Monster Shark

We Luv Video is screening Monster Shark on Thursday, July 30, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. The movie is a maritime creature feature directed by Lamberto Bava, who signed it under the name John Old Jr. It's also known as Devil Fish or Shark - Rosso nell'oceano.

There's a funny bit of history to the title: Bava famously said it made no sense because there isn't actually a shark in the film. The creature is the result of military scientists fusing octopus DNA with that of the ancient fish Dunkleosteus. It's a movie Bava made before his supernatural classic Demons, and it's been described as dumb but grisly.

If you're not familiar with the venue, We Luv Video is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer-run, membership-based old-school video store with a microcinema in the back. They're dedicated to preserving and sharing essential, weird, and rare physical media, and they keep rental culture alive as a cultural center for anyone who loves the art of cinema and television. The microcinema also works as a venue for birthday parties, corporate screenings, and private showings. Many movies and TV shows remain unstreamable due to licensing issues, and the store holds copies of films like I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK.

Monster Shark runs from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM on Thursday, July 30, at We Luv Video, 100 E. North Loop Blvd., Austin, TX 78751.