Hello, horror fans. Welcome to another edition of Horror With a Side of Cheese! I am searching for the cheesiest genre films ever created. The search constantly takes me around the world, across decades and through a multitude of subgenres. Every month, on the first and third Fridays, I come here and talk about my latest find. I rate each film between one and five cheese slices. Several factors go into the rating, including story, dialogue, acting, effects and re-watchability. In this edition, I present the 2015 movie Shark Exorcist. Stick around to find out how many cheese slices this one gets.
About Shark Exorcist
What happens when a nun goes to the dark side? She calls on evil forces, of course. In Shark Exorcist, a nun summons a demon shark to the local waters. After the shark bites a woman, things get crazy quickly. A priest arrives to attempt an exorcism as shredded bodies begin washing up on the shores. Can the priest save the small town? The town’s citizens are in peril.
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The film stars Angela Kerecz, Bobby Kerecz, Channing Dodson, Madison Carney, Alaine Huntington, Christy Moritz, Roni Jonah, Lexi Nimmo and others. Donald Farmer wrote and directed the movie. It runs for an hour and 10 minutes.
Shark Exorcist does not have a Tomatometer Score but has a 21 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
My Thoughts
I have so much to say about this one; it is difficult to know where to start. To fully explain my thoughts, I need to veer a bit off-topic momentarily. Being a third-generation horror fan comes with a few perks. For example, being a part of low-budget horror shorts. My maternal grandfather was talented with the technology of the time, especially when it came to his passion for film.
In the mid-to-late ’90s, he decided to put his love for filming and horror to good use by making his own werewolf-centric short films. The entire family got involved. At the time, it was thrilling and fun to be part of the process, but little did I know those experiences would become some of my most cherished memories. I have seen many low-budget horrors; however, this is the first one that genuinely called these memories forward.
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I’m sure you’re wondering how this relates to Shark Exorcist. Here is the short of it; aspects of the film brought to mind those memories. The acting, particularly a couple of the actors, reminded me of some of the people that helped with my grandpa’s films. Not in how they looked or sounded but in how they delivered lines and moved about the scenes.
Continuing on the theme of acting, it is every bit as cheesy as the premise. From the overacting to the ridiculous “possession” scenes, it is a wild experience. Roni Jonah’s psychic moments, in particular, are a rollercoaster.
As for the story, it brings a level of cheesy insanity that I previously thought was unattainable. Where else will you find a movie about the devil embodying a shark (it looks like a great white), who then bites a woman, somehow possessing her in the process? A couple of scenes indicate that the girl is either connected directly to the devil shark or can sometimes become the shark.
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Although some were digital, the effects also brought to mind those old shorts made by my family. In the ’90s, a good video camera could put certain effects into the scene as it was filmed. Current technology makes those abilities seem so cheap. However, back then, it was incredible. I could go off on another tangent about that, but I digress.
The point is that despite the years in between, some effects were similar to those I mentioned. However, I have to say, the blood in Shark Exorcist is worse than what when used 30 years ago. It is almost on the level of The Blair Witch Project, and if you have read many of my columns, you know I find the stage blood in that movie laughable. Finally, the credits look almost exactly like the ones my grandfather created in 1996 with an editing machine.
As to the dialogue, it is a movie about a literal devil shark; I’m sure you can imagine. One of the weirdest moments comes during a scene when a woman is playing with shark toys. She is talking as if she is the shark, eating people, and at one point says, “Where are all the good parts?” Later in the scene, the same woman asks another character what she likes to do. The other woman replies, “I like to get wet.” The rest of the film follows along the same vein.
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Finally, re-watchability. While I do not plan to watch this one again soon, I recommend giving it a chance if you enjoy cheesy horror. Initially, I was going to give Shark Exorcist three cheese slices, but taking the nostalgia I experienced into account; I decided to go with four cheese slices. Do with that information what you will. If you want to give this one a watch, it is streaming for free on Tubi.
Thus, we come to the end of another edition of Horror With a Side of Cheese. Have you seen this one? Let me know in the comments! Until next time, stay cheesy, stay spooky, and above all, watch more horror movies. Before you go, check out the Shark Exorcist trailer below.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/movie-review-the-meg/
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