Sharknado (2013)

Sharknado is a 2013 American sci-fi horror comedy film about a tornado that lifts sharks out of the ocean and deposits them in Los Angeles. It is the first installment in the Sharknado film series and stars Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, John Heard and Cassie Scerbo.

Plot
A freak cyclone hits Los Angeles, causing water spouts that scoop up man-eating sharks and flood the city with shark-infested seawater. Bar owner and surfer Fin sets out with his friends, Baz, Nova, and George, to rescue his estranged wife, April, and their teenage daughter, Claudia, after the bar and boardwalk are destroyed by the flooding. While heading to April's home, the group stops on a freeway to save people as flooding causes sharks to attack. George is killed and the group learns of a tornado warning. They arrive at April's house just before the first floor is flooded and shark-infested. Collin, April's boyfriend, is eaten by sharks, but the rest of the group escapes unharmed from the house, which collapses.

Fin stops the car to save the children stuck in the bus from the assaulting sharks. Afterwards, the bus driver is killed by a letter in the Hollywood Sign. While Nova is driving the car, a shark lands on top of the car and rips the roof off. Fin's hand is cut and the group abandons the car before it explodes. They steal another car and meet up with Fin and April's son Matt, who is found taking shelter at his flight school. They borrow equipment from a nearby storage and Matt and Nova become attracted to each other. Matt and Nova decide to stop the threat of the incoming "sharknadoes" by tossing bombs into them from a helicopter. Two are destroyed, but they are unable to stop the third one.

As Nova fights off a shark that had latched onto the helicopter, she falls out of the helicopter and directly into another shark's mouth. Matt is heartbroken. Baz is also lost in the storm along with Matt's friends Bobby and Luellyn. Ultimately, Fin destroys the last sharknado with a bomb attached to his car and the sharks begin to plummet toward the ground. One falling shark flies directly toward the remaining members of the group. Fin jumps into its mouth with a chainsaw and cuts his way out. He emerges carrying an unconscious but otherwise unharmed Nova. Matt is reunited with Nova, and Fin gets back together with April.

Cast

 * Ian Ziering as Fin 'Finley' Shepard, an ex-surfer who owns a bar.
 * Tara Reid as April Wexler, Fin's ex-wife.
 * John Heard as George, a drunk man who spends all his time at Fin's bar.
 * Cassie Scerbo as Nova Clarke, a barmaid who works for Fin.
 * Jason Simmons as Baz Hogan, Fin's right-hand man.
 * Aubrey Peeples as Claudia, April and Fin's daughter who feels left out.
 * Chuck Hittinger as Matt, Fin and April's son in flight school.
 * Christopher Wolfe as Collin, April's boyfriend.
 * Robbie Rist as Robbie, a bus driver.
 * Alex Arleo as Bobby, one of Matt's friends in flight school.
 * Connor Weil as Luellyn, one of Matt's friends in flight school.
 * Julie McCullough as Jonni Waves, a news reporter.
 * Adrian Bustamante as Kelso, a lifeguard.
 * Israel Sáez de Miguel as Captain Carlos Santiago, a fishing boat captain.
 * Marcus Choi as Palmer, a businessman attempting to make a shady deal with Captain Santiago

Production
Sharknado was directed for film studio The Asylum by Anthony C. Ferrante, whose previous directing credits include the horror film Boo, and written by Thunder Levin, whose previous writing credits include the film Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood!' The film's tagline is "Enough said!" Robbie Rist said in an interview that he came upon the film's poster at the American Film Market and became enthusiastic about the concept. When his friend Ferrante said that he had been approached to direct the film, Rist insisted that Ferrante take the job. Rist was given a small role in the film and composed the theme.

Actress Tara Reid said of the film, "It is silly, and there's only a certain amount of barriers you could go into. You can't take it so seriously when it's absolutely the sharks flying in the sky. It's so out there that it's actually really funny." The cast had to imagine the presence of sharks due to a green screen being frequently in use. Ian Ziering stated that he had serious reservations about the script but was motivated, in part, by the need to earn enough to qualify for Screen Actors Guildhealth insurance for his family. In an interview with Uproxx's Danger Guerrero, Ferrante summarized the film's plot: "There's a flood. And a storm. Don't worry about it."