Cruel Jaws
Cruel Jaws, also known as The Beast, is a 1995 direct-to-video Italian thriller film shot in Florida including the Theater of the Sea.[1] The film stars Richard Dew and David Luther and was directed by Bruno Mattei (under the name of William Snyder).[2] It was released on VHS and DVD in relative obscurity, mostly outside of the United States. While marketed in many areas as Jaws 5: Cruel Jaws, it is actually not part of the Jaws franchise.[3]
| Cruel Jaws | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Bruno Mattei |
| Story by | Robert Feen Bruno Mattei Linda Morrison |
| Starring | David Luther George Barnes, Jr. Scott Silveria Kristen Urso Richard Dew Sky Palma |
| Music by | Michael Morahan |
| Cinematography | Luigi Ciccarese Ben Jackson |
| Distributed by | VPS Video Beam Entertainment Teliwa DMEG |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes (USA) 96 minutes (Japan) |
| Language | English |
Plot
The coastal town of Hampton Bay is threatened when a 25-foot Tiger shark starts chomping up their vacationers. Days before the annual Regatta celebration, the townspeople are faced with financial ruin if something is not done about their new-found shark problem. If that was not enough, the owners of the local amusement park have been subject to a hostile takeover from a prospective businessman looking to cash in on their prized property. It is then up to the sheriff, the park's owner, and a shark expert to head out and kill the shark before the summer economy is slashed and the park is demolished.
Production
The film utilizes footage from the Jaws film series, as well as the Italian films Deep Blood and Great White.[3]
Cast
- Richard Dew as Dag Soerensen
- David Luther as Francis Berger
- George Barnes, Jr. as Samuel Lewis
- Scott Silveria as Bob Soerensen
- Kristen Urso as Susy Soerensen
- Sky Palma as Glenda
- Norma J. Nesheim as Vanessa
- Gregg Hood as Bill Morrison
- Carter Collins as Ronnie Lewis
- Natasha Etzer as Gloria Lewis
- Larry Zience as Larry
- Jay Colligan as Tommy
Home media
The film was released on DVD in Europe in 2009.[4] A Blu-ray release from Scream Factory was planned (packaged as a double feature with Exterminators of the Year 3000), but ultimately cancelled due to the film's unauthorized use of footage from the Jaws franchise and other shark movies.[5] The film was officially released on Blu-ray and DVD in the US on September 29, 2020 by Severin Films.
See also
- List of killer shark films
References
- "An interview with Jay Colligan, star of Cruel Jaws". Mondo Exploito. 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
- "Cruel Jaws (1995) reviews and Severin Blu-ray and DVD news". Movies and Mania. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- Begg, Ken (2012-08-27). "Cruel Jaws (1995)". Jabootu's Bad Movie Dimension. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
- "Fauci crudeli - Cruel jaws: Amazon.it: David Luther, Scott Silveria, Kirsten Urso, George Barnes Jr., Richard Dew, Sky Palma, Norma J. Nesheim, Bruno Mattei: Film e TV". Amazon.it. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
- Gerald Wurm. "Cruel Jaws - Blu-ray Release Cancelled - Legal Problems Hinder Scream Factory's Plans". Movie-Censorship.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
Other sources
- "El Portal lends aura to Cruel Jaws crew: Shady hamlet is thriller's backdrop". The Miami Herald. The McClatchy Company. December 4, 1994. p. 2 (Neighbors). Retrieved November 6, 2010.