Sharknado Explained

Image Alt:Sharks flying through the air, caught in a tornado. In the background is a ferris wheel.
Director:Anthony C. Ferrante
Theme Music Composer:Ramin Kousha
Composer:Ramin Kousha
Country:United States
Language:English
Producer:David Michael Latt
Editor:William Boodell
Cinematography:Ben Demaree
Runtime:85 minutes[1]
Company:The Asylum
Syfy Films
Budget:$2 million[2]
Network:Syfy
Related:

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.[3] The movie first aired on the Syfy channel on July 11, 2013, and stars Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, and John Heard.[4] 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.[5] [6] The over-the-top premise and theatrics of the film quickly earned it a cult following.

The film spawned a franchise of the same name; five sequels have been produced (, , , , and ),[7] [8] [9] as well as three spin-off films (Lavalantula, Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness, and 2 Lava 2 Lantula).

Though the original film was not explicitly a comedy, maintaining at least a façade of seriousness despite the implausible plot, the sequels were more openly comedic in nature.

Plot

Off the coast of Mexico, the ship of shark fin smuggler Captain Carlos Santiago is caught in a hurricane, interrupting his meeting with a potential buyer. A tornado throws shoals of sharks onto the boat, killing all aboard.

The hurricane soon hits Los Angeles, flooding the city with shark-infested seawater. Bar owner and professional surfer Fin sets out with his friends, Baz, Nova, and George, to rescue his estranged wife, April, and their teenage daughter, Claudia, after the bar and boardwalk are destroyed by the flooding. While heading to April's home, the group stops on a freeway to save people as flooding causes sharks to attack. George is killed and the group learns of a tornado warning. They arrive at April's house just before the first floor is flooded and shark-infested. Collin, April's boyfriend, is eaten by sharks, but the rest of the group escapes unharmed from the house, which gets hit by a huge wave causing it to collapse.

As they travel, the group comes across a school bus trapped in the floodwaters and surrounded by sharks. Fin stops to save the children and bus driver by rappelling down to the bus from a bridge. Afterward, the bus driver is killed by a letter in the Hollywood Sign. While Nova is driving the car, a shark lands on top of the car and rips the roof off. Fin's hand is cut and the group abandons the car before it explodes. They steal another car and meet up with Fin and April's son Matt, who is found taking shelter at his flight school. Three tornadoes develop and absorb the floodwater, turning into shark-filled "sharknados". The group borrow equipment from nearby storage and Matt and Nova become attracted to each other. Matt and Nova decide to stop the threat of the incoming sharknados by tossing bombs into them from a helicopter. Two are destroyed, but they are unable to stop the third one.

As Nova fights off a shark that had latched onto the helicopter, she falls out of the helicopter and directly into another shark's mouth. Matt is heartbroken. Baz is also lost in the storm along with Matt's friends Bobby and Luellyn. Ultimately, Fin destroys the last sharknado with a bomb attached to his car and the sharks begin to plummet toward the ground. One falling shark flies directly toward the remaining members of the group. Fin jumps into its mouth with a chainsaw and cuts his way out. He emerges carrying an unconscious but otherwise unharmed Nova. Matt is reunited with Nova, and Fin gets back together with April.[10]

Cast

Production

Sharknado was directed for film studio The Asylum by Anthony C. Ferrante, whose previous directing credits include the horror film Boo, and written by Thunder Levin, whose previous writing credits include the film Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood!.[11] The film's tagline is "Enough said!"[12] Sharknado is one of many B-movies commissioned by Syfy.[13] Robbie Rist said in an interview that he came upon the film's poster at the American Film Market and became enthusiastic about the concept. When his friend Ferrante said that he had been approached to direct the film, Rist insisted that Ferrante take the job. Rist was given a small role in the film and composed the theme.[14]

Actress Tara Reid said of the film, "It is silly, and there's only a certain amount of barriers you could go into. You can't take it so seriously when it's absolutely the sharks flying in the sky. It's so out there that it's actually really funny." The cast had to imagine the presence of sharks due to a green screen being frequently in use.[15] Ian Ziering stated that he had serious reservations about the script but was motivated, in part, by the need to earn enough to qualify for Screen Actors Guild health insurance for his family.[16]

