TENTACLES (TENTACLI)
Italy, 1977, 103 minutes, Colour.
John Huston, Shelley Winters, Bo Hopkins, Henry Fonda, Delia Boccardo, Cesare Danova, Claude Akins.
Directed by Ovidio G. Assonitis.
Tentacles was a rip-off of Jaws, one of the many made in the second half of the 70s to capitalise on Spielberg’s success. The Italians were past masters at this kind of imitation.
The surprising thing about the film, apart from the imitative plot and the special effects for a giant octopus, is the cast, especially with Henry Fonda as the greedy head of a tunnel project which poisons the water and creates the giant octopus. John Huston and Shelley Winters are also aboard. This is one for completists only.
1. An entertaining disaster film? The obvious modelling on 'Jaws'? The use of the same techniques: music, camera angles, the hidden sea monster, the threats and the killings to arouse audience suspicions and suspense, the sudden shocks, the confrontation of the monster, the holiday atmosphere and a wide number of people threatened within this situation? How does the film compare with the basic Jaws pattern, 'Jaws' themes? How well does the film stand on its own?
2. The film as an Italian production? Italians writing, screening in America? The re-creation of American atmosphere, the use of American stars?
3. The importance of the colour photography, wide screen, the electronic music and the score for suspense? The special effects especially for the giant octopus and its killings, the final fights? The killer whales and the confrontation of the octopus?
4. Comment on the use of special effects - the opening deaths with their atmosphere, the presentation of the octopus and the undersea photography, the sequences with the ships and their destruction, the race and the death of Jamie, the whales and their training, the final fight and rescue?
5. How credible was the basic plot? The presentation of ordinary people - the Turners, the workers, the police, Will Gleeson and his wife and his work? The importance of the ecological background and Whitehead and his business deals, Corey and his going beyond orders and causing the disruption and the effect on the octopus? The octopus and the scientific explanations? The deaths and their effect on family life? How well were all these ingredients combined?
6. Will Gleeson as the hero of the film? A credible personality, his relationship with his wife? His work, injuries, sending help for the project, reaction to the death of his men, arrival with his wife, his being hailed as a celebrity, his attempts to discover the truth, the effect of the death of his wife and her family, his confrontation of the octopus, his work with the whales, his despair, his talking to the whales and the final victory? Going away with his friend Mike at the end - his philosophising about themes? How contrived, how authentic?
