Spring Break Shark Attack

Last updated

Spring Break Shark Attack
Spring Break Shark Attack premiere poster.jpg
premiere poster
Directed by Paul Shapiro
Written byJames LaRosa
Based onstory by J.J. Jamieson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMichael Brierley
Edited byMicky Blythe
Music by Danny Lux
Production
companies
Distributed by CBS Television Network
Release date
  • 20 March 2005 (2005-03-20)(United States)
Running time
88 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • South Africa
LanguageEnglish

Spring Break Shark Attack is a 2005 joint South African/American made-for-TV thriller film. It was the brainchild of executive producer J.J. Jamieson, who wrote the initial story and sold it to CBS. The teleplay was written by James LaRosa and directed by Paul Shapiro. The film stars Shannon Lucio, Riley Smith, and Justin Baldoni, with Kathy Baker and Bryan Brown. [1] [2] [3] After television release in the United States, [4] the film had a limited non-US theatrical release, before going to DVD.

Contents

Plot

During spring break, when a pack of tiger sharks begins a feeding frenzy on partying teen-aged bathers, the only safe place is up on the beach far from the water. Fighting for survival, a group of coeds must attempt to outsmart nature's perfect predator.

Danielle (Shannon Lucio) is a teen-aged girl who, against her father's wishes, heads to Florida for spring break. Rather than the truth, she tells her parents that she is going to spend the time working with Habitat For Humanity, but she instead meets up with two girlfriends who have rented a beach house at Seagull Beach, Florida, for a week, fully intent on having a good time. As she explores the beach area, she meets the creepy J.T. (Justin Baldoni), who sees her as only a spring break sexual conquest. She also meets local charter boat owner Shane Jones (Riley Smith), and decides she likes him. J.T. is willing to do anything to achieve his goal of sex with Danielle, and so charters the boat that Shane and his mother (Kathy Baker) have been hiring out to tourists. When everyone is out at sea they learn that the waters are becoming infested with an increasing number of tiger sharks. Danielle's marine biologist brother, Charlie (Wayne Thornley) just happens to also be doing research on an artificial reef in the same location, and must determine how best to save his sister and warn others.

Cast

Critical response

The Washington Post offered that Spring Break Shark Attack was "a true dream title" for something viewers might expect to watch on late night Cinemax or on USA Network in prime time, or find in a list of direct-to-video losers. They also offered that even with the ridiculous title, the film's "scary parts really are scary, enough so that little kids should be sent to their rooms." [1] Visual effects were approved, in that when a partly chewed victim washes up on the beach, it actually looked like a partially eaten shark victim, rather than something sanitized for television. They felt the film "works on its own frankly silly, fitfully gripping level" if one has "two hours to kill and a harmless lust for artificial blood." [1]

DVD Talk spoke toward the film being a drama about teens who look older than they're supposed to who have "to deal with their relationships and romantic encounters and all the melodrama that accompanies that type of material" and described it as "basically Beverly Hills 90210 with sharks." [2] They felt the film had an issue with the sharks themselves being used at first so infrequently that the final 20 minutes of the film become makes "up for lost time by throwing in sharks by the hundreds." [2] While the anticipated underwater photography is limited, there "are a couple of decent shark/kill scenes and a corpse or two that washes up on the beach, but nothing interesting enough to really stand out or make the film more any more enjoyable." [2] The film's cinematography is decent and the film looks nice, and while no performance is particularly bad, no one stands out either. The film thus becomes the "very embodiment of mediocrity, resulting in boredom – the biggest sin a movie can commit." [2] The film's very few appreciated moments do not act to save the film. [2]

Dread Central found the film to be "two hours of mildly laughable, suspense-free entertainment," [3] where CBS's attempt to create a nature gone amok genre failed in its purpose. [3]

Marissa Piazzola of Huffington Post listed the film among the "Top 8 Teen Movies About Spring Break!" [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Scary Movie</i> 2000 film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans

Scary Movie is a 2000 American slasher parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written by Marlon and Shawn Wayans, alongside Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Starring Jon Abrahams, Carmen Electra, Shannon Elizabeth, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, Regina Hall, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, and Dave Sheridan, it follows a group of teenagers who accidentally hit a man with their car, dump his body in a lake and never talk about it again. A year later, someone wearing a Ghostface mask and robe kills them one by one.

