Thursday, 21 July 2011

The Last Shark (1981)

This is the JAWS rip-off to end all JAWS rip-offs.  So much so in fact that Universal sued the makers and won, with the result that it's has been very hard to see this movie in the US for a long time now.  It was originally released as L'ultimo squalo but is also knows as Great White.  Having seen it for myself now it is as blatant as they say it is although I would add that it's as much a rip-off of JAWS 2 as well, in adding the teen angle.  Not that that matters to connoisseurs like us though and in any case the boot's on the other foot now that the Americans are remaking European movies like there's no tomorrow.  This one's got everything you'd want from an Italian exploitation movie: fading US stars James Franciscus and Vic Morrow (whose Scottish accent has to be heard to be disbelieved), the odd bit of gore, a pounding disco score by Guido and Maurizio de Angelis, some ropey effects, laughable stock footage and a thundering finish.  What's not to like?

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