Sharkula is a film about a shark bitten by Dracula that becomes a Vampire shark. In current day a few people come to work for Dracula in his docks in an oceanfront town only to discover something more sinister under the waves.
Sharkula is an interesting concept for a film, I can't say there have been any times where I would have seen something with a vampire shark quite like this one. For that the film is pretty fun in concept. In execution the film is nowhere near as good at it should be ("good" being a relative term). The movie drags a lot at points showing really bad pacing issues. I feel that this is mainly to drag out the film's run time which I feel could have been cut down to about 45 min and become a more solid piece. This is one time where the concept itself and the setting really sell the film.
Sharkula has some conflicting feeling for me when it comes to acting. I felt that a lot of it was unenergetic and took me a little out of the film but there are exceptions to the rule. Jeff Kirkendall was amazing as Dracula, I loved how he played the main as a powerful vampire but one that was wrought with insecurities, especially when dealing with his bride played by Jamie Morgan. I also would say that a surprising star of the Show is Kyle Rappaport who plays Renfield. His portrayal of the character is probably one of my favorites when it comes to vampire films. He has the right level of creepy detachment that it makes his performance almost as memorable as Torgo in Manos: The hands of fate, and he didn't even have to be high out of his mind to play this. I would say if there is anything that would bring you to watch this film it would be these two actors.
The effects work does shine through in many areas with this film, I really like the hybrid vampire shark look as well as the puppet used for the lead villain. Costume design and makeup as a whole was good and I'd expect nothing less from Mark Polonia. One of my favorites was the cultist costumes and masks making them look particularly creepy. The camera work sadly takes away from this. The movie as a whole is a very blurry, foggy mess and that is very sad. The exceptions are the scenes of the dancing flame woman and I don't know exactly where this footage was filmed but it is a jarring difference to what the rest of the movie holds.
Finally the music. I really enjoy most of the soundtrack as it does its job. The Sharkula theme is by far one of my favorite movie themes of the year. It is a catchy toon that really works its way into your head where you'll likely be singing a long.
Sharkula is a great example of a great concept done half-heartedly. If feel that there are some good moments, such as seeing Kyle and Jeff perform and the fun costume design but for the film as a whole I'm not sure I would watch it unless you are a fan of the actors or Mark Polonia, and for Polonia you have your pick of shark movies if this is not your jam.
Sharkula is an interesting concept for a film, I can't say there have been any times where I would have seen something with a vampire shark quite like this one. For that the film is pretty fun in concept. In execution the film is nowhere near as good at it should be ("good" being a relative term). The movie drags a lot at points showing really bad pacing issues. I feel that this is mainly to drag out the film's run time which I feel could have been cut down to about 45 min and become a more solid piece. This is one time where the concept itself and the setting really sell the film.
Sharkula has some conflicting feeling for me when it comes to acting. I felt that a lot of it was unenergetic and took me a little out of the film but there are exceptions to the rule. Jeff Kirkendall was amazing as Dracula, I loved how he played the main as a powerful vampire but one that was wrought with insecurities, especially when dealing with his bride played by Jamie Morgan. I also would say that a surprising star of the Show is Kyle Rappaport who plays Renfield. His portrayal of the character is probably one of my favorites when it comes to vampire films. He has the right level of creepy detachment that it makes his performance almost as memorable as Torgo in Manos: The hands of fate, and he didn't even have to be high out of his mind to play this. I would say if there is anything that would bring you to watch this film it would be these two actors.
The effects work does shine through in many areas with this film, I really like the hybrid vampire shark look as well as the puppet used for the lead villain. Costume design and makeup as a whole was good and I'd expect nothing less from Mark Polonia. One of my favorites was the cultist costumes and masks making them look particularly creepy. The camera work sadly takes away from this. The movie as a whole is a very blurry, foggy mess and that is very sad. The exceptions are the scenes of the dancing flame woman and I don't know exactly where this footage was filmed but it is a jarring difference to what the rest of the movie holds.
Finally the music. I really enjoy most of the soundtrack as it does its job. The Sharkula theme is by far one of my favorite movie themes of the year. It is a catchy toon that really works its way into your head where you'll likely be singing a long.
Sharkula is a great example of a great concept done half-heartedly. If feel that there are some good moments, such as seeing Kyle and Jeff perform and the fun costume design but for the film as a whole I'm not sure I would watch it unless you are a fan of the actors or Mark Polonia, and for Polonia you have your pick of shark movies if this is not your jam.