View source for Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast

{{Short description|2012 American horror film}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Snow Shark
| image          = Snow Shark (2012 film) DVD cover.jpg
| caption        = Cover art by [[Sam Qualiana]]
| alt            =
| director       = Sam Qualiana
| writer         = Sam Qualiana
| producer       = [[Richard Chizmar]]<br/>Marc Makowski<br/>[[Greg Lamberson]]
| starring       = Sam Qualiana<br/>Michael O'Hear<br/>Kathy Murphy<br/>[[C. J. Qualiana]]<br/>Jackey Hall
| music          = Michael Girard Paul<ref name=room>{{cite web |url=https://horrornews.net/50667/snow-shark-heads-right-for-your-living-room/ |title='Snow Shark' Heads Right for Your Living Room |date=April 17, 2012 |website=HorrorNews.Net |access-date=June 25, 2016 }}</ref>
| cinematography = Sam Qualiana
| editing        = Brett Piper<br/>[[Polonia brothers|Mark Polonia]]
| released       = {{film date|2012|04|10|[[Dipson Theatres|Dipson's Amherst Theatre]]}}<ref name=anything>{{cite web |url=http://anythinghorror.com/2012/04/10/new-trailer-stills-release-date-for-snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast/ |title=New Trailer, Stills, & Release Date for Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast |date=April 10, 2012 |website=AnythingHorror |access-date=June 26, 2016}}</ref><br/>{{film date|2012|05|12|South Bronx Film Festival}}<ref name=room />
| studio         = Metroshia Productions
| distributor    = Independent Entertainment
| runtime        = 79 minutes<ref name=mondo />
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $7,000 (estimated)<ref name=horror>{{cite web |url=http://www.oh-the-horror.com/page.php?id=1315 |title=Horror Reviews - Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast (2011) | date=January 13, 2013 |website=Oh, The Horror! |access-date=June 24, 2016 }}</ref>
}}
'''''Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast''''' is a 2012 American [[horror film]] written and directed by [[Sam Qualiana]], and produced by [[Richard Chizmar]], Marc Makowski, and [[Greg Lamberson]]. The film stars Qualiana alongside Michael O'Hare, Kathy Murphy, [[C. J. Qualiana]], Jackey Hall and Andrew Elias.<ref name=anything /> The film follows the residents of a small town who are terrorized by a prehistoric [[Man-eating animal|man-eating]] shark that can swim through snow.
Production on ''Snow Shark'' began in early 2011. The film primarily uses [[practical effect]]s rather than [[computer-generated imagery]], and its budget was partially financed by a campaign on the [[crowdfunding]] website [[Indiegogo]]. The film, which was shot in [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport, New York]], premiered at [[Dipson Theatres|Dipson's Amherst Theatre]] on April 10, 2012, and received mixed reviews. The film was released on [[DVD]] by Independent Entertainment.
==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be set between 400 to 700 words only. As of June 16, 2020, the word count for this plot summary is 554 words. -->
On February 6, 1999, a team of three [[biologist]]s, led by Professor Jonathan Hoffman, investigate a series of supposed wildlife killings in a wooded area near a small [[New York (state)|New York]] town. One of the biologists, Bianca, suspects that the killings may have something to do with a recent earthquake. When Hoffman and the other biologist, Gabriel, go off to investigate the wildlife disappearances, they discover the corpse of a mutilated deer. Upon returning to the campsite, they find that Bianca has discovered a hole in the ground. From this, the group determines that a prehistoric creature that has been frozen for thousands of years was freed by the earthquake, and has been killing the wildlife. The creature appears and kills both Gabriel and Bianca, leaving Hoffman to deduce that it is a "snow shark" before it attacks him.
Twelve years later, the snow shark has become a town legend. The town's mayor, Shawn Overman, is informed when two residents are killed by the shark, and he and Sheriff Donald Chapman hold a town meeting. During the meeting, one of the residents, Mike Evans, claims that the killings were caused by the shark, despite him having said to have killed the creature seven years earlier. Against Chapman's warnings, he sets out to kill the shark once and for all. That night, Chapman and his son Ethan get into an argument. Ethan leaves to drink beer outside with his friend Doug, and is killed by the shark while urinating. The next day, with the rest of the police force already at the scene, a distraught Chapman sees Ethan's corpse and questions Doug about the incident. When Doug claims that Ethan's death was caused by a shark, Chapman believes him and becomes determined to kill it.
