| Sharks in Venice | |
|---|---|
Official DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Danny Lerner |
| Produced by | Lee Weldon |
| Written by | Danny Lerner |
| Starring | Stephen Baldwin Vanessa Johansson Bashar Rahal |
| Music by | Stephen Edwards |
| Cinematography | Ross W. Clarkson |
| Editing by | Michele Gisser |
| Studio | Nu Image Films Venice Sharks |
| Distributed by | First Look International |
| Release date(s) | August 6, 2008 |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Italian |
Sharks in Venice is a natural-horror film film directed by Danny Lerner and starring Stephen Baldwin, Bashar Rahal and Vanessa Johansson.
Contents |
The film takes place in Venice, where David Franks (Baldwin) and girlfriend Laura (Johansson) are meeting with Venetian police to learn more about the mysterious disappearance of David's father. During the boatride to where they think David's father may have last been seen, David sees the dorsal fin of a large shark. In double-take he looks back and the fin is gone. David and another man (Rossi) enter the canals wearing wetsuits and scuba gear . A large shark preys on the two and in a sudden attack the Italian man is eaten. David is bitten in the shoulder but manages to escape to a cave.
In the cave, David narrowly escapes several close calls with contraptions recalling those in the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark; the film also borrows quite liberally from the plot of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He then emerges on a large room in the cave which holds vast amounts of treasure. David stares in wonder at it, pockets a gold and emerald brooch and returns to Laura in the boat. The next scene shows him recuperating in a hospital bed with Laura by his side.
David and Laura are asked to meet and have dinner with business-man Vito Clemenza (Giacomo Gonnella). Clemenza produces the brooch David had taken from the treasure room and asks David to return to the cave in return for a large fortune. A few scary moments occur as unsuspecting tourists are devoured, and David contemplates his next move. Before too long Laura is kidnapped by Clemenza's Mafia goons. David decides to try to save her with the help of the Venetian police.
It is unclear whether it is a scientific phenomenon leading to the gradual increase in the temperature of the Grand Canal and the presence of at least one Great white shark taking up residence in the city of Venice.[1] Later in the film Clemenza appears to tell David that he is the one who has introduced the sharks to the waterways.
The plot is widely considered to be the worst movie of all time by several websites; including this one.[2]
The film was shot on location in Bulgaria.[3] In fact, the director intended to name the movie Shark in Bulgaria, however, it would not have had the same "flow" as if the movie were titled Shark in Venice.
The score was composed by Stephen Edwards and produced by Source in sync.[4]
The film was released on 14 December 2008 in the United States as Sharks in Venice and on 6 August 2009 at DVD as Der weiße Hai von Venedig in Germany.[5]