The Big Picture

12 Days of Terror
is based on the true 1916 New Jersey shark attacks, accurately portraying gruesome details and real-life characters.
The film falls into the trap of trying to replicate
Jaws
, creating a connected plot and borrowing iconic moments from the famous movie.
Despite its shortcomings,
12 Days of Terror
honors the victims of the attacks and offers a unique blend of reality and duplication.

It’s been nearly 50 years since the release of Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking epic, Jaws. In addition to remaining in the psyche of swimmers everywhere, the film is credited with changing how movies are made and marketed. Not only is it considered the first summer blockbuster, but it still generates new interest today through merchandise, re-releases, and even a successful Broadway play. But, of course, when a movie hits in Hollywood, executives, and producers are quick to try and take a bite out of the success. Jaws gave birth to its own franchise, which saw varying degrees of success and inspired a whole new genre of film known as “Sharksploitation.”

The genre is relatively infamous among audiences, with many agreeing that most entries are nothing more than rip-offs, determined to copy the success of Jaws. On the surface, 12 Days of Terror is one such film. It’s filled with tropes that audiences of the Spielberg classic will recognize, from a small summer town terrorized by a mostly unseen killer lurking below the depths to a set of unlikely heroes and widespread hysteria. However, the picture stands out for one solid reason: It’s based on a true story. Detailing the infamous New Jersey shark attacks, the made-for-TV B-movie recounts the brutal attacks rather accurately. However, like so many other shark pictures, it ultimately falls into the same trap of trying to replicate Jaws — a feat that no film has ever had success with.

12 Days of Terror (2004) 12 Days of Terror is based on the true events of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks. For twelve days in July, a juvenile great white shark terrorized the waters of New Jersey, attacking and killing several beachgoers. Local lifeguard Alex Trednot struggles to convince authorities to close the beaches as the attacks escalate. The film portrays the community’s efforts to deal with the crisis and the eventual capture of the shark. Release Date May 1, 2004 Director Jack Sholder Cast Colin Egglesfield , Mark Dexter , Jenna Harrison , John Rhys-Davies , Jamie Bartlett , Adrian Galley , Patrick Lyster Writers Richard Fernicola , Jeffrey Reiner , Tommy Lee Wallace

’12 Days of Terror’ Recounts the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks
Movies that claim to be based on a true story, particularly horror films, tend to take quite a bit of creative liberty with their subject matter. However, in the case of 12 Days of Terror, the film’s portrayal of its more gruesome details is actually quite accurate. Additionally, many of the important characters were inspired by real people, including the film’s protagonist, Alex (Colin Egglesfield). Based on Alexander Otto, Alex plays a major role in the first shark attack, just as his real-life counterpart did.

Set during the hot summer of 1916 amid WWI and a polio epidemic, the small town of Matawan, New Jersey, sees thousands flock to its coastline. Among them is Charles Vansant (Karl Thaning). While enjoying a late-day swim, Charles is attacked by an unseen force. Alex and four other lifeguards spring to action, pulling Charles from the water. His leg is badly injured, and, due to blood loss, he tragically passes away. The execution of the attack is not only bloody but accurate. According to a 1916 newspaper article archived by weirdnj.com, the real Vansant was enjoying a swim when onlookers saw his struggle. Otto jumped to the rescue, along with another good Samaritan, Sheridan Taylor, and pulled Vansant from the water. His leg was described as being stripped of flesh and Vansant did indeed pass away at a nearby hotel soon after.

The next, and even more brutal attack, happens when Alex’s coworker, Danny Bruder (Jean Michael Joubert), heads into the water to call in a pair of swimmers after they venture out too far. Danny is hit by something, and when he’s pulled from the water, both of his legs have been bitten clean off. Danny appears to be based on a 27-year-old man named Charles Bruder, who was the second shark attack victim.