[[Cryptozoology|Cryptozoologist]] Lincoln Anderson, biologist Wendy Gardner, and hunter Cameron Caine visit the town and have a brief meeting with Overman to discuss capturing the shark. With six of his friends, armed with guns, Mike ventures into the forest to hunt the shark. The shark kills everyone in the party except for Mike. Following this, Chapman, Lincoln, Wendy, and Cameron make their way into the woods, armed with a [[Crossbow|miniature crossbow]], a shotgun, and a [[Motion detector|motion-sensing camera]]. They set up the camera on a tree and depart. At the town bar, Professor Hoffman enters, having gone into hiding and now wearing an eyepatch. Later, he and a grieving Mike drink beers.
When Lincoln finds that the camera has not detected any motion, the group sets out into the forest once more. Wendy is dragged away by the shark and killed. The shark attacks Cameron, and Chapman [[Involuntary euthanasia|shoots Cameron in the head]]. Hoffman and Mike soon join up with Chapman and Lincoln. Hoffman plans to start a large fire to attract the shark, as he surmises that the heat will confuse it, but it kills him before he can do so. The shark bites off Mike's legs, and Chapman and Lincoln flee. Mike pulls the pin on a hand grenade, causing both him and the shark to explode. After reporting the incident to the police station, Chapman and Lincoln see multiple shark fins in the snow and escape. Later, a woman named Daphne approaches Ethan's grave to lay a wreath, and a shark fin approaches her as she walks out of the graveyard.
==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Sam Qualiana]] as Mike Evans<ref name=anything />
* Michael O'Hear as Professor Jonathan Hoffman<ref name=anything />
* Kathy Thiel Murphy as Wendy Gardner<ref name=anything />
* [[C. J. Qualiana]] as Sheriff Donald Chapman<ref name=anything />
* Jackey Hall as Daphne<ref name=anything />
* Andrew Elias as Lincoln Anderson<ref name=anything />
* Andrew J. Taylor as Cameron Caine<ref name=anything />
* Robert Bozek as Mayor Shawn Overman<ref name=anything />
* [[Jason John Beebe]] as Deputy Benny Carlyle<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cosmicbooknews.com/content/release-soul-trailer-now-online-deftone-pictures-studios|title="To Release A Soul" Trailer Now Online From DefTone Pictures Studios|author=Matt McGloin|date=October 3, 2012|website=CosmicBookNews|access-date=March 1, 2017}}</ref>
* John Renna as Ethan<ref name=anything />
{{div col end}}
==Production==
===Development===
Production on ''Snow Shark'' began in early 2011, with director Sam Qualiana having created the film's title, poster, and a teaser trailer before finalizing its script.<ref name=prod>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Debi |date=February 5, 2011 |title=Production Under Way on Indie Feature Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast |url=https://dreadcentral.com/news/22154/production-under-way-on-indie-feature-snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast/ |website=[[Dread Central]] |access-date=June 26, 2016 }}</ref> Qualiana has stated, "I always have had a fear of sharks. Not a lot of things scare me, but sharks terrify and fascinate me at the same time."<ref name=prod /> Qualiana viewed the film as a mixture of the 1975 thriller film ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' and the 1982 science-fiction horror film ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]''.<ref name=prod />
===Filming and post-production===
''Snow Shark'' began shooting in [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport, New York]], in January 2011,<ref name="Ruberto 2012">{{cite news|last=Ruberto|first=Toni|date=April 6, 2012|title=Creature comfort|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113488449/the-buffalo-news/|newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]|location=Buffalo, New York|access-date=November 22, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> partially supported by an [[Indiegogo]] campaign launched by Qualiana with a fundraising goal of $3,000.<ref name=prod /> Filming was met with minor weather-related difficulties, including overcoming cold temperatures and the task of preventing snow from gathering on the lens of the camera.<ref name=prod /> Qualiana later stated, "The actors were troupers".<ref name="Ruberto 2012" />
Aside from instances of blood shown onscreen, the film's visual effects were created without the use of [[computer-generated imagery]]. John Renna, who portrays the character Ethan, constructed a full-size shark head to use during filming.<ref name=wrap>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Debi |date=June 12, 2011 |title=Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast Wraps Production; More Behind-the-Scenes Stills |url=https://dreadcentral.com/news/24758/snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast-wraps-production-more-behind-the-scenes-stills/ |website=[[Dread Central]] |access-date=June 26, 2016 }}</ref> Effects artists Andrew Lavin and Arick Szymecki created a miniature shark head, as well as several landscapes, to be used in the film. Some of the film's scenes were shot on weekends in order to prevent the melting of snow due to the arrival of spring. Qualiana noted that "it was tough getting all the exterior shots before the snow melted. We cancelled some shoots due to warm weather and managed to do some cutaways outside with fake snow".<ref name=wrap />