In an interview with Uproxx's Danger Guerrero, Ferrante summarized the film's plot: "There's a flood. And a storm. Don't worry about it."[17]

Release

The premiere of the film was watched by 1.37 million viewers, which is slightly below the average audience of 1.5 million viewers for a typical Syfy original film.[13] [18] However, the film was a trend on Twitter, including discussion by celebrities such as Damon Lindelof, Wil Wheaton, and Olivia Wilde and also by Cory Monteith, whose last tweet before his death was about the film. Due to an increase in publicity (mostly through Twitter), Syfy repeated Sharknado on Thursday, July 18, 2013, one week after its premiere. That airing was watched by 1.89 million viewers, an increase of 38% over its initial airing.[19] On July 27, a third airing of Sharknado got 2.1 million viewers, continuing the increase in popularity of the film and setting a record for most watched original film encore in Syfy history.[20] Sharknado was projected to increase revenue for The Asylum from $5 million in 2009 to $19 million in 2013.[21]

A representative of the National Weather Service jokingly recommended what to do in case of a sharknado, saying: "As with any waterspout or tornado, the best advice is to be in an interior part of the lowest floor of a sturdy building – and not outside, whether sharks are raining down or not." Organizations such as the Red Cross of Oklahoma City also used the film as an opportunity to pass on storm safety information[22] while others incorporated it into their own advertising.[23]

Regal Cinemas announced that at midnight on August 2, 2013, it would play the film in roughly 200 theaters nationally.[24] Tickets sold out quickly in New York, Boston, and Seattle, where more showings were added to appease customer demand.[25] Box office numbers were weak for the midnight showings; estimates were at under $200,000.[26]

International broadcast

Merchandising

Syfy and The Asylum announced in August 2013 that Sharknado merchandise would be made available, including shirts and potentially other products, such as costumes, bags and posters.[33] Funko acquired the licensing agreement to manufacture the POP Vinyl version of Sharknado [34]

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 77% based on 22 reviews; the average rating is 6.40/10. The site's consensus states: "Proudly, shamelessly, and gloriously brainless, Sharknado redefines 'so bad it's good' for a new generation."[35]

Reviewer Mary McNamara, writing for the Los Angeles Times, mentioned that the plot holes are "the whole point of movies like this: fabulous in-home commentary. Often accompanied by the consumption of many alcoholic beverages."[4] David Hinckley of the New York Daily News said "Sharknado is an hour and a half of your life that you'll never get back. And you won't want to."[36] Kim Newman of Empire called the film "cynical rubbish, with an attention-getting title and just enough footage of terrible CG sharks in a terrible CG tornado chomping on people to fill out a trailer suitable for attracting YouTube hits."[37]

Sharknado has become a cult film.[38] The film was used for a RiffTrax Live event in July 2014, where former Mystery Science Theater 3000 cast members mocked the film for a live audience and broadcast to other theaters through NCM Fathom; the idea for using the film for this was prompted by the Sharknado producers discussing the film with Fathom at the same time.[39] After the event, Ferrante said that "Being skewered by the MST3K guys was an honor."[40] In 2016, Homes.com added a page to their disaster prep guides on How to Prepare Your Home For a Sharknado.[41]

Sequels and re-release

The success of Sharknado spawned a series of sequels, with the sixth and final entry in the series being released on August 19, 2018.[42]