<i>From Justin to Kelly</i> 2003 film by Robert Iscove

From Justin to Kelly is a 2003 American musical romantic comedy film written by Kim Fuller and directed by Robert Iscove. The film, starring American Idol first-season winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini, won the Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst 'Musical' of Our First 25 Years" in 2005. This film is often regarded as one of the worst movies ever made.

<i>Zombi 2</i> 1979 film directed by Lucio Fulci

Zombi 2 is a 1979 Italian zombie film directed by Lucio Fulci. It was adapted from an original screenplay by Dardano Sacchetti to serve as a sequel to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), which was released in Italy with the title Zombi. It stars Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, and Richard Johnson, and features a score by frequent Fulci collaborator Fabio Frizzi. Frizzi's score has been released independently of the film, and he has performed it live on tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Panabaker</span> American actress (born 1987)

Danielle Nicole Panabaker is an American actress. She began acting as a teenager and came to prominence for her roles in the Disney films Stuck in the Suburbs (2004), Sky High (2005) and Read It and Weep (2006), and in the HBO miniseries Empire Falls (2005). She won three Young Artist Awards: for guest-starring in an episode of the legal drama television series The Guardian (2004), for her lead role in the TV film Searching for David's Heart (2005) and for her ensemble performance in the family comedy film Yours, Mine & Ours (2005).

<i>Humongous</i> (1982 film) 1982 Canadian film

Humongous is a 1982 Canadian slasher film directed by Paul Lynch, and starring Janet Julian, John Wildman, and David Wallace. The story centers on a group of young adults who become stranded on a deserted island, where they are stalked and murdered by a monstrous assailant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gidget</span> Fictional character

Gidget is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner in his 1957 novel, Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing friends on the beach in Malibu. The name Gidget is a portmanteau of "girl" and "midget". Following the novel's publication, the character appeared in several films, television series, and television movies.

<i>The Fog</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Rupert Wainwright

The Fog is a 2005 supernatural horror film directed by Rupert Wainwright and starring Tom Welling, Selma Blair, and Maggie Grace. It is a remake of John Carpenter's 1980 film of the same name and was produced by Carpenter and Debra Hill who co-wrote the original film.

<i>The Glass House</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Daniel Sackheim

The Glass House is a 2001 American psychological mystery thriller film directed by Daniel Sackheim and written by Wesley Strick. The film stars Leelee Sobieski, Diane Lane, Stellan Skarsgård, Bruce Dern, Kathy Baker, Trevor Morgan and Chris Noth.

<i>Crowned and Dangerous</i> American TV series or program

Crowned and Dangerous is a 1997 American made-for-TV film based on a true story and starred Yasmine Bleeth, Cassidy Rae, George Eads, Jill Clayburgh and Gates McFadden. The film premiered on September 21. 1997 on ABC.

<i>Boy Eats Girl</i> 2005 film

Boy Eats Girl is a 2005 horror-comedy film directed by Stephen Bradley and starring Samantha Mumba, produced and shot in Ireland. The plot tells of a teenage boy who comes back to life as a zombie, similar to the plot of the American film My Boyfriend's Back.

<i>Zombi 3</i> 1988 film directed by Lucio Fulci

Zombi 3 is a 1988 Italian horror film directed by Lucio Fulci and Bruno Mattei and starring Deran Sarafian, Beatrice Ring, and Ottaviano Dell'acqua. The film is an in-name-only sequel to Fulci's Zombi 2. The film is about a group of scientists at a top-secret research facility who are working on a biological weapon called Death One, which mutates and kills the living creatures and reanimates the dead. The weapon is leaked out of the facility, which leads to a spread of infection among soldiers and touring people in the area.

<i>It Waits</i> 2005 American film

It Waits is a 2005 American horror film directed by Steven R. Monroe and starring Cerina Vincent, Dominic Zamprogna, and Greg Kean. Written by Richard Christian Matheson, Thomas E. Szollosi, and Stephen J. Cannell, the film is about a forest ranger who encounters a terrible creature who has been killing people in the remote national forest where she works. When the creature attacks her isolated ranger station and kills her forest ranger boyfriend, she goes after the creature. Filmed on location in British Columbia, Canada, It Waits was a direct-to-DVD release in the United States and worldwide.

