‘Sixty feet of prehistoric terror’
Megalodon is a 2002 American action horror film about a prehistoric shark that is unleashed when a drilling platform penetrates the sea bed in Greenland. Also released as Sharkzilla
Directed by Pat Corbitt – his only directorial credit – from a screenplay co-written by Gary J. Tunnicliffe and Stanley Isaacs. Produced by Pat Corbitt, Greg Ferguson, Stanley Isaacs, David Lewittes and Clint Lien.
Reviews:
” …this thing’s worst problem is the boredom reeking from it. I think it took like 40 minutes to even see a shark honestly. That’s not good, not good at all. The story was okay, even plausible, but the sh*tty acting, lack of action, and amazingly dumb-looking megalodon add up to a waste of time.” Buried.com
“On the sharksploitation family tree, I would say that the film’s closest cousin is probably Hollywood blockbuster Deep Blue Sea, and it shares similarities with Alien as well. Who doesn’t like a movie about a scientifically advanced outpost in a harsh environment, suddenly attacked by a ruthless killer?” The Creature Feature Bleachers
“Megalodon’s biggest crime is that it’s just, well, boring! Things take too long to happen and when they finally do, it’s run-of-the-mill CGI footage that we’ve all seen before in one form or another. Not to mention that it wasn’t until the 55-minute mark that we finally get to see the damned shark, and the film is only 75 minutes long in the first place!” Monster Shack
“Simply put: Megalodon rarely provides enough character work or action during its first 40 minutes or so to distract you from how low-rent it is. Even worse, those low-rent qualities can’t even coax a few unintentional laughs to break up the monotony. You sit there, practically drowning in boredom, hoping Megalodon will toss you something to grab onto and stay afloat.” Oh, the Horror!
“The scenes outside on the iceberg look fake […] It’s obvious that there was a bit of cash thrown at the effects to save on building models and stuff but at least give the cash to someone who would animate a shark that looks scary […] the only real things on display are the actors and at least they’re acceptable enough…” Popcorn Pictures
“For a film about a giant shark, the title beast does not appear until nearly an hour into the movie. Considering that the narrative ends at the 78-minute mark, and you’ll see that there is very little time for giant shark action. Most of the film up to that point is just scene after scene of the characters riding the glass elevator up and down in a seemingly endless loop.” Shadow’s B-Movie Graveyard
Cast and characters (in credits order):
Leighanne Littrell … Christen Giddings
Robin Sachs … Peter Brazier
Al Sapienza … Ross Elliot
Mark Sheppard … Mitchell Parks (as Mark A. Sheppard)
Jennifer Sommerfeld … Amanda ‘Maz’ Zablenko (as Jennifer Sommerfield)
Evan Mirand … R.P. McGinnis
Steve Scionti … David Collen
Fred Belford … Jake Thompson
Gary J. Tunnicliffe … Grady Harper
Yasmine Delawari … Maria Barrera
Stanley Isaacs … Robert Armstrong
Will Borders … Pilot
John Michael Maurer … Bodyguard
McCready Baker … Brazier’s Assistant
Brian Littrell … Rig Worker
Michael Jarmus … Helicopter Pilot (voice) (as Michael S. Jarmus)
Filming locations:
Bordentown, Farmingdale, Paulsboro and Riverside Township, New Jersey
Filming dates:
February 2002 – March 2002
Notes:
Not to be confused with Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002) or The Asylum’s Megalodon (2018).
Trailer:
