The Last Shark (1981)

The Last Shark (1981)

The surprising success of Jaws resulted in many copycat movies, including many featuring all sorts of water-borne predators. One of the most blatant examples was an Italian-made horror film initially titled Great White and later renamed The Last Shark. The film features a windsurfing competition, borrowing much from Jaws, including the small town needing tourist dollars, greedy business people, and a crusty fisherman played by Vic Morrow, who might as well be Roberts Shaw's twin brother. The movie's plot follows the style of Jaws in so many ways. Paramount sued the producers after the first week when it made over $18 million. Despite being pulled from distribution due to claims of plagiarism, The Last Shark would get a home video release 30 years later, with a version featured in a Rifftrax episode. In an ironic twist, The Last Shark would also be plagiarized by the 1995 film Cruel Jaws also known as Jaws 5.