''Tintorera'' is a 1977 Mexican-British

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

directed by René Cardona Jr. and starring Susan George,

Hugo Stiglitz Hugo Stiglitz López, better known simply as Hugo Stiglitz, (born August 28, 1940, in Mexico City) is a Mexican actor. Stiglitz is perhaps most well known for his film roles in the 1970s and 1980s in Mexico in such horror films as '' Tintorera ...

Fiona Lewis Fiona Lewis (born 28 September 1946) is a British actress and writer from Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. Biography She is married to Art Linson, an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. In February 1967, she had an appearance in ''Play ...

and

Andrés García Andrés García García (24 May 1941 – 4 April 2023) was a Dominican-born Mexican actor. He served as a scuba diving instructor in Acapulco. At the time of his death, he was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Mexican cine ...

. It is based on the novel of the same name by

oceanographer Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of top ...

Ramón Bravo Ramón Bravo (21 October 1925 – 21 February 1998) was a Mexican diver, photographer and underwater filmmaker. Bravo was the person who made the phenomenon of ''Sleeping sharks'' known to the world. Biography Bravo was born in Piedras Negras ...

, who studied the species of shark known as 'tintorera' (a shark) and discovered the sleeping sharks of

Isla Mujeres Isla Mujeres (, Spanish for "Women Island", formally “''Isla de Mujeres''”) is an island where the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea meet, about off the Yucatán Peninsula coast in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is approximately ...

. The film, along with many

monster movies A monster movie, monster film, creature feature or giant monster film is a film that focuses on one or more characters struggling to survive attacks by one or more antagonistic monsters, often abnormally large ones. The film may also fall unde ...

of the 1970s and 1980s, is very similar to '' Jaws''. It is also known by the

alternative title An alternative title is a media sales device most prominently used in film distribution. Books and films are commonly released under a different title when they are screened or sold in a different country. This can vary from small change to the ...

''Tintorera: Killer Shark''.

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

paid tribute to this movie at the eighth

Morelia International Film Festival The Morelia International Film Festival (''Spanish'': ''Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia''; FICM) was founded in 2003 in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, México. It is an annual event that takes place during the second week of October. ...

, showing a copy from his private collection.

Plot

Steven, a U.S.-born Mexican businessman, arrives in a Mexican resort village on a yacht anchored offshore. One of the local fishermen and the caretaker of the yacht, Colorado, takes Steven with him when he goes to haul in the sharks he has caught. Steven is annoyed to find that another shark has taken a huge bite out of one of them. Steven then sets his sights on Patricia, an Englishwoman on vacation. They have a whirlwind romance but break up when Steven can't decide if he's in love with her. Steven is extremely jealous, however, when she begins a relationship with Miguel, a womanizing swimming instructor at the nearby resort hotel. While Steven stews on the yacht, Patricia and Miguel have sex. Then she goes

skinny-dipping Nude swimming is the practice of swimming without clothing, whether in natural bodies of water or in swimming pools. A colloquial term for nude swimming is "skinny dipping". In both British and American English, to swim means "to move through ...

in the ocean and is eaten by a large

tiger shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of ground shark, and the only extant member of the genus '' Galeocerdo'' and family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large apex predator, with females capable of attaining a length of over . Popula ...

. The next day, Steven confronts Miguel in the hotel bar. Miguel tells Steven that Patricia was in love with Steven, but she must have returned to England. Neither man ever learns of her true fate. Miguel introduces Steven to two sisters, American college students Kelly and Cynthia Madison. They go on a double date and swim to the yacht for some skinny-dipping at the sisters' suggestion. The shark is in the water nearby, but they safely make it to the boat. Kelly and Cynthia then hop back and forth between Miguel's and Steven's beds. They all swim back to shore the next morning, and the submerged tiger shark again chooses not to bother them. When Miguel and Steven start a shark hunting business, Miguel tells Steven that they must immediately get out of the water if a tiger shark ever appears. One night, Miguel and Steven meet Gabriella, a young English tourist. Miguel and Steven take Gabriella shark hunting with them. She is appalled by what they do, but admits her feelings for them have become powerful. The three of them decide to have a triangular relationship; she'll be sexually involved with both of them, but they won't fall in love with her or with them. It is loosely implied that Steven and Miguel might be falling in love. They tour the local

Mayan Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...

