Last Shark Surfaces on Blu-Ray

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Book Review: Darkening the Italian Screen

Darkening the Italian ScreenDarkening the Italian Screen
Published by McFarland, 2019. 334 pages
By Eugenio Ercolani

As fans of Italian genre films, we all know the names of Argento, Bava, Soavi, and (hopefully) Freda. But there were so many that worked in the industry in the ’60s through the ’80s, that so many get lost in the shuffle. Maybe we’ve heard of them, or maybe we know a movie or two they did, but that’s it. That is what I love about this book, that it brings light to more than a few people that had connections to some of the films we love, but maybe didn’t know as much about them.

Going through the list of names interviewed in this book, there were a few that I was familiar with, such as Umberto Lenzi, Ruggero Deodato, Enzo G. Castellari, and Sergio Martino. But even with these guys, there were plenty of interesting and sometimes downright amazing stories to be learned within these pages, especially when we learn about their beginnings in the industry. Other names like Alberto De Martino or Mario Caiano, I was somewhat familiar with, but not a lot. Then there were names that I wasn’t as familiar with at all, such as Giulio Petroni or Franco Rossetti. But the great thing about if you’ve been a fan of the Italian film genre for any length of time, you will have at least heard of the films they are talking about, if you haven’t seen them already. Continue reading

Last Shark Soundtrack?!?!

Great White CDSure, we’re probably getting close to the End of Days, with all the idiots in our governments, the climate change going out of control, and the world basically just turning to shit. But how can we not forget about all of that negativity when someone has released the soundtrack for one of the greatest Jaws rip-offs ever committed to film?!?!?

Exactly!

Thanks to the wonderful people at Beat Records, Guido & Maurizio De Angelis’ score for Enzo G. Castellari’s L’ultimo Squalo (aka The Last Shark or Great White) is coming out on CD! This 1981 film was actually pulled from release after playing in the states for about a month, after Universal sued the makers of the film for copyright infringement, and won! With James Franciscus and Vic Morrow hunting a very smart and very large Great White, it is a perfect slice of Italian cheese.

Being released here in the states for the very first time, this release is limited to only 500 copies and is priced at $19.95. Having close to 75 minutes on this release, that is a damn good price. I know I’ve already ordered my copy! The release also comes with a 12-page booklet. You can order your copy from Screen Archives by clicking HERE.

Movie Review: Last Shark (1981)

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The Last Shark (1981)
Directed by Enzo G. Castellari
Starring James Franciscus, Vic Morrow, Joshua Sinclair, Giancarlo Prete, Stefania Girolami Goodwin, Gian Marco Lari, Chuck Kaufman, Gail Moore, Joyce Lee

It was not uncommon for a foreign film studio to make their own version of a popular US film. I’m not talking remakes, mind you, since that would imply buying the rights for it. I’m just talking on using the same ideas, storyline, or theme, but changing them enough to make it their own. Just look at when William Friedkin’s The Exorcist came out … there were tons of rip-offs … sorry, films made that were “inspired by” just in Italy alone. Now this wasn’t a bad thing, and we’re not complaining, since we love a lot of those … variations. But when a new film called Great White hit the US shores in March of 1982, Universal Pictures filed a lawsuit against the producers of the film, stating that it was too similar to their film Jaws and Jaws 2. After only a month on the screen, it was pulled. Of course, that didn’t stop the producers from making a reported $18 million for that single month. Not too bad for a rip-off, huh?

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