Prolific cult movie director Ray Cordona Jr. has created a strange hybrid of horror movie/erotic "Jet Set" drama, the latter genre very popular throughout the 70's-80's. "Tintorera," (Tiger Shark) features an extremely charismatic pair of adventurous guys, living out the ultimate male fantasy in beautiful Cancun, Mexico. Andres Garcia and Hugo Stiglitz are perfectly cast as Miguel and Esteban, two shark hunters(!), living on rich boy Steve's yacht, who find a lot of time to hunt beautiful ladies as well, luscious women who the two share and bed together. Andres Garcia's (impressive guy) Miguel is living the good life as a gigolo in Paradise, and the two guys become inseparable after a nasty fight over one lady, who later becomes dinner for a very nasty tiger shark, who is always lurking in the background. This movie is truly mind boggling in the way that it crosses and combines genres in a way that is never seen in American cinema. Yes, "Tintorera" is a European film in every way. This one probably wasn't seen by the right audience when released unleashed in theaters, as fans of the classic "Jaws" were led to believe this was going to be more of the same. Let's just say that "Tintorera" was the movie that "Jaws" was afraid to be. While the novel "Jaws" was loaded with sex and adult themes, the movie was scrubbed clean of all that, in order to bring in young audiences. But this one is a different beast entirely, and aimed at an adult audience. And while the star of "Jaws" was a rubber, mechanical beast, the sharks in "Tintorera" are all very much real, and so much more menacing as a result. A big drawback with this movie is also one thing that makes it so hypnotically fascinating; the real, onscreen killings of countless sharks and other exotic sea creatures like manta rays and turtles. This was a very common practice in Euro films from the 70's, onscreen killing of real animals, and it is pretty horrifying to see the blood spurting from the gills of these beautiful creatures as they slowly and painfully die while the camera ruthlessly captures everything. Today we can watch with the knowledge that this happened over 40 years ago, and this practice has long been deemed illegal. Still, it is a hard and uncomfortable thing to watch. But that is the definition of "Grindhouse" cinema, and "Tintorera" is a prime example of the genre. And combined with the ugly brutality is some stunningly beautiful photography of both the deep sea and of a Cancun that sadly no longer exists. Since this movie was filmed that whole area has been disgracefully built up as an overcrowded, over industrialized tourist trap, and the primitive simplicity seen here is forever gone. As of this writing "Tintorera" has not gotten the hi-def restoration it deserves, but the available print is at least in the original language and the uncut 126 minute version. But the 4x3 cropped image is not the way this was intended to be seen. For open minded, adventurous viewers, this movie is sure to please. Puritanical, judgemental audiences might want to steer clear of it. I was surprised to read some reviews that called this dirty or sleazy, because it's attitude towards sexuality and relationships is actually quite innocent and endearing, and it's a prime example of how our views on sex have degenerated in the last 40 years. In that way, this is an important film, and a documentation of what we have lost.
Review of Tintorera: Killer Shark
