Sharknado and the Rise (and Fall?) of the Mockbuster
As the third Sharknado descends on Washington, D.C., tonight, television critics across the nation seem to be asking themselves and their readers a profound question: "This again?"
NPR sighs that Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No fails at "being really good bad television," while Washington Post critic Hank Stuever half-jokingly postulates that the Sharknado phenomenon might be a fitting metaphor for online culture:
Still, there's half a theory clanking around in my brain that "Sharknado" might be a nifty metaphor for the Internet itself—how it rewards hype for hype's sake; how it destroys everything in its path; how it randomly devours one celebrity while allowing others to thrive; how there's really no difference between shark bait and clickbait.?.?.eh, nobody's listening.
When Reason TV talked to the Sharknado 2 cast and crew at Comicon 2014, we also got a little heady, discussing creativity (and lack thereof) in Hollywood, remix culture, the "earnestness of camp," and the rise of the mockbuster.
Watch below for that video. And, if you dare, check out Sharknado 3 on SyFy tonight at 9pm ET, featuring performances from Mark Cuban, Ann Coulter, and Anthony Weiner.
