PETER BENCHLEY’S THE BEAST (1996)

Peter Benchley's The Beast (1996)
Directed by: Jeff Bleckner
Written by: J.B. White, Peter Benchley
Starring: A.J. Johnson, Charles Martin Smith, David Webb, Karen Sillas, Larry Drake, Missy Crider, Murray Bartlett, Robert Mammone, Ronald Guttman, Sterling Macer Jr., William Petersen

PETER BENCHLEY’S THE BEAST (1996)
Directed by Jeff Bleckner

An emergency dinghy is recovered unoccupied after yacht Occupational Hazard sinks in the sea off the coast of Graves Point. With no evidence of the couple who called-in the Mayday alert before it sank, the local Coast Guard and Harbour Master presume that the duo went down with their beloved boat. After helping recover the dinghy aboard his fishing boat, The Privateer, fisherman Whip discovers a mysterious claw onboard his vessel and sends it off to a zoo for examination. Whilst waiting for identification on his peculiar find, more people begin to go missing in the water causing much distress to the fishing community. With the death toll rising, the urgent message from marine specialist Dr Talley reveals exactly what is lurking under the water as the community comes together in an attempt to deal with the predator living off their shores.

If Peter Benchley sounds familiar, he should, for he is the maestro that penned JAWS and here we have another adaptation of his marine works, two-part TV movie PETER BENCHLEY’S THE BEAST, based on his novel Beast about a giant squid that attacks a fishing community.

As you can imagine, there’s many similarities here between JAWS and THE BEAST, after all we’re dealing with two formidable creatures who occupy the sea, but they’re each unique enough to draw the audience in with their own merits.

PETER BENCHLEY’S THE BEAST was a much-loved movie of mine during the 90’s. It still holds up incredibly well today and is effective at instilling a sense of dread as its tentacled menace preys upon the humans venturing into water. Not even a boat is a match for what lies beneath, as the inhabitants and visitors of Graves Point soon discover.

Over its 3 hours running time, we get to grow accustomed to the daily lives and citizens of Graves Point. We discover the personalities and dynamics of its residents, the friendships and relationships, the livelihoods and economical value of the area, and some of its history. Spending valuable time with the various characters allows us to learn and care for them, which means when they’re at risk from the beast beneath the water, the viewer is genuinely concerned for their lives and how it affects the town’s inhabitants.

The film flirts with romance throughout the story to help draw the viewer in with chemistry between the movie’s lead, fisherman Whip, and US Coast Guard Lieutenant Kathryn, as well as Whip’s teenage daughter Dana also having a love interest having found the talent in Graves Point somewhat lacking until the marine biologist’s assistant Christopher arrives on the scene. These moments make you care for the characters that bit more and help to explore their motivations and emotional reactions based on their past experiences. Whilst Dana’s relationship is a little sudden, fuelled more by the lust of youth, Whip and Kathryn’s relationship is developed in a much more mature and interesting fashion. On the flip side, we have Dana’s friend whose sexual appetite is vivacious and she’ll happily sink her teeth into any man that catches her eye, providing a little bit of comic relief as US Coast Guard pilot Ensign Raines becomes her fresh object of affection.

Outside of Whip’s inner circle is a community of fishermen. We see Whip’s best friend Mike, who works with him on The Privateer, expecting a baby with his wife, but times are hard for the couple and money is tight. Despite Whip’s offers to assist with money, Mike is too proud a person to accept charity and desperately needs work. With Graves Point already a struggling port, with fish being scarce in the area, and with the threat of a marine predator docking their boats for an extended period, the lack of work is making all of the fishermen nervous. This includes Lucas, an alcoholic fisherman who’s a bit obnoxious, illegally trapping fish in crab traps on his clapped-out fishing boat. When the town’s much-maligned founder descendent Schuyler Graves wants a quick solution to get rid of the tentacled-beast plaguing the fishing port, Lucas is only too happy to assist… at the right price, of course.

The revelation of the titular beast is done so in an effective way. Its presence is teased to start with which leads to some incredible, tension-building shots, such as a navigation bell buoy being sucked under the water before rapidly rising, floating and bouncing, having broken the surface. It suggests the kind of power under the water that could do such a thing and would make you think twice about entering the water ever again. As the film progresses, we see more and more of the beast, identified as Architeuthis Dux (or a Giant Squid) by marine biologist Dr Herbert Talley. His research and experience brings a new dimension to the story as Whip tries to inform the town about his claw finding and the existing knowledge about the creature they’re facing.

Some of the facts behind Architeuthis Dux seemed to be quite accurate based on what was known about the giant squid at the time, such as its predator being the sperm whale and the lengths it can grow to. The Colossal Squid has a larger, heavier mantle (body) than the Giant Squid, the Giant Squid’s tentacles are longer. However, whilst THE BEAST’s antagonist is a fictional, humongous 100 ft female, the largest Giant Squid on record is less than half of that at 43 feet. Nevertheless, still an impressive creature but none that could take down boats like our beaked-baddy in PETER BENCHLEY’S THE BEAST.

As the death toll rises and the threat of the squid increases, we get to see more of the power of the story’s marine villain. You might not think a squid has the same menace of a Great White shark due to a lack of razer-sharp teeth in its gaping maw ready to chomp off your limbs. However, a Giant Squid, with its metres of tentacles, all hooked with serrated suckers to prevent your escape and the power to pull you deep into the water, drowning you before consuming you with its powerful beak, could potentially be a more frightening prospect to deal with. It certainly chilled me in my youth as I sat wondering when the next time Architeuthis Dux would strike on-screen, and she still has that effect on me decades on!

Though hardly ever talked about in horror circles, PETER BENCHLEY’S THE BEAST is a terrific creature feature that deserves a whole lotta love. Its pacing is on point and the threat and solution dynamic is balanced just right to give maximum entertainment value, with a combination of characters that you’ll either love or hate depending on their motivation. J.B. White’s teleplay takes Peter Benchley’s source material and puts his own spin on it to create a respectful adaptation that doesn’t stray too far but adds enough of its own flavour that works brilliantly.

In years to come, whilst most will remember Peter Benchley for Jaws, The Beast will remain my firm favourite.