archaeological sites together, then retire to the yacht for sex. The next time they go shark hunting, a shark appears and rips Miguel in half. Gabriella is so upset that she decides to return to England. Steven, meanwhile, vows revenge on the shark, enlisting the local coastguard and fishermen in a campaign to kill the tiger shark and seemingly every other shark in the area. “I hate the bastards,” Steven tells the troubled Colonado, who in turn assures him that so many sharks have been killed, the tiger shark must have been one of them. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Steven or Colonado, the tiger shark attacks another small fishing boat and eats two fishermen. Steven goes to a nighttime beach party with Kelly, Cynthia, and two other American women. After the party ends, Kelly and Cynthia suggest more skinny-dipping. This time, the tiger shark attacks, ripping Cynthia from Steven's arms as he makes out with her in the water. The other women make it safely to shore. After Kelly's father arrives to take her home, Steven vows to kill the shark himself. That night, Steven attempts to lure the shark with a devilfish he's speared for the occasion. When he spots the shark, he shoots it with a speargun, hitting it between the eyes, killing it. Steven's fate is left unknown.

Cast

* Susan George as Gabriella *

as Steven *

as Patricia *

as Miguel * Jennifer Ashley as Kelly Madison *

Eleazar García Eleazar García Sáenz (September 28, 1924 – August 24, 1999) was a Mexican character actor best remembered as Antonio Aguilar's comic sidekick. Eleazar originally is from a ranch called, El Rancho de Los Guerras, current municipality of Mi ...

as Crique (as Eleazar Garcia 'Chelelo') * Roberto 'Flaco' Guzmán as Colonado (as Roberto 'Flaco' Guzman) *

Laura Lyons Laura Lyons (born October 22, 1954) is an American model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playboy Playmate, Playmate of the Month for its February 1976 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Dwight Hooker and Mario Casilli. Sherlock Holmes fa ...

as Cynthia Madison * Carlos East as Mr. Madison (as Charles East) *

Priscilla Barnes Priscilla Barnes (born ) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Terri Alden in the ABC sitcom'' Three's Company'' between 1981 and 1984. Barnes also has appeared in films, including '' A Vacation in Hell'' (1979), ''Licence to ...

as girl from bar #1 * Pamela Garner as girl from bar #2 (as Pamela Gardner) * Erika Carlsson as Anita (as Erika Carlson) * Manuel Alvarado as naval officer *

Alejandro Ciangherotti Alejandro Ciangherotti (1940 – 30 May 2004) was a Mexican film actor. He appeared in 45 films between 1953 and 1999. Selected filmography Film * '' Strange Obsession'' (1947) * ''Marked Cards'' (1948) * '' Beau Ideal'' (1948) * '' You S ...

as fisherman #1 (as Alexander Chianguerotti)

Production

, unknown at the time, appears towards the end of the film as a party girl who encounters the shark during night swimming. The shark in the film was a Tiger shark. Locations were filmed at

, a resort island near

Cancún Cancún is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito J ...

. All the underwater scenes were filmed with live sharks using the submarine expertise of

. Due to the censorship imposed by the Mexican government at the time, there were two versions of the film prepared — the so-called uncut version, with plenty of explicit nudity, for foreign markets, and a cut version for domestic (Mexican) exhibition. It's now possible to find both versions on DVD. The original English dub in theatres and on video featured the voices of Susan George and Fiona Lewis, who played the two British tourists in the film. However, this dub was later lost, and a new one was created with American voice actresses, which is the one used on the DVD.

Release Dates

Some international release dates: *March 31, 1977:

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

premiere (''¡Tintorera!'')Mexico City - Rene Cardona's "Tintorera". ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''. March 16, 1977, page 36. *April 7, 1977: Mexico (''¡Tintorera!'') *August 10, 1977: Sweden (''Tigerhajarna - havets marodörer'') *August 25, 1977: Italy (''Tintorera: Lo squalo che uccide'')Cronache della Liguria - Prime visioni Savona. ''

La Stampa (English: "The Press") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Turin with an average circulation of 87,143 copies in May 2023. Distributed in Italy and other European nations, it is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy. Until the late 1970 ...

''. August 25, 1977, page 11. (in Italian) *September 16, 1977: Germany (''Tintorera! Meeresungeheuer greifen an'') *October 30, 1977: United Kingdom general release (''Tintorera'') n a double-bill with ''Communion'', original title of ''Alice, Sweet Alice''">Alice,_Sweet_Alice.html" ;"title="n a double-bill with ''Communion'', original title of ''Alice, Sweet Alice">n a double-bill with ''Communion'', original title of ''Alice, Sweet Alice''ref>F Maurice Speed, ''Film Review 1978-1979'', London 1978 *June 7, 1978: United States (''Tintorera: Killer Shark'')Theaters Phoenix - Tintorera - Starts Today'' The Arizona Republic''. June 7, 1978, page 57.

References

External links