Per National Geographic’s details of the events, Bruder was not a lifeguard, but a bellhop, who had gone out for a swim. Despite the changes to his name, profession, and purposes for being in the water, the attack itself is accurate, as National Geographic recounts that Bruder’s legs were missing. Sadly,like his fictional counterpart, Bruder would succumb to his injuries.

Related The Best ‘Jaws’ Sequel Is the One That Didn’t Get Made A killer shark was only part of the problem.

One of the more shocking twists of the picture is also based on reality when swimmers in the nearby Matawan Creek are the next victims. 10-year-old Lester Stilwell (Daniel Kriel) is enjoying an afternoon swim in the creek with his friends when he is dragged under by the shark. His death is nearly identical to how the real Lester’s death was reported on matawanburrough.com. Alex’s friend, Stanely Fisher (Mark Dexter), is the next to fall prey to the shark after he dives into the creek in an effort to retrieve Lester’s body for his parents. While Stanely wasn’t exactly real, his motivations, demise (and even profession as a tailor) mirror that of the real victim, Watson Fisher, per National Geographic. The movie’s final victim is 14-year-old, Joseph Dunn, who, like the real Dunn, is pulled out of the creek by a fisherman (whom the movie presents as Alex’s friend, Cap, played by John Rhys-Davies), and escapes with a severe injury, but his life.

There’s no doubt that 12 Days of Terror went above and beyond to honor the victims of the Matawan attacks. However, the movie was also aware that it would need to build a more connected plot. As previously mentioned, Alex is turned into the movie’s overarching hero, but as the film attempted to create a compelling plot, it fell into the trap of other sharksploitation films — it tried to recreate Jaws.

’12 Days of Terror’ Ended Up Recreating the Movie the Events Inspired

Alex is most definitely the film’s stand-in for Jaws’ Chief Brody (Roy Schieder). Shortly after the attack on Charles Vanstan, he speaks with Mayor Perillo (Patrick Lyster) about closing the beaches. Like Jaws’ Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), Perillo has an excuse to keep the beaches open. But where Vaughn insists the first attack in Jaws is nothing more than a tragic boat accident, Perillo blames WWI, claiming it was likely a torpedo. If Vaughn’s excuse was weak, it’s hard not to see Perillo’s as laughable.

Alex finds an ally in Cap, a local seaman. While he’s loosely based on the aforementioned fisherman who saved the real Joseph Dunn, it’s hard to deny that he comes off as a toned-down version of Robert Shaw’s Quint. The film does set up a love triangle for Alex, Stanely, and a young woman named Alice (Jenna Harrison), but even that effort seems akin to some of the cut material from Peter Benchley’s original novel. The film also presents the shark as a Great White. While the legendary fish has been theorized as responsible for some of the attacks, many have disputed that more than one shark was likely responsible. Matawan Creek is a freshwater area, and it’s largely thought that it had to have been a bull shark that swam upstream and attacked the last three victims. The film, however, definitively presents it as a Great White. All that said, 12 Days of Terror goes from being inspired by Jaws to a full-fledged rip-off during the finale.

’12 Days of Terror’ Rips Off ‘Jaws’ Final Battle
Image Via Animal Planet

As the film comes to a close, Alex and Cap set out to catch and kill the shark. Along with an amateur shark hunter, Michael Schleisser (Jamie Bartlett) they end up in a battle that “borrows” many of the iconic moments from Jaws’ finale. Their encounters see the shark breach in an attempt to attack the trio and tug Schleisser’s boat à la the yellow barrels from Jaws. Thankfully, the film does not copy the iconic, explosive ending of Jaws, as the shark gets tangled in a net and dies of exhaustion.

12 Days of Terror certainly did its best to honor the victims of the 1916 New Jersey shark attacks. It gets many of its most important details right but makes the short-sighted mistake of setting out to recreate one of the most famous movies of all time. While the film is not largely remembered in the endless void of sharksploitation, there is something to be said about its unique combination of reality and shameless duplication.

12 Days of Terror is available for purchase on DVD through Amazon.

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