Main Cast: William L. Petersen, Karen Sillas, Larry Drake, Missy Crider, Charles Martin Smith
Release Year: 1996
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
Plot
The fishing industry of a small Northwestern coastal town is nearly destroyed when a mysterious giant sea creature takes up residence. Based on a novel by Peter Benchley, the story bears more than passing resemblance to the author's most popular story, Jaws in that a few, including a scientist, learn the terrifying truth and try to convince a skeptical community that they are all in danger should they go too near the water. Once the town believes, it is up to the hero, a lady coast guard officer, and the scientists to stop the beast. This feature originally aired as a two-part miniseries on network television. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Ronald Guttman - Herbert Talley; Denis Arndt; Sterling Macer, Jr.; Adrienne-Joi Johnson
Credit
Jeff Bleckner - Director, Tod Feuerman - Editor, Dan Wigutow - Executive Producer, Geoff Burton - Cinematographer, Michael R. Joyce - Producer, Tana Nugent - Producer, Michael R. Joyce - Supervisor/Manager, J.B. White - Screenwriter, Bart Mixon - Creature Effects, Norval D. Crutcher III - Dialogue Editor, Peter Benchley - Co-Executive Producer, Julie Cohen - Co-Executive Producer, Michael R. Joyce - Supervising Producer, Peter Benchley - Book Author
The film begins when a couple disappears while having a romantic night out on a yacht. The next day, local fisherman Whip Dalton (William Petersen) finds the empty lifeboat from the missing yacht and inside is a large claw. Whip sends the claw to a university to be analyzed and it ends up in the hands of marine biologists Dr. Herbert Talley (Ronald Guttman), who comes to Grave’s Point claiming it is from the tentacle of an Architeuthis Dux. The island harbor master Schuyler Graves (Charles Martin Smith) tries to hire Whip to kill the squid, but he refuses so Graves sends out Lucas Coven (Larry Drake) instead. Coven succeeds in slaying the squid and the carcass is promptly sold by Graves to Sea World Texas owner Osborne Manning (Denis Arndt).
Dr. Talley then organizes a Submersible expedition to explore the squid’s habitat. But after analyzing the carcass of the dead squid, the scientists determine it is just a baby. The information comes too late and the adult squid attacks the submersible and everyone on board is killed. Whip then agrees to go out and hunt the giant squid but only if he can use his boat and Graves goes with him. He is also accompanied by coast guard officer Lt. Kathryn Marcus (Karen Sillas), Dr. Talley, and Manning. They plan to snare the squid, reel it in, and shoot it with darts full of cyanide. The plan succeeds and the squid appears dead. But when the ship’s engine breaks down, Manning reveals that he filled the darts with tranquilizer instead of cyanide so he could take the squid alive back to Sea World. Whip tries to cut the squid loose but it wakes up and attacks the ship. Talley, Graves, and Manning are killed. A coast guard helicopter arrives in time to pick up Kathryn and Whip. As he boards the chopper, Whip lights his boat on fire causing the extra fuel drums to explode and kills the giant squid. The helicopter flies them back to the shore where they reunite with Whip's daughter Dana (Missy Crider).
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