Production ended in Lockport in June 2011. Post-production was managed by Qualiana and producer [[Greg Lamberson]], alongside [[B-movie]] horror screenwriter Brett Piper and low-budget filmmaker [[Polonia brothers|Mark Polonia]].<ref name=wrap />
==Release and reception==
The film premiered at [[Dipson Theatres|Dipson's Amherst Theater]] in Buffalo on April 10, 2012, and was subsequently shown at the Screening Room Cinema Café in [[Williamsville, New York]] two days later.<ref name=anything /> On May 12, the film was screened at the South Bronx Film Festival.<ref name=room /><ref name=wrap /> The film was released on [[DVD]] and was made available for digital download on December 11, 2012; it was distributed through Independent Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://anythinghorror.com/2012/09/27/snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast-is-hitting-dvd-digital-download-this-december/ |title=Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast is Hitting DVD & Digital Download this December |date=September 27, 2012 |website=AnythingHorror |access-date=June 25, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bloodsprayer.com/snow-shark-independent-entertainment/ |title=Snow Shark (Independent Entertainment) |date=April 10, 2013 |website=The Bloodsprayer |access-date=June 26, 2016 }}</ref>
Brett Gallmann of the website ''Oh, the Horror!'' criticized the film's "[[Amateur film|amateurism]], from the acting to the hastily sloshed upon digital effects", likening it to a "no-budget [[Troma Entertainment|Troma]] affair" that "excels at being mostly forgettable".<ref name=horror /> John Lyle of the website Bloodbath & Beyond gave the film a score of 0.5/5, criticizing the brief overall time that the snow shark is shown onscreen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bloodbathandbeyond.tv/snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast-2011-horror-movie-review/|title=Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast (2011) – Horror Movie Review|author=Jay Bond|date=July 11, 2015|website=Bloodbath & Beyond|access-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref>
Nathaniel Thompson of ''Mondo Digital'' wrote that, in regards to "''Jaws'' rip-offs", it was "one of the more entertaining ones in recent years".<ref name=mondo>{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=Nathaniel |date=January 9, 2013 |title=Snow Shark |url=http://www.mondo-digital.com/snowshark.html |website=Mondo Digital |access-date=June 24, 2016}}</ref> Adrian Halen of HorrorNews.net found fault with the film's "tiring" dialogue but admired its "charming" special effects, writing that it shows "just enough shark to make us hunger for more".<ref name=hnn>{{cite news |last=Halen |first=Adrian |date=January 2, 2016 |title=Film Review: Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast (2011) |url=https://horrornews.net/67929/film-review-snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast-2011/ |website=HorrorNews.net |access-date=June 24, 2016 }}</ref> In a review of the film's DVD release on the website HorrorTalk, the film is referred to as "bad, real bad, but in all the most awesome ways possible".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.horrortalk.com/reviews/movie-reviews/3183-snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast-dvd-review.html|title=Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast DVD Review|date=February 10, 2013|website=HorrorTalk|access-date=February 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301182025/https://www.horrortalk.com/reviews/movie-reviews/3183-snow-shark-ancient-snow-beast-dvd-review.html|archive-date=March 1, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of natural horror films]]
* ''[[Avalanche Sharks]]''
* ''[[Sand Sharks]]''
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|1841840}}
*[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/snow_shark_ancient_snow_beast/ ''Snow Shark''] at [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
[[Category:2010s science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:American science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:Films about shark attacks]]
[[Category:2012 films]]
[[Category:2010s monster movies]]
[[Category:American monster movies]]
[[Category:Films shot in Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:Films set in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Indiegogo-funded films]]
[[Category:2010s English-language films]]
[[Category:2010s American films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction horror films]]