Wild Eye Releasing has just unveiled the trailer forShark Encounters of the Third Kind. The movie finds inspiration from two Steven Spielberg classics:JawsandClose Encounters of the Third Kind. With influences like that, and a low budget, the movie is already set up for success. If that wasn’t enough, it was directed by horror/sci-fi legend Mark Polonia, who is responsible for 1986’sSplatter Farm,Amityville Exorcism,Splatter Beach,Land Shark, and way too many more to list here.Shark Encounters of the Third Kindcan currently be streamed via VOD and purchased Digitally right now. A DVD and Blu-ray release is coming in March 2021.
Shark Encounters of the Third Kindis directed by Mark Polonia from a screenplay penned by John Oak Dalton. The movie stars Titus Himmelberger, Natalie Himmelberger, and Jennie Russo. The movie surrounds a group ofhostile alienswho crash land at the bottom of the ocean. Via mind control, they are able to use sharks to terrorize a small town full of secrets in the hopes of completing their invasion mission. It’s up to a disparate group of townspeople to sort it out, but in the end it’s sharks versus aliens in a surprising climax.
The special effects inShark Encounters of the Third Kindwere created by Brett Piper (director ofOutpost Earth,The Screaming Dead,Drainiac!,Queen Crab, and more. While the movie was obviously made with a low budget, the effects shown off in the trailer seem to elevate the alien andshark imageryin a way that will impress all fans of B-movies, especially if they’re already fans of what Mark Polonia has done in the past. While this movie has Spielberg influences, it don’t have Spielberg cash.
When recently asked why he likes to work within thesci-fi and horror genres, Mark Polonia said, “I enjoy these genres because there’s such a wide tableau to let your imagination run wild. you may be so creative with these genres and they are my personal favorite.” For nearly 40 years, Polonia, has been sharing his imagination with the world. The director started making movies with his Brother John under the Polonia Brothers banner. However, John passed away suddenly at the age of 39 in 2008. Mark has continued to crank out the movies since his brother’s death, many of which come out through Wild Eye Releasing.
When looking back at the wealth of movies that he has put out over the years, Mark Polonia admits that there have been some challenges. “When you make a micro-budget movie there are many hurdles,” he said in a recent interview. “Time, money, daylight, money, etc… but you have to work in the moment and look at everything as a challenge. There are no problems, only solutions. And that’s what gets you through the day on a set. The minutest issue can bring a film to a halt.” While small things can bring a production to a halt, the director is a big fan of keeping a positive attitude at all times. It’s that kind of spirit that is featured in theShark Encounters of the Third Kindtrailer, which you can watch above, thanks to theWild Eye Releasing YouTubechannel.
