SHARKNADO SHARKNADO SHARKNADO

Halfway through Sharknado last night, the fire alarm went off. Before realizing that it was just wanting a new battery, I was halfway to the door and reaching for an umbrella. Because outside it was RAINING SHARKS.

Y'all, if you didn't see Sharknado last night, I weep for you.

I know one of the hallmarks of Syfy's creature features is that they don't wink and nod to their ridiculousness; the actors usually appear (to the best of their ... limited ability) to be playing it straight. But last night, we got this from one of the main characters, Nova: "We're gonna need a bigger chopper." At the time, she and Ian Ziering's son were piloting a helicopter filled with homemade bombs toward a tornado menacing downtown LA with SHARKS SUCKED UP FROM THE SEA. You tell me she didn't know what's up. Earlier, the "H" from the Hollywood sign had taken out a school-bus driver in the middle of his rant about having failed as an actor. Hollywood got him in the end -- get it?

I think that was what I loved best about Sharknado. It may not be the most ludicrous plotline Syfy has ever dreamed up (Mansquito anyone?), but it was certainly the most fun the network has had with its image. From the grainy film ("film"?) quality to the human-hungry sharks bursting up out of manholes to the CGI-ed sharknadoes themselves, it seemed like the filmmakers, and the good people at Syfy, were having a blast, not only completely aware of the absurdity of the plot but reveling in it.

I mean, they sent Tara Reid into a liquor store for survival supplies. 

It was such a perfect storm of genius insanity and marketing, too. Twitter collectively lost its shit last night at 9:00; everyone from Mia Farrow to Katherine Sebelius weighed in (hey, Sharknado injured: Obamacare's got you), and the LAFD reassured us all that they have a Sharknado contingency plan. During the movie, #Sharknado tweets were flying at 5,000 per minute.

And then at the end, just when you thought it could not get more awesome, this happened:



CHAINSAW-WIELDING STEVE SANDERS PLUNGED INTO THE JAWS OF A SHARK.

YES. That actually happened. I will leave it to you to imagine the rest. Or to wait for the sequel, because as Craig Engler tweeted earlier today, they're already in talks. I cannot wait.

PS -- Syfy is re-airing this masterpiece next Thursday, July 18, at 7:00. Do not miss it.