B Movie Challenge: She Gods of Shark Reef

The word Aloha in Hawaiian has lots of meanings, from hello, to goodbye to love, but there’s no mistaking the following phrase “E ho’ōki i ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni i kēia manawa a hoʻokuʻu i ka pō mai ka hale kiʻiʻoniʻoni!” can only mean one thing – stop the movie right now and get the hell out of the theatre! For someone like Roger Corman (the cardinal of B-movie flickers) to say making this film was one of the most joyous experiences he ever had on a movie set doesn’t surprise me, as when you watch the film you realize there is very little to worry about as Corman didn’t need to worry about acting, plot, scenery, believability, understanding of cinematic language, editing… Truthfully, Corman took a nice little vacation to the great island territories (it was not yet a state when Corman lensed this saga), filmed two similar island-themed features back to back with the same cast and crew), and got in a plane saying “Nui ka waiu niu a Mahalo no nā iʻa a pau!” (Great coconut milk and thanks for all the fish!). Like most films in this area, the poster cashes a few God-like statue-garded coins the movie (talk about the need to sink treasure) refuses to cash in the dented can of spam slam She Gods of Shark Reef!

Although like most movies from this era, it might have been better to blast the poster on the big screen and save the audience the embarrassment of actually watching the film. The art of making a way better poster than the movie is no secret (even back then) to drive audiences into the theatre, there could be some pushback when the audience felt cheated or ripped off (like most of the plots for AIP’s movies). Although the movie does have a few women floating around in the water, and there are a couple of shark attacks (or a shark near people who break bags filled with fake blood), the movie never lives up to the perils and dangers promised from such talented artists (Corman included). Sold on the idea of being singer/stuntman/minor actor Don Durrant’s feature screen debut, the film was a chance for Corman to take a break in the growing popular islands, yet never one to just enjoy, Corman filmed two movies back-to-back, this and (the subtle title) Naked Paradise. The cast is typical and adequate for a little quickie in the kiddy pool like this, and the crew does their best with a script that sinks pretty low, but the highlight is the photography by famed cinematographer Floyd Crosby (High Noon and the Corman/Poe adaptations) who brings out the beauty of the islands and could have been used a propaganda film for welcoming the 50th United State a year later (although they might have left the chomping sharks out of the brochures). 

Captains of Naughtiness, from running guns to breaking people’s noses (and women’s hearts), brothers Jim (Don Durrant) and Chris (Bill Cord) escape a treacherous situation only to end up caught in a nasty storm and shipwrecked on an island surrounded by man-eating sharks (or stock footage of sharks swimming in fish tanks).  Although they are close to drawing, their perils are not that bad when they are rescued by a woman clad in pearls. These are the She Gods of the island, who have rarely seen a man, and their leader, Queen Pua (played wonderfully bad by Jeanne Gearson), cautions both sides to stay away from each other until the boys can be rescued by a supply ship coming soon. Unfortunately for Chris, the expensive pearls mean nothing as he fawns for the heart of the island woman, but unfortunately for Jim, the pearls mean everything. Will Chris be able to move away from brotherly love and follow his heart’s desires, or will Jim use brotherly love to make his wildest heart’s desires fill his pockets and the makeshift boats before he angers the underwater gods of the islands? High-seas adventure meets low-budget filmmaking in an adventure yarn as unstable as the volcanoes surrounding the island (Va-Va-Boom)!

Low-tiding your way at a bubbly sixty-three minutes, and directed by the famous (and Infamous) Roger Corman, A year later Durrant would lead the role of his lifetime, playing the lead in the western TV show Johnny Ringo. Due to Corman and Company not watching out for these films and their copyrights, you can find this in all sorts of versions for free as it has fallen into the boggy depths of public domain. So if you have a criminal mind and want to get a few sun rays on your tan, make sure you book a sunny trip to the beautiful islands of Hawaii and bask in its rich lushnous. However, if you happen to scuba and see a bunch of rare pearl necklaces at the foot of a giant head,  then e hopu i ka pahi a mai ʻōlelo ʻoe ʻaʻole wau i ao aku iā ʻoe! (grab a knife and don’t say I didn’t warn you)!

About Ian Klink

As a filmmaker, writer, and artist, Ian Klink’s work includes the feature film Anybody’s Blues and short stories for Weren't Another Way to Be: Outlaw Fiction Inspired by Waylon Jennings, Negative Creep: A Nirvana-Inspired Anthology, A-Z of Horror: U is for Unexplained, The Creeps, Vampiress Carmilla, The Siren’s Call, and Chilling Tales For Dark Nights. Born and raised in Iowa, Klink lives with his family in Pennsylvania where he shares his talents as a teacher of multimedia studies.

View all posts by Ian Klink

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