STACK #166 Aug 2018

DVD & BD FEATURE

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Words Scott Hocking

In the summer of 1975, a 25-foot shark terrorised Amity Island and cinemagoers, propelling both Steven Spielberg and the Great White into the public consciousness. A day at the beach would never be the same again, and neither would a trip to the movies. Although all manner of aquatic predators attempted to take a bite out of the box office, none could compete with the popularity of the shark. With The Meg swimming onto cinema screens this month, what better time to look at why it's never been safe to go back in the water.

JAWS (1975) The original and the best, this one needs no introduction. So we'll let the trailer's ominous voiceover do the talking: "There is a creature alive today who has survived millions of years of evolution, without change, without passion, and without logic. It lives to kill. A mindless eating machine. It will attack and devour anything. It is as if God created the Devil, and gave him... Jaws." THE SHALLOWS (2016) Imagine if Chrissie from Jaws hadn't been eaten in the opening scene and had instead climbed aboard the nearby buoy to do whatever it takes to stay alive. That's what Blake Lively does after being attacked a few hundred yards from the beach, waging a one-woman war against her finned aggressor. The Shallows reminds us a Great White can still be scary in a post- Sharknado world. BAIT (2012) How's this for high concept? A tsunami traps a bunch of survivors in a flooded Queensland supermarket, where a pair of Great White sharks are prowling the aisles – and they're not looking for specials! This Aussie mash-up of Deep Blue Sea and The Mist is an exceedingly daft but enjoyable B-movie that makes the most of its novelty premise. Just don't expect Jaws Down Under.

DEEP BLUE SEA 1 & 2 (1999/2018) Scientists genetically altering mako sharks to benefit medicine can only end in tears – and blood – as Samuel L. Jackson discovers in an unforgettable moment. That still doesn't stop them from trying again in a sequel, this time harvesting antibodies from aggressive bull sharks. They also enhance their intelligence – didn't anyone think that might be a bad idea? 47 METRES DOWN (2017) Mandy Moore and Claire Holt discover how Hooper felt in Jaws when a routine cage dive in Mexico turns into a nightmare. After a fraying cable and broken winch sends them plummeting to the titular depth, they must make it to the surface, pronto, before the oxygen supply runs out. No prizes for guessing what shows up to prevent this from happening. SHARKNADO 1-5 (2013 – 2017) When it comes to shark movies, if Jaws is the sublime then this schlockbuster franchise is the ridiculous. Stretching its one-joke premise to snapping point, we're currently at five films and counting – The Last Sharknado: It's About Time is due this year! Full of has-been actors, questionable cameos, laughable dialogue and dodgy CGI, fans wouldn't have it any other way.

The Meg is in

cinemas on Aug 16 (see page 14). Head online to pre- order your copy at

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AUGUST 2018

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