By Amelia Proud
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It may be a strong contender for the most ridiculous movie ever made, but Sharknado caused a Twitter tidal wave and even won over critics when it aired in the US on Thursday.
The Syfy movie told the story of strangely opportunistic sharks sucked into a tornado then peppered down on a Los Angeles protected only by a rabble of unconvincing defenders of the earth led by 90210 alum Ian Ziering and American Pie's Tara Reid.
A trailer for the film became an instant internet hit earlier this week and the full installment proved to be a schlock sensation that has been branded 'hilarious', 'awesome' and even 'genius'.
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Ridiculous romp: Syfy's Sharknado has become an internet sensation and huge hit for the channel after airing in the US on Thursday night
Given that Ziering - playing a character called Fin in a stroke of heavy-handed foreshadowing - chainsawed his way out of a shark's stomach in the finale, it's safe to say that this was a B-movie that firmly knew it's place.
And the Twittersphere, which had its appetite whetted when the film's trailer became an internet sensation hours before the broadcast on Universal's sister channel, loved it's gory honesty.
A plethora of big names chimed in excitedly as the feature finally aired, with a Tweet from cult icon Mia Farrow sparking much of the excitement.
The search for a sequel: Twitterers new favourite hobby is thinking of sequel ideas
Sharks from the sky! Aubrey Peeples is unaware that a killing machine appears to be hurtling towards her - singing a merry song by the looks of things - in a scene from Syfy's Sharknado
Tinseltown trauma: The very heart of Hollywood - a big plastic sign - is destroyed in the movie
The Rosemary's Baby legend led a storm (thankfully not full of toothy predators like the one on screen) of chatter in support of the camp romp.
The sequel contenders...
Tsunameerkat
Lizard Blizzard
Wolfcano
Bearnami
Piranhurricane
Tarantulavalanche
Catquake
She also played a small prank by posting an old picture of her dining with esteemed author Philip Roth, prompting a whirl of excitement about the academic dumbing down with flying sharks.
This may have been a hoax but Farrow's 'OMG OMG Sharknado' apparently wasn't, and it prompted comedian Patton Oswald to retweet and caption: 'What is going on?'
Actor Will Wheaton commented that there were possible flaws in the science behind the film's plot but then quickly threw his hat into the ring for a role in the sequel.
Olivia Wilde chimed in that she was recording the film solely based on Farrow's recommendation, while Elizabeth Banks wrote: 'There goes my Emmy.'
Writer Darren Lindelof offered to write the sequel as fans brainstormed ideas.
Oswald suggested that Daniel Day Lewis take on 'Feral-cat quake,' while Bearnami, Hippoquake
Piranhurricane and Tarantulavalanche all cropped up.
And while the movie received just two stars on Imdb, several reviewers judged it as what it was intended to be - a camp and gory old school monster B-movie.
Unimaginable horror: The sharks are propelled along by the tornado and this COULD happen if the laws of gravity are discovered to be completely wrong
Defenders of the earth: All that stands between us and total destruction is Ian Ziering and er, Tara Reid
Prank: Mia Farrow Tweeted this old picture of her with author Philip Roth but he wasn't watching Sharknado with her
Sensation: Will Wheaton angles for a role in the sequel as writer Damon Lindelof offers to write it
Opportunist: The sharks adapt to this natural disaster by hoovering up humans like they're canapes
Save Ferris: There are no fun and games on Santa Monica pier after the watery demons are thrust into the atmosphere
Sharknado aired on Syfy, Thursday at 9pm ET/PT
The LA Times writes: 'It's the whole over-the-top insanity of it all, the splendid and glorious belief that if you say even god-awful lines firmly enough, if you look hot while drawing some weapon with which you clearly have no familiarity, if you acknowledge the yawning chasms in plot by saying things like "This is crazy" and "Do you trust me?" often enough, your audience will stay with you.'
And TIME pointed out in their article - The Genius of Sharknado - that if you view the movie as a movie about sharks in a tornado, it worked very well.
Summing up the tongue in cheek beauty of the made-for-TV romp, they write: 'In the climax, Ziering's character faces a flying shark, gets swallowed whole, then chainsaws his way out of its belly, freeing a character who was just eaten by the same shark while falling from a helicopter.
'The perfect closing title: "fin."'
Tara Reid, 37, rang TMZ to let them know she's up for a sequel, she said: 'I'm just so glad that people saw the humor in it that I did ... because it's hilarious.'
She adds: 'This movie was so ridiculous, you know? Like it's almost so bad that it's good.' 
Ladies love Sharknado: Olivia Wilde and Elizabeth Banks took Mia Farrow's lead
Furore: Twitter blew up with talk of a Sharknado sequel
You wouldn't like him when he's angry: Ziering tackles the toothy menace with a chainsaw
Wind plus sharks equals mayhem: The effects in the schlockbuster are impressive
The biggest star: The sites of LA get a dramatic hammering in the film, but it still outacts the cast
We're all doomed: How you feel if all that stood between you and self destruction was this rabble?
Overall, the film was a massive hit for Universal's schlocky outpost.
Craig Engler, senior executive at Syfy, wrote on Twitter Friday that the channel's massive hit brought quick follow-up action.
'There is now a #Sharknado meeting on my calendar for today. I'm not even kidding ... the invite literally says "Sharknado Meeting,"' he tweeted.
The biggest treat was seeing the sights and scenes of Los Angeles destroyed by this highly improbable freak occurrence.
The iconic Hollywood sign meets a fishy end, as does the famous lettering of the iconic Hotel Roosevelt, a favourite haunt - some say literally - of Marilyn Monroe.
But the beach resorts don't escape from the drama as one of the most dramatic scenes showed the ferris wheel on Santa Monica pier coming loose in the wind.
Enough said! Sure to become a cult classic, the Sharknado poster is a thing of wonder
A Great White Waste.
- Cass , Toronto, United States, 14/7/2013 05:01
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