In 2023, Sharknado was re-released with new special effects and deleted scenes for the film's tenth anniversary.[43] [44]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Readers' Poll: The 20 Worst Movies of 2013. March 5, 2014. Rolling Stone. 24 June 2014. June 24, 2014. https://archive.today/20140624115404/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/pictures/readers-poll-the-20-worst-movies-of-2013-20140305/4-sharknado-0121100. live.
  2. Web site: 'Sharknado' Cost: Syfy's Hit Movie Cost Two Million. Huffington Post. July 13, 2013. July 27, 2014. August 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140809042630/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/13/sharknado-cost_n_3591933.html. live.
  3. Web site: TV tonight: 'Sharknado,' 'Summer Camp' . Bianco . Robert . July 11, 2013 . USA Today . July 12, 2013 . July 11, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130711120417/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2013/07/11/bianco-critics-corner-july-11/2502663/ . live .
  4. Web site: 'Sharknado' keeps TV real . McNamara . Mary . July 11, 2013 . Los Angeles Times . July 12, 2013 . July 12, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130712071202/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-0711-sharknado-need-we-say-more-20130711,0,1772285.story . live .
  5. Web site: 'Sharknado!' Gets Midnight Screening Treatment Via Regal. Deadline Hollywood. July 26, 2013. December 31, 2013. October 19, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131019084651/http://www.deadline.com/2013/07/sharknado-gets-midnight-screening-treatment-via-regal/. live.
  6. Web site: Box Office Report: 'Sharknado' Theater Experiment Lacks Bite. The Hollywood Reporter. August 4, 2013. January 30, 2014. February 23, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140223094634/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-sharknado-theater-599323. live.
  7. Web site: 'Sharknado 3' Ending Tara Reid 'Sharknado 4'. The Hollywood Reporter. July 22, 2015. November 14, 2019. July 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170704170004/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sharknado-3-ending-tara-reid-810582. live.
  8. Web site: Syfy Sets Summer Premiere Dates For 'Wynonna Earp', 'Killjoys' & Final 'Sharknado' . . Erik . Pedersen . May 10, 2018 . May 11, 2018 . October 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221022201436/https://deadline.com/2018/05/syfy-premiere-dates-wynonna-earp-killjoys-sharknado-6-sharknado-week-1202387589/ . live .
  9. Web site: 'Sharknado 6' Will Be a Time Traveling Adventure; Art, Info and Date! . BloodyDisgusting.com . John . Squires . February 19, 2018 . February 19, 2018 . October 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221022201435/https://bloody-disgusting.com/tv/3484336/sharknado-6-will-time-traveling-adventure-art-info-date/ . live .
  10. News: 'Sharknado' Dares To Ask: Is It Going To Rain Giant Man-Eating Sharks?. Holmes. Linda. NPR. July 12, 2012. July 12, 2012. July 12, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130712200217/http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2013/07/12/201438989/sharknado-dares-to-ask-is-it-going-to-rain-giant-man-eating-sharks. live.
  11. Web site: Can a "Sharknado" Really Happen? . Suebsaeng . Asawin . July 11, 2013 . Mother Jones . July 12, 2013 . July 11, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130711233824/http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2013/07/sharknado-sharknado-sharknado-sharknado-sharknado . live .
  12. Web site: Here's The Full 'Sharknado' Trailer The Internet Has Been Waiting For . D . David . July 11, 2013 . Uproxx . July 12, 2013 . July 14, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130714005439/http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2013/07/hey-you-heres-the-full-sharknado-trailer-everyone-has-been-waiting-for/ . live .
  13. Web site: Inventing 'Sharknado': Inside Syfy's Booming B-Movie Factory. https://web.archive.org/web/20130714180118/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-12/inventing-sharknado-inside-syfys-booming-b-movie-factory . dead . July 14, 2013 . Suddath . Claire . July 12, 2013 . Bloomberg Businessweek . July 12, 2013.
  14. Web site: From Cousin Oliver to Sharknado Robbie Rist Rocks!. Valcourt. Keith. RockerZine.com. 2013. December 31, 2013. November 1, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101173203/http://www.rockerzine.com/index.php/2013/09/from-cousin-oliver-to-sharknado-robbie-rist-rocks/. live.
