Penny Thoughts ‘14—Sharknado (2013) ½*

TV-14, 86 min.

Director: Anthony C. Ferrante

Writer: Thunder Levin

Starring: Ian Ziering, Cassie Scerbo, Tara Ried, Jaason Simmons, John Heard, Alex Arleo, Heather Jocelyn Blair

I don’t know what compelled me, but for some reason I just had to see this atrocity of a movie that was foisted upon the American public by the SyFy Channel. I’d seen “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus”, so I didn’t expect this thing to be any better than terrible. It wasn’t.

To be totally honest, this one actually did inspire a snort or two, which is more than can be said for “Mega Shark”. But I just don’t understand why the filmmakers make these things as if they aren’t absurd. It is said that the only way to make comedy work is to play it as if you don’t know it’s a joke. Which is true to an extent, but that really only refers to performance, not writing, direction and editing. These movies are made so earnestly, as if they think they’re making a new “Apocalypse Now”.

Even if the content weren’t so ridiculous, the filmmaking is failing grade from basic film school courses bad. There’s almost no attempt to match shots to each other. Shots, lighting, sightlines, nothing is given any professional attention. I can take a ridiculous premise, but it isn’t any fun if it’s just a sloppy mess.