Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976)

User Rating:

2.3/10   

Director:

William Grefe

Writers:

William Grefe (story)
Robert W. Morgan (writer)

Release Date:

July 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Filmed without the benefit of cages or mechanical sharks to offer protection!

Plot:

A man accidentally learns that he has a mystical connection with sharks, and is given a strange medallion by a shaman. Becoming more and more alienated from normal society, he develops an ability to communicate with sharks telepathically, setting out to destroy anybody who harms sharks. People enter into his strange world to exploit his weird passion, and he uses the animals to gain revenge on anybody who double crosses him. |

Plot Keywords:

Shark | Animal | Revenge | Shark Attack | Murder

Cast

Richard Jaeckel	...	Sonny Stein
Jennifer Bishop	...	Karen
Buffy Dee	...	Barney
Harold Sakata	...	Pete
John Davis Chandler	...	Charlie
Ben Krokek	...	Whitney
Paul Preston	...	2nd Patrolman
Milton 'Butterball' Smith	...	Butter
Bob Gordon	...	Bartender
Jerry Albert	...	Mate
Richard O'Barry	...	1st Patrolman (as Ric O'Feldman)
Luke Halpin	...	3rd Patrolman
Dan Fitzgerald	...	Deputy
Bob Leslie	...	Client
Marcia Knight	...	Secretary

Also Known As:

Killer Jaws (Philippines: English title)
The Jaws of Death

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:18 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | USA:PG

Company:

Mako Associates

Quotes:

Karen: [Sonny suggests she swim with sharks like he does] You're not playing with a full deck!
Sonny Stein: Look, I'm not crazy if that's what you mean.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 6 (1999) (V)

DVD versions

I just purchased a DVD copy of this film, having subsisted on an ancient VHS tape for a few years. Alas, the DVD appears to have been mastered from either very poor stock, or from a VHS tape. The opening sequence is almost unwatchable. Even the credits appear blurry. The picture is dark and seems out of focus. I don't remember it being this way when I saw it in the theaters. Then again, I was six, so what did I know? I still like the psychic/psychotic connection Jaeckel has with the sharks, although I could definitely lose the hokey "shark medallion" sequence, which accomplished nothing. I've ordered a new DVD edition put out by a different company. Both versions sell very cheaply on Ebay. We'll see how it goes.