According to a Variety report this morning, one of our favourite subgenres, shark attack horror films, will be investigated in a documentary dubbed Sharksploitation.
Jaws, which was directed by Steven Spielbergwas released in 1975 and is still considered one of the best shark-themed horror films ever created. A new documentary will now examine the film’s enormous influence on horror and the subgenre it spawned.
Sharksploitation is a brand-new documentary that delves into the nature of shark cinema and the various films that attempted to imitate the success of the Peter Benchley novel adaption. Shortly after Jaws, audiences were treated to films like Piranha and Orca, which concentrated on the horrors of animals lurking beneath the water’s surface, while more contemporary efforts like the Sharknado series dominate social media whenever they launch, if only for audiences to relish in their silliness.
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Sharksploitation, directed by Stephen Scarlata, will examine the myriad aquatic nightmares that followed Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which popularised the shark attack movie in the 1970s. Countless imitators followed after, with some sinking and others swimming – but none ever reaching the same heights as the iconic film.
Of course, the subgenre predates Spielberg’s game-changing masterpiece, and the documentary will delve into that rich history.From Roger Corman’s 1958 She Gods of Shark Reef until the debut of Jaws and its knock-offs, the feature-length documentary will dive into the sub-genre of sharksploitation films.
Jaws had a huge influence on Scarlata’s decision to become a filmmaker, and it started my lifelong obsession with sharks, he stated in a statement released by Variety. This video documentary is the ultimate love letter to the shark film genre, the hardworking filmmakers that make these films, and the misunderstood species itself.
Sharksploitation will appear at the Frontières co-production market, with Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Carl Gottlieb, and Wendy Benchley confirmed as interview subjects.
