Shark in Venice
Encyclopedia
Sharks in Venice is a natural
-horror film
film directed by Danny Lerner and starring Stephen Baldwin
, Bashar Rahal
and Vanessa Johansson
.
, 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 wetsuit
s 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
. 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.
. 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.
as Sharks in Venice and on 6 August 2009 at DVD as Der weiße Hai von Venedig in Germany.
Natural
Natural is an adjective that refers to Nature.Natural may refer too:In science and mathematics:* Natural transformation, category theory in mathematics* Natural foods...
-horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
film directed by Danny Lerner and starring Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Andrew Baldwin is an American actor, director, producer and author. One of the Baldwin brothers, he is known for his roles as William F. Cody in the western show The Young Riders and as Stuart in the movie Threesome...
, Bashar Rahal
Bashar Rahal
Bashar Mounzer Rahal is a Bulgarian actor well known for his role in the TV show "It Can't Be" equivalent of "'Saturday Night Live'"...
and Vanessa Johansson
Vanessa Johansson
-Background:Johansson was born in New York City. Her father, Karsten Johansson, is a Danish-born architect, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a screenwriter and director. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from a Jewish American family from the Bronx...
.
Plot
The film takes place in VeniceVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, 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 wetsuit
Wetsuit
A wetsuit is a garment, usually made of foamed neoprene, which is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports, providing thermal insulation, abrasion resistance and buoyancy. The insulation properties depend on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material,...
s and scuba
Scuba set
A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving....
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
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
; 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
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
brooch
Brooch
A brooch ; also known in ancient times as a fibula; is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material...
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
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
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
Great white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
taking up residence in the city of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. 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.
Cast
- Stephen BaldwinStephen BaldwinStephen Andrew Baldwin is an American actor, director, producer and author. One of the Baldwin brothers, he is known for his roles as William F. Cody in the western show The Young Riders and as Stuart in the movie Threesome...
as David Franks - Vanessa JohanssonVanessa Johansson-Background:Johansson was born in New York City. Her father, Karsten Johansson, is a Danish-born architect, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a screenwriter and director. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from a Jewish American family from the Bronx...
as Laura - Giacomo Gonnella as Vito Clemenza
- Ivaylo Geraskov as Rossi
- Atanas Srebrev as Captain Bonasera
- Kaloyan Vondenicharov as Man in Black
- Bashar RahalBashar RahalBashar Mounzer Rahal is a Bulgarian actor well known for his role in the TV show "It Can't Be" equivalent of "'Saturday Night Live'"...
as Medical Examiner - Vlado Kolev as Assistant
- Michael McCoy as Dean Flathers
- Asen Blatechki as Operator
- Rolando Cadenas as Student
- Ivo Kehayov as Cop
- Jamie Smith as Statue 1
- Howard Chen as Bison
- Rob Gibson as Sunburnt Man 2
Production
The film was shot on location in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. 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.
Release
The film was released on 14 December 2008 in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Sharks in Venice and on 6 August 2009 at DVD as Der weiße Hai von Venedig in Germany.