July 14th is a special day for anyone who’s ever tiptoed into the beach, unaware of the creatures around them nibbling at their feet. It’s Shark Awareness Day, of course! Here are a few films to raise awareness about these fiendish fish. Consider these titles for your library programming about sharks during the summer, or just to expand your shark genre film collection.
Jaws (1975)
You obviously can’t have a list of shark movies without the granddaddy of them all. Spielberg hit it big with this 1975 film about an enormous shark terrorizing the New England beach community of Amity Island. Yes, it spawned countless sequels (check out Jaws 3D for one of the worst/best moments in 3D history) but the original has true staying power. Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, and Richard Dreyfuss are all extraordinary. It doesn’t hurt having that ethereal, malevolent John Williams score either. What Psycho did for showers, Jaws did for beach trips.
Read our review of Jaws
The Sharknado Series
Look, it’s hard to lend a critical eye to a film series whose 2nd installment is literally named Sharknado 2: The Second One. But that doesn’t mean the films aren’t entertaining. The plot? Adverse weather conditions combine with sharks. Carnage ensues. It’s a shame Pauline Kael wasn’t alive to review these gems. The central hero in these films is Fin, played by Beverly Hills, 90210 alum/”holy crap that guy is still alive” guy Ian Ziering. Syfy produced SIX of these, and the guest stars include Tara Reid, Mark Cuban, Al Roker, James Hong, Vivica A. Fox, Dolph Lundgren, Clay Aiken, Steve Guttenberg, Gilbert Gottfried, David Hasselhoff, Olivia Newton-John, and literally hundreds more. These films are all over the place and implausible, but they’re a great time.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Before Samuel L. Jackson dealt with snakes on a plane in…well, Snakes on a Plane, he was facing off against sharks in this 1999 film. It…doesn’t end well end for him. Obviously inspired by Jaws, the film features a research crew experimenting with mako sharks. Oh, and they genetically engineered them to have bigger brains, which turns out to be a foolish move. Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Aida Turturro, Saffron Burrows, and Stellan Skarsgaard all star in this flick, which is high on shark violence and low on…pretty much everything other than shark violence.
Read our review of Deep Blue Sea
Shark Tale (2004)
Before he made headlines for slapping Chris Rock in the face, Will Smith voiced tropical fish Oscar in this Dreamworks picture. Yes, even though sharks are seen as ferocious, this one is for kids. An anchor kills Frankie (Michael Imperioli), and Oscar becomes famous after taking credit for the kill. This one may be for the younger set, but it boasts a truly impressive voice cast. Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Peter Falk, Vincent Pastore, and Martin Scorsese all lend their talents to this kid-friendly flick.
Read our review of Shark Tale
The Meg (2018)
Jason Statham and Rainn Wilson star in this shark adventure. No, the sharks aren’t genetically engineered. They’re just enormous. The title is short for megalodon, an ostensibly extinct creature and one of the most immense and powerful predators to ever exist. Naturally, bigger sharks lead to bigger carnage, and there are several jaw-dropping scenes displaying the unreal power of these beasts. Plus, if you hated The Office, you’ll get a kick out of Dwight being subjected to terror for two hours.
Read our review of The Meg