The Last Shark (1981)

"There's something fishy here, and I don't like it." - Billy Joe

aka: Great White
aka: The Last Jaws
Just like most movies this month... A killer shark terrorizes a beach community.
Starring: James Franciscus, Vic Morrow, Joshua Sinclair, Micaela Pignatelli

Link to IMDB

Peter

Everyone in Port Harbor is enjoying the summertime and getting excited for the upcoming beach regatta, except one young man has gone missing at sea. Peter Benton's a concerned local marine expert so he goes out looking for the kid, but all he finds is a surfboard that's been bitten in half. He meets with Ron Hamer, a local fisherman, and he tells Peter that the evidence points to a large shark being in the area. The two men take the problem to the mayor, advising him to cancel the upcoming windsurfing competition. Mister mayor doesn't care about anything except his political campaign, so the beach will remain open, although he does agree to put a shark-fence in the water to make the community feel safe.

So far, this isn't just a Jaws rip-off, it's pretty much an exact remake! Albeit an Italian exploitation remake. I was enjoying myself well enough, but things are soon going to get even better...

Hamer

The shark interrupts the windsurfing party, of course, creating panic and fear through the town. Now, it's up to Peter and Hamer to find and kill the beast before anymore lives are lost. A few other boats decide to join the hunt, full of teenagers eager to get revenge against the great white.
This is where some originality starts to appear, and with it comes the weirdness. It's not really what happens that is odd, but how it's delivered. Everyone is busy trying to outsmart the shark while it chomps on their boats, and it's these shark attacks that create most of the strangeness. They're filmed in an almost dreamlike style. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but they have an unorthodox quality to them. The shark itself looks great and the tension is increasing, but everything's exaggerated enough to also be hilarious and eye-opening.


This shark is one tough son of a bitch. Peter and Hamer try to stab it. Denied! The kids try to shoot it. Denied! Another shark expert shows up to help. Denied! Maybe a helicopter will help? Denied! No one can even remotely hurt the shark, so they all regroup back in town to discuss the situation.
By this point my money is on the shark, because it's clearly winning by a mile.

The start is a bit slow, but once the movie gets more creative it really became a joy to watch. There is something inherently peculiar about the tone of the movie that I found refreshing. I have no idea what the intended mood was supposed to be for the last half. Comedy or drama? The Last Shark is just off kilter enough to keep you guessing what could possibly happen next, while still maintaining a good shark-thriller vibe.

Nowhere is safe !

Be sure not to miss:
- The best shark vs. helicopter scene ever!
- The newscast producer says, "Just use stock footage, no one will know the difference." That's pretty much the motto of every shark movie.

Internet review:
"Quite possibly the most unintentionally funny movie in the history of cinema." - MaratSade

Should I watch it?
Yes.

Where can I find it?
This version on YouTube is the best quality.

The Last Shark gets... (especially the second half)