Tuesday 13 November 2018

The Last Shark (L'Ultimo Squalo)

Before visual meat, let's explore how Enzo G. Castellari's rubbish knock-off was marketed.

Jaws was called Tubarão (Shark) in Brazil, leading many to believe that O Último Tubarão (The Last Shark) was part of the franchise.

In Japan, video was titled Jaws Returns.

If using same font as Jaws wasn't bad enough, fake sequel's box art is a mash up of Jaws 2 and a 'different' sail boat from alternative poster.
Observe.


Spain recycled 1981 promotional material, but title claimed something else.

Tiburón 3: El Último Tiburón (Jaws 3: The Last Shark) 
The real Jaws 3 was released in 1983.

I'm actually a fan of the more famous Italian poster.
Plot

After a huge Great White Shark terrorises the seaside resort of Port Harbor, a professional shark hunter is recruited to kill underwater monster.

Sound familiar?

You bet your ass it does.

Characters

Peter Benton vs Martin Brody


First name is a likely play on Peter Benchley (who did cameo as news reporter), but as horror author is the hero...

Governor William Wells vs Mayor Larry Vaughn


Both refuse to believe that shark threat exists.

And best of all.

Ron Hamer vs Quint


(Silence).

While filming the 'Time Out' segment for Twilight Zone: The Movie, Vic Morrow (along with two illegally hired child actors), died in a stunt helicopter accident.

Moving on, boat is no Orca.


SON OF A BITCH!

Hooper?

(No).

Thank fuck for that.
Constructed and operated by Giorgio Ferrari, with the collaboration of Giorgio Pozzi, mechanical shark was embarrassing.


Unlike Spielberg's masterpiece, film regularly (and awkwardly) cuts to stock footage.
Action

Ignoring circumstances, it's obvious where ideas came from.



This is a bit different I suppose.

I've heard of getting legless, but this is just taking the piss.
However.

Estuary victim lost more than limb.
Blink and you'll miss it sequence is giallo-esque.

Elongated sausage attacks enemy boat.
As punishment for getting in way of throttle, propeller gives it the bloody point.
This is just weird.

For some fucking reason, Benton gives shark a plank of wood to eat.
Why?

Maybe four-by-two was human flesh flavoured?

But I doubt it.

For shits and giggles

Just before eating Quint, Bruce munches on identical object.
With dynamite still strapped to Hamer's body, floating corpse is literally baddie's last supper.

Benton uses detonator to make shark go boom.
Same result, but at least method was different.

1 comment:

  1. Falem o que quiser,eu amo O Último Tubarão! Vale lembrar que passou na TV aberta (Record) antes de Tubarão.Amo de paixão Tubarão (tenho o livro também),mas acho O Último Tubarão melhor que as continuações de Tubarão.

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