  15. Web site: Tara Reid on 'Sharknado': So Ridiculous and So Bad, It's Good! . Kepnes . Caroline . May 11, 2013 . Yahoo! TV . July 12, 2013 . July 14, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130714064050/http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/tara-reid-on--sharknado---so-ridiculous-and-so-bad--it-s-good--231402869.html . live .
  16. Web site: Ian Ziering on a "Sharknado" sequel, "Beverly Hills, 90210" reunion . Moraski . Lauren . December 20, 2013 . CBS News . December 20, 2013 . December 20, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131220214613/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ian-ziering-on-sharknado-sequel-beverly-hills-90210-reunion/ . live .
  17. Web site: Highlights From The 'Sharknado' Conference Call With Tara Reid & Director Anthony Ferrante . Guerrero . Danger . July 10, 2013 . Uproxx . July 12, 2013 . July 14, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130714050620/http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2013/07/highlights-from-the-conference-call-with-tara-reid-and-the-director-of-sharknado/ . live .
  18. Web site: Syfy 'Sharknado' Attracts Average Of 1.369 Million Viewers – Mostly Journalists And Celebrities . De Moraes . Lisa . July 12, 2013 . Deadline . July 12, 2013 . July 14, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130714102435/http://www.deadline.com/2013/07/syfy-to-re-run-sharknado-in-response-to-social-media-feeding-frenzy/ . live .
  19. Web site: Lisa . De Moraes . 'Sharknado!' Crowd Grows In Repeat; Europe Wants In . Deadline Hollywood . July 19, 2013 . July 22, 2013 . July 21, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130721093403/http://www.deadline.com/2013/07/sharknado-crowd-grows-in-repeat-europe-wants-in/ . live .
  20. Web site: Amanda . Kondolojy . Syfy's 'Sharknado' Hits Viewership Highs in Third Airing, Devours Additional 2.1 Million Viewers . TV by the Numbers . July 30, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130904201307/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/07/30/powered-by-social-media-buzz-and-unprecidented-press-coverage-syfys-sharknado-hits-viewership-highs-in-third-airing/194773/ . September 4, 2013.
  21. Web site: The 'Sharknado' Effect: Hollywood's Booming Shark Movie Economy. Appelo. Tim. The Hollywood Reporter. July 26, 2013. December 31, 2013. March 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140309034417/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/syfys-sharknado-effect-hollywoods-booming-590766. live.
  22. News: Oh no, it's "Sharknado" and it's ravaging Twitter . Payne . Ed . July 12, 2013 . CNN . July 12, 2013 . July 14, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130714123923/http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/12/showbiz/sharknado-twitter/index.html . live .
  23. Web site: GOP 'ObamaCareNado' ad likens healthcare law to 'Sharknado' . Butler . Kristen . July 19, 2013 . UPI . July 19, 2013 . July 19, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130719131700/http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/Blog/2013/07/19/GOP-ObamaCareNado-ad-likens-healthcare-law-to-Sharknado-VIDEO/1941374236210/?spt=hts&or=5 . live .
  24. News: 'Sharknado' In Theaters: Syfy Announces Midnight Screenings Across The Country . The Huffington Post . July 26, 2013 . July 29, 2013 . July 29, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130729062137/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/26/sharknado-in-theaters_n_3660065.html . live .
  25. Web site: 'Sharknado' Midnight Sales 'Bloody Good'. Deadline Hollywood. August 3, 2013. December 31, 2013. December 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224426/http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/sharknado-midnight-movie-sales-bloody-good/. live.
  26. Web site: Syfy and NCM Fathom Events partnered to host more than 200 midnight screenings of the campy made-for-TV movie in theaters across the country. McClintock. Pamela. The Hollywood Reporter. August 4, 2013. December 31, 2013. February 23, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140223094634/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-sharknado-theater-599323. live.
  27. Web site: Who will bring us Sharknado? . Knox . David . July 17, 2013 . TV Tonight . July 17, 2013 . September 12, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130912051618/http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/07/who-will-bring-us-sharknado.html . live .
  28. Web site: Sharknado release fast-tracked for Australia after killer response . The Weekly Review. July 26, 2013.
