Sharknado (2013)

Directed By: Antony Ferrante

Starring: John Heard, Tara Reid, Ian Ziering

Synopsis: A massive storm in California causes waterspouts, flooding and an infestation of sharks in the streets…and the sky.

I’ve lived without cable TV for over three years now.  Overall, it’s been a great experience, but every once in a while, it causes me to be a little late to the party, so to speak.  One of those parties that I initially missed out on was the feeding frenzy caused by the SyFy Channels Sharknado.  Now, SyFy has been pumping out absurd horror movies for a long time (utilizing the schlock masters at Asylum), so it was really interesting to see how Sharknado caught the public’s fancy.  Social media was largely responsible for the buzz, but I heard it mentioned on both my local news and even Good Morning America, so it really made the rounds.  It was so popular that it even garnered a brief and largely unsuccessful theatrical release.

Movies like this are usually a little difficult to review, because they are produced with a minimal budget.  The acting, FX and even the entire premise of the movie are not intended to be “good” per se.  The Asylum has made an art out of “so bad it’s good” movies.  They hit pay dirt here as well.  It’s not my favorite bad shark movie (that would be a toss up between 2-Headed Shark Attack and Sharktopus), but it is pretty hilarious.  This movie is made to be watched with friends, beers and as many snarky comments as you can muster.

Like most of these movies, there are some familiar faces.  Tara Reid has long since used up any Hollywood clout that she gained from the American Pie series and is now a mainstay in the straight-to-video and cable TV movie rotation.  For those fans of 1990’s TV, Ian Ziering of Beverly Hills 90201 also stars.  I was a little surprised at seeing John Heard gracing Sharknado with his presence, but a paycheck is a paycheck I guess.  Looking at his IMDb page, it looks like 2013 was a busy year for him, as there are 10 different movies listed.  Oddly enough, I also just finished watching C.H.U.D, in which he was the lead.

Director Anthony Ferrante has a couple of genre titles credited to him, both as a writer and director, but Sharknado would have to be considered his breakthrough.  It remains to be seen if the social media buzz that the movie generated will do anything for his career.  I don’t see him listed as having anything in preproduction as of now, so it probably won’t.

If you like this sort of movie and have yet to check out Sharknado, you really should.  Don’t be expecting a cinematic revelation though; it really is the same fare as Asylum’s other titles.  The CGI is ridiculous, only to be outdone by the actual storyline.

A sequel has already been announced and will take place in New York City, which should be a surprise to no one.