs. Godzilla.

<i>Sharknado</i> 2013 film by Anthony C. Ferrante

Sharknado is a 2013 American made-for-television science fiction comedy disaster film directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. It tells about a waterspout that lifts sharks out of the ocean and deposits them in Los Angeles. It is the first installment in the Sharknado film series. The movie first aired on the Syfy channel on July 11, 2013, and stars Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and John Heard. It was also given a one-night-only special midnight theatrical screening via Regal Cinemas and Fathom Events, where it earned $200,000 from 200 screenings. The over-the-top premise and theatrics of the film quickly earned it a cult following.

<i>Sharknado 2: The Second One</i> 2014 film by Anthony C. Ferrante

Sharknado 2: The Second One is a 2014 American made-for-television film and a sequel to the 2013 television film Sharknado and the second installment in the Sharknado film series. It was directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, with Ian Ziering and Tara Reid reprising their roles from the first film. The film premiered on July 30, 2014, and was the highest-premiering film on the Syfy Channel.

<i>Jurassic Shark</i> 2012 Canadian film

Attack of the Jurassic Shark is a 2012 Canadian independent adventure horror-thriller film project directed by Brett Kelly. It parodies two Steven Spielberg-directed films at once: Jaws and Jurassic Park.

<i>Sand Sharks</i> 2011 American film

Sand Sharks is a 2011 American direct-to-video horror film directed by Mark Atkins about a horde of monstrous sharks that swim through sand and hunt people. It stars Corin Nemec, Brooke Hogan, Vanessa Lee Evigan, Eric Scott Woods, and Gina Holden.

<i>Ghostquake</i> 2012 American TV series or program

Ghostquake is a 2012 American made-for-television horror film produced by Syfy. The film was directed by Jeffrey Lando and written by Paul A. Birkett and Anthony C. Ferrante. The film stars Danny Trejo and M. C. Gainey. It follows a group of high school students trying to escape the wrath of a few ghastly spirits, following an earthquake at their school, Holloman High School. Mysterious school cleaner Ortiz, who has been protecting the academy in secret, steps forward to help the youths. Ghostquake first aired on Syfy on August 25, 2012.

<i>5-Headed Shark Attack</i> 2017 film

5-Headed Shark Attack is a 2017 American made-for-television action horror film produced by The Asylum in association with Syfy. The film is the third installment in the Multi-Headed Shark Attack film series, following 2-Headed Shark Attack and 3-Headed Shark Attack and preceding 6-Headed Shark Attack, with this film featuring both a four-headed and five-headed shark.

References

  1. ↑ "Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search" (Type "Ghost Shark" in the search box). Louisiana Economic Development. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Film Review: Ghost Shark 2013". Horrornews.net. April 9, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Vorel, Jim (August 22, 2013). "Ghost Shark". Paste . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Peterson, Price (23 August 2013). "Experience Syfy's Ghost Shark in 13 Terrifyingly Awesome GIFs". Vulture.com . Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Ghost Shark (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Ghost Shark". Metacritic . Retrieved January 21, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.