  29. Web site: Ratings: Friday 26 July 2013 . Knox . David . July 27, 2013 . TV Tonight . August 23, 2013 . July 30, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130730065938/http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/07/friday-26-july-2013.html . live .
  30. Web site: 'Sharknado' gets UK TV debut in August. Fletcher. Alex. July 22, 2013. Digital Spy. July 23, 2013. July 25, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130725213644/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a500318/sharknado-gets-uk-tv-debut-in-august.html. live.
  31. CINEMA36 - Sharknado 1 ฝูงฉลามทอร์นาโด 1. th. PPTV HD 36. YouTube. June 12, 2017. August 30, 2018. September 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190906234517/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GghHV4bluCU&gl=US&hl=en. live.
  32. News: AGB Nielsen: Mega Manila TV Ratings – January 1-5, 2016. LionhearTV. January 5, 2016. November 16, 2020. March 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190313194109/http://www.lionheartv.net/2016/01/january-1-5-2016-tv-ratings/. live.
  33. Web site: 'Sharknado' T-Shirts, Costumes and Other Merch in Syfy Forecast. Spangler. Todd. Variety. July 31, 2013. December 31, 2013. December 21, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131221120747/http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/sharknado-t-shirts-costumes-and-other-merch-in-syfy-forecast-1200570182/. live.
  34. Web site: Sharknado Funko POP Vinyl . Harley . Madison . April 24, 2014 . popvinyl.net . April 24, 2014 . May 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512232704/http://popvinyl.net/pop-vinyl-news/sharknado-funko-pop-vinyl-unveiling . dead .
  35. Web site: Sharknado. November 11, 2013. Rotten Tomatoes. November 1, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101125840/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sharknado_2013/. live.
  36. Web site: 'Sharknado': TV review . July 11, 2013 . . July 11, 2013 . New York . July 15, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130715195540/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sharknado-tv-review-article-1.1395021 . live .
  37. Kim. Newman. November 2013. Kim Newman's Movie Dungeon. Empire. 134.
  38. News: TV film 'Sharknado' inches to cult status with midnight showings. Kelsey. Eric. Reuters. 2013-08-02. 2013-12-31. September 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220922060127/https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-sharknado-idUSBRE97200H20130803. live.
  39. Web site: 'Rifftrax Live' skewers 'Sharknado' . . July 8, 2014 . July 11, 2014 . Toni . Ruberto . October 25, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141025190755/http://www.buffalonews.com/gusto/movies/rifftrax-live-skewers-sharknado-20140708 . dead .
  40. Web site: Sharknado Rifftrax Screening . . Anthony . Ferrante . July 11, 2014 . July 11, 2014 . July 15, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140715001929/https://twitter.com/acferrante/status/487626848478568448 . live .
  41. Web site: How to Prepare Your Home for a Sharknado. McCullers. Cassandra. July 10, 2016. Homes.Com. July 26, 2016. November 9, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201109043527/https://www.homes.com/blog/2016/07/sharknado/. live.
  42. Web site: Syfy Sets Summer Premiere Dates for Sharknado 5, Dark Matter, Killjoys, Wynonna Earp and More . . Alex . Gilyadov . April 7, 2017 . April 10, 2017 . August 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230809210949/https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/07/syfy-sets-summer-premiere-dates-for-sharknado-5-dark-matter-killjoys-wynonna-earp-and-more . live .
  43. Web site: Squires . John . 2023-08-07 . ‘Sharknado’ Celebrating 10th Anniversary with Theatrical Release and 100s of New Special Effects . 2023-08-16 . Bloody Disgusting! . en-US . August 16, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230816024901/https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3774265/sharknado-celebrating-10th-anniversary-with-theatrical-release-and-100s-of-new-special-effects/ . live .
  44. Web site: 2023-08-08 . Sharknado Swimming Into Theaters With Special Features, Deleted Scenes For 10th Anniversary . 2023-08-16 . SYFY Official Site . en-US . August 16, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230816024902/https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/sharknado-10th-anniversary-edition-in-theaters-aug-15 . live .

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