Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Avalanche Sharks’

Written by Scott ‘Sharky’ Edwards

While legends may be fun to listen to, most people do not give them a second thought. But legends come from somewhere and usually have some sort of truth behind them. Finding out what really happened to cause generations of people to tell these stories is usually a more insightful experience than the hearing the legend itself. I am always a fan of learning about the legends from all over the world and cannot wait to hear more of them as time goes on, but I always like to dig a little bit deeper to see what is really behind it, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.

Spring break is starting and the celebration on Mammoth Mountain is already in full swing. As the slopes are full of young coeds, there is something else under the snow that nobody wants to know about. While doing some avalanche blasting, a group of Native American totems are disturbed releasing an ancient curse on the mountain. The Skookum, a demon summoned by the people of the land has been released on the slope and will stop at nothing until the mountain is clean of all foreigners. Taking the form of a shark and swimming in the snow, this demon has an endless amount of food to choose from until the guests of Mammoth Mountain are able to put it back to rest.

While only a couple of kids have gone missing on the slopes, no real attention is paid to the matter by the resort or the mayor.  Having the best snow in years, spring break is the one time of year that could make or break the town’s future.  But all it takes is one person to raise a flag about what is happening to make things go off the deep end and with two people searching for answers about where their loved ones are and one man who has witnessed the release of the Skookum before, unrest on the mountain may be closer than desired.  Trying to silence these people, the mayor takes a drastic step to replace the town’s sheriff, but the move may be too little too late as the Skookum is already on the loose and taking its pick of anyone that gets in its way.

This movie is actually pretty fun and with my love for sharks, there is no way I would ever miss it.  Sharks taking over the mountains, you might have to think twice about going skiing now…or not.  Although the sharks are the main part of the story, seeing what the powers that be are willing to do to keep their town afloat has to be the secondary story and is a little worrisome to follow. Caring more about their financials than the safety of their guests, I would hope that this never happens where I might be staying.  Keeping the people that are paying your bills alive is a big part of good business. An enjoyable movie and if you have ever thought that a ski trip would be safer than the beach, you may find yourself mistaken, at least this one time. Stay Scared.

---