Among the things I love writing about, believe it or not, sharks (and shark-themed horror movies) are high on the list. But Maneater, is the main inspiration for this post, not going to lie. And not to brag, but sharks have been the latest of the long line of animals that I already wrote about. Squirrels like Scrat, Rhinos like Mr. Rhino, hey even mice. All thanks to the wonderful and versatile selection of video games here at IndieGala.
Which brings me to the topic of this particular post. Maneater. What’s up with the game and how did it inspire me to compose a post totally dedicated to sharks? Well, scroll down to find out.
Maneater: What’s the game all about?
Developed by Tripwire Interactive and published by Iceberg Interactive, Maneater is an action-adventure RPG, that’s currently on sale at IndieGala. Hurry up the sale offer expires soon. However, in Maneater, you’ll be playing the shark. Indeed. The player assumes control of a female bull shark who’s on a revenge mission. She must evolve and survive in an open world. Why? So she can take revenge on a fisherman who disfigured her and killed her mother.
Furthermore, the game is a third-person perspective game, while the open world is reactive and has seven separate regions. And what you do with the shark matters the most. First and foremost, the shark needs to hunt and consume other aquatic wildlife such as fish and turtles. Next, the shark can also attack humans by wreaking havoc along the coast, and so much more. Likewise, Maneater has narration by the host of an in-game reality TV show titled Maneaters vs. Sharkhunters – Chris Parnell. He also guides the player throughout the game, and it’s up to you to check it out.
Maneater: A big shark inspired post
But, what about the movies that feature sharks? As you can probably tell, there are plenty of fun and exciting shark-themed movies. And no, I’m not naming any of the Sharknado franchise. Why? Because you and I deserved so much better. Oh, just a heads up. Also, as you can probably tell, in all of them the shark is going to be the main antagonist. But that’s what makes it fun and nail-biting at the same time. Let’s begin, shall we?
Jaws
Can you believe that Jaws was Steven Spielberg’s third movie? Yes, and the third movie in just 5 short years of his early career as a promising young director. But what a movie it was. Based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel of the same name, Jaws has been terrorizing moviegoers since 1975. Originally Charlton Heston and Robert Duvall were approached for the lead roles. And so was Richard Dreifuss, who initially turned the lead role down on three separate occasions. The reason for that?
“It’s going to be a bitch to shoot,” said the Oscar winner. And he wasn’t really wrong about that. According to the actor’s statements, „We started the film without a script, without a cast and without a shark“. However, Jaws had lots of actual locations, constant delays (mostly with the mechanical shark named Bruce) and lots of tension. Also, the crew was over-budget, over-exhausted and seasick. Not to mention, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss could not stand each other and the two argued all the time. I mentioned the tension right?
But eventually, the shark’s malfunction was beneficial to the final cut. Remember how you can’t really see the shark for the first 30 something minutes of the plot? Well, you have the terrible mechanical shark to thank for that. Spielberg had to improvise and the result is one of the most tense, nail-biting and amazing thrillers ever.
The Shallows
I mentioned The Shallows briefly in the previous post about the different types of survival horror. But The Shallows is actually a very good movie. Not just a shark themed horror movie. Let me ask you a question. How can you make a low budget, and yet decent survival horror? You cut down on actors and locations. Masterfully directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and with Blake Lively in the lead role- The Shallow is a thrill ride. Lively plays a surfer who will get stranded 180 m from shore with a dangerous shark lurking around her in the water. She must fight to survive but who will win at the end? Her or the great white shark?
Fun fact: Blake Lively grew inspiration from her husband Ryan Reynolds’s work in the similarly minimalist film Buried (2010). And can you believe that Lively has never seen Jaws before doing this movie? Yup. All true.
Open Water
Open Water is something different. Much like The Shallows, it’s a survival horror type of a movie and indeed involves a killer shark. However, this is a particular movie that was inspired by real-life horrifying events. It’s inspired by the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. A married couple who in 1998 went on a scuba diving trip. After a failed head-count they were left behind in the waters and eventually eaten by sharks. Did you know what it took more than two and a half years for the movie to get made? And also, the entire movie is less than half of the cost of a typical Hollywood movie’s sound effects budget? Yes. However, the director/writer Chris Kentis wrote the script for less than a week. And today (17 years after the release), the movie is considered as one of the best shark-themed movies ever.
The Meg
What can you expect from a Jason Statham movie that also involves a megalodon shark? Insanity I believe is the word you’re looking for. However, silly and over the top, this movie is, I can’t really say that it’s not entertaining.
Because you have Rainn Wilson in the supporting role as well. Adapted from the Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror book, The Meg is a movie precisely about that. Terror in the deep. A group of scientists exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the Megalodon. And suddenly their mission will become a real-life or death type of a mission. Thanks to the heroic efforts of the rescue diver (played by Statham), that mission will become even more action-packed and filled with hilarious one-liners. And of course thanks to the massive box office success, you can expect a sequel very soon.
Fun fact: In real life, Jason Statham is an expert swimmer as well. In the 1990 Commonwealth Games, he represented England in diving no less. Footage of him competing can be found online, and it’s awesome. Also, most of the shots of him in the water are real in the Meg. A stunt double was used for more hazardous shots.
And let’s not forget. The names of the submarines are ‘Origin’ and ‘Evolution’ referring to Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ which explains his theory of evolution. How cool is that?
Maneater and some of your picks
Which are some of your picks when it comes to the shark-themed movies? Which should you add to this list? The Deep Blue Sea maybe? Or The Reef? How about the Sharknado movies that I refuse to watch? Do you like them? Tell us in the comment section. We’d love to know.
