The premise of the movie was basically asking to be written about on our B-Movie Boys blog. There is a tornado that is filled with sharks. It is a Sharknado. Commence movie. You probably have a good idea of what these movies are like based on that premise alone, but how did these movies even come to exist? Let's find out together, shall we?
Sharknado was written by Thunder Levin about a hurricane that brings sharks to Los Angeles. A surfing champion named Fin Shepard, played by Ian Ziering, tries to save his estranged wife (Tara Reid) and their daughter in Beverly Hills. Can he surf past the whirling winds filled with man-eating sharks? Well, yes, because that's the movie. Meanwhile, the sharks descend onto the city with these turbulent rains to eat up any unsuspecting Angelenos who get caught in the eye of the Sharknado. There is no nudity in the movie, but Ian is there and we have always loved his body. Other hot stars include John Heard, Jaason Simmons, and Marcus Choi.
The tagline of Sharknado is "Enough said!" proving that the creators knew exactly what they were doing with this goofy premise. The film was shot in only EIGHTEEN DAYS and was directed by Anthony C. Ferrante who had previously dabbled in other indie horror features like Headless Horseman and Boo. This was a fun departure from straight-up horror with a wild creature feature that ended up being an adventure to watch. These films were all made-for-TV and aired on the Syfy channel starting in 2013. It was then given a few theatrical releases and the cult following came soon after for this unique take on the killer shark film genre.
Sharknado 2: The Second One brought some extra star power. Vivica A. Fox.Mark McGrath. DowntownJulie Brown. Need I say more? Okay, fine, I will: Billy Ray Cyrus as Doctor Quint. What is happening?! Just Sharknado tings. Andy Dick plays Officer Doyle as Fin and April go to New York City and are met with a huge hurricane that brings The Big Apple deadly Sharknadoes. Multiple Sharknadoes?! Oh, you bet!
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No has EVEN MORE STAR QUALITY. David Hasselhoff, Frankie Muniz, BO DEREK. They all appear in this baby. Ian Ziering is our constant - along with Tara Reid - as they venture into more shark-infested waters to fight yet another sharknado. As the title implies, our stars are fed up with these sharknadoes. And, really, who could blame them? These things seem like a nuisance...a nuisance that can kill you. A tornado frees sharks in Washington, D.C. (???) and brings them down to Orlando, Florida (????????). So, you know, things are about to get crazy yet again as Fin and April head down to Florida for a violent vacation.
Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, and The Last Sharknado movie are all next-level insane. That's to be expected with a premise that already starts off crazy. The final film was released in 2018 and it features Fin and the gang TRAVELING BACK IN TIME TO STOP THE VERY FIRST SHARKNADO. HOW? WHAT? YES!!!! That is the plot, baby, and we are all here for it. To be honest, it is worth watching the first movie and this movie back-to-back. You barely need to know what happened in between to see just how crazy this series got as it ties up its loose ends with time travel and tornado sharks. A match made in sea monster heaven. Fin rewrites history, but history has already decided that the Sharknado movies are a Baja Blast to watch. I say that because Sharknado movies are like the Taco Bell of movies. They seem like a great idea, especially if you are under the influence, and you have a great time doing it - but you might feel sick afterward. Hey, that's just part of it.
Watch one of the scenes from Sharknado 3 here:
