Killer Crocodile (1989)

I'm not sure if it is a good sign that my idea of a good evening's entertainment is watching a double bill of Killer Crocodile (1989) and Killer Crocodile 2 (1990), followed by Nightmare Beach (1989) - the line up on Pluto TV's Cult Movies channel the other evening - but that's where I seem to be these days.  Man eating giant crocodiles and alligators formed a small but notable sub-genre of Italian exploitation in the eighties, with Killer Crocodile standing out for its sheer schlockiness.  On the one hand doubtless inspired by Lewis Teague's Alligator (1980), Fabrizio Di Angelis' film also blatantly rips off Jaws (1976), as well as tapping in to the vogue for 'eco-horror' films, with environmental pollution being blamed for rampaging natural threats. The closest to an international star name that Killer Crocodile can muster is Van Johnson who, at that point in his career was doubtless glad of any work as by that time he was the sort of actor everyone assumed must gave 'died years ago'.  The rest of the main cast - with the exception of  grizzled 'Thomas Moore', actually Ennio Girolami, as crocodile hunter Joe, apparently doing an impression of Lee Van Cleef - seem to have been cast for their looks rather than their acting ability.  This, combined with the usual ludicrous dialogue, poor dubbing and weak script, make for a highly entertaining low budget experience.

Yet, for all its deficiencies, Killer Crocodile does boast a rather magnificent giant mechanical crocodile in the title role.  While never truly convincing, indeed it is even a little ludicrous looking in some scenes, it is quite fascinating and far more entertaining to watch than any modern CGI monster.  Presumably, the cost of constructing this beast impacted the film's budget quite severely, judging by the meagre gore effects accompanying its attacks.  So expensive was the creature, that it was featured in a sequel, shot back-to-back with Killer Crocodile.  Actually, Killer Crocodile 2 - directed by Gianetto De Rossi, who had created the crocodile prop - gives the impression that it was shot simultaneously with its progenitor.  Hero Richard Anthony Crenna and fellow survivor of the first film Thomas Moore, don't appear until more than half way through the film, indicating that they had to complete their scenes in Killer Crocodile before shooting footage for the sequel. Until their appearance, the narrative is carried by Debra Karr's lady reporter.  Although even more cheaply made than the first film, the sequel does have some notable sequences - not least the eating by the croc of a boat load of nuns and schoolchildren.  Both films make good use of their Dominican Republic locations, (the Dominican Republic became a popular venue for Italian exploitation film makers around this time), with lots of sequences shot jungle fringed rivers.  While neither film could be described as 'good', they also aren't that badly made as exploitation films go - they do provide some decent entertainment for a few hours.  Besides, I also learned something important from Killer Crocodile: that if you jam the rotating propeller of an outboard motor into the mouth of a giant crocodile, the reptile will explode.  Now that's not the sort of thing that David Attenborough would ever tell you about...