Cruel Jaws


Cruel Jaws, also known as The Beast, is a 1995 direct-to-video Italian thriller film shot in Florida including the Theater of the Sea. The film stars Richard Dew and David Luther and was directed by Bruno Mattei. It was released on VHS and DVD in relative obscurity, mostly outside of the United States. While marketed in many areas as Jaws 5: Cruel Jaws, it is actually not part of the Jaws franchise.

Plot

The coastal town of Hampton Bay is threatened when a 25-foot great white shark starts chomping up their vacationers. Days before the annual Regatta celebration, the townspeople are faced with financial ruin if something is not done about their new-found shark problem. If that was not enough, the owners of the local amusement park have been subject to a hostile takeover from a prospective businessman looking to cash in on their prized property. It is then up to the sheriff, the park's owner, and a shark expert to head out and kill the shark before the summer economy is slashed and the park is demolished.

Production

The film utilizes footage from the Jaws film series, as well as the Italian films Deep Blood and Great White.

Cast

The film was released on DVD in Europe in 2009. A Blu-ray release from Scream Factory was planned, but ultimately cancelled due to the film's unauthorized use of footage from the Jaws franchise and other shark movies.