<i>The Haunting of Molly Hartley</i> 2008 American film

The Haunting of Molly Hartley is a 2008 American supernatural horror film written by John Travis and Rebecca Sonnenshine and directed by Mickey Liddell. The film, starring Haley Bennett, Chace Crawford, AnnaLynne McCord, and Jake Weber, was a critical failure but a mild commercial success.

Paydin LoPachin is an American actress born in Abilene, Texas.

<i>Home and Away: Romances</i> Season of television series

Home and Away: Romances is an exclusive-to-DVD special of Australia's most popular soap Home and Away. It was released on 2 November 2005 and unlike it previous two DVD releases, Secrets and the City and Hearts Divided which only contained three episodes each, this release is completely different, this takes a look back at all the classic Home and Away relationships over the past 17 years of the show from 1988 to 2005. It is hosted by Home and Away star Beau Brady and has everything from first meetings to good and bad dates, first kisses to love triangles and proposals to happy endings. The DVD also contains the movie length pilot episode, which is a rare chance for fans to go back to where it all began.

<i>Scary Movie 5</i> 2013 parody film by Malcolm D. Lee

Scary Movie 5 is a 2013 American parody film. It is the standalone sequel to Scary Movie 4 and the fifth and most recent installment in the Scary Movie film series. It is the second film to be distributed by The Weinstein Company under the Dimension Films brand, and the last before it folded in 2018. The film is directed by Malcolm D. Lee and written by David Zucker and Pat Proft. It was released on April 12, 2013. The film is the only installment of the franchise not to feature Cindy Campbell or Brenda Meeks. It premiered on April 11, at the Hollywood’s ArcLight Cinerama Dome. The film parodies various horror films and other popular culture. The film received negative reviews from critics. With a gross of $78 million, it is the lowest grossing film in the Scary Movie series.

<i>Five Feet Apart</i> 2019 film by Justin Baldoni

Five Feet Apart is a 2019 American romantic drama film directed by Justin Baldoni and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. The film was inspired by Claire Wineland, who suffered from cystic fibrosis. Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse play two young patients with cystic fibrosis who try to have a relationship despite being forced to stay six feet apart from each other. The film was released in the United States on March 15, 2019 by CBS Films via Lionsgate. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $92 million worldwide.

<i>Clouds</i> (2020 film) 2020 film by Justin Baldoni

Clouds is a 2020 American biographical romantic musical drama teen film directed and produced by Justin Baldoni and written by Kara Holden from a story by Holden, Patrick Kopka, and Casey La Scala. It is based upon the memoir Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom's Small Prayer in a Big Way by Laura Sobiech. The film stars Fin Argus, Sabrina Carpenter, Madison Iseman, Neve Campbell, Tom Everett Scott, and Lil Rel Howery, and tells the story of Zach Sobiech, a teenager from Minnesota who has osteosarcoma, and decides to follow his dream of becoming a musician after finding out he is dying.

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

5-Headed Shark Attack is a 2017 American made-for-television science fiction action film produced by The Asylum in association with Syfy. Despite featuring a shark with five heads, 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.

Maneater is a 2022 American horror thriller film directed by Justin Lee, starring Nicky Whelan, Shane West, Trace Adkins, Branscombe Richmond and Jeff Fahey.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tom Shales (19 March 2005). "Cue the Shark Music and Prepare to Be Scared". Washington Post . Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jane, Ian (27 February 2006). "DVD review: Spring Break Shark Attack". DVD Talk . Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Condit, Jon (22 March 2006). "Spring Break Shark Attack (2005)". Dread Central . Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  4. ↑ Oldenburg, Ann (3 March 2005). "After 'The O.C.,' is it safe to get back in the water?". USA Today . Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Piazzola, Marissa (27 March 2012). "Spring Breakers: Top 8 Teen Movies About Spring Break!". Huffington Post . Retrieved 17 February 2015.
Additional